Laurens County, Georgia Hurricane History

No active tropical cyclones are within 500 miles of Laurens County, Georgia as of Thursday, 10 September 2026. Official forecasts at nhc.noaa.gov.

Since 1851, 46 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Laurens County, Georgia — about one every 3.8 years. Of those, 6 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Helene (2024), which passed 14 miles away on 27 September 2024.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

3.8

Avg. years between

Years since the last

Storm tracks within 50 miles

TS / TDCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5

Each line is one storm track, coloured by the strongest category it reached while within 50 miles. The dashed ring marks that 50-mile radius; hairlines are one-degree graticule. Source: NOAA NHC HURDAT2.

How strong they get

Cat 1 · 5TS / TD · 41

The 46 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 5 of them reached Cat 1.

Key facts

Most recentHelene (2024) — 14 mi away, 27 September 2024
Strongest stormHelene (2024) — 73 kt (84 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1856) — 6.7 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles21 of 46
Peak monthAugust — 12 storms (26% of all)
Most active year1886 — 2 storms
Most active decade2000s — 5 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
Record span1851–2024

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Laurens County, Georgia, August is the most active month, with 12 of the 46 recorded storms (26%). Activity concentrates in June, August and September, together 67% of all storms. The 2000s was the most active decade on record, with 5 storms. 0 of the 46 storms were major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger) while within 50 miles.

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
0	0	0	0	1	9	4	12	10	8	2	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1850s to 2020s. Decades with no storms are shown as empty columns. Comparing two equal 38-year windows inside the aircraft-reconnaissance era: 7 storms in 1950–1987 against 11 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
3	1	2	4	3	4	3	2	2	4	1	3	1	2	2	5	2	2

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Helene (2024)	27 Sep 2024	14.1 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Elsa (2021)	8 Jul 2021	42.9 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Michael (2018)	11 Oct 2018	31.4 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Beryl (2012)	29 May 2012	49.6 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Alberto (2006)	14 Jun 2006	41.2 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Jeanne (2004)	27 Sep 2004	38.6 mi	TS / TD	29 kt
Unnamed Storm (2003)	26 Jul 2003	33.4 mi	TS / TD	16 kt
Allison (2001)	12 Jun 2001	39.8 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Helene (2000)	23 Sep 2000	45.9 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Earl (1998)	3 Sep 1998	19.5 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Allison (1995)	6 Jun 1995	36.6 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Charley (1986)	14 Aug 1986	12.3 mi	TS / TD	10 kt
Kate (1985)	22 Nov 1985	36.9 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Agnes (1972)	20 Jun 1972	22.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Abby (1968)	7 Jun 1968	49.7 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1965)	15 Jun 1965	42.2 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Dora (1964)	12 Sep 1964	35.2 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1953)	1 Sep 1953	10.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	28 Aug 1949	10.3 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	8 Oct 1947	17.6 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	8 Oct 1941	9.8 mi	TS / TD	44 kt
Unnamed Storm (1940)	12 Aug 1940	7.5 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	5 Sep 1935	36.9 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	7 Sep 1933	24.9 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	10 Aug 1928	33.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1923)	27 Jun 1923	30.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1917)	30 Sep 1917	27.3 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	3 Aug 1915	42.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	29 Aug 1911	16.6 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	2 Jul 1909	15.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	4 Nov 1904	24.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1902)	15 Jun 1902	36.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	18 Sep 1901	14.5 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	3 Oct 1898	32.5 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	31 Aug 1898	14.3 mi	TS / TD	46 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	9 Oct 1894	39.6 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1887)	20 Oct 1887	24.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	1 Jul 1886	38.2 mi	TS / TD	54 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	22 Jun 1886	12.5 mi	TS / TD	44 kt
Unnamed Storm (1881)	28 Aug 1881	27.5 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	3 Oct 1877	16.5 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	28 Aug 1871	13.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1860)	13 Aug 1860	43.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1856)	31 Aug 1856	6.7 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	10 Oct 1852	36.2 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1851)	24 Aug 1851	8.5 mi	TS / TD	60 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 5 systems passed within 50 miles after losing tropical characteristics. These are excluded from the counts above because they were no longer tropical cyclones at their closest approach — but several were highly damaging, so they are listed here.

Storm	Status	Closest approach	Distance	Wind
Nestor (2019)	Post-tropical	20 Oct 2019	16.9 mi	38 kt
Marco (1990)	Post-tropical	12 Oct 1990	3.5 mi	18 kt
Flossy (1956)	Post-tropical	25 Sep 1956	21.2 mi	37 kt
Florence (1953)	Post-tropical	27 Sep 1953	49.6 mi	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1929)	Post-tropical	1 Oct 1929	30.2 mi	50 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1851–2025. Tracks are recorded every six hours and are interpolated to one-hour steps before distances are measured, so closest-approach figures are not distorted by the sampling interval. Distances are measured to the county's Census internal point, not to its nearest boundary, so a storm listed at 55 miles may still have crossed the coastline — see Methodology. Records before about 1900 are sparser and less precise than modern ones, and storms that stayed at sea were less likely to be recorded at all.

Storms that came back

2 named storms in this record passed Laurens County, Georgia more than once.

Allison — 2 passes (1995, 2001)
Helene — 2 passes (2000, 2024)

How Laurens County, Georgia compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Laurens County, Georgia ranks #240 — more exposed than 89.1% of them. Within Georgia it ranks #59 of 159, against a state average of 39.8 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 1 Helene (2024) passed 14 miles away on 27 September 2024 as a hurricane, reaching 73 kt (84 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1894) passed 40 miles away on 9 October 1894 as a hurricane, reaching 70 kt (81 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1898) passed 32 miles away on 3 October 1898 as a hurricane, reaching 69 kt (79 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1949) passed 10 miles away on 28 August 1949 as a hurricane, reaching 65 kt (75 mph) while within 50 miles.

44 of the 46 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 3.8 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 46 storms spread over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025. 2 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while stretches of a decade or more have passed with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 13 years, between 1972 and 1985. It has been 1 year since the last one; 35 of the 43 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Laurens County, Georgia?

6 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Laurens County, Georgia at hurricane strength since 1851. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 46.

When was the last hurricane in Laurens County, Georgia?

Helene (2024), on 27 September 2024, passing 14 miles away — 2 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Helene (2024) in 2024.

What was the strongest storm to affect Laurens County, Georgia?

Helene (2024), which reached 73 kt (84 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 14 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Laurens County, Georgia?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 3.8 years — 46 storms over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Laurens County, Georgia borders or sits close to 8 other counties with a published storm record. Wheeler County, Georgia has 55 on record.

Wheeler County, Georgia55 storms within 50 mi Treutlen County, Georgia48 storms within 50 mi Emanuel County, Georgia47 storms within 50 mi Dodge County, Georgia46 storms within 50 mi Johnson County, Georgia43 storms within 50 mi Bleckley County, Georgia38 storms within 50 mi Twiggs County, Georgia34 storms within 50 mi Wilkinson County, Georgia33 storms within 50 mi