Collier County, Florida Hurricane History

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

Since 1859, 68 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Collier County, Florida — about one every 2.5 years. Of those, 23 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Sally (2020), which passed 37 miles away on 12 September 2020.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.5

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 · 3Cat 3 · 6Cat 2 · 5Cat 1 · 8TS / TD · 45

The 68 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 5.

Key facts

Most recentSally (2020) — 37 mi away, 12 September 2020
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1935) — 152 kt (175 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1926) — 1.7 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Unnamed Storm (1926) — 1.7 miles
Passes within 25 miles35 of 68
Peak monthOctober — 19 storms (28% of all)
Most active year1878 — 2 storms
Most active decade1890s and 1900s — 7 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi10
Record span1859–2020

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Collier County, Florida, October is the most active month, with 19 of the 68 recorded storms (28%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 75% of all activity. The 1890s and 1900s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 7 storms. 10 of the 68 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	1	5	6	14	18	19	4	1

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: 15 storms in 1950–1987 against 13 in 1988–2025.

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

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Sally (2020)	12 Sep 2020	37.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Gordon (2018)	3 Sep 2018	35.6 mi	TS / TD	49 kt
Irma (2017)	10 Sep 2017	18.6 mi	Cat 2	95 kt
Bonnie (2010)	23 Jul 2010	16.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Fay (2008)	19 Aug 2008	8.9 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Ernesto (2006)	30 Aug 2006	24.9 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Wilma (2005)	24 Oct 2005	5.7 mi	Cat 3	100 kt
Katrina (2005)	26 Aug 2005	46.7 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Irene (1999)	15 Oct 1999	44.6 mi	Cat 1	66 kt
Harvey (1999)	21 Sep 1999	16.3 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Mitch (1998)	5 Nov 1998	31.4 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Gordon (1994)	16 Nov 1994	40.6 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Andrew (1992)	24 Aug 1992	34.3 mi	Cat 4	115 kt
Bob (1985)	23 Jul 1985	20.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Dennis (1981)	17 Aug 1981	12.5 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Dottie (1976)	19 Aug 1976	38.1 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	11 Jun 1976	36.2 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1971)	30 Aug 1971	15.4 mi	TS / TD	22 kt
Jenny (1969)	2 Oct 1969	23.0 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1968)	27 Sep 1968	37.8 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Brenda (1968)	18 Jun 1968	6.3 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Isbell (1964)	14 Oct 1964	18.5 mi	Cat 2	87 kt
Florence (1960)	23 Sep 1960	24.0 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Donna (1960)	10 Sep 1960	18.6 mi	Cat 3	105 kt
Unnamed Storm (1956)	16 Oct 1956	47.4 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1954)	19 Jun 1954	40.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1953)	29 Aug 1953	33.5 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1953)	11 Jul 1953	6.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1948)	22 Sep 1948	14.9 mi	Cat 4	115 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	12 Oct 1947	48.7 mi	Cat 1	78 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	18 Sep 1947	8.4 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	16 Sep 1945	15.4 mi	Cat 2	92 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	4 Sep 1945	41.1 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	6 Oct 1941	7.2 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1936)	29 Jul 1936	21.4 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1936)	15 Jun 1936	16.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	5 Nov 1935	29.6 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	3 Sep 1935	27.9 mi	Cat 5	140 kt
Unnamed Storm (1932)	30 Aug 1932	19.4 mi	TS / TD	51 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	13 Aug 1928	45.8 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	18 Sep 1926	1.7 mi	Cat 3	96 kt
Unnamed Storm (1925)	1 Dec 1925	33.4 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	21 Oct 1924	18.6 mi	Cat 1	74 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	14 May 1916	8.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1910)	18 Oct 1910	41.4 mi	Cat 3	98 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	25 Sep 1909	7.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	29 Aug 1909	45.2 mi	TS / TD	34 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	19 Sep 1907	19.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	22 Oct 1906	34.7 mi	TS / TD	26 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	18 Oct 1904	17.7 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1903)	12 Sep 1903	40.7 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	11 Aug 1901	39.9 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	30 Jul 1899	28.8 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1896)	9 Oct 1896	37.7 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1895)	16 Oct 1895	27.7 mi	TS / TD	34 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	25 Sep 1894	37.2 mi	Cat 2	88 kt
Unnamed Storm (1892)	10 Jun 1892	29.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1891)	7 Oct 1891	26.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1891)	25 Aug 1891	22.9 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1889)	6 Oct 1889	49.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	17 Aug 1888	17.0 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	8 Sep 1878	3.8 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	2 Jul 1878	8.3 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1876)	20 Oct 1876	10.3 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1870)	20 Oct 1870	14.4 mi	Cat 1	78 kt
Unnamed Storm (1865)	23 Oct 1865	44.8 mi	Cat 2	88 kt
Unnamed Storm (1861)	1 Nov 1861	18.7 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1859)	17 Oct 1859	46.0 mi	TS / TD	42 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 5 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
Alex (2022)	Disturbance	4 Jun 2022	26.8 mi	36 kt
Ivan (2004)	Post-tropical	21 Sep 2004	20.2 mi	25 kt
Ana (1991)	Remnant low	30 Jun 1991	3.4 mi	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1952)	Remnant low	3 Feb 1952	35.6 mi	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1891)	Post-tropical	9 Oct 1891	42.2 mi	32 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.

Storms that came back

1 named storm in this record passed Collier County, Florida more than once.

Gordon — 2 passes (1994, 2018)

How Collier County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Collier County, Florida ranks #49 — more exposed than 97.8% of them. Within Florida it ranks #14 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 5 Unnamed Storm (1935) passed 28 miles away on 3 September 1935 as a hurricane, reaching 152 kt (175 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 4 Andrew (1992) passed 34 miles away on 24 August 1992 as a hurricane, reaching 125 kt (144 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 4 Unnamed Storm (1948) passed 15 miles away on 22 September 1948 as a hurricane, reaching 115 kt (132 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 4 Unnamed Storm (1926) passed 2 miles away on 18 September 1926 as a hurricane, reaching 113 kt (130 mph) while within 50 miles.

58 of the 68 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 2.5 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 68 storms spread over the 167 years from 1859 to 2025. 13 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 1878 and 1888. It has been 5 years since the last one; 7 of the 54 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Collier County, Florida?

23 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Collier County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1859. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 68.

When was the last hurricane in Collier County, Florida?

Irma (2017), on 10 September 2017, passing 19 miles away — 9 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Sally (2020) in 2020.

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

Unnamed Storm (1935), which reached 152 kt (175 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 28 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Collier County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.5 years — 68 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

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

Broward County, Florida70 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 Lee County, Florida59 storms within 50 mi