Every year from June through November, coastal residents keep one eye on the tropics, waiting to see if the next storm will curve out to sea or set its sights on the Georgia coast. Most of the time, we’re spared. But history reminds us that when the big ones do come, they’re not easily forgotten.
The storm that still echoes through Savannah lore is the hurricane of 1893, often called the “Sea Islands Hurricane.” It roared ashore just south of Tybee as a Category 3, with winds topping 120 miles per hour and a storm surge that swallowed communities along the barrier islands. Thousands were killed across coastal Georgia and South Carolina, making it one of the deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history. Though Savannah itself avoided the full brunt, the city was shaken, and the memory of that storm lingered for generations.
Decades later came Hurricane David in 1979, which plowed through the Caribbean as a Category 5 before reaching Savannah as a Category 2. By the time it arrived here, winds were still gusting near 100 miles per hour. Power lines snapped, trees blocked streets, and for days the city felt the sting of a direct hit. Many longtime residents still mark David as the last truly devastating storm to strike Savannah head-on.
In more recent memory, we’ve had a run of near-misses and brushes that brought their own challenges. Hurricane Matthew in 2016 skirted the coast as a Category 2, bringing fierce winds up to 96 miles per hour and flooding that swallowed River Street and left debris scattered across town. Just a year later, Hurricane Irma brought another round of flooding, this time pushing water levels at the Savannah River to some of the highest on record.
Each storm has left its mark, whether in downed trees, damaged homes, or the stories families tell of evacuations and long nights by candlelight. Savannah’s geography — tucked just south of the Carolinas and north of Florida — has often spared us the direct hits that places like Charleston or Jacksonville endure more frequently. But as history shows, we’re never fully out of the path.
Now, as we approach the height of hurricane season in late August and September, it’s worth remembering the storms that came before. They’re a reminder of how vulnerable this stretch of the east coast can be, and why so many locals keep their hurricane kits close at hand and evacuation routes memorized.
Savannah has weathered centuries of storms, each one reshaping the city in small ways, each one etched into our collective memory. Whether this season brings calm skies or another name added to the list, history has taught us one thing: when it comes to hurricanes, this city never forgets.
