Washington County, Georgia Tropical Cyclone History
Since 1851, 32 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Washington County, Georgia — about one every 5.5 years. Of those, 1 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
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentHelene (2024) — 18 mi away, 27 September 2024
- Strongest stormHelene (2024) — 66 kt (76 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1949) — 3.8 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
- Passes within 25 miles16 of 32
- Peak monthAugust — 11 storms (34% of all)
- Most active year1851 — 1 storms
- Most active decade1940s and 2000s — 4 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
- Record span1851–2024
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
Activity by decade
| 1850s | 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helene (2024) | 27 Sep 2024 | 18.2 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Michael (2018) | 11 Oct 2018 | 9.3 mi | TS / TD | 49 kt |
| Jeanne (2004) | 28 Sep 2004 | 28.1 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (2003) | 26 Jul 2003 | 4.8 mi | TS / TD | 15 kt |
| Allison (2001) | 12 Jun 2001 | 5.7 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Helene (2000) | 23 Sep 2000 | 12.6 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Charley (1986) | 14 Aug 1986 | 36.9 mi | TS / TD | 10 kt |
| Agnes (1972) | 20 Jun 1972 | 5.0 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Abby (1968) | 8 Jun 1968 | 34.7 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1965) | 15 Jun 1965 | 18.1 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Cleo (1964) | 30 Aug 1964 | 47.8 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Arlene (1959) | 2 Jun 1959 | 33.9 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1953) | 1 Sep 1953 | 32.6 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1949) | 28 Aug 1949 | 3.8 mi | TS / TD | 57 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1947) | 8 Oct 1947 | 17.6 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1941) | 8 Oct 1941 | 45.6 mi | TS / TD | 43 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1940) | 12 Aug 1940 | 33.8 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1933) | 7 Sep 1933 | 17.4 mi | TS / TD | 26 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1928) | 11 Aug 1928 | 15.7 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1915) | 3 Aug 1915 | 40.8 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1911) | 29 Aug 1911 | 49.5 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1901) | 18 Sep 1901 | 22.4 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1898) | 31 Aug 1898 | 25.7 mi | TS / TD | 47 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1896) | 8 Jul 1896 | 46.5 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1893) | 3 Oct 1893 | 49.2 mi | TS / TD | 43 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1889) | 24 Sep 1889 | 29.8 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1887) | 20 Oct 1887 | 7.5 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1886) | 22 Jun 1886 | 7.8 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1877) | 3 Oct 1877 | 37.9 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1856) | 31 Aug 1856 | 32.7 mi | TS / TD | 55 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1852) | 27 Aug 1852 | 15.8 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1851) | 24 Aug 1851 | 22.6 mi | TS / TD | 58 kt |
Post-tropical and extratropical passes
A further 6 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 | 36.1 mi | 30 kt |
| Fay (2020) | Remnant low | 7 Jul 2020 | 22.9 mi | 20 kt |
| Nestor (2019) | Post-tropical | 20 Oct 2019 | 38.1 mi | 38 kt |
| Earl (1998) | Post-tropical | 3 Sep 1998 | 45.8 mi | 40 kt |
| Marco (1990) | Post-tropical | 12 Oct 1990 | 7.9 mi | 16 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1929) | Post-tropical | 1 Oct 1929 | 49.1 mi | 50 kt |
Storms that came back
1 named storm in this record passed Washington County, Georgia more than once.
- Helene — 2 passes (2000, 2024)
How Washington County, Georgia compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Washington County, Georgia ranks #476 — more exposed than 78.4% of them. Within Georgia it ranks #85 of 159, against a state average of 39.8 storms per county.
Notable storms
- Cat 1 Helene (2024) passed 18 miles away on 27 September 2024 as a tropical storm, reaching 66 kt (76 mph) while within 50 miles.
- TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1949) passed 4 miles away on 28 August 1949 as a hurricane, reaching 61 kt (70 mph) while within 50 miles.
- TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1851) passed 23 miles away on 24 August 1851 as a tropical storm, reaching 61 kt (70 mph) while within 50 miles.
- TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1856) passed 33 miles away on 31 August 1856 as a tropical storm, reaching 58 kt (67 mph) while within 50 miles.
30 of the 32 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 5.5 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 32 storms spread over the 175 years from 1851 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 21 years, between 1856 and 1877. It has been 1 year since the last one; 25 of the 31 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Washington County, Georgia?
1 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Washington County, Georgia at hurricane strength since 1851. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 32.
When was the last hurricane in Washington County, Georgia?
Unnamed Storm (1949), on 28 August 1949, passing 4 miles away — 77 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Helene (2024) in 2024.
What was the strongest storm to affect Washington County, Georgia?
Helene (2024), which reached 66 kt (76 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 18 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Washington County, Georgia?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 5.5 years — 32 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
Washington County, Georgia borders or sits close to 6 other counties with a published storm record. Johnson County, Georgia has 43 on record.