Broward County, Florida Hurricane History

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

Since 1859, 70 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Broward County, Florida — about one every 2.4 years. Of those, 25 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Sally (2020), which passed 44 miles away on 12 September 2020.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.4

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 5 · 1Cat 4 · 6Cat 3 · 4Cat 2 · 6Cat 1 · 9TS / TD · 44

The 70 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 5.

Key facts

Most recentSally (2020) — 44 mi away, 12 September 2020
Strongest stormAndrew (1992) — 145 kt (167 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1865) — 3.9 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Unnamed Storm (1947) — 7.0 miles
Passes within 25 miles33 of 70
Peak monthAugust — 19 storms (27% of all)
Most active year1888 — 3 storms
Most active decade1900s — 9 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi11
Record span1859–2020

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Broward County, Florida, August is the most active month, with 19 of the 70 recorded storms (27%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 77% of all activity. The 1900s was the most active decade on record, with 9 storms. 11 of the 70 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	1	0	0	1	6	5	19	17	18	3	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: 22 storms in 1950–1987 against 10 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
1	1	3	4	4	9	2	3	3	8	6	7	5	4	5	3	1	1

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Sally (2020)	12 Sep 2020	43.6 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Bonnie (2010)	23 Jul 2010	42.1 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Ernesto (2006)	30 Aug 2006	31.6 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Wilma (2005)	24 Oct 2005	23.3 mi	Cat 3	97 kt
Katrina (2005)	26 Aug 2005	23.1 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Irene (1999)	16 Oct 1999	5.2 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Harvey (1999)	21 Sep 1999	4.5 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Mitch (1998)	5 Nov 1998	43.3 mi	TS / TD	54 kt
Jerry (1995)	23 Aug 1995	47.0 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Andrew (1992)	24 Aug 1992	46.3 mi	Cat 4	135 kt
Bob (1985)	23 Jul 1985	38.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Isidore (1984)	27 Sep 1984	42.5 mi	TS / TD	49 kt
Dennis (1981)	17 Aug 1981	44.9 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1981)	2 Jul 1981	17.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Dottie (1976)	19 Aug 1976	11.8 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	11 Jun 1976	38.7 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Dawn (1972)	5 Sep 1972	26.6 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1971)	30 Aug 1971	33.6 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Beth (1971)	10 Aug 1971	50.0 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Gerda (1969)	7 Sep 1969	8.8 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1968)	27 Sep 1968	14.0 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Dolly (1968)	10 Aug 1968	21.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Isbell (1964)	15 Oct 1964	16.2 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Cleo (1964)	27 Aug 1964	18.7 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Alma (1962)	26 Aug 1962	35.7 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Florence (1960)	23 Sep 1960	21.3 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1956)	16 Oct 1956	11.4 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1954)	19 Jun 1954	12.8 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1953)	29 Aug 1953	17.2 mi	TS / TD	26 kt
Unnamed Storm (1953)	11 Jul 1953	37.7 mi	TS / TD	29 kt
Unnamed Storm (1952)	3 Feb 1952	7.7 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
King (1950)	18 Oct 1950	7.5 mi	Cat 3	109 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	27 Aug 1949	36.5 mi	Cat 4	115 kt
Unnamed Storm (1948)	6 Oct 1948	31.7 mi	Cat 1	81 kt
Unnamed Storm (1948)	22 Sep 1948	28.7 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	12 Oct 1947	20.1 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	17 Sep 1947	7.0 mi	Cat 3	102 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	1 Nov 1946	36.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	16 Sep 1945	33.2 mi	Cat 3	100 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	6 Oct 1941	39.6 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1936)	15 Jun 1936	27.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	4 Nov 1935	24.9 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1932)	30 Aug 1932	49.2 mi	TS / TD	54 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	17 Sep 1928	44.6 mi	Cat 4	121 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	18 Sep 1926	31.5 mi	Cat 4	113 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	21 Oct 1924	16.4 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	25 Aug 1916	4.6 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	14 May 1916	49.5 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	26 Sep 1909	36.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	29 Aug 1909	20.1 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	28 Jun 1909	11.6 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	18 Sep 1907	41.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	18 Oct 1906	28.8 mi	Cat 3	100 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	17 Jun 1906	33.3 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	17 Oct 1904	33.0 mi	TS / TD	49 kt
Unnamed Storm (1903)	12 Sep 1903	6.4 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	11 Aug 1901	15.0 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1895)	16 Oct 1895	5.8 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1892)	11 Jun 1892	6.7 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1891)	7 Oct 1891	21.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1891)	24 Aug 1891	47.6 mi	TS / TD	54 kt
Unnamed Storm (1889)	6 Oct 1889	10.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	23 Sep 1888	34.1 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	8 Sep 1888	42.0 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	16 Aug 1888	12.4 mi	Cat 2	95 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	22 Oct 1878	46.6 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	2 Jul 1878	26.1 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1876)	20 Oct 1876	40.5 mi	Cat 2	87 kt
Unnamed Storm (1865)	23 Oct 1865	3.9 mi	Cat 1	82 kt
Unnamed Storm (1859)	17 Oct 1859	20.8 mi	TS / TD	55 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
Ivan (2004)	Post-tropical	21 Sep 2004	18.1 mi	25 kt
Ana (1991)	Remnant low	30 Jun 1991	16.9 mi	20 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1859–2025. 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 Broward County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Broward County, Florida ranks #33 — more exposed than 98.5% of them. Within Florida it ranks #8 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 5 Andrew (1992) passed 46 miles away on 24 August 1992 as a hurricane, reaching 145 kt (167 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 4 Unnamed Storm (1928) passed 45 miles away on 17 September 1928 as a hurricane, reaching 125 kt (144 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 4 Unnamed Storm (1926) passed 32 miles away on 18 September 1926 as a hurricane, reaching 125 kt (144 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 4 King (1950) passed 7 miles away on 18 October 1950 as a hurricane, reaching 115 kt (132 mph) while within 50 miles.

54 of the 70 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 2.4 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 70 storms spread over the 167 years from 1859 to 2025. 16 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 11 years, between 1865 and 1876. It has been 5 years since the last one; 9 of the 51 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Broward County, Florida?

25 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Broward County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1859. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 70.

When was the last hurricane in Broward County, Florida?

Wilma (2005), on 24 October 2005, passing 23 miles away — 21 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Sally (2020) in 2020.

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

Andrew (1992), which reached 145 kt (167 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 46 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Broward County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.4 years — 70 storms over the 167 years from 1859 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Broward County, Florida borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. Palm Beach County, Florida has 73 on record.

Palm Beach County, Florida73 storms within 50 mi Collier County, Florida68 storms within 50 mi Hendry County, Florida66 storms within 50 mi Miami-Dade County, Florida64 storms within 50 mi Monroe County, Florida62 storms within 50 mi