Muscogee County, Georgia Tropical Cyclone History
Since 1852, 34 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Muscogee County, Georgia — about one every 5.1 years. Of those, 0 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Nicole (2022), which passed 16 miles away on 11 November 2022.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
Key facts
- Most recentNicole (2022) — 16 mi away, 11 November 2022
- Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1882) — 60 kt (69 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1901) — 7.3 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
- Passes within 25 miles16 of 34
- Peak monthSeptember — 13 storms (38% of all)
- Most active year1887 — 2 storms
- Most active decade1880s — 5 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
- Record span1852–2022
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
Activity by decade
| 1850s | 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicole (2022) | 11 Nov 2022 | 16.1 mi | TS / TD | 27 kt |
| Fred (2021) | 17 Aug 2021 | 22.1 mi | TS / TD | 27 kt |
| Irma (2017) | 12 Sep 2017 | 10.5 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Frances (2004) | 7 Sep 2004 | 13.1 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Hanna (2002) | 15 Sep 2002 | 28.0 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Allison (2001) | 12 Jun 2001 | 12.7 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Helene (2000) | 22 Sep 2000 | 30.6 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Beryl (1994) | 16 Aug 1994 | 26.2 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Alberto (1994) | 4 Jul 1994 | 23.0 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Becky (1970) | 22 Jul 1970 | 33.8 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1965) | 15 Jun 1965 | 37.1 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Arlene (1959) | 2 Jun 1959 | 27.9 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Debbie (1957) | 9 Sep 1957 | 13.2 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| King (1950) | 19 Oct 1950 | 37.1 mi | TS / TD | 27 kt |
| Easy (1950) | 7 Sep 1950 | 19.7 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1928) | 15 Aug 1928 | 36.5 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1926) | 29 Jul 1926 | 22.6 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1923) | 26 Jun 1923 | 48.3 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1915) | 4 Sep 1915 | 18.7 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1906) | 13 Jun 1906 | 48.5 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1903) | 15 Sep 1903 | 40.7 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1901) | 18 Sep 1901 | 43.9 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1901) | 14 Jun 1901 | 7.3 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1898) | 3 Oct 1898 | 37.0 mi | TS / TD | 43 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1898) | 1 Sep 1898 | 17.8 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1896) | 8 Jul 1896 | 29.2 mi | TS / TD | 48 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1893) | 3 Oct 1893 | 29.7 mi | TS / TD | 49 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1889) | 23 Sep 1889 | 18.9 mi | TS / TD | 47 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1887) | 20 Oct 1887 | 38.1 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1887) | 28 Jul 1887 | 17.3 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1882) | 10 Sep 1882 | 16.6 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1881) | 28 Aug 1881 | 25.5 mi | TS / TD | 47 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1859) | 16 Sep 1859 | 31.9 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1852) | 27 Aug 1852 | 17.5 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
Post-tropical and extratropical passes
A further 4 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 | 14.2 mi | 30 kt |
| Fay (2020) | Remnant low | 7 Jul 2020 | 44.9 mi | 20 kt |
| Five (2010) | Remnant low | 15 Aug 2010 | 1.6 mi | 15 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1902) | Post-tropical | 11 Oct 1902 | 46.8 mi | 35 kt |
How Muscogee County, Georgia compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Muscogee County, Georgia ranks #427 — more exposed than 80.7% of them. Within Georgia it ranks #78 of 159, against a state average of 39.8 storms per county.
Notable storms
- TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1882) passed 17 miles away on 10 September 1882 as a tropical storm, reaching 60 kt (69 mph) while within 50 miles.
- TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1896) passed 29 miles away on 8 July 1896 as a tropical storm, reaching 55 kt (63 mph) while within 50 miles.
- TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1893) passed 30 miles away on 3 October 1893 as a tropical storm, reaching 50 kt (58 mph) while within 50 miles.
- TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1881) passed 25 miles away on 28 August 1881 as a tropical storm, reaching 50 kt (58 mph) while within 50 miles.
34 of the 34 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 5.1 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 34 storms spread over the 174 years from 1852 to 2025. 5 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while decades have gone by with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 24 years, between 1970 and 1994. It has been 3 years since the last one; 14 of the 28 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
Has a hurricane ever hit Muscogee County, Georgia?
No. No tropical cyclone on record has passed within 50 miles of Muscogee County, Georgia while at hurricane strength. 34 tropical cyclones have passed within that distance since 1852, all of them as tropical storms or depressions. The strongest was Unnamed Storm (1882).
When was the last tropical cyclone in Muscogee County, Georgia?
Nicole (2022), on 11 November 2022, passing 16 miles away — 4 years ago. No storm on record has passed within 50 miles of Muscogee County, Georgia at hurricane strength.
What was the strongest storm to affect Muscogee County, Georgia?
Unnamed Storm (1882), which reached 60 kt (69 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 17 miles.
How often does a tropical storm reach Muscogee County, Georgia?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 5.1 years — 34 storms over the 174 years from 1852 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.
Nearby counties
Muscogee County, Georgia borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. Chattahoochee County, Georgia has 39 on record.