Citrus County, Florida Hurricane History

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

Since 1871, 73 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Citrus County, Florida — about one every 2.1 years. Of those, 19 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Nicole (2022), which passed 1 miles away on 10 November 2022.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.1

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 · 2Cat 2 · 5Cat 1 · 12TS / TD · 54

The 73 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 2 of them reached Cat 3.

Key facts

Most recentNicole (2022) — 1 mi away, 10 November 2022
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1896) — 110 kt (127 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordNicole (2022) — 1.2 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Easy (1950) — 12.4 miles
Passes within 25 miles31 of 73
Peak monthSeptember — 21 storms (29% of all)
Most active year1871 — 3 storms
Most active decade1870s, 1880s and 1940s — 8 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi2
Record span1871–2022

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Citrus County, Florida, September is the most active month, with 21 of the 73 recorded storms (29%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 70% of all activity. The 1870s, 1880s and 1940s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 8 storms. 2 of the 73 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	2	10	5	13	21	17	5	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1870s to 2020s. Decades with no storms are shown as empty columns. Comparing two equal 38-year windows inside the aircraft-reconnaissance era: 20 storms in 1950–1987 against 13 in 1988–2025.

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

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Nicole (2022)	10 Nov 2022	1.2 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Eta (2020)	12 Nov 2020	27.5 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Irma (2017)	11 Sep 2017	9.4 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Debby (2012)	27 Jun 2012	38.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Barry (2007)	2 Jun 2007	21.0 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Jeanne (2004)	26 Sep 2004	6.8 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Frances (2004)	6 Sep 2004	36.6 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Edouard (2002)	5 Sep 2002	1.8 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Gordon (2000)	18 Sep 2000	46.1 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Jerry (1995)	24 Aug 1995	3.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Erin (1995)	2 Aug 1995	31.3 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1992)	26 Jun 1992	30.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Marco (1990)	11 Oct 1990	28.5 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	4 Nov 1987	43.5 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Isidore (1984)	28 Sep 1984	21.9 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1982)	18 Jun 1982	16.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1980)	18 Nov 1980	20.3 mi	TS / TD	22 kt
Unnamed Storm (1980)	18 Jul 1980	40.5 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1974)	27 Sep 1974	26.6 mi	TD	—
Unnamed Storm (1974)	25 Jun 1974	46.3 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1973)	26 Sep 1973	47.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1971)	15 Aug 1971	32.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Alma (1970)	25 May 1970	30.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Jenny (1969)	4 Oct 1969	39.3 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Gladys (1968)	19 Oct 1968	6.8 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1968)	28 Aug 1968	18.8 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1966)	1 Jul 1966	31.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1965)	19 Oct 1965	11.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1964)	6 Jun 1964	25.8 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1959)	18 Jun 1959	47.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1953)	20 Sep 1953	10.5 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
King (1950)	18 Oct 1950	49.9 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Easy (1950)	5 Sep 1950	12.4 mi	Cat 3	98 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	27 Aug 1949	3.5 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	23 Sep 1947	7.2 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	2 Nov 1946	39.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	8 Oct 1946	12.7 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	24 Jun 1945	11.2 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1944)	19 Oct 1944	37.2 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	21 Oct 1941	16.0 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Unnamed Storm (1940)	3 Aug 1940	39.0 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1939)	12 Aug 1939	38.2 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	30 Aug 1937	45.1 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	30 Jul 1937	33.0 mi	TS / TD	44 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	4 Sep 1935	48.7 mi	Cat 2	88 kt
Unnamed Storm (1934)	23 Jul 1934	12.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	5 Sep 1933	7.2 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	17 Sep 1928	27.2 mi	Cat 1	74 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	9 Aug 1928	12.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1921)	26 Oct 1921	34.1 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1920)	30 Sep 1920	18.7 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	15 May 1916	25.1 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1910)	18 Oct 1910	42.2 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	29 Jun 1909	5.5 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	5 Oct 1899	44.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	2 Aug 1898	45.2 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1896)	29 Sep 1896	38.9 mi	Cat 3	110 kt
Unnamed Storm (1889)	17 Jun 1889	25.2 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	11 Oct 1888	38.9 mi	Cat 2	95 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	9 Sep 1888	7.2 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1887)	30 Oct 1887	35.4 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	19 Jul 1886	6.3 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	11 Oct 1885	48.9 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	8 Oct 1880	7.2 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	30 Aug 1880	10.1 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1879)	27 Oct 1879	12.1 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	10 Sep 1878	11.8 mi	Cat 1	78 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	26 Oct 1877	39.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1874)	28 Sep 1874	25.2 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	23 Sep 1873	35.5 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	6 Sep 1871	34.4 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	25 Aug 1871	16.0 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	18 Aug 1871	31.7 mi	Cat 1	70 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 3 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
Ana (1991)	Remnant low	1 Jul 1991	9.5 mi	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	Post-tropical	4 Oct 1912	15.1 mi	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	Post-tropical	1 Nov 1911	11.8 mi	25 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1871–2025. 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 Citrus County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Citrus County, Florida ranks #20 — more exposed than 99.1% of them. Within Florida it ranks #1 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1896) passed 39 miles away on 29 September 1896 as a hurricane, reaching 110 kt (127 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Easy (1950) passed 12 miles away on 5 September 1950 as a hurricane, reaching 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1921) passed 34 miles away on 26 October 1921 as a hurricane, reaching 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1888) passed 39 miles away on 11 October 1888 as a hurricane, reaching 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles.

59 of the 73 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 2.1 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 73 storms spread over the 155 years from 1871 to 2025. 12 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 1899 and 1909. It has been 3 years since the last one; 13 of the 59 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Citrus County, Florida?

19 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Citrus County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1871. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 73.

When was the last hurricane in Citrus County, Florida?

Irma (2017), on 11 September 2017, passing 9 miles away — 9 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Nicole (2022) in 2022.

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

Unnamed Storm (1896), which reached 110 kt (127 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 39 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Citrus County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.1 years — 73 storms over the 155 years from 1871 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Citrus County, Florida borders or sits close to 4 other counties with a published storm record. Marion County, Florida has 71 on record.

Marion County, Florida71 storms within 50 mi Sumter County, Florida70 storms within 50 mi Hernando County, Florida66 storms within 50 mi Levy County, Florida65 storms within 50 mi