How Often Do Hurricanes Hit Georgia?

Some Atlantic hurricane seasons are more or less active than anticipated. It is difficult to accurately predict storms until they have formed and are heading toward landfall. Hurricane Michael, classified as a Category 3 storm when it moved into southwest Georgia on Oct. 10, 2018, was the first major hurricane to hit the state since the late 1800s and was much more destructive than predicted. The storm wreaked havoc downing power lines and causing damage and deaths from winds and flooding.

In 2017, Georgia escaped direct hits from any of the season's 10 hurricanes, although Tropical Storm Irma (weakened from a category 5 Hurricane) still left a trail of devastation due to wind damage and flooding.

A year earlier, in October 2016, category 2 Hurricane Matthew raked along the Georgia coast without making landfall but caused tremendous wind damage and flooding.

Atlantic Hurricane Season

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30 with the peak period from early August through the end of October. The Atlantic basin includes the entire Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.

A Typical Hurricane Season

Based on historical weather records dating back to 1950, the Atlantic region will typically experience 12 tropical storms with sustained winds of 39 mph, of which six turn into hurricanes with winds reaching 74 mph or greater, and three major hurricanes category 3 or higher with sustained winds of at least 111 mph. It's important to note that most of these hurricanes do not make landfall in the United States.

How Many Hurricanes Typically Hit Georgia?

On average, one to two hurricanes (or more specifically, 1.75 hurricanes) make landfall on the US East coast every year. Of those, only 7 percent hit Georgia. In comparison, 40 percent of hurricanes that reach land hit Florida and 16 percent hit North Carolina. Since 1851, only 20 hurricanes have made direct hits on Georgia.

There is little to no correlation between the total number of storms and those that make landfall in any given season. For example, 2010 was an extremely busy season, with 19 named storms and 12 hurricanes. Yet no hurricane and only one tropical storm made landfall in the US that year.

Hurricane Season 2019 Prediction
Long-range forecasters are predicting a hurricane season that is close to normal, which means 12 to 14 named storms will likely develop in the Atlantic between early June and late November. Of those storms, five to seven are forecast to become hurricanes and two to four are forecast to become major hurricanes. Of course, it only takes one hurricane in the right place to cause widespread damage and death. To focus predictions on a small area like the Georgia coast is impossible until a hurricane actually starts moving in the direction of the state.

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