NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Willacoochee, 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
76 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Willacoochee, Georgia since 1851, 9 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 79 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 9
- Tropical storms
- 67
- Tornadoes
- 79
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
12 deaths in all
What the records show for Willacoochee
The strongest storm to pass near Willacoochee was an unnamed storm in 1896, a Category 2 hurricane with 106 mph winds when its centre passed 66 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1852, whose centre came within 7 miles. The record near Willacoochee begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a Category 1 hurricane 16 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 9 systems. Of the 76 systems, 13 have come since 2000. Willacoochee has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 79% of the 405 Georgia cities on this site. The highest rating among the 79 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on January 22, 2017, came within 19 miles. Of the 79, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 41 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 21. The most recent tornado was on September 26, 2024. Of the 405 Georgia cities, 55% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Willacoochee. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 18 times since 1992, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 405 Georgia cities, 94% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Willacoochee.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Willacoochee
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 16 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2024 | DebbyAug 5 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2023 | IdaliaAug 30 | 22 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 7 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 72 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2017 | IrmaSep 11 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | HermineSep 2 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2016 | ColinJun 7 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 13 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | TammyOct 6 | overhead | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | JeanneSep 27 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 3 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 5 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | KateNov 22 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormMay 23 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1972 | AlphaMay 28 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | AbbyJun 7 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1966 | AlmaJun 10 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1964 | HildaOct 5 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | DoraSep 12 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 29 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | Unnamed 1957 stormJun 9 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | FlossySep 25 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1953 | FlorenceSep 27 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1950 | KingOct 19 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 7 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormOct 15 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormOct 7 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 24 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 8 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 7 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 5 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 6 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 15 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 1 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormJul 29 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 16 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1919 | Unnamed 1919 stormOct 1 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1917 | Unnamed 1917 stormSep 30 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 2 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1914 | Unnamed 1914 stormSep 17 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJul 15 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 29 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 29 | overhead | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 15 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 2 | 27 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 66 mi | Category 2 (106 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 18 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 16 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 9 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 21 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 12 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormSep 21 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 31 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormOct 11 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 28 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 8 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 11 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 3 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormSep 20 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormSep 19 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormJun 2 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormOct 6 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 23 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1868 | Unnamed 1868 stormOct 4 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormAug 13 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 31 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 7 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 24 | 55 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Willacoochee: 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 Willacoochee
By decade
- 2020s12
- 2010s15(2 EF3+)
- 2000s14
- 1990s8
- 1980s4
- 1970s12
- 1960s9
- 1950s5(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 22, 2017 | EF3 | 19 mi | 24.66 mi | 11 / 45 |
| Mar 3, 2012 | EF3 | 23 mi | 10.45 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 11, 1952 | F3 | 11 mi | 4.3 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Jan 22, 2023 | EF2 | 24 mi | 5.89 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 24, 2021 | EF2 | 5 mi | 8.15 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 17, 2019 | EF2 | 22 mi | 20.31 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 12, 2002 | F2 | in town | 3.1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jun 19, 1972 | F2 | 11 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 12, 1971 | F2 | 17 mi | 4.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 5, 1971 | F2 | 12 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 18, 1969 | F2 | 1 mi | 217.8 mi | 0 / 30 |
| Apr 8, 1964 | F2 | 6 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 79, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Willacoochee
The Storm Prediction Center has 18 hail reports within 10 miles of Willacoochee since 1992, made on 16 separate days. Of these, 11 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on June 1, 1997. The most recent report is from March 26, 2024. March has the most reports, 7.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Willacoochee
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Pridgen, GA, 23 miles north of Willacoochee at 300 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 60°F and 37°F. August is the wettest at 5.8 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 47.5 inches over 71 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 51% of the year's precipitation (24.2 of 47.5 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 76 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (24); a normal September there has highs of 86°F and 3.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 70 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 34 nights a year. That 47.5 inches is more than at 18 of the 108 Georgia stations used on this site (17%). Pearson, 13 miles southeast, has its own station (Homerville 5 N, GA): 49.3 inches a year, 1.8 more than here, and the same July average high, 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 37 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Feb | 64 | 40 | 4.3 | 6 |
| Mar | 70 | 46 | 4.8 | 6 |
| Apr | 78 | 52 | 3.2 | 5 |
| May | 85 | 60 | 2.7 | 5 |
| Jun | 89 | 68 | 4.9 | 8 |
| Jul | 92 | 70 | 4.6 | 8 |
| Aug | 90 | 70 | 5.8 | 9 |
| Sep | 86 | 66 | 3.5 | 6 |
| Oct | 78 | 55 | 2.6 | 4 |
| Nov | 69 | 44 | 2.8 | 4 |
| Dec | 63 | 40 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Year | 77 | 54 | 47.5 | 71 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Pridgen, GA (300 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 Willacoochee
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 88 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Willacoochee: 82 thunderstorm wind reports, 4 floods and 2 flash floods. They killed 0 people and injured 8, and the NWS estimated $358,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on March 15, 2024.
July 28, 1998: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Willacoochee — 6 injured, $250,000 damage.
May 27, 2024: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Willacoochee — 2 injured.
NWS: “The county EM reported a large tree was blown along Bostwick Street and destroyed a home. Two inhabitants were transported with injuries to the hospital.”
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
Atkinson County, which includes Willacoochee, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 hurricanes, 3 tropical storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 30, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Atkinson County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes and tornadoes; Very Low for hail, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $3.6 million a year, the 134th highest of 159 Georgia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $1.4 million (39%), 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 Willacoochee
- Pearson, GA13 mi
- Douglas, GA13 mi
- Ambrose, GA14 mi
- Nashville, GA17 mi
- Ocilla, GA21 mi
- Broxton, GA22 mi
- Lakeland, GA22 mi
- Ray City, GA24 mi
- Nicholls, GA24 mi
- Lenox, GA26 mi
- Fitzgerald, GA27 mi
- Homerville, GA28 mi
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