Georgia Hurricane Tracker
Georgia's 100-mile coast has not taken a direct major hurricane landfall since 1898, which has made it complacent about a risk that is very real. The coast is low, marshy, and built on barrier islands with few roads out: Tybee has one causeway, St. Simons and Jekyll have one each, and Savannah sits barely above sea level. Hurricane Matthew in 2016 passed 30 miles offshore and still set the record surge at Fort Pulaski, over 12 feet, and flooded Tybee. Hurricane Irma in 2017 broke that record as a tropical storm the next year. Hurricane Dorian in 2019 triggered the third coastal evacuation in four seasons.
The storms that actually hurt Georgia came from the Gulf. Hurricane Michael in 2018 crossed southwest Georgia as a Category 3, the first on Georgia soil since 1898, and wrecked the cotton and pecan crop around Albany and Bainbridge. Hurricane Helene in September 2024 came ashore in Florida's Big Bend and stayed a hurricane through Valdosta, then hit Augusta, 150 miles from the coast, with 80-plus mph gusts, killing 34 people in the state, mostly from falling trees, and knocking out power to 1.3 million. Hurricane Idalia in 2023 and Tropical Storm Debby in 2024 hit the same south Georgia corridor. For most Georgians the hurricane risk is wind, trees, and days without power, not surge.
Radar
Composite radar, Georgia.
Wind
ECMWF wind forecast, Georgia.
Know Your Evacuation Zone
Georgia's six coastal counties, Chatham, Bryan, Liberty, McIntosh, Glynn, and Camden, use lettered evacuation zones A through F, with A being the barrier islands and the lowest marsh-front areas. Orders are issued by county and coordinated by GEMA. When Chatham County evacuates, Georgia DOT runs contraflow on I-16 westbound from Savannah to Dublin, and once it starts you cannot exit until Dublin.
County Emergency Management
The six coastal counties plus the inland counties that take the first wind and rain from Gulf storms crossing the state. Your county emergency management agency posts local evacuation orders, shelter openings, and re-entry information.
Metro pages
Savannah and Tybee Island
Coming soon
Brunswick and the Golden Isles
Coming soon
Augusta
Coming soon
Valdosta and South Georgia
Coming soon
Georgia-specific prep
The single most useful prep for inland Georgia is removing dead or leaning trees near the house before June. Helene's 34 deaths in the state were overwhelmingly from trees falling on homes and vehicles, not water or wind itself. Walk your property, hire an arborist for anything large within falling distance of the house, and know which interior room has no tree exposure before a storm arrives.
On the coast, standard homeowners policies in some areas exclude wind and hail. Wind coverage is available through the Georgia Underwriting Association, the state insurer of last resort for homes private insurers will not write, including a wind-and-hail-only policy. Check the named-storm deductible on any coastal policy, which is often a percentage of the dwelling value rather than a flat dollar amount.
Flood damage from storm surge or heavy rain is not covered by standard homeowners or wind policies. You need a separate National Flood Insurance Program policy, which has a 30-day waiting period. Savannah's flooding in Matthew and Irma reached homes well outside the mapped coastal zones, so do not assume you are safe because you are not on the beach.
Georgia has no hurricane supplies sales tax holiday, unlike Alabama, Texas, and several other Gulf states. Buy your batteries, water, fuel containers, and tarps early, before the shelves empty in late May.
The coastal counties open pet-friendly shelters inland, not on the coast. Chatham County's designated shelters are in Augusta and other inland counties, more than 100 miles from Savannah, so evacuating with a pet means a long drive. Plan your route and your destination before an order is issued, and keep vaccination records with you for any shelter that accepts animals.
After a coastal evacuation, the coastal counties issue re-entry passes to residents and businesses. You need a pass to cross checkpoints and return to your property before the general public. Get yours before the season starts through your county EMA. Expect 7 to 10 days without power in parts of Augusta and south Georgia after a major storm, as Helene demonstrated, and run any generator at least 20 feet from any opening with a battery-operated carbon monoxide alarm inside.
Frequently asked questions
Does Georgia have hurricane evacuation zones?
Yes. The six coastal counties, Chatham, Bryan, Liberty, McIntosh, Glynn, and Camden, use lettered evacuation zones A through F, with A being the barrier islands and the lowest marsh-front areas. Orders are issued by county and coordinated by GEMA. Inland counties do not have lettered zones.
When did a hurricane last hit Georgia?
Hurricane Helene crossed south and east Georgia as a hurricane in September 2024, killing 34 people in the state. Hurricane Michael crossed southwest Georgia as a Category 3 in 2018, the first major hurricane on Georgia soil since 1898. The last major hurricane landfall on the Georgia coast itself was in 1898.
How far inland do hurricanes reach in Georgia?
Far. Helene brought hurricane-force gusts to Augusta, about 150 miles from the coast, and tropical storm winds into the Atlanta metro. Michael crossed the state as a Category 3 at Albany, 180 miles inland. For most Georgians the hurricane risk is wind, falling trees, and days without power, not surge.
Where do I go if Savannah evacuates?
West on I-16. When Chatham County evacuates, Georgia DOT runs contraflow on I-16 westbound from Savannah to Dublin, and once contraflow starts you cannot exit until Dublin. Chatham County's designated shelters are inland, in Augusta and other counties, not in Savannah, so evacuating means driving 100-plus miles.
How high can storm surge get in Savannah?
Hurricane Matthew in 2016 set the record at Fort Pulaski at over 12 feet, and that was from a storm that passed 30 miles offshore. Hurricane Irma broke that record the next year as only a tropical storm. A direct major hurricane landfall on the Georgia coast would exceed both.
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Neighboring states
Georgia borders Florida, Alabama, and South Carolina. Browse all states →