Q: Has the Georgia coast ever had a direct hit from a hurricane?
—Donna Matthews, Duluth
A: The last hurricane to make landfall on the Georgia coast was Hurricane David, a Category 1 storm that made landfall south of Savannah in 1979, meteorologist Kirk Mellish of AM 750 and 95.5 FM News/Talk WSB told Q&A on the News. Other hurricanes made landfall on the Georgia coast in 1911, 1940 and 1947. Mellish said Georgia's hurricane history was much more turbulent in the 19th century, when 14 hurricanes made landfall, six of which were major hurricanes (Category 3 or greater): 1804, 1813, 1824, 1854, 1893 and 1898. These hurricanes ravaged the coast, causing widespread damage and thousands of fatalities. The major hurricane of 1898 made landfall on the southern Georgia coast on Oct. 2. The first known pictures of storm surge were taken in Brunswick, Mellish said. One of the worst weather-related natural disasters in Georgia's history was the major hurricane of 1893, which made landfall near Savannah on Aug. 27, with reports of winds around 120 mph. The storm was responsible for more than 2,500 fatalities, mostly by drowning. "This estimate is quite conservative, though, considering the large populations of poor rural African-Americans in the area who had little means of reporting casualties," he wrote in an email. He added that 30,000 or more were left homeless, as nearly every building along the barrier islands was severely damaged.
Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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