List of Florida hurricanes facts for kids
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Florida is a state that gets hit by many tropical storms and hurricanes. In fact, more storms hit Florida than any other U.S. state! Since 1851, only a few years have passed without a storm affecting Florida. These powerful storms have caused a lot of damage, adding up to over $300 billion. They have also led to over 10,000 deaths, mostly before planes started flying into hurricanes to study them in 1943. Some of the most damaging hurricanes were Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Hurricane Irma in 2017, and Hurricane Ian in 2022. The most recent hurricane to hit Florida was Hurricane Idalia in 2023.
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When Do Hurricanes Hit Florida?
Tropical storms and hurricanes can affect Florida almost any time of the year, except for January and March. Most of these storms, about three-quarters of them, happen between August and October. This time is known as the peak of hurricane season. September is the busiest month, with almost one-third of all storms hitting the state then.
Some parts of Florida's coast are hit by hurricanes more often than anywhere else in the country. Monroe County, for example, has been hit by 26 hurricanes since 1926. That's the highest number for any county in the United States!
Experts from the U.S. Weather Bureau once said that Key West and Pensacola are the cities in Florida most likely to get hurricanes. Key West gets storms from both the western Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Pensacola gets storms that cross Florida and also storms that curve back from the northern Gulf of Mexico.
The earliest hurricane to officially hit Florida was Hurricane Alma on June 9. The latest was Hurricane Kate on November 21. However, some studies suggest a hurricane might have hit Florida even earlier, on May 28, 1863.
The strongest hurricane ever to hit Florida was the 1935 Labor Day hurricane. It crossed the Florida Keys with incredibly low pressure, making it the strongest hurricane ever recorded to hit the United States. Out of the ten strongest hurricanes to hit the U.S., four of them struck Florida at their strongest point.
Florida's Hurricane History
Florida has a long history with hurricanes. Here's a look at how storms have affected the state over different periods.
Early Hurricanes (Before 1900)
The first recorded tropical storm to affect Florida happened in 1523. Two ships and their crews were lost along the western coast. Before 1900, at least 159 hurricanes hit Florida. These storms caused many deaths and a lot of damage. For example, a strong hurricane hit northwest Florida on May 28, 1863. This was one of the earliest landfalls in the U.S. during that year.
It's harder to find detailed information about storms from these early years. This is because there weren't many ways to track hurricanes back then. As more people moved to the coast, more information became available. The National Hurricane Center notes that the exact number of deaths and dates for these early storms can be uncertain.
Hurricanes from 1900 to 1949
Between 1900 and 1949, 108 tropical storms hit Florida. These storms caused about $4.5 billion in damage (in today's money). They also led to about 3,500 deaths. Most of these deaths were from the terrible 1928 Okeechobee hurricane. The year 1947 had the most storms, with six systems affecting the state.
The strongest hurricane during this time was the 1935 Labor Day hurricane. It remains the strongest hurricane ever to hit the United States. Other very strong hurricanes during this period included the 1926 Miami hurricane and the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane. Several Category 4 hurricanes also struck Florida between 1945 and 1950.
Hurricanes from 1950 to 1974
From 1950 to 1974, 85 tropical or subtropical storms hit Florida. These storms caused about $7 billion in damage. Much of this damage came from Hurricane Donna and Hurricane Dora. These storms also caused 93 direct deaths and 23 indirect deaths. Some tropical storms brought over 20 inches (500 mm) of rain to Florida. Hurricane Easy in 1950 brought the most rain during this period. The year 1969 had the most storms, with eight systems affecting Florida.
The strongest hurricane to hit Florida during this time was Hurricane Donna. It was the tenth strongest hurricane ever to hit the connected United States. Other major hurricanes that hit or affected Florida included Easy, Hurricane King, Hurricane Betsy, and Alma.
Hurricanes from 1975 to 1999
Between 1975 and 1999, 83 tropical or subtropical storms affected Florida. These storms caused about $51.1 billion in damage. Most of this damage was from Hurricane Andrew. These storms also caused 54 direct deaths. The year 1985 had the most storms, with eight systems affecting the state. Every single year during this period had at least one tropical storm affecting Florida.
