Tift County, Georgia Hurricane History

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

Since 1851, 65 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Tift 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 17 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 2 · 1Cat 1 · 11TS / TD · 53

The 65 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 2.

Key facts

Most recentHelene (2024) — 17 mi away, 27 September 2024
Strongest stormHelene (2024) — 95 kt (109 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1947) — 1.6 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles32 of 65
Peak monthSeptember — 18 storms (28% of all)
Most active year1871 — 3 storms
Most active decade1870s and 1910s — 8 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
Record span1851–2024

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Tift County, Georgia, September is the most active month, with 18 of the 65 recorded storms (28%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 71% of all activity. The 1870s and 1910s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 8 storms. 0 of the 65 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	1	10	6	14	18	14	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: 11 storms in 1950–1987 against 13 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
3	1	8	4	2	6	8	3	2	4	4	3	1	3	4	3	4	2

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Helene (2024)	27 Sep 2024	17.2 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Elsa (2021)	7 Jul 2021	42.8 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Michael (2018)	11 Oct 2018	45.8 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Irma (2017)	11 Sep 2017	22.4 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Hermine (2016)	2 Sep 2016	33.2 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Beryl (2012)	29 May 2012	31.8 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Alberto (2006)	13 Jun 2006	42.4 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Tammy (2005)	6 Oct 2005	7.5 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Jeanne (2004)	27 Sep 2004	17.8 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Earl (1998)	3 Sep 1998	12.4 mi	TS / TD	44 kt
Jerry (1995)	26 Aug 1995	13.2 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Allison (1995)	5 Jun 1995	19.6 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Marco (1990)	12 Oct 1990	31.9 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	16 Aug 1987	34.7 mi	TS / TD	10 kt
Charley (1986)	14 Aug 1986	3.0 mi	TS / TD	10 kt
Kate (1985)	22 Nov 1985	3.3 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Agnes (1972)	20 Jun 1972	47.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1966)	2 Jul 1966	46.1 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Alma (1966)	10 Jun 1966	39.0 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Dora (1964)	12 Sep 1964	7.6 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1957)	9 Jun 1957	42.8 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Flossy (1956)	25 Sep 1956	15.1 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
King (1950)	19 Oct 1950	19.6 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Easy (1950)	7 Sep 1950	4.4 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	28 Aug 1949	37.4 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	15 Oct 1947	1.6 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	8 Oct 1947	9.8 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	7 Oct 1941	20.3 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	5 Sep 1935	39.2 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	6 Sep 1933	35.2 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	10 Aug 1928	38.5 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	29 Jul 1926	8.8 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1923)	27 Jun 1923	32.8 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1919)	1 Oct 1919	3.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1917)	29 Sep 1917	35.5 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	5 Oct 1916	31.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1914)	17 Sep 1914	21.7 mi	TS / TD	36 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	6 Sep 1912	4.2 mi	TS / TD	22 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	16 Jul 1912	11.0 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	29 Aug 1911	38.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	5 Aug 1911	16.6 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	2 Jul 1909	34.3 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Sep 1907	17.8 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Jun 1907	44.0 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	3 Nov 1904	21.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1902)	15 Jun 1902	32.9 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	28 Sep 1901	43.1 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	3 Oct 1898	39.5 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	9 Oct 1894	6.7 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	1 Jul 1886	17.5 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	21 Jun 1886	10.3 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	31 Aug 1885	46.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1881)	28 Aug 1881	37.7 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	3 Oct 1877	5.5 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	20 Sep 1877	31.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1875)	28 Sep 1875	42.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	19 Sep 1873	47.1 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	2 Jun 1873	9.4 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	6 Oct 1871	48.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	27 Aug 1871	42.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	23 Aug 1871	4.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1860)	13 Aug 1860	17.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1856)	31 Aug 1856	30.6 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	10 Oct 1852	22.1 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Unnamed Storm (1851)	24 Aug 1851	30.6 mi	Cat 1	68 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
Nestor (2019)	Post-tropical	20 Oct 2019	15.7 mi	36 kt
Hilda (1964)	Post-tropical	5 Oct 1964	38.8 mi	45 kt
Florence (1953)	Post-tropical	27 Sep 1953	6.4 mi	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1929)	Post-tropical	1 Oct 1929	5.4 mi	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	Post-tropical	30 Sep 1924	44.3 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 Tift County, Georgia compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Tift County, Georgia ranks #72 — more exposed than 96.7% of them. Within Georgia it ranks #25 of 159, against a state average of 39.8 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 2 Helene (2024) passed 17 miles away on 27 September 2024 as a hurricane, reaching 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1894) passed 7 miles away on 9 October 1894 as a hurricane, reaching 80 kt (92 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Michael (2018) passed 46 miles away on 11 October 2018 as a hurricane, reaching 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1852) passed 22 miles away on 10 October 1852 as a hurricane, reaching 73 kt (84 mph) while within 50 miles.

61 of the 65 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 65 storms spread over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025. 11 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 13 years, between 1972 and 1985. It has been 1 year since the last one; 39 of the 52 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Tift County, Georgia?

13 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Tift County, Georgia at hurricane strength since 1851. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 65.

When was the last hurricane in Tift County, Georgia?

Helene (2024), on 27 September 2024, passing 17 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 Tift County, Georgia?

Helene (2024), which reached 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 17 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Tift County, Georgia?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.7 years — 65 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

Tift County, Georgia borders or sits close to 6 other counties with a published storm record. Colquitt County, Georgia has 67 on record.

Colquitt County, Georgia67 storms within 50 mi Berrien County, Georgia64 storms within 50 mi Cook County, Georgia61 storms within 50 mi Irwin County, Georgia61 storms within 50 mi Turner County, Georgia54 storms within 50 mi Worth County, Georgia50 storms within 50 mi