Thomas County, Georgia Hurricane History

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

Since 1851, 64 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Thomas County, Georgia — about one every 2.7 years. Of those, 13 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Helene (2024), which passed 25 miles away on 27 September 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 3 · 1Cat 2 · 2Cat 1 · 11TS / TD · 50

The 64 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 3.

Key facts

Most recentHelene (2024) — 25 mi away, 27 September 2024
Strongest stormHelene (2024) — 107 kt (123 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordCharley (1986) — 2.6 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Helene (2024) — 25.3 miles
Passes within 25 miles24 of 64
Peak monthSeptember — 24 storms (38% of all)
Most active year1871 — 3 storms
Most active decade1870s — 8 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi1
Record span1851–2024

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Thomas County, Georgia, September is the most active month, with 24 of the 64 recorded storms (38%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 73% of all activity. The 1870s was the most active decade on record, with 8 storms. 1 of the 64 storms was major hurricane (Category 3 or stronger) while within 50 miles.

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
0	0	0	0	1	8	5	11	24	12	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: 9 storms in 1950–1987 against 16 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
3	1	8	5	1	7	5	4	2	3	4	2	0	3	4	5	3	4

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Helene (2024)	27 Sep 2024	25.3 mi	Cat 2	95 kt
Nicole (2022)	11 Nov 2022	27.0 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Mindy (2021)	9 Sep 2021	25.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Elsa (2021)	7 Jul 2021	45.4 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Irma (2017)	11 Sep 2017	21.2 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Hermine (2016)	2 Sep 2016	19.6 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Beryl (2012)	29 May 2012	31.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Alberto (2006)	13 Jun 2006	42.0 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Tammy (2005)	6 Oct 2005	49.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Jeanne (2004)	27 Sep 2004	8.5 mi	TS / TD	36 kt
Frances (2004)	6 Sep 2004	30.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Bonnie (2004)	12 Aug 2004	34.3 mi	TS / TD	29 kt
Georges (1998)	30 Sep 1998	20.0 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Earl (1998)	3 Sep 1998	27.0 mi	TS / TD	49 kt
Jerry (1995)	26 Aug 1995	23.8 mi	TS / TD	22 kt
Allison (1995)	5 Jun 1995	13.4 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	16 Aug 1987	27.4 mi	TS / TD	14 kt
Charley (1986)	13 Aug 1986	2.6 mi	TS / TD	10 kt
Kate (1985)	22 Nov 1985	15.5 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Alma (1966)	10 Jun 1966	21.9 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Dora (1964)	12 Sep 1964	40.2 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1957)	9 Jun 1957	27.8 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Flossy (1956)	25 Sep 1956	35.4 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
King (1950)	19 Oct 1950	27.6 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Easy (1950)	7 Sep 1950	45.7 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	16 Oct 1947	27.6 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	7 Oct 1947	11.7 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	7 Oct 1941	23.6 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	5 Sep 1935	46.6 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	5 Sep 1933	32.9 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	10 Aug 1928	33.4 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	29 Jul 1926	39.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	29 Sep 1924	37.4 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	16 Sep 1924	31.1 mi	TS / TD	46 kt
Unnamed Storm (1919)	1 Oct 1919	43.9 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Unnamed Storm (1914)	17 Sep 1914	23.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	6 Sep 1912	35.1 mi	TS / TD	22 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	16 Jul 1912	30.1 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	4 Aug 1911	22.1 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	1 Jul 1909	43.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Sep 1907	12.9 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Jun 1907	10.4 mi	TS / TD	46 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	3 Nov 1904	49.7 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1902)	15 Jun 1902	37.4 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	28 Sep 1901	29.7 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	14 Jun 1901	48.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	9 Oct 1894	17.2 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	1 Jul 1886	5.1 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	21 Jun 1886	4.6 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	30 Sep 1885	39.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	21 Sep 1885	34.0 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	31 Aug 1885	15.9 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	11 Oct 1878	19.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	3 Oct 1877	15.8 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	20 Sep 1877	4.8 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1875)	28 Sep 1875	10.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	19 Sep 1873	31.8 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	5 Oct 1871	42.2 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	26 Aug 1871	30.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	23 Aug 1871	37.3 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1868)	4 Oct 1868	28.0 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1856)	31 Aug 1856	47.2 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	10 Oct 1852	15.8 mi	Cat 1	77 kt
Unnamed Storm (1851)	24 Aug 1851	42.8 mi	Cat 1	77 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
Nestor (2019)	Post-tropical	20 Oct 2019	28.5 mi	35 kt
Hilda (1964)	Post-tropical	5 Oct 1964	9.1 mi	45 kt
Florence (1953)	Post-tropical	27 Sep 1953	35.5 mi	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1929)	Post-tropical	1 Oct 1929	19.1 mi	55 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 Thomas County, Georgia compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Thomas County, Georgia ranks #83 — more exposed than 96.2% of them. Within Georgia it ranks #28 of 159, against a state average of 39.8 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 3 Helene (2024) passed 25 miles away on 27 September 2024 as a hurricane, reaching 107 kt (123 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1894) passed 17 miles away on 9 October 1894 as a hurricane, reaching 85 kt (98 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1852) passed 16 miles away on 10 October 1852 as a hurricane, reaching 83 kt (96 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1886) passed 5 miles away on 21 June 1886 as a hurricane, reaching 80 kt (92 mph) while within 50 miles.

62 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 175 years from 1851 to 2025. 14 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 19 years, between 1966 and 1985. It has been 1 year since the last one; 34 of the 46 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Thomas County, Georgia?

13 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Thomas County, Georgia at hurricane strength since 1851. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 64.

When was the last hurricane in Thomas County, Georgia?

Helene (2024), on 27 September 2024, passing 25 miles away — 2 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Helene (2024) in 2024.

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

Helene (2024), which reached 107 kt (123 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 25 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Thomas County, Georgia?

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

Thomas County, Georgia borders or sits close to 6 other counties with a published storm record. Brooks County, Georgia has 69 on record.

Brooks County, Georgia69 storms within 50 mi Colquitt County, Georgia67 storms within 50 mi Jefferson County, Florida63 storms within 50 mi Leon County, Florida62 storms within 50 mi Grady County, Georgia58 storms within 50 mi Mitchell County, Georgia52 storms within 50 mi