The strongest hurricane to hit Florida during this time was Hurricane Andrew. It was one of only four Category 5 hurricanes to ever hit the United States. At the time, Andrew was the most expensive tropical storm in U.S. history. It is still the seventh most expensive. Other major hurricanes that hit or affected Florida included Hurricane Eloise, Hurricane Elena, and Hurricane Opal.
Hurricanes from 2000 to Present
The period from 2000 to today has seen several very powerful hurricanes. As of 2023, 79 tropical or subtropical storms have affected Florida. These storms have caused over $236 billion in damage, with most of it from Hurricane Ian. They also caused 145 direct deaths and at least 92 indirect deaths. Both 2004 and 2005 had eight storms affecting Florida, which were the years with the most storms in this period. Every year since 2000 has had at least one tropical storm affect Florida.
The strongest hurricane to hit Florida during this time was Hurricane Michael. It made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane. This was the strongest hurricane to hit Florida since Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Other major hurricanes that made landfall or affected Florida included Hurricane Charley, Hurricane Ivan, Hurricane Jeanne, Hurricane Dennis, Hurricane Wilma, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Ian, and Hurricane Idalia.
Florida's Major Hurricanes
A "major hurricane" is a very strong hurricane, Category 3 or higher on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale. The table below lists major hurricanes that either hit Florida directly as a major hurricane or brought major hurricane-force winds to the state. This list starts from 1851, when official hurricane records began.
| Storm | Saffir–Simpson Category  |
Date of Landfall (UTC) |
Year | Landfall Intensity (in Knots) |
Landfall Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Middle Florida | 3 | August 23 | 1851 | 100 | Panama City |
| Unnamed | 3 | August 17 | 1871 | 100 | Jupiter Island |
| Unnamed | 3 | October 7 | 1873 | 100 | Captiva Island |
| Unnamed | 3 | October 3 | 1877 | 100 | Panama City |
| Unnamed | 3 | September 10 | 1882 | 110 | Navarre |
| Unnamed | 3 | August 16 | 1888 | 110 | Miami Beach |
| Unnamed | 3 | October 9 | 1894 | 105 | Panama City |
| Unnamed | 3 | September 29 | 1896 | 110 | Cedar Key |
| Unnamed | 3 | October 18 | 1906 | 105 | Marathon |
| Unnamed | 3 | October 11 | 1909 | 100 | Marathon |
| Unnamed | 3 | September 29 | 1917 | 100 | Fort Walton Beach |
| Florida Keys | 4 | September 10 | 1919 | 130 | Dry Tortugas |
| Great Miami | 4 | September 18–20 | 1926 | 125 | Perrine |
| Okeechobee | 4 | September 17 | 1928 | 125 | Palm Beach |
| Unnamed | 3 | September 4 | 1933 | 110 | Jupiter |
| Labor Day | 5 | September 3 | 1935 | 160 | Craig Key |
| Unnamed | 3 | October 18 | 1944 | 105 | Dry Tortugas |
| Unnamed | 4 | September 15 | 1945 | 115 | North Key Largo |
| Unnamed | 4 | September 17 | 1947 | 115 | Fort Lauderdale |
| Unnamed | 4 | September 21–22 | 1948 | 115 | East of Chokoloskee |
| Unnamed | 4 | August 26 | 1949 | 115 | Lake Worth |
| Easy | 3 | September 5 | 1950 | 105 | East of Cedar Key |
| King | 4 | October 18 | 1950 | 115 | Miami |
| Donna | 4 | September 10 | 1960 | 125 | Conch Key |
| Betsy | 3 | September 8 | 1965 | 100 | Tavernier |
| Alma | 3 | June 8 | 1966 | 100 | Dry Tortugas* |
| Eloise | 3 | September 23 | 1975 | 110 | East of Destin |
| Elena | 3 | September 2 | 1985 | 100 | Gulfport, Mississippi* |
| Andrew | 5 | August 24 | 1992 | 145 | North of Homestead |
| Opal | 3 | October 4 | 1995 | 100 | Pensacola Beach |
| Charley | 4 | August 13 | 2004 | 130 | Cayo Costa |
| Ivan | 3 | September 16 | 2004 | 105 | West of Gulf Shores, Alabama* |
| Jeanne | 3 | September 26 | 2004 | 105 | Hutchinson Island |
| Dennis | 3 | July 10 | 2005 | 105 | Santa Rosa Island |
