Tattnall County, Georgia Hurricane History

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

Since 1852, 64 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Tattnall County, Georgia — about one every 2.7 years. Of those, 9 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Debby (2024), which passed 41 miles away on 6 August 2024.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.7

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 2 · 4Cat 1 · 3TS / TD · 57

The 64 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 4 of them reached Cat 2.

Key facts

Most recentDebby (2024) — 41 mi away, 6 August 2024
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1896) — 87 kt (100 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordAbby (1968) — 4.6 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles36 of 64
Peak monthAugust — 16 storms (25% of all)
Most active year1871 — 2 storms
Most active decade1910s and 1960s — 6 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
Record span1852–2024

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Tattnall County, Georgia, August is the most active month, with 16 of the 64 recorded storms (25%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 67% of all activity. The 1910s and 1960s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 6 storms. 0 of the 64 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	2	10	6	16	14	13	3	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: 14 storms in 1950–1987 against 12 in 1988–2025.

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

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Debby (2024)	6 Aug 2024	41.5 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Idalia (2023)	30 Aug 2023	11.3 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Elsa (2021)	8 Jul 2021	13.4 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Hermine (2016)	2 Sep 2016	10.5 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Andrea (2013)	7 Jun 2013	49.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Beryl (2012)	29 May 2012	9.1 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Alberto (2006)	14 Jun 2006	17.0 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Bonnie (2004)	12 Aug 2004	34.6 mi	TS / TD	26 kt
Unnamed Storm (2003)	26 Jul 2003	13.3 mi	TS / TD	21 kt
Gordon (2000)	18 Sep 2000	21.1 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Allison (1995)	6 Jun 1995	15.2 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Gordon (1994)	21 Nov 1994	39.7 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	17 Aug 1987	22.0 mi	TS / TD	10 kt
Charley (1986)	14 Aug 1986	24.9 mi	TS / TD	10 kt
Kate (1985)	22 Nov 1985	10.6 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Isabel (1985)	11 Oct 1985	35.9 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Alma (1970)	25 May 1970	31.8 mi	TS / TD	36 kt
Abby (1968)	7 Jun 1968	4.6 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1966)	2 Jul 1966	26.1 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Alma (1966)	10 Jun 1966	22.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Dora (1964)	13 Sep 1964	10.9 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Cleo (1964)	29 Aug 1964	34.4 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Brenda (1960)	29 Jul 1960	40.5 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1957)	9 Jun 1957	25.7 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1953)	1 Sep 1953	17.6 mi	TS / TD	29 kt
Love (1950)	22 Oct 1950	14.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	28 Aug 1949	47.3 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	15 Oct 1947	23.9 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	8 Oct 1946	15.3 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	8 Oct 1941	29.3 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1940)	12 Aug 1940	20.1 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	5 Sep 1935	19.3 mi	TS / TD	54 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	6 Sep 1933	25.8 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	16 Sep 1924	27.0 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1923)	27 Jun 1923	4.6 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1919)	1 Oct 1919	46.7 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	4 Oct 1916	40.5 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	3 Aug 1915	12.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	6 Sep 1912	32.0 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	29 Aug 1911	23.2 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	5 Aug 1911	43.7 mi	TS / TD	23 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	2 Jul 1909	20.0 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Sep 1907	19.3 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Jun 1907	45.1 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	4 Nov 1904	20.0 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1902)	15 Jun 1902	19.9 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	2 Oct 1898	44.0 mi	Cat 1	78 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	31 Aug 1898	34.6 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1896)	29 Sep 1896	38.8 mi	Cat 2	88 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	9 Oct 1894	6.6 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	16 Jun 1893	40.5 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	9 Sep 1888	16.3 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	1 Jul 1886	14.8 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	12 Oct 1885	8.0 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1884)	11 Sep 1884	31.0 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1881)	28 Aug 1881	8.9 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	3 Oct 1877	37.3 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	19 Sep 1873	30.9 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	6 Oct 1871	16.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	28 Aug 1871	17.7 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1860)	13 Aug 1860	13.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1856)	31 Aug 1856	44.7 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1854)	9 Sep 1854	41.1 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	10 Oct 1852	14.8 mi	TS / TD	57 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 9 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. Showing the 8 most recent.

Storm	Status	Closest approach	Distance	Wind
Nestor (2019)	Post-tropical	20 Oct 2019	40.3 mi	38 kt
Earl (1998)	Post-tropical	3 Sep 1998	31.7 mi	40 kt
Josephine (1996)	Post-tropical	8 Oct 1996	47.0 mi	45 kt
Flossy (1956)	Post-tropical	25 Sep 1956	25.4 mi	38 kt
Florence (1953)	Post-tropical	27 Sep 1953	12.1 mi	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	Post-tropical	24 Sep 1947	35.9 mi	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1929)	Post-tropical	1 Oct 1929	26.1 mi	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	Post-tropical	30 Sep 1924	12.6 mi	55 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.

Storms that came back

2 named storms in this record passed Tattnall County, Georgia more than once.

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

How Tattnall County, Georgia compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Tattnall County, Georgia ranks #82 — more exposed than 96.3% of them. Within Georgia it ranks #27 of 159, against a state average of 39.8 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1896) passed 39 miles away on 29 September 1896 as a hurricane, reaching 87 kt (100 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1881) passed 9 miles away on 28 August 1881 as a hurricane, reaching 85 kt (98 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1854) passed 41 miles away on 9 September 1854 as a hurricane, reaching 85 kt (98 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1947) passed 24 miles away on 15 October 1947 as a hurricane, reaching 84 kt (97 mph) while within 50 miles.

60 of the 64 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 2.7 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 64 storms spread over the 174 years from 1852 to 2025. 7 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while stretches of a decade or more have passed with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 15 years, between 1970 and 1985. It has been 1 year since the last one; 41 of the 56 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Tattnall County, Georgia?

9 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Tattnall County, Georgia at hurricane strength since 1852. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 64.

When was the last hurricane in Tattnall County, Georgia?

Kate (1985), on 22 November 1985, passing 11 miles away — 41 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Debby (2024) in 2024.

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

Unnamed Storm (1896), which reached 87 kt (100 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 39 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Tattnall County, Georgia?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.7 years — 64 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

Tattnall County, Georgia borders or sits close to 8 other counties with a published storm record. Long County, Georgia has 84 on record.

Long County, Georgia84 storms within 50 mi Liberty County, Georgia79 storms within 50 mi Wayne County, Georgia78 storms within 50 mi Appling County, Georgia71 storms within 50 mi Evans County, Georgia65 storms within 50 mi Toombs County, Georgia56 storms within 50 mi Candler County, Georgia52 storms within 50 mi Emanuel County, Georgia47 storms within 50 mi