Stewart County, Georgia Tropical Cyclone History

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

Since 1852, 40 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Stewart County, Georgia — about one every 4.3 years. Of those, 1 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Nicole (2022), which passed 16 miles away on 11 November 2022.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

4.3

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 · 2TS / TD · 38

The 40 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 2 of them reached Cat 1.

Key facts

Most recentNicole (2022) — 16 mi away, 11 November 2022
Strongest stormMichael (2018) — 80 kt (92 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordDebbie (1957) — 2.6 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles22 of 40
Peak monthSeptember — 13 storms (32% of all)
Most active year1901 — 3 storms
Most active decade1880s, 1900s and 2000s — 5 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
Record span1852–2022

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Stewart County, Georgia, September is the most active month, with 13 of the 40 recorded storms (32%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 68% of all activity. The 1880s, 1900s and 2000s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 5 storms. 0 of the 40 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	5	6	8	13	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: 6 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
1	1	1	5	2	5	3	4	0	1	3	1	2	0	2	5	2	2

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Nicole (2022)	11 Nov 2022	16.3 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Fred (2021)	17 Aug 2021	29.2 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Michael (2018)	11 Oct 2018	40.7 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Irma (2017)	12 Sep 2017	11.2 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Tammy (2005)	6 Oct 2005	23.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Frances (2004)	7 Sep 2004	20.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Hanna (2002)	15 Sep 2002	48.8 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Allison (2001)	12 Jun 2001	16.7 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Helene (2000)	22 Sep 2000	4.8 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Beryl (1994)	16 Aug 1994	12.3 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Alberto (1994)	4 Jul 1994	41.3 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Agnes (1972)	20 Jun 1972	38.0 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Becky (1970)	22 Jul 1970	33.3 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1965)	15 Jun 1965	15.0 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Debbie (1957)	9 Sep 1957	2.6 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
King (1950)	19 Oct 1950	12.6 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Easy (1950)	7 Sep 1950	5.5 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	16 Oct 1947	28.5 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	15 Aug 1928	43.5 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	10 Aug 1928	49.4 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	29 Jul 1926	4.2 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1923)	26 Jun 1923	19.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1919)	1 Oct 1919	39.9 mi	TS / TD	24 kt
Unnamed Storm (1917)	29 Sep 1917	23.4 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	4 Sep 1915	24.3 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	2 Jul 1909	45.3 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	3 Nov 1904	49.7 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	28 Sep 1901	41.7 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	18 Sep 1901	15.5 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	14 Jun 1901	6.3 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	1 Sep 1898	47.4 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1896)	8 Jul 1896	5.5 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1889)	23 Sep 1889	12.7 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1887)	20 Oct 1887	8.4 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1887)	28 Jul 1887	36.2 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	10 Sep 1882	5.8 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Unnamed Storm (1881)	28 Aug 1881	7.0 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	27 Aug 1871	36.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1860)	13 Aug 1860	41.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	27 Aug 1852	46.2 mi	TS / TD	40 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	42.2 mi	30 kt
Fay (2020)	Remnant low	6 Jul 2020	29.8 mi	20 kt
Five (2010)	Remnant low	15 Aug 2010	8.7 mi	15 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1852–2025. 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 Stewart County, Georgia compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Stewart County, Georgia ranks #320 — more exposed than 85.5% of them. Within Georgia it ranks #69 of 159, against a state average of 39.8 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 1 Michael (2018) passed 41 miles away on 11 October 2018 as a hurricane, reaching 80 kt (92 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1882) passed 6 miles away on 10 September 1882 as a tropical storm, reaching 66 kt (76 mph) while within 50 miles.
TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1896) passed 5 miles away on 8 July 1896 as a tropical storm, reaching 60 kt (69 mph) while within 50 miles.
TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1917) passed 23 miles away on 29 September 1917 as a tropical storm, reaching 55 kt (63 mph) while within 50 miles.

39 of the 40 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 4.3 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 40 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 22 years, between 1972 and 1994. It has been 3 years since the last one; 15 of the 33 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Stewart County, Georgia?

1 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Stewart County, Georgia at hurricane strength since 1852. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 40.

When was the last hurricane in Stewart County, Georgia?

Michael (2018), on 11 October 2018, passing 41 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 Stewart County, Georgia?

Michael (2018), which reached 80 kt (92 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 41 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Stewart County, Georgia?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 4.3 years — 40 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

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

Randolph County, Georgia46 storms within 50 mi Quitman County, Georgia44 storms within 50 mi Webster County, Georgia41 storms within 50 mi Barbour County, Alabama39 storms within 50 mi Chattahoochee County, Georgia39 storms within 50 mi Marion County, Georgia38 storms within 50 mi Russell County, Alabama38 storms within 50 mi