Schley County, Georgia Hurricane History

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

Since 1851, 38 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Schley County, Georgia — about one every 4.6 years. Of those, 4 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Nicole (2022), which passed 17 miles away on 11 November 2022.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

4.6

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 · 35

The 38 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 3 of them reached Cat 1.

Key facts

Most recentNicole (2022) — 17 mi away, 11 November 2022
Strongest stormMichael (2018) — 75 kt (86 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordHelene (2000) — 7.5 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles15 of 38
Peak monthSeptember — 12 storms (32% of all)
Most active year1901 — 3 storms
Most active decade1900s and 2000s — 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 Schley County, Georgia, September is the most active month, with 12 of the 38 recorded storms (32%). Activity concentrates in June, August and September, together 74% of all storms. The 1900s and 2000s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 5 storms. 0 of the 38 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	12	5	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: 5 storms in 1950–1987 against 10 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	5	2	3	0	0	3	1	1	0	2	5	2	1

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Nicole (2022)	11 Nov 2022	16.8 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Michael (2018)	11 Oct 2018	27.3 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Irma (2017)	12 Sep 2017	21.2 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Tammy (2005)	6 Oct 2005	35.9 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Jeanne (2004)	27 Sep 2004	39.3 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Frances (2004)	7 Sep 2004	47.5 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Allison (2001)	12 Jun 2001	18.0 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Helene (2000)	22 Sep 2000	7.5 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Jerry (1995)	26 Aug 1995	20.0 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Beryl (1994)	16 Aug 1994	10.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Agnes (1972)	20 Jun 1972	25.7 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1965)	15 Jun 1965	7.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Debbie (1957)	9 Sep 1957	25.7 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
King (1950)	19 Oct 1950	38.9 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Easy (1950)	7 Sep 1950	29.3 mi	TS / TD	26 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	10 Aug 1928	29.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	29 Jul 1926	20.9 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1923)	26 Jun 1923	27.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1917)	29 Sep 1917	25.0 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	30 Aug 1911	34.8 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	2 Jul 1909	38.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	3 Nov 1904	49.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	28 Sep 1901	15.1 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	18 Sep 1901	14.8 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	14 Jun 1901	36.3 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	3 Oct 1898	27.5 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	1 Sep 1898	31.3 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1896)	8 Jul 1896	8.4 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1889)	23 Sep 1889	19.9 mi	TS / TD	46 kt
Unnamed Storm (1887)	20 Oct 1887	13.7 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	10 Sep 1882	20.7 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1881)	28 Aug 1881	18.8 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	2 Jun 1873	49.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	27 Aug 1871	26.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1860)	13 Aug 1860	47.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1856)	31 Aug 1856	42.7 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	27 Aug 1852	42.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1851)	24 Aug 1851	42.7 mi	Cat 1	67 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	44.1 mi	30 kt
Fay (2020)	Remnant low	7 Jul 2020	8.4 mi	20 kt
Five (2010)	Remnant low	15 Aug 2010	36.0 mi	15 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 Schley County, Georgia compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Schley County, Georgia ranks #362 — more exposed than 83.6% of them. Within Georgia it ranks #73 of 159, against a state average of 39.8 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 1 Michael (2018) passed 27 miles away on 11 October 2018 as a hurricane, reaching 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1851) passed 43 miles away on 24 August 1851 as a hurricane, reaching 70 kt (81 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1856) passed 43 miles away on 31 August 1856 as a hurricane, reaching 65 kt (75 mph) while within 50 miles.
TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1882) passed 21 miles away on 10 September 1882 as a tropical storm, reaching 56 kt (64 mph) while within 50 miles.

37 of the 38 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 4.6 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 38 storms spread over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025. 4 separate years 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 1928 and 1950. It has been 3 years since the last one; 17 of the 32 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Schley County, Georgia?

4 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Schley County, Georgia at hurricane strength since 1851. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 38.

When was the last hurricane in Schley County, Georgia?

Michael (2018), on 11 October 2018, passing 27 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 Schley County, Georgia?

Michael (2018), which reached 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 27 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Schley County, Georgia?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 4.6 years — 38 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

Schley County, Georgia borders or sits close to 4 other counties with a published storm record. Sumter County, Georgia has 44 on record.

Sumter County, Georgia44 storms within 50 mi Marion County, Georgia38 storms within 50 mi Macon County, Georgia37 storms within 50 mi Taylor County, Georgia35 storms within 50 mi