Macon County, Georgia Hurricane History

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

Since 1851, 37 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Macon County, Georgia — about one every 4.7 years. Of those, 5 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Nicole (2022), which passed 34 miles away on 11 November 2022.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

4.7

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 · 3TS / TD · 34

The 37 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 3 of them reached Cat 1.

Key facts

Most recentNicole (2022) — 34 mi away, 11 November 2022
Strongest stormMichael (2018) — 75 kt (86 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordJerry (1995) — 4.0 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles16 of 37
Peak monthAugust and September — 10 storms (27% of all)
Most active year1898 — 2 storms
Most active decade1880s — 5 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
Record span1851–2022

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Macon County, Georgia, August and September are tied as the most active months, with 10 of the 37 recorded storms (27%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 70% of all activity. The 1880s was the most active decade on record, with 5 storms. 0 of the 37 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	0	6	3	10	10	6	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: 4 storms in 1950–1987 against 9 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
3	0	2	5	3	3	2	3	0	3	2	1	1	0	2	4	2	1

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Nicole (2022)	11 Nov 2022	34.0 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Michael (2018)	11 Oct 2018	18.8 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Irma (2017)	12 Sep 2017	37.9 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Tammy (2005)	6 Oct 2005	47.0 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Jeanne (2004)	27 Sep 2004	24.4 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Allison (2001)	12 Jun 2001	17.4 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Helene (2000)	22 Sep 2000	8.6 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Jerry (1995)	26 Aug 1995	4.0 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Beryl (1994)	16 Aug 1994	21.6 mi	TS / TD	24 kt
Agnes (1972)	20 Jun 1972	18.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1965)	15 Jun 1965	9.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Debbie (1957)	9 Sep 1957	37.7 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Easy (1950)	7 Sep 1950	43.2 mi	TS / TD	26 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	8 Oct 1947	48.1 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	7 Oct 1941	46.8 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1940)	12 Aug 1940	34.4 mi	TS / TD	34 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	10 Aug 1928	20.6 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	29 Jul 1926	36.3 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1923)	27 Jun 1923	32.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1917)	29 Sep 1917	29.8 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	30 Aug 1911	18.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	2 Jul 1909	35.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	3 Nov 1904	49.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	18 Sep 1901	11.3 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	3 Oct 1898	13.6 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	1 Sep 1898	23.2 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Unnamed Storm (1896)	8 Jul 1896	14.6 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1889)	23 Sep 1889	18.7 mi	TS / TD	46 kt
Unnamed Storm (1887)	20 Oct 1887	11.6 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	21 Jun 1886	46.7 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	10 Sep 1882	29.1 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1881)	28 Aug 1881	25.9 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	2 Jun 1873	48.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	27 Aug 1871	25.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1856)	31 Aug 1856	37.8 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	27 Aug 1852	39.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1851)	24 Aug 1851	36.4 mi	Cat 1	65 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 3 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
Sally (2020)	Post-tropical	17 Sep 2020	45.4 mi	30 kt
Fay (2020)	Remnant low	7 Jul 2020	2.8 mi	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	Post-tropical	28 Sep 1901	9.9 mi	35 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.

How Macon County, Georgia compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Macon County, Georgia ranks #382 — more exposed than 82.7% of them. Within Georgia it ranks #75 of 159, against a state average of 39.8 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 1 Michael (2018) passed 19 miles away on 11 October 2018 as a hurricane, reaching 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1851) passed 36 miles away on 24 August 1851 as a hurricane, reaching 68 kt (78 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1856) passed 38 miles away on 31 August 1856 as a hurricane, reaching 65 kt (75 mph) while within 50 miles.
TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1898) passed 14 miles away on 3 October 1898 as a hurricane, reaching 58 kt (67 mph) while within 50 miles.

36 of the 37 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 4.7 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 37 storms spread over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025. 1 separate year saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while decades have gone by with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 22 years, between 1972 and 1994. It has been 3 years since the last one; 17 of the 35 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Macon County, Georgia?

5 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Macon County, Georgia at hurricane strength since 1851. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 37.

When was the last hurricane in Macon County, Georgia?

Michael (2018), on 11 October 2018, passing 19 miles away — 8 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Nicole (2022) in 2022.

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

Michael (2018), which reached 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 19 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Macon County, Georgia?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 4.7 years — 37 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

Macon County, Georgia borders or sits close to 7 other counties with a published storm record. Dooly County, Georgia has 46 on record.

Dooly County, Georgia46 storms within 50 mi Sumter County, Georgia44 storms within 50 mi Schley County, Georgia38 storms within 50 mi Taylor County, Georgia35 storms within 50 mi Houston County, Georgia33 storms within 50 mi Peach County, Georgia33 storms within 50 mi Crawford County, Georgia27 storms within 50 mi