McIntosh County, Georgia Hurricane History

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

Since 1853, 81 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of McIntosh County, Georgia — about one every 2.1 years. Of those, 16 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Debby (2024), which passed 14 miles away on 6 August 2024.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.1

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 4 · 1Cat 3 · 2Cat 2 · 6Cat 1 · 7TS / TD · 65

The 81 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 4.

Key facts

Most recentDebby (2024) — 14 mi away, 6 August 2024
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1898) — 115 kt (132 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1916) — 1.9 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Unnamed Storm (1854) — 17.9 miles
Passes within 25 miles44 of 81
Peak monthSeptember — 26 storms (32% of all)
Most active year2016 — 4 storms
Most active decade1880s — 9 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi3
Record span1853–2024

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In McIntosh County, Georgia, September is the most active month, with 26 of the 81 recorded storms (32%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 74% of all activity. The 1880s was the most active decade on record, with 9 storms. 3 of the 81 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	5	9	5	15	26	19	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: 18 storms in 1950–1987 against 16 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
2	2	8	9	5	3	8	3	1	6	4	4	6	5	1	4	6	4

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Debby (2024)	6 Aug 2024	13.9 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Idalia (2023)	30 Aug 2023	45.2 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Mindy (2021)	9 Sep 2021	14.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Eta (2020)	12 Nov 2020	34.1 mi	TS / TD	36 kt
Matthew (2016)	8 Oct 2016	45.6 mi	Cat 2	87 kt
Julia (2016)	14 Sep 2016	7.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Hermine (2016)	2 Sep 2016	45.4 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Colin (2016)	7 Jun 2016	26.6 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Andrea (2013)	7 Jun 2013	8.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Beryl (2012)	30 May 2012	43.5 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Bonnie (2004)	12 Aug 2004	24.0 mi	TS / TD	26 kt
Unnamed Storm (2003)	26 Jul 2003	4.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Kyle (2002)	11 Oct 2002	37.8 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Gordon (2000)	18 Sep 2000	33.1 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Gordon (1994)	21 Nov 1994	20.2 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Chris (1988)	28 Aug 1988	30.8 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Isabel (1985)	11 Oct 1985	17.1 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Isidore (1984)	29 Sep 1984	41.8 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Dennis (1981)	19 Aug 1981	47.0 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Unnamed Storm (1981)	3 Jul 1981	31.4 mi	TS / TD	29 kt
David (1979)	4 Sep 1979	10.2 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	14 Sep 1976	18.9 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	24 May 1976	15.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Dawn (1972)	13 Sep 1972	21.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Alpha (1972)	27 May 1972	36.0 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Alma (1970)	25 May 1970	21.8 mi	TS / TD	34 kt
Abby (1968)	7 Jun 1968	25.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Alma (1966)	10 Jun 1966	30.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Cleo (1964)	29 Aug 1964	3.4 mi	TS / TD	49 kt
Brenda (1960)	29 Jul 1960	16.6 mi	TS / TD	56 kt
Unnamed Storm (1957)	9 Jun 1957	23.6 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1954)	10 Jul 1954	30.8 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1953)	1 Sep 1953	20.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Love (1950)	22 Oct 1950	40.8 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	15 Oct 1947	19.8 mi	Cat 2	84 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	7 Oct 1947	48.0 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	8 Oct 1946	33.1 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	17 Sep 1945	17.5 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1944)	20 Oct 1944	6.3 mi	TS / TD	54 kt
Unnamed Storm (1940)	11 Aug 1940	49.0 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1932)	15 Sep 1932	21.8 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	18 Sep 1928	24.9 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	16 Sep 1924	29.1 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1923)	27 Jun 1923	35.6 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1919)	1 Oct 1919	18.6 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	4 Oct 1916	1.9 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	16 May 1916	15.3 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	2 Aug 1915	49.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	6 Sep 1912	15.4 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	15 Jul 1912	13.5 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	5 Aug 1911	4.0 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1910)	19 Oct 1910	12.2 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Sep 1907	32.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Jun 1907	12.5 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	21 Oct 1906	39.1 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	2 Oct 1898	36.1 mi	Cat 3	102 kt
Unnamed Storm (1896)	29 Sep 1896	20.5 mi	Cat 2	88 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	27 Sep 1894	31.6 mi	Cat 1	76 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	28 Aug 1893	20.8 mi	Cat 3	100 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	16 Jun 1893	16.6 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	11 Oct 1888	47.8 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	9 Sep 1888	40.0 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	21 Sep 1885	28.5 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	31 Aug 1885	14.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	25 Aug 1885	40.1 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1884)	11 Sep 1884	12.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	11 Oct 1882	11.0 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1881)	28 Aug 1881	18.8 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	8 Sep 1880	22.4 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	11 Oct 1878	10.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	12 Sep 1878	47.0 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	20 Sep 1877	21.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1874)	28 Sep 1874	22.7 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	19 Sep 1873	30.2 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	2 Jun 1873	42.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	6 Oct 1871	35.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	19 Aug 1871	8.2 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1868)	5 Oct 1868	6.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1860)	14 Aug 1860	30.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1854)	8 Sep 1854	17.9 mi	Cat 3	100 kt
Unnamed Storm (1853)	21 Oct 1853	45.4 mi	Cat 2	85 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 7 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
Barry (2007)	Post-tropical	3 Jun 2007	3.1 mi	36 kt
Josephine (1996)	Post-tropical	8 Oct 1996	22.8 mi	45 kt
Hilda (1964)	Post-tropical	5 Oct 1964	34.5 mi	45 kt
Florence (1953)	Post-tropical	27 Sep 1953	39.1 mi	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	Post-tropical	24 Sep 1947	17.0 mi	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	Post-tropical	30 Sep 1924	45.3 mi	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1900)	Post-tropical	12 Oct 1900	43.0 mi	35 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1853–2025. 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 McIntosh County, Georgia more than once.

Alma — 2 passes (1966, 1970)
Gordon — 2 passes (1994, 2000)

How McIntosh County, Georgia compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, McIntosh County, Georgia ranks #4 — more exposed than 99.8% of them. Within Georgia it ranks #3 of 159, against a state average of 39.8 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 4 Unnamed Storm (1898) passed 36 miles away on 2 October 1898 as a hurricane, reaching 115 kt (132 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1854) passed 18 miles away on 8 September 1854 as a hurricane, reaching 101 kt (116 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1893) passed 21 miles away on 28 August 1893 as a hurricane, reaching 100 kt (115 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1947) passed 20 miles away on 15 October 1947 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.

67 of the 81 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 2.1 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 81 storms spread over the 173 years from 1853 to 2025. 14 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 8 years, between 1860 and 1868. It has been 1 year since the last one; 41 of the 63 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit McIntosh County, Georgia?

16 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of McIntosh County, Georgia at hurricane strength since 1853. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 81.

When was the last hurricane in McIntosh County, Georgia?

Matthew (2016), on 8 October 2016, passing 46 miles away — 10 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Debby (2024) in 2024.

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

Unnamed Storm (1898), which reached 115 kt (132 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 36 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit McIntosh County, Georgia?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.1 years — 81 storms over the 173 years from 1853 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

McIntosh County, Georgia borders or sits close to 4 other counties with a published storm record. Long County, Georgia has 84 on record.

Long County, Georgia84 storms within 50 mi Glynn County, Georgia79 storms within 50 mi Liberty County, Georgia79 storms within 50 mi Wayne County, Georgia78 storms within 50 mi