Columbia County, Florida Hurricane History

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

Since 1867, 65 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Columbia County, Florida — about one every 2.4 years. Of those, 8 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Debby (2024), which passed 23 miles away on 5 August 2024.

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 3 · 1Cat 2 · 2Cat 1 · 4TS / TD · 58

The 65 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 3.

Key facts

Most recentDebby (2024) — 23 mi away, 5 August 2024
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1896) — 100 kt (115 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1885) — 1.6 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Unnamed Storm (1896) — 13.0 miles
Passes within 25 miles26 of 65
Peak monthSeptember — 20 storms (31% of all)
Most active year1871 — 3 storms
Most active decade1880s — 8 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi1
Record span1867–2024

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Columbia County, Florida, September is the most active month, with 20 of the 65 recorded storms (31%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 72% of all activity. The 1880s was the most active decade on record, with 8 storms. 1 of the 65 storms was major hurricane (Category 3 or stronger) while within 50 miles.

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
0	0	0	0	5	8	4	11	20	16	1	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1860s to 2020s. Decades with no storms are shown as empty columns. Comparing two equal 38-year windows inside the aircraft-reconnaissance era: 13 storms in 1950–1987 against 20 in 1988–2025.

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

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Debby (2024)	5 Aug 2024	22.9 mi	TS / TD	49 kt
Idalia (2023)	30 Aug 2023	37.7 mi	Cat 2	87 kt
Mindy (2021)	9 Sep 2021	45.5 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Elsa (2021)	7 Jul 2021	43.8 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Eta (2020)	12 Nov 2020	29.5 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Irma (2017)	11 Sep 2017	24.3 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Colin (2016)	7 Jun 2016	13.7 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Andrea (2013)	7 Jun 2013	10.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Beryl (2012)	28 May 2012	13.7 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Fay (2008)	22 Aug 2008	35.4 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Barry (2007)	2 Jun 2007	41.6 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Alberto (2006)	13 Jun 2006	47.7 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Jeanne (2004)	27 Sep 2004	38.7 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Bonnie (2004)	12 Aug 2004	47.1 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Gordon (2000)	18 Sep 2000	8.7 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Georges (1998)	1 Oct 1998	19.3 mi	TS / TD	23 kt
Josephine (1996)	8 Oct 1996	32.5 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Jerry (1995)	25 Aug 1995	35.8 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Marco (1990)	12 Oct 1990	24.8 mi	TS / TD	23 kt
Unnamed Storm (1988)	14 Aug 1988	41.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Isidore (1984)	28 Sep 1984	44.0 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1984)	14 Jun 1984	49.2 mi	TD	—
Unnamed Storm (1976)	23 May 1976	25.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1973)	26 Sep 1973	47.6 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Alpha (1972)	28 May 1972	26.8 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Alma (1970)	25 May 1970	6.6 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1966)	2 Jul 1966	24.2 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Dora (1964)	10 Sep 1964	15.3 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1964)	6 Jun 1964	47.1 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Brenda (1960)	29 Jul 1960	19.3 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Love (1950)	21 Oct 1950	24.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
King (1950)	19 Oct 1950	3.6 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Easy (1950)	7 Sep 1950	30.3 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	28 Aug 1949	17.4 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	7 Oct 1947	43.5 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	8 Oct 1946	25.6 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	21 Sep 1937	8.5 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	31 Aug 1937	46.0 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1936)	22 Aug 1936	35.0 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	5 Sep 1935	39.4 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	5 Sep 1933	48.4 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1932)	15 Sep 1932	19.8 mi	TS / TD	44 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	28 Jul 1926	14.6 mi	TS / TD	51 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	16 Sep 1924	49.8 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	15 May 1916	48.6 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	2 Aug 1915	45.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1910)	19 Oct 1910	44.0 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1900)	12 Oct 1900	20.3 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1896)	29 Sep 1896	13.0 mi	Cat 3	98 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	16 Jun 1893	29.2 mi	TS / TD	49 kt
Unnamed Storm (1889)	17 Jun 1889	48.8 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	11 Oct 1888	37.6 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	9 Sep 1888	11.4 mi	TS / TD	44 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	12 Oct 1885	16.5 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	30 Sep 1885	1.6 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	21 Sep 1885	28.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	11 Oct 1882	9.1 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	8 Sep 1880	10.1 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	11 Oct 1878	48.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1874)	28 Sep 1874	34.0 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	5 Oct 1871	46.4 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	6 Sep 1871	36.0 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	18 Aug 1871	15.8 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1868)	4 Oct 1868	44.1 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1867)	7 Oct 1867	29.4 mi	TS / TD	48 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 1 system 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 (1947)	Post-tropical	24 Sep 1947	20.2 mi	48 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1867–2025. 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 Columbia County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Columbia County, Florida ranks #67 — more exposed than 97.0% of them. Within Florida it ranks #25 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1896) passed 13 miles away on 29 September 1896 as a hurricane, reaching 100 kt (115 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Idalia (2023) passed 38 miles away on 30 August 2023 as a hurricane, reaching 93 kt (107 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1888) passed 38 miles away on 11 October 1888 as a hurricane, reaching 85 kt (98 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1935) passed 39 miles away on 5 September 1935 as a hurricane, reaching 73 kt (84 mph) while within 50 miles.

56 of the 65 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 65 storms spread over the 159 years from 1867 to 2025. 9 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 1900 and 1910. It has been 1 year since the last one; 36 of the 52 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Columbia County, Florida?

8 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Columbia County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1867. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 65.

When was the last hurricane in Columbia County, Florida?

Idalia (2023), on 30 August 2023, passing 38 miles away — 3 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Debby (2024) in 2024.

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

Unnamed Storm (1896), which reached 100 kt (115 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 13 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Columbia County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.4 years — 65 storms over the 159 years from 1867 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Columbia County, Florida borders or sits close to 6 other counties with a published storm record. Clinch County, Georgia has 67 on record.

Clinch County, Georgia67 storms within 50 mi Echols County, Georgia67 storms within 50 mi Suwannee County, Florida67 storms within 50 mi Union County, Florida64 storms within 50 mi Gilchrist County, Florida64 storms within 50 mi Alachua County, Florida63 storms within 50 mi