NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Waycross, 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
88 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Waycross, Georgia since 1851, 10 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 57 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 10
- Tropical storms
- 78
- Tornadoes
- 57
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Waycross
The strongest storm to pass near Waycross was an unnamed storm in 1896, a Category 2 hurricane with 106 mph winds when its centre passed 27 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1898, whose centre came within 13 miles. The record near Waycross begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a Category 1 hurricane 55 miles away. Of the 88 systems, 14 have come since 2000. Waycross has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 81% of the 405 Georgia cities on this site. The strongest of the 57 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on November 18, 1968; its path came within 5 miles. The deadliest, an F1 on April 8, 1974, killed 1 person. Of the 57, 13 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 30 have come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on April 7, 2025. Of the 405 Georgia cities, 80% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Waycross. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 49 times since 1971, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 405 Georgia cities, 55% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Waycross.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Waycross
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 55 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2024 | DebbyAug 6 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2023 | IdaliaAug 30 | 17 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 7 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | EtaNov 12 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2017 | IrmaSep 11 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | JuliaSep 14 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2016 | HermineSep 2 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2016 | ColinJun 7 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2007 | BarryJun 2 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | TammyOct 6 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | EarlSep 3 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | KateNov 22 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | IsabelOct 10 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1984 | IsidoreSep 28 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1979 | DavidSep 4 | 71 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormSep 14 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormMay 23 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1972 | AlphaMay 28 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 25 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1968 | AbbyJun 7 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1966 | AlmaJun 10 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1964 | HildaOct 5 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | DoraSep 12 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | CleoAug 29 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 29 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | Unnamed 1957 stormJun 9 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | FlossySep 25 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1953 | FlorenceSep 27 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1950 | KingOct 19 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1950 | EasySep 7 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 32 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormOct 15 | 32 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormOct 7 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 24 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 8 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 17 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 19 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 5 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 6 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 15 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 1 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 18 | 70 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormJul 29 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 16 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1919 | Unnamed 1919 stormOct 1 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1917 | Unnamed 1917 stormSep 30 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 4 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 15 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 2 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1914 | Unnamed 1914 stormSep 17 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJul 15 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 29 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 19 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 29 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | overhead | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 15 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormOct 12 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 2 | 13 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 27 mi | Category 2 (106 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 48 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 16 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 9 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 12 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormSep 21 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 31 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1884 | Unnamed 1884 stormSep 11 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormOct 11 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 28 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 8 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 11 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 3 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormSep 20 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 28 | 59 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormSep 19 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormJun 2 | overhead | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormOct 6 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormSep 7 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 23 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1868 | Unnamed 1868 stormOct 5 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormAug 13 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Waycross: 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 Waycross
By decade
- 2020s9
- 2010s5
- 2000s16
- 1990s9
- 1980s5
- 1970s5
- 1960s6(1 EF3+)
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 18, 1968 | F3 | 5 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 9, 2024 | EF2 | 24 mi | 4.72 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Dec 2, 2009 | EF2 | 22 mi | 5.13 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Oct 26, 1997 | F2 | 22 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Mar 16, 1976 | F2 | 19 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 25, 1970 | F2 | in town | 10.9 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 18, 1969 | F2 | 23 mi | 217.8 mi | 0 / 30 |
| Apr 12, 1961 | F2 | 20 mi | 20.6 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Nov 29, 1957 | F2 | 18 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Apr 8, 1974 | F1 | 20 mi | 92.6 mi | 1 / 7 |
| Mar 9, 2024 | EF1 | 13 mi | 5.59 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 4, 2023 | EF1 | 15 mi | 3.16 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 57, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Waycross
The Storm Prediction Center has 49 hail reports within 10 miles of Waycross since 1971, made on 43 separate days. Of these, 18 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on April 30, 1971. The most recent report is from September 11, 2023. June has the most reports, 16.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Waycross
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Waycross 4 NE, GA, 4 miles northeast of Waycross at 145 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 94°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 64°F and 37°F. June and August are the wettest at 6.8 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 2.2 inches; the year adds up to 50.4 inches over 69 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 59% of the year's precipitation (29.5 of 50.4 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 88 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (32); a normal September there has highs of 89°F and 4.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 103 days a year, almost all from April to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 41 nights a year. That 50.4 inches is more than at 45 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (42%). Homerville, 23 miles southwest, has its own station (Homerville 5 N, GA): 49.3 inches a year, 1.1 less than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 94°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64 | 37 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Feb | 68 | 40 | 3.7 | 5 |
| Mar | 75 | 45 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Apr | 81 | 52 | 3.1 | 4 |
| May | 88 | 60 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Jun | 92 | 69 | 6.8 | 9 |
| Jul | 94 | 71 | 5.9 | 9 |
| Aug | 93 | 71 | 6.8 | 9 |
| Sep | 89 | 66 | 4.5 | 6 |
| Oct | 81 | 55 | 3.3 | 4 |
| Nov | 74 | 45 | 2.2 | 3 |
| Dec | 67 | 39 | 2.9 | 5 |
| Year | 80 | 54 | 50.4 | 69 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Waycross 4 NE, GA (145 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 Waycross
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 181 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Waycross: 144 thunderstorm wind reports, 17 heavy rain events, 12 lightning strikes, 5 floods and 3 flash floods. They killed 2 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $2.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on April 5, 2009.
July 10, 2025: lightning strike 3 miles from the centre of Waycross — 2 killed.
NWS: “Two males, 18 and 19 years old, were killed by lightning in an open field near a vehicle during a thunderstorm Thursday evening along Lejuene Road and Alton Circle after fishing. The time of the event was based on county official information and lightning data.”
April 19, 2019: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Waycross — 1 injured.
NWS: “A mobile home was rolled over and destroyed by severe thunderstorm winds. Three vehicles were also overturned at the same location.”
January 2, 1999: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Waycross — $2.2 million damage.
NWS: “In the Jamestown Community two residents with minor damage. In an Industrial Park a boat manufacturing company had one building destroyed and moderate damage to one end of their main building.”
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 Waycross's 2 ZIP codes have filed 44 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $287,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 18% 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, 81 have fewer than Waycross.
Ware County, which includes Waycross, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 11 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 Ware County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hurricanes and lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $12.1 million a year, the 65th highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.5 million (37%), is from inland flooding.
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 Waycross
- Blackshear, GA9 mi
- Hoboken, GA14 mi
- Patterson, GA19 mi
- Nahunta, GA23 mi
- Homerville, GA23 mi
- Alma, GA24 mi
- Nicholls, GA25 mi
- Pearson, GA28 mi
- Screven, GA28 mi
- Hortense, GA31 mi
- Folkston, GA32 mi
- Waynesville, GA32 mi
All Georgia cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Waycross with another place →