5 major hurricanes that made landfall in Georgia

As we prepare for Hurricane Irma and its potential impact on Georgia, here is a look back at some of the biggest hurricanes to make landfall in the state.

1. “Great Carolina” Hurricane, 1854

This hurricane made landfall in September of 1854 as a Category 3. It had max winds of 100 kt. The storm made landfall near the Georgia-South Carolina border and moved north. It was given the nickname “Great Carolina.” (Storms were not given official names until 1953).

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2. “Sea Islands” Hurricane, 1893

The hurricane made landfall in August of 1893 near Savannah. It was a Category 3 storm with max winds of 100 kt.

3. 1898

The most intense hurricane to make landfall in Georgia was an unnamed hurricane in 1898. It was a Category 4 storm with max winds of 115 kt. It made landfall in October near Brunswick.

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4. Hurricane David, 1979

This was the first named storm to make landfall in Georgia. The Category 1 storm hit near Savannah and moved north in September 1979.

5. Hurricane Kate, 1985

The hurricane made landfall as a Category 1 storm in November 1985. It had max winds of 85 kt. It set a record for the latest hurricane in a season to strike the U.S. Coastline.

You may remember Hurricane Matthew, which caused major damage on the Georgia coast last year. The storm did not officially make landfall in Georgia, but it brought hurricane-force winds and storm surge to parts of the state.

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