Ware County, Georgia Hurricane History

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

Since 1852, 70 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Ware County, Georgia — about one every 2.5 years. Of those, 9 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Debby (2024), which passed 17 miles away on 6 August 2024.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.5

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 · 1Cat 1 · 5TS / TD · 63

The 70 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 3.

Key facts

Most recentDebby (2024) — 17 mi away, 6 August 2024
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1898) — 102 kt (117 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1885) — 1.7 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Unnamed Storm (1898) — 24.5 miles
Passes within 25 miles38 of 70
Peak monthOctober — 19 storms (27% of all)
Most active year1885 — 3 storms
Most active decade1910s — 8 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi1
Record span1852–2024

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Ware County, Georgia, October is the most active month, with 19 of the 70 recorded storms (27%). Activity concentrates in June, September and October, together 70% of all storms. The 1910s was the most active decade on record, with 8 storms. 1 of the 70 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	4	12	6	10	18	19	1	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: 13 storms in 1950–1987 against 19 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
1	1	6	7	3	3	8	2	3	4	4	4	3	3	4	5	5	4

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Debby (2024)	6 Aug 2024	16.8 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Idalia (2023)	30 Aug 2023	20.0 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Mindy (2021)	9 Sep 2021	7.5 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Elsa (2021)	7 Jul 2021	29.0 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Julia (2016)	14 Sep 2016	49.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Hermine (2016)	2 Sep 2016	32.9 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Colin (2016)	7 Jun 2016	30.8 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Andrea (2013)	7 Jun 2013	27.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Beryl (2012)	29 May 2012	38.1 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Barry (2007)	2 Jun 2007	49.1 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Alberto (2006)	14 Jun 2006	28.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Tammy (2005)	6 Oct 2005	1.8 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Bonnie (2004)	12 Aug 2004	13.5 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Gordon (2000)	18 Sep 2000	8.0 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Georges (1998)	1 Oct 1998	38.1 mi	TS / TD	22 kt
Allison (1995)	5 Jun 1995	49.7 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Gordon (1994)	21 Nov 1994	40.4 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Marco (1990)	12 Oct 1990	34.7 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1988)	14 Aug 1988	45.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	16 Aug 1987	36.2 mi	TS / TD	10 kt
Isabel (1985)	11 Oct 1985	39.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	23 May 1976	18.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Alpha (1972)	28 May 1972	21.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Alma (1970)	25 May 1970	19.9 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Abby (1968)	7 Jun 1968	42.4 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1966)	2 Jul 1966	24.6 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Alma (1966)	10 Jun 1966	22.5 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Brenda (1960)	29 Jul 1960	10.9 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1957)	9 Jun 1957	23.7 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Love (1950)	21 Oct 1950	6.7 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
King (1950)	19 Oct 1950	46.7 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Easy (1950)	7 Sep 1950	17.9 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	28 Aug 1949	28.3 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	15 Oct 1947	42.5 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	7 Oct 1947	16.3 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	8 Oct 1946	23.1 mi	TS / TD	54 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	5 Sep 1935	32.0 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	6 Sep 1933	32.7 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1932)	15 Sep 1932	28.0 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	29 Jul 1926	34.5 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	16 Sep 1924	12.9 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1919)	1 Oct 1919	25.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	4 Oct 1916	26.6 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	2 Aug 1915	17.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1914)	17 Sep 1914	5.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	6 Sep 1912	31.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	15 Jul 1912	17.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	5 Aug 1911	19.5 mi	TS / TD	21 kt
Unnamed Storm (1910)	19 Oct 1910	47.8 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Sep 1907	35.1 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Jun 1907	12.0 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1902)	15 Jun 1902	37.7 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	2 Oct 1898	24.5 mi	Cat 1	82 kt
Unnamed Storm (1896)	29 Sep 1896	24.4 mi	Cat 2	92 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	16 Jun 1893	10.6 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	9 Sep 1888	2.7 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	1 Jul 1886	48.7 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	12 Oct 1885	9.2 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	21 Sep 1885	21.7 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	31 Aug 1885	1.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	11 Oct 1882	24.6 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	8 Sep 1880	31.7 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	11 Oct 1878	7.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	20 Sep 1877	3.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	19 Sep 1873	17.4 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	2 Jun 1873	12.9 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	6 Oct 1871	19.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	23 Aug 1871	17.3 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1868)	5 Oct 1868	8.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	10 Oct 1852	49.1 mi	Cat 1	67 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
Josephine (1996)	Post-tropical	8 Oct 1996	12.7 mi	45 kt
Hilda (1964)	Post-tropical	5 Oct 1964	5.8 mi	45 kt
Florence (1953)	Post-tropical	27 Sep 1953	49.1 mi	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	Post-tropical	24 Sep 1947	28.3 mi	44 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	Post-tropical	30 Sep 1924	22.7 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 Ware County, Georgia more than once.

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

How Ware County, Georgia compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Ware County, Georgia ranks #41 — more exposed than 98.1% of them. Within Georgia it ranks #17 of 159, against a state average of 39.8 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1898) passed 24 miles away on 2 October 1898 as a hurricane, reaching 102 kt (117 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1896) passed 24 miles away on 29 September 1896 as a hurricane, reaching 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Idalia (2023) passed 20 miles away on 30 August 2023 as a hurricane, reaching 80 kt (92 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1947) passed 43 miles away on 15 October 1947 as a hurricane, reaching 72 kt (83 mph) while within 50 miles.

63 of the 70 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 2.5 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 70 storms spread over the 174 years from 1852 to 2025. 10 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 16 years, between 1852 and 1868. It has been 1 year since the last one; 40 of the 56 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Ware County, Georgia?

9 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Ware County, Georgia at hurricane strength since 1852. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 70.

When was the last hurricane in Ware County, Georgia?

Idalia (2023), on 30 August 2023, passing 20 miles away — 3 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Debby (2024) in 2024.

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

Unnamed Storm (1898), which reached 102 kt (117 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 24 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Ware County, Georgia?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.5 years — 70 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

Ware County, Georgia borders or sits close to 8 other counties with a published storm record. Brantley County, Georgia has 74 on record.

Brantley County, Georgia74 storms within 50 mi Pierce County, Georgia74 storms within 50 mi Bacon County, Georgia71 storms within 50 mi Atkinson County, Georgia70 storms within 50 mi Charlton County, Georgia70 storms within 50 mi Clinch County, Georgia67 storms within 50 mi Coffee County, Georgia66 storms within 50 mi Baker County, Florida61 storms within 50 mi