Taliaferro County, Georgia Tropical Cyclone History
Since 1852, 27 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Taliaferro County, Georgia — about one every 6.4 years. Of those, 0 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Helene (2024), which passed 18 miles away on 27 September 2024.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
Key facts
- Most recentHelene (2024) — 18 mi away, 27 September 2024
- Strongest stormHelene (2024) — 60 kt (69 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1947) — 3.7 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
- Passes within 25 miles14 of 27
- Peak monthSeptember — 9 storms (33% of all)
- Most active year1852 — 1 storms
- Most active decade1880s and 2000s — 4 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
- Record span1852–2024
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 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 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helene (2024) | 27 Sep 2024 | 18.5 mi | TS / TD | 55 kt |
| Claudette (2021) | 20 Jun 2021 | 21.1 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Michael (2018) | 11 Oct 2018 | 24.7 mi | TS / TD | 48 kt |
| Jeanne (2004) | 28 Sep 2004 | 5.3 mi | TS / TD | 23 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (2003) | 27 Jul 2003 | 39.3 mi | TS / TD | 15 kt |
| Allison (2001) | 13 Jun 2001 | 35.5 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Helene (2000) | 23 Sep 2000 | 26.6 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Jerry (1995) | 27 Aug 1995 | 21.7 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Agnes (1972) | 20 Jun 1972 | 40.7 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Abby (1968) | 8 Jun 1968 | 38.0 mi | TS / TD | 29 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1965) | 15 Jun 1965 | 22.9 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Cleo (1964) | 30 Aug 1964 | 45.8 mi | TS / TD | 34 kt |
| Arlene (1959) | 2 Jun 1959 | 10.9 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1949) | 28 Aug 1949 | 16.7 mi | TS / TD | 54 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1947) | 9 Oct 1947 | 3.7 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1933) | 7 Sep 1933 | 24.3 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1928) | 11 Aug 1928 | 12.6 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1903) | 16 Sep 1903 | 28.8 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1900) | 15 Sep 1900 | 39.0 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1896) | 8 Jul 1896 | 26.3 mi | TS / TD | 33 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1893) | 3 Oct 1893 | 9.8 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1889) | 24 Sep 1889 | 7.2 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1887) | 20 Oct 1887 | 44.3 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1886) | 22 Jun 1886 | 26.6 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1882) | 11 Sep 1882 | 22.9 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1859) | 16 Sep 1859 | 32.6 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1852) | 27 Aug 1852 | 25.2 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
Post-tropical and extratropical passes
A further 5 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 | 4.7 mi | 30 kt |
| Fay (2020) | Remnant low | 7 Jul 2020 | 18.0 mi | 20 kt |
| Marco (1990) | Post-tropical | 12 Oct 1990 | 29.5 mi | 15 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1912) | Post-tropical | 14 Jun 1912 | 31.3 mi | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1901) | Post-tropical | 28 Sep 1901 | 32.0 mi | 35 kt |
Storms that came back
1 named storm in this record passed Taliaferro County, Georgia more than once.
- Helene — 2 passes (2000, 2024)
How Taliaferro County, Georgia compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Taliaferro County, Georgia ranks #579 — more exposed than 73.8% of them. Within Georgia it ranks #105 of 159, against a state average of 39.8 storms per county.
Notable storms
- TS / TD Helene (2024) passed 18 miles away on 27 September 2024 as a tropical storm, reaching 60 kt (69 mph) while within 50 miles.
- TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1949) passed 17 miles away on 28 August 1949 as a tropical storm, reaching 56 kt (64 mph) while within 50 miles.
- TS / TD Michael (2018) passed 25 miles away on 11 October 2018 as a tropical storm, reaching 49 kt (56 mph) while within 50 miles.
- TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1889) passed 7 miles away on 24 September 1889 as a tropical storm, reaching 45 kt (52 mph) while within 50 miles.
26 of the 27 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 6.4 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 27 storms spread over the 174 years from 1852 to 2025. 0 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while decades have gone by with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 25 years, between 1903 and 1928. It has been 1 year since the last one; 22 of the 26 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
Has a hurricane ever hit Taliaferro County, Georgia?
No. No tropical cyclone on record has passed within 50 miles of Taliaferro County, Georgia while at hurricane strength. 27 tropical cyclones have passed within that distance since 1852, all of them as tropical storms or depressions. The strongest was Helene (2024).
When was the last tropical cyclone in Taliaferro County, Georgia?
Helene (2024), on 27 September 2024, passing 18 miles away — 2 years ago. No storm on record has passed within 50 miles of Taliaferro County, Georgia at hurricane strength.
What was the strongest storm to affect Taliaferro County, Georgia?
Helene (2024), which reached 60 kt (69 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 18 miles.
How often does a tropical storm reach Taliaferro County, Georgia?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 6.4 years — 27 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
Taliaferro County, Georgia borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. Hancock County, Georgia has 29 on record.