| Wilma | 3 | October 24 | 2005 | 105 | Cape Romano |
| Irma | 4 | September 10 | 2017 | 115 | Cudjoe Key |
| Michael | 5 | October 10 | 2018 | 140 | West of Mexico Beach |
| Ian | 4 | September 28 | 2022 | 130 | Cayo Costa |
| Idalia | 3 | August 30 | 2023 | 110 | Keaton Beach |
| References: HURDAT, HRD | |||||
| This shows the highest Saffir–Simpson scale category the storm reached on land in Florida. |
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| * This storm brought major hurricane-force winds to part of Florida, even if it didn't make landfall there. | |||||
Strongest and Most Intense Storms
| Strongest landfalling tropical cyclones in the U.S. state of Florida as of 2023 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Hurricane | Season | Wind speed | ||
| mph | km/h | ||||
| 1 | "Labor Day" | 1935 | 185 | 295 | |
| 2 | Andrew | 1992 | 165 | 270 | |
| 3 | Michael | 2018 | 160 | 260 | |
| 4 | "Florida Keys" | 1919 | 150 | 240 | |
| Charley | 2004 | ||||
| Ian | 2022 | ||||
| 7 | "Miami" | 1926 | 145 | 230 | |
| "Okeechobee" | 1928 | ||||
| Donna | 1960 | ||||
| 10 | "Homestead" | 1945 | 130 | 215 | |
| "Fort Lauderdale" | 1947 | ||||
| "Florida" | 1948 | ||||
| "Florida" | 1949 | ||||
| King | 1950 | ||||
| Irma | 2017 | ||||
| Source: HURDAT, Hurricane Research Division, NHC |
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| Strength refers to maximum sustained wind speed upon striking land. |
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| Most intense landfalling tropical cyclones in the U.S. state of Florida as of 2023 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | System | Season | Barometric pressure | ||
| 1 | "Labor Day" | 1935 | 892 mbar (hPa) | ||
| 2 | Michael | 2018 | 919 mbar (hPa) | ||
| 3 | Andrew | 1992 | 922 mbar (hPa) | ||
| 4 | "Florida Keys" | 1919 | 927 mbar (hPa) | ||
| 5 | "Okeechobee" | 1928 | 929 mbar (hPa) | ||
| 6 | "Great Miami" | 1926 | 930 mbar (hPa) | ||
| Donna | 1960 | ||||
| 8 | Irma | 2017 | 931 mbar (hPa) | ||
| 9 | "Florida" | 1948 | 940 mbar (hPa) | ||
| 10 | Charley | 2004 | 941 mbar (hPa) | ||
| Ian | 2022 | ||||
| Source: HURDAT, Hurricane Research Division |
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| Intensity refers to central barometric pressure upon striking land. |
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Monthly Hurricane Activity
| Month | Number of major hurricanes |
|---|---|
| July |
1
|
| August |
6
|
| September |
19
|
| October |
10
|
Deadliest Storms in Florida
Some hurricanes have caused a tragic loss of life in Florida. Here are some of the deadliest storms that resulted in 100 or more deaths in the state.
| Name | Year | Number of deaths |
|---|---|---|
| "Okeechobee" | 1928 | 2,500+ |
| Unnamed | 1781 | 2,000 |
| Unnamed | 1622 | 1,090 |
| Unnamed | c. 1553 | 700 |
| Unnamed | 1553 | <700 |
| Unnamed | 1559 | 500 |
| Unnamed | 1559 | ~500 |
| Unnamed | 1683 | 496 |
| "Labor Day" | 1935 | 409 |
| "Miami" | 1926 | 372 |
| Unnamed | 1563 | 284 |
| "Florida Keys" | 1906 | 240 |
| Ian | 2022 | 150 |
Images for kids
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Tracks of hurricanes over Florida from 1851 to 1899
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Surf from the 1947 Fort Lauderdale hurricane
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Radar image of Hurricane Donna making landfall
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Hurricane Andrew approaching South Florida in August 1992.
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A beachfront home in Navarre Beach largely destroyed by Hurricane Dennis
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See also
- Atlantic hurricane
- Climate of Florida
- Atlantic hurricane season
- List of Atlantic hurricanes
- List of wettest known tropical cyclones in Florida
- Tropical cyclone
