The effects of Hurricane Georges in the Lesser Antilles were minimal in certain islands and major on others. Georges had formed on September 15, 1998, off the African coast. It had quickly strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale on September 20 when it struck the Lesser Antilles with 115 mph (185 km/h) winds. The islands affected include Antigua, Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, the United States Virgin Islands, Montserrat, Guadeloupe, Dominica, St. Maarten. St. Kitts and Nevis were also affected and sustained the most damage at US$484 million.

The effects of Hurricane Georges in Louisiana included $30.1 million in damage and three deaths. Forming from a tropical wave over the Atlantic Ocean, Georges attained a peak intensity of 155 mph (249 km/h) on September 20, 1998. Over the following several days, the storm tracked through the Greater Antilles and later entered the Gulf of Mexico on September 28, the Category 2 storm made landfall in Mississippi before dissipating on October 1. Before landfall, about 500,000 residents in Louisiana evacuated from low-lying areas. The mayor of New Orleans declared a state of emergency to allow federal assistance into the state. After nearly 1.5 million people were urged to evacuate coastal areas, officials described the evacuation as "probably the largest [...] we have ever achieved".