Hurricane Michael, an intensely powerful tropical cyclone, made a catastrophic Category 5 landfall on the Florida Panhandle in October 2018. Following its initial destruction, the storm moved rapidly inland, bringing a rare inland hurricane threat and leading to significant impacts across Georgia.
Tracking Michael’s Entry into Georgia
Hurricane Michael’s eye crossed the state line from Florida into Southwest Georgia at approximately 6:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, October 10, 2018. It entered Seminole County near Donalsonville as a Category 3 hurricane, the first major hurricane of that strength to directly impact Georgia since the 1890s. Its rapid forward movement helped it retain destructive wind speeds far from the coast.
This inland movement quickly led to a downgrade. Michael weakened to a Category 2 hurricane just an hour later, around 7:00 p.m. EDT. Maximum sustained wind speeds upon entering Georgia were measured at 115 mph in Donalsonville. The hurricane continued its northeasterly trajectory, producing damaging winds across the southern half of the state.
By midnight on October 11, the system had been downgraded to a tropical storm, with its center situated over central Georgia. The duration and intensity of hurricane-force winds maintained so far inland were notable. The quick transition highlights the friction and lack of warm water that inland travel provides for tropical systems.
Severity and Path Across the State
Michael tracked northeastward across the state, bringing a large swath of damaging wind well into central Georgia. The storm’s path took it directly over major population centers, including Albany, Americus, and Valdosta, before passing closer to Macon. Even after the official downgrade, the storm delivered sustained winds of 40 to 50 mph, with gusts often exceeding 70 mph in many areas.
In central Georgia, wind gusts were recorded as high as 76 mph in Arabi. Albany, a larger city in the path, experienced gusts reaching 74 mph. Tropical storm-force wind gusts were felt even further north, reaching the Atlanta metropolitan area and Athens as the system moved quickly out of the state.
The primary characteristic of Michael’s impact on Georgia was the sheer wind damage, contrasting sharply with the coastal storm surge seen in Florida. While rainfall was not the main hazard, the highest recorded total was 6.63 inches in Calhoun County. The widespread wind field caused extensive tree damage, which was the main source of infrastructure failure and property damage across the region.
Immediate Aftermath and Agricultural Losses
The immediate consequence of the powerful winds was a massive failure of the power grid and transportation networks across the affected regions. More than 400,000 electrical customers across Georgia were left without power, with nearly 100,000 outages reported as early as 8:00 p.m. on the day of impact. Falling trees and debris blocked at least 127 roads, severely hindering initial response and recovery efforts in the hardest-hit counties.
The most profound and long-lasting damage was inflicted upon Georgia’s agricultural sector, striking during the peak harvest season. Initial damage assessments placed the total economic loss to the state’s agriculture at nearly $3 billion. The destruction caused by Michael was considered a “generational loss” for many farmers because of the nature of the crops affected.
The state’s pecan industry suffered an estimated $560 million loss, largely due to the destruction of mature trees, which can take a decade to reach nut-producing maturity. Cotton fields, which were wide open and ready for harvest, were devastated, with estimated losses reaching up to $800 million. Additionally, the poultry industry sustained a $25 million loss, including the destruction of nearly 100 chicken houses and the deaths of over two million chickens.