List of Florida hurricanes

Approximately 500 tropical and subtropical cyclones have hit Florida. Florida gets more storms than any other U.S. state. Since 1851, only eighteen years passed without a storm hitting Florida.

Before 1943, we did not have special airplane flights to track hurricanes, so many storms caused a lot of damage.

The biggest money damages came from three big storms: Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Hurricane Irma in 2017, and Hurricane Ian in 2022. The most recent storm to reach land in Florida was Hurricane Milton in 2024. These storms show how important it is to prepare for hurricanes in Florida.

Climatology

Tropical cyclones have affected Florida in every month except January and March. Many storms hit the state in September, and most happen between August and October, which is the peak of hurricane season. Some parts of Florida’s coastline see hurricanes more often than anywhere else in the country.

The city of Key West and Pensacola often face hurricanes. The earliest known hurricane to hit Florida was Hurricane Alma on June 9, and the latest was Hurricane Kate on November 21. The strongest hurricane ever to hit the state was the 1935 Labor Day hurricane, which struck the Florida Keys. Four of the ten strongest hurricanes ever to hit the United States made landfall in Florida.

Pre-1900

The first known storm to hit what is now Florida happened in 1523. Before 1900, many hurricanes affected Florida. These storms caused damage and loss of life, and many boats and ships were damaged or destroyed.

A powerful hurricane hit northwest Florida on May 28, 1863.

Because information from long ago is limited, it can be hard to know exactly when and how many people these storms affected. As more people lived along the coast, more details about these storms became available. The National Hurricane Center notes that there is some uncertainty about the numbers and dates of these early events.

1900–1949

From 1900 to 1949, many storms affected Florida. These storms caused a lot of damage and many deaths. The worst was the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane, the deadliest storm in Florida's history. In 1947, Florida had the most storms, with six hitting the state. Some years, like 1905, 1908, 1913, 1927, 1931, 1942, and 1943, had no storms at all.

The strongest storm was the 1935 Labor Day hurricane, the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the United States. Along with the 1926 Miami hurricane, these storms were very serious for Florida. The 1940s were busy for Florida, with many hurricanes from 1944 to 1950, including strong storms in South Florida. These storms helped change how Florida handled floods and building.

1950–1974

From 1950 to 1974, 85 storms hit Florida. These storms caused over $9 billion in damage (in 2026 dollars). Big storms like Hurricanes Donna, Hurricane Cleo (1964), and Dora did a lot of the damage. Some storms brought a lot of rain. Hurricane Easy brought the most rain during this time. In 1969, Florida had the most storms, with eight hitting the state. In 1954 and 1967, no storms hit Florida.

The strongest storm during this time was Hurricane Donna. Other strong storms like Hurricane Easy, King, Betsy, and Alma also hit or affected Florida.

1975–1999

From the 1975 Atlantic hurricane season to the 1999 Atlantic hurricane season, 83 storms hit Florida. These storms caused a lot of damage, more than $67 billion (in 2026 dollars). The worst storm was Hurricane Andrew. During this time, there were 54 deaths from the storms. The year with the most storms was 1985, with eight storms. Every year had at least one storm that affected Florida. Hurricane Andrew was one of only four Category 5 hurricanes ever to hit the United States. Other big storms that hit Florida were Hurricanes Eloise, Elena, and Opal, all of which were major hurricanes.

2000–present

From 2000 to now, Florida has faced many strong storms. Many years had at least one storm, except for 2025. The years 2004 and 2005 had the most storms, with eight each. The strongest storm was Michael, which hit Florida as a very powerful hurricane.

Florida major hurricanes

Many strong storms, called major hurricanes, have hit Florida. These hurricanes had very powerful winds when they reached the land. We know about these storms since 1851, when we started keeping official records of hurricanes in the Atlantic.

Strongest and most intense

"Great", "Major", and "Extreme" hurricanes

Before we had special scales to measure hurricanes, people still noticed when a storm was very strong. A "Great Hurricane" was extremely powerful, with very fast winds and big waves. A "Major" hurricane had very strong winds but was not quite as powerful as a "Great" one. An "Extreme" hurricane was even stronger than a "Major" hurricane. From 1880 to 1960, Florida experienced several of these very strong storms.

Monthly statistics

Deadliest storms

Many strong storms, called hurricanes, have hit the state of Florida. Florida has had more of these storms than any other state in the United States. Since records began in 1851, only eighteen years passed without a storm affecting Florida. These storms brought many changes and challenges for the people living there.