NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Brunswick, GA
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
96 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Brunswick, Georgia since 1851, 22 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Debby in 2024. Since 1950, 45 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 22
- Tropical storms
- 74
- Tornadoes
- 45
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Brunswick
The strongest storm to pass near Brunswick was an unnamed storm in 1893, a Category 3 hurricane with 121 mph winds when its centre passed 51 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1898, whose centre came within 15 miles. The record near Brunswick begins with an unnamed storm in 1853; the most recent system was Debby in 2024, a tropical storm 17 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 13 systems, 3 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 96 systems, 15 have come since 2000. Brunswick has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 96% of the 405 Georgia cities on this site. The strongest of the 45 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF4 on May 11, 2008; its path came within 14 miles. Of the 45, 11 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 24 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 9. The most recent tornado was on March 9, 2024. Of the 405 Georgia cities, 92% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Brunswick. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 44 times since 1965, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 405 Georgia cities, 59% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Brunswick.
Compare Brunswick's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Brunswick
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | DebbyAug 6 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2023 | IdaliaAug 30 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | EtaNov 12 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2016 | MatthewOct 8 | 54 mi | Category 2 (102 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | JuliaSep 14 | overhead | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2016 | HermineSep 2 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2016 | ColinJun 7 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | BerylMay 28 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2007 | BarryJun 2 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | TammyOct 6 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 14 | 70 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2002 | KyleOct 11 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1988 | ChrisAug 28 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | IsabelOct 10 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | BobJul 24 | 60 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1984 | IsidoreSep 29 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1982 | Unnamed 1982 stormJun 18 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1981 | DennisAug 19 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 4 | 22 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormSep 14 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormMay 24 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1972 | AlphaMay 28 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 25 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1968 | AbbyJun 7 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1966 | AlmaJun 10 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1964 | HildaOct 5 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | CleoAug 29 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 29 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | Unnamed 1957 stormJun 9 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1954 | Unnamed 1954 stormJul 10 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1953 | FlorenceSep 27 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1952 | AbleAug 30 | 74 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1950 | EasySep 7 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormOct 15 | 37 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormOct 7 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 24 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 8 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 17 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 19 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormAug 11 | 69 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 6 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 15 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 18 | 26 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 16 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1919 | Unnamed 1919 stormOct 1 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 4 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 2 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1914 | Unnamed 1914 stormSep 17 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJul 15 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 28 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 19 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 29 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormOct 21 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormOct 12 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 2 | 15 mi | Category 3 (114 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormAug 31 | 72 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 17 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 72 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 26 | 37 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 51 mi | Category 3 (121 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 34 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 16 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormJun 17 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormOct 11 | 42 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 9 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 19 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 12 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormSep 30 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormSep 21 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 31 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 25 | 47 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1884 | Unnamed 1884 stormSep 10 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormOct 11 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 28 | 39 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 8 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 11 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 11 | 52 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormSep 20 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 28 | 18 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormSep 19 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormJun 2 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormOct 6 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormSep 7 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 23 | overhead | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1868 | Unnamed 1868 stormOct 5 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormOct 7 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormAug 13 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 8 | 32 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1853 | Unnamed 1853 stormOct 21 | 43 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Brunswick: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Brunswick
By decade
- 2020s6
- 2010s4
- 2000s14(1 EF3+)
- 1990s6
- 1980s3
- 1970s2
- 1960s6
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 11, 2008 | EF4 | 14 mi | 11 mi | 0 / 9 |
| Mar 9, 2024 | EF2 | 22 mi | 4.72 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Feb 27, 1984 | F2 | 22 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 24, 1963 | F2 | 7 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 13, 1963 | F2 | 18 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 30, 2023 | EF1 | 8 mi | 0.32 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 30, 2023 | EF1 | in town | 7.91 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 2, 2018 | EF1 | 6 mi | 0.59 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 22, 2017 | EF1 | 14 mi | 16.64 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 13, 2009 | EF1 | 20 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 11, 2008 | EF1 | 4 mi | 5.22 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 7, 2008 | EF1 | 16 mi | 0.61 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 45, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Brunswick
The Storm Prediction Center has 44 hail reports within 10 miles of Brunswick since 1965, made on 31 separate days. Of these, 21 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently April 8, 2006. The most recent report is from May 25, 2025. May has the most reports, 23.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Brunswick
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Brunswick, GA, 4 miles south of Brunswick at 13 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 75°F; January is the coolest, at 61°F and 44°F. August is the wettest at 7.0 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 2.0 inches; the year adds up to 50.4 inches over 72 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 62% of the year's precipitation (31.2 of 50.4 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 96 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (29); a normal September there has highs of 84°F and 6.3 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 73 days a year, almost all from April to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 9 nights a year. That 50.4 inches is more than at 45 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (42%). St Simons Island, 9 miles east, has its own station (Brunswick Malcolm Mckinnon Airport, GA): 45.6 inches a year, 4.8 less than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 44 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Feb | 64 | 47 | 3.1 | 5 |
| Mar | 70 | 53 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Apr | 76 | 59 | 3.1 | 5 |
| May | 83 | 67 | 3.0 | 4 |
| Jun | 88 | 73 | 6.4 | 9 |
| Jul | 90 | 75 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Aug | 89 | 75 | 7.0 | 10 |
| Sep | 84 | 72 | 6.3 | 8 |
| Oct | 78 | 63 | 4.6 | 5 |
| Nov | 69 | 53 | 2.0 | 3 |
| Dec | 63 | 47 | 2.7 | 5 |
| Year | 76 | 61 | 50.4 | 72 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Brunswick, GA (13 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Brunswick
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 168 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Brunswick: 122 thunderstorm wind reports, 31 heavy rain events, 12 floods, 2 lightning strikes and 1 flash flood. They killed 0 people and injured 4, and the NWS estimated $2.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on December 2, 2018.
August 18, 2010: heavy rain event 3 miles from the centre of Brunswick — 4 injured, $30,000 damage.
NWS: “The combination of heavy rainfall, water pooling on the roof and structural failure caused the roof of the Family Dollar Store on 4420 Altama Avenue in the Brunswick area to collapse. One person was hospitalized due to injuries and 3 others suffered minor injuries.”
July 11, 2005: flood in Brunswick — $1.8 million damage.
NWS: “Torrential rainfall from Hurricane Dennis ranged from 8 to 11 inches. In Sylvester, 78 families were displaced by the flooding.”
July 27, 1998: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Brunswick — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Downbust uprooted large trees and damaged 10 homes.”
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Flood insurance policyholders in Brunswick's 3 ZIP codes have filed 1,082 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $25.1 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Irma in 2017: 404 claims (37% of all) and $13.9 million, then Hurricane Matthew in 2016 with 124 and Hurricane Nicole in 2022 with 39. 55% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 154 Georgia cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 150 have fewer than Brunswick.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Irma2017 | 404 | $13.9 million |
| Hurricane Matthew2016 | 124 | $4.6 million |
| Hurricane Nicole2022 | 39 | $1.5 million |
Glynn County, which includes Brunswick, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 9 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms, 2 tropical storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 30, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Glynn County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hurricanes and coastal flooding; Relatively Moderate for strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $40.1 million a year, the 14th highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $21.4 million (53%), is from hurricanes.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.