Brevard County, Florida Hurricane History

No active tropical cyclones are within 500 miles of Brevard County, Florida as of Thursday, 10 September 2026. Official forecasts at nhc.noaa.gov.

Since 1852, 63 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Brevard County, Florida — about one every 2.8 years. Of those, 21 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Milton (2024), which passed 7 miles away on 10 October 2024.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.8

Avg. years between

Years since the last

Storm tracks within 50 miles

TS / TDCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5

Each line is one storm track, coloured by the strongest category it reached while within 50 miles. The dashed ring marks that 50-mile radius; hairlines are one-degree graticule. Source: NOAA NHC HURDAT2.

How strong they get

Cat 3 · 3Cat 2 · 6Cat 1 · 12TS / TD · 42

The 63 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 3 of them reached Cat 3.

Key facts

Most recentMilton (2024) — 7 mi away, 10 October 2024
Strongest stormMatthew (2016) — 107 kt (123 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordIan (2022) — 1.5 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Matthew (2016) — 39.1 miles
Passes within 25 miles29 of 63
Peak monthAugust — 24 storms (38% of all)
Most active year1968 — 3 storms
Most active decade1960s — 7 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi3
Record span1852–2024

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Brevard County, Florida, August is the most active month, with 24 of the 63 recorded storms (38%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 81% of all activity. The 1960s was the most active decade on record, with 7 storms. 3 of the 63 storms were major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger) while within 50 miles.

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
0	0	0	0	0	3	4	24	10	17	5	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1850s to 2020s. Decades with no storms are shown as empty columns. Comparing two equal 38-year windows inside the aircraft-reconnaissance era: 19 storms in 1950–1987 against 19 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
3	1	5	2	4	2	2	3	2	1	4	7	4	6	4	6	4	3

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Milton (2024)	10 Oct 2024	7.0 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Nicole (2022)	10 Nov 2022	37.6 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Ian (2022)	29 Sep 2022	1.5 mi	TS / TD	61 kt
Three (2019)	23 Jul 2019	46.7 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Emily (2017)	1 Aug 2017	36.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Matthew (2016)	7 Oct 2016	39.1 mi	Cat 3	107 kt
Julia (2016)	13 Sep 2016	10.4 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Fay (2008)	20 Aug 2008	6.5 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Ernesto (2006)	31 Aug 2006	3.3 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Tammy (2005)	5 Oct 2005	27.2 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Charley (2004)	14 Aug 2004	47.5 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Henri (2003)	6 Sep 2003	42.3 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Gabrielle (2001)	15 Sep 2001	24.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Irene (1999)	16 Oct 1999	43.2 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Jerry (1995)	24 Aug 1995	45.8 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Erin (1995)	2 Aug 1995	30.9 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Gordon (1994)	21 Nov 1994	15.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Keith (1988)	23 Nov 1988	7.5 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Chris (1988)	28 Aug 1988	41.5 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Bob (1985)	24 Jul 1985	18.3 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Barry (1983)	25 Aug 1983	28.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Dennis (1981)	18 Aug 1981	10.4 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1981)	3 Jul 1981	9.3 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
David (1979)	4 Sep 1979	7.7 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	13 Sep 1976	48.8 mi	TS / TD	15 kt
Dottie (1976)	20 Aug 1976	43.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1974)	7 Oct 1974	46.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Jenny (1969)	3 Oct 1969	6.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Gerda (1969)	7 Sep 1969	19.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Dolly (1968)	10 Aug 1968	9.1 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Brenda (1968)	19 Jun 1968	25.8 mi	TS / TD	34 kt
Abby (1968)	5 Jun 1968	6.8 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Cleo (1964)	28 Aug 1964	9.7 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Alma (1962)	27 Aug 1962	26.5 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1959)	18 Jun 1959	38.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1956)	16 Oct 1956	4.8 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Hazel (1953)	9 Oct 1953	44.0 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
King (1950)	18 Oct 1950	40.9 mi	Cat 1	73 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	2 Nov 1946	48.4 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	30 Aug 1937	48.3 mi	TS / TD	59 kt
Unnamed Storm (1936)	21 Aug 1936	35.0 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	8 Aug 1928	30.1 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	28 Jul 1926	17.9 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1921)	16 Oct 1921	9.7 mi	TS / TD	34 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	26 Aug 1916	6.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	1 Aug 1915	19.6 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	30 Aug 1909	38.1 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	17 Oct 1906	35.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1897)	21 Sep 1897	36.6 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	12 Oct 1893	45.7 mi	Cat 3	105 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	27 Aug 1893	41.9 mi	Cat 3	105 kt
Unnamed Storm (1892)	25 Oct 1892	17.2 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	24 Aug 1885	24.4 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	29 Aug 1880	5.7 mi	Cat 2	87 kt
Unnamed Storm (1876)	20 Oct 1876	39.6 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	7 Oct 1873	28.0 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1872)	23 Oct 1872	34.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	25 Aug 1871	23.9 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	17 Aug 1871	48.7 mi	Cat 1	77 kt
Unnamed Storm (1861)	1 Nov 1861	9.1 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1859)	28 Oct 1859	21.0 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1858)	14 Sep 1858	35.1 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	12 Sep 1852	10.7 mi	TS / TD	50 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 2 systems passed within 50 miles after losing tropical characteristics. These are excluded from the counts above because they were no longer tropical cyclones at their closest approach — but several were highly damaging, so they are listed here.

Storm	Status	Closest approach	Distance	Wind
Unnamed Storm (1925)	Post-tropical	1 Dec 1925	16.9 mi	57 kt
Unnamed Storm (1891)	Post-tropical	10 Oct 1891	7.0 mi	30 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1852–2025. Tracks are recorded every six hours and are interpolated to one-hour steps before distances are measured, so closest-approach figures are not distorted by the sampling interval. Distances are measured to the county's Census internal point, not to its nearest boundary, so a storm listed at 55 miles may still have crossed the coastline — see Methodology. Records before about 1900 are sparser and less precise than modern ones, and storms that stayed at sea were less likely to be recorded at all.

How Brevard County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Brevard County, Florida ranks #90 — more exposed than 95.9% of them. Within Florida it ranks #37 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 3 Matthew (2016) passed 39 miles away on 7 October 2016 as a hurricane, reaching 107 kt (123 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed (October 1893) passed 46 miles away on 12 October 1893 as a hurricane, reaching 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed (August 1893) passed 42 miles away on 27 August 1893 as a hurricane, reaching 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1926) passed 18 miles away on 28 July 1926 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.

51 of the 63 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 2.8 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 63 storms spread over the 174 years from 1852 to 2025. 10 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while stretches of a decade or more have passed with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 10 years, between 1861 and 1871. It has been 1 year since the last one; 39 of the 51 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Brevard County, Florida?

21 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Brevard County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1852. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 63.

When was the last hurricane in Brevard County, Florida?

Milton (2024), on 10 October 2024, passing 7 miles away — 2 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Milton (2024) in 2024.

What was the strongest storm to affect Brevard County, Florida?

Matthew (2016), which reached 107 kt (123 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 39 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Brevard County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.8 years — 63 storms over the 174 years from 1852 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Brevard County, Florida borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. Indian River County, Florida has 70 on record.

Indian River County, Florida70 storms within 50 mi Orange County, Florida68 storms within 50 mi Volusia County, Florida67 storms within 50 mi Osceola County, Florida66 storms within 50 mi Seminole County, Florida64 storms within 50 mi