NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Folkston, 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
93 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Folkston, Georgia since 1851, 18 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Debby in 2024. Since 1950, 32 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 18
- Tropical storms
- 75
- Tornadoes
- 32
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Folkston
The strongest storm to pass near Folkston was an unnamed storm in 1893, a Category 3 hurricane with 121 mph winds when its centre passed 73 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1896, whose centre came within 3 miles. The record near Folkston begins with an unnamed storm in 1853; the most recent system was Debby in 2024, a tropical storm 10 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 13 systems, 3 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 93 systems, 13 have come since 2000. Folkston has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 94% of the 405 Georgia cities on this site. The strongest of the 32 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF2 on March 9, 2024; its path came within 22 miles. Of the 32, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 20 have come since 2000. January has had the most tornadoes, 7. The most recent tornado was on March 16, 2025. Of the 405 Georgia cities, 99% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Folkston. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 34 times since 1971, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 405 Georgia cities, 74% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Folkston.
Compare Folkston's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Folkston
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | DebbyAug 6 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2023 | IdaliaAug 30 | 47 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 7 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | EtaNov 12 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2016 | JuliaSep 14 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2016 | HermineSep 2 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2016 | ColinJun 7 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | BerylMay 28 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2007 | BarryJun 3 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 13 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | TammyOct 6 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2002 | KyleOct 11 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1988 | ChrisAug 28 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | IsabelOct 10 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1984 | IsidoreSep 28 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1982 | Unnamed 1982 stormJun 18 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1981 | DennisAug 19 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 4 | 56 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormSep 14 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormMay 23 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1972 | AlphaMay 28 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 25 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1968 | AbbyJun 7 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1966 | AlmaJun 10 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1964 | HildaOct 5 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | DoraSep 10 | 60 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | CleoAug 29 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 29 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | Unnamed 1957 stormJun 9 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1953 | FlorenceSep 27 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1950 | KingOct 19 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1950 | EasySep 7 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 52 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormOct 15 | 58 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormOct 7 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 24 | overhead | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 8 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 17 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 19 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 5 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 6 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 15 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 18 | 41 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormJul 28 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 16 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1919 | Unnamed 1919 stormOct 1 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 4 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 15 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 2 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1914 | Unnamed 1914 stormSep 17 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJul 15 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 19 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 29 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormOct 21 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 15 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormOct 12 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 2 | 21 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 3 mi | Category 2 (107 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 26 | 64 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 73 mi | Category 3 (121 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 69 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 16 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormJun 17 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormOct 11 | 47 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 9 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 19 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 12 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormSep 21 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 31 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 25 | 75 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1884 | Unnamed 1884 stormSep 10 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormOct 11 | overhead | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 28 | 71 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 8 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 11 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 11 | 71 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormSep 20 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 28 | 28 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormSep 19 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormJun 2 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormOct 6 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormSep 7 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 18 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1868 | Unnamed 1868 stormOct 5 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormOct 7 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormAug 13 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 8 | 68 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1853 | Unnamed 1853 stormOct 21 | 67 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 Folkston: 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 Folkston
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s7
- 2000s9
- 1990s5
- 1980s5
- 1970s1
- 1960s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 9, 2024 | EF2 | 22 mi | 4.72 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 7, 2022 | EF1 | 8 mi | 3.22 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 22, 2017 | EF1 | 10 mi | 1.65 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 22, 2017 | EF1 | 10 mi | 16.64 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 5, 2005 | F1 | 23 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 24, 2002 | F1 | 12 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 2, 1994 | F1 | 23 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 30, 1985 | F1 | 21 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 27, 1984 | F1 | 14 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 27, 1984 | F1 | 24 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 31, 1961 | F1 | 3 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Mar 16, 2025 | EF0 | 12 mi | 6.79 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 32, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Folkston
The Storm Prediction Center has 34 hail reports within 10 miles of Folkston since 1971, made on 25 separate days. Of these, 17 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on March 27, 2000. The most recent report is from April 26, 2023. March has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Folkston
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Folkston 9 SW, GA, 11 miles southwest of Folkston at 120 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 94°F and low of 73°F; January is the coolest, at 67°F and 44°F. August is the wettest at 7.8 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 1.9 inches; the year adds up to 53.3 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 62% of the year's precipitation (32.8 of 53.3 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 93 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (30); a normal September there has highs of 90°F and 5.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 114 days a year, almost all from April to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 17 nights a year. That 53.3 inches is more than at 78 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (72%). Kingsland, 21 miles east, has its own station (Woodbine, GA): 54.5 inches a year, 1.2 more than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 94°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 67 | 44 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Feb | 70 | 47 | 3.4 | 5 |
| Mar | 76 | 51 | 3.7 | 5 |
| Apr | 83 | 57 | 3.5 | 4 |
| May | 88 | 64 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Jun | 93 | 70 | 7.0 | 9 |
| Jul | 94 | 73 | 7.1 | 10 |
| Aug | 93 | 73 | 7.8 | 10 |
| Sep | 90 | 70 | 5.6 | 8 |
| Oct | 83 | 61 | 3.4 | 4 |
| Nov | 75 | 52 | 1.9 | 3 |
| Dec | 68 | 46 | 2.8 | 5 |
| Year | 82 | 59 | 53.3 | 74 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Folkston 9 SW, GA (120 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 Folkston
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 107 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Folkston: 90 thunderstorm wind reports, 9 heavy rain events, 4 floods, 2 flash floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $962,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on January 22, 2017.
August 13, 2008: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Folkston — 2 injured.
NWS: “A tree fell on a trailer home and injured two residents inside. The victims were taken to the local hospital.”
July 1, 2012: flood 6 miles from the centre of Folkston — $800,000 damage.
NWS: “Widespread river flooding continued in southern Camden county due to historic flooding on the St. Marys River from heavy rainfall courtesy of Tropical Storm Debby.”
July 21, 2019: lightning strike 3 miles from the centre of Folkston — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “A lightning strike caused a structure fire to the Badcock Home Furniture storm in Folkston near 1st and Elm Streets. The structure was a total loss.”
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 Folkston's ZIP code 31537 have filed 15 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1998, and were paid $626,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 33% 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, 25 have fewer than Folkston.
Charlton County, which includes Folkston, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 7 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 hurricanes, 4 fires, 3 tropical storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 30, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Charlton County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hurricanes; Relatively Low for tornadoes, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hail, inland flooding and coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $5.4 million a year, the 115th highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.3 million (62%), 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.
Cities near Folkston
- Hilliard, FL13 mi
- Kingsland, GA21 mi
- Woodbine, GA21 mi
- Nahunta, GA22 mi
- Waynesville, GA23 mi
- Hoboken, GA23 mi
- Callahan, FL23 mi
- Saint George, GA26 mi
- Waverly, GA27 mi
- Saint Marys, GA28 mi
- Yulee, FL30 mi
- Bryceville, FL31 mi
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