DeSoto County, Florida Hurricane History
Since 1858, 57 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of DeSoto County, Florida — about one every 2.9 years. Of those, 21 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Milton (2024), which passed 38 miles away on 10 October 2024.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentMilton (2024) — 38 mi away, 10 October 2024
- Strongest stormIan (2022) — 130 kt (150 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1859) — 0.8 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Donna (1960) — 6.2 miles
- Passes within 25 miles25 of 57
- Peak monthSeptember — 18 storms (32% of all)
- Most active year1968 — 3 storms
- Most active decade1900s and 1960s — 6 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi6
- Record span1858–2024
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 18 | 17 | 3 | 1 |
Activity by decade
| 1850s | 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milton (2024) | 10 Oct 2024 | 37.7 mi | Cat 2 | 90 kt |
| Ian (2022) | 29 Sep 2022 | 6.6 mi | Cat 3 | 100 kt |
| Irma (2017) | 11 Sep 2017 | 6.4 mi | Cat 1 | 75 kt |
| Emily (2017) | 31 Jul 2017 | 21.7 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Fay (2008) | 19 Aug 2008 | 45.1 mi | TS / TD | 59 kt |
| Jeanne (2004) | 26 Sep 2004 | 37.4 mi | Cat 1 | 75 kt |
| Frances (2004) | 5 Sep 2004 | 41.1 mi | TS / TD | 63 kt |
| Charley (2004) | 13 Aug 2004 | 10.9 mi | Cat 3 | 108 kt |
| Gabrielle (2001) | 14 Sep 2001 | 34.6 mi | TS / TD | 52 kt |
| Gordon (1994) | 16 Nov 1994 | 23.8 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Keith (1988) | 23 Nov 1988 | 29.4 mi | TS / TD | 47 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1984) | 26 Oct 1984 | 15.2 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Isidore (1984) | 28 Sep 1984 | 46.1 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Barry (1983) | 25 Aug 1983 | 24.5 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Dennis (1981) | 18 Aug 1981 | 48.3 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1971) | 13 Aug 1971 | 7.7 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Jenny (1969) | 3 Oct 1969 | 25.8 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1968) | 30 Aug 1968 | 43.8 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Brenda (1968) | 19 Jun 1968 | 31.8 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Abby (1968) | 4 Jun 1968 | 8.0 mi | TS / TD | 47 kt |
| Florence (1960) | 24 Sep 1960 | 35.1 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Donna (1960) | 10 Sep 1960 | 6.2 mi | Cat 2 | 88 kt |
| Judith (1959) | 18 Oct 1959 | 28.8 mi | TS / TD | 52 kt |
| Hazel (1953) | 9 Oct 1953 | 20.4 mi | Cat 1 | 70 kt |
| How (1951) | 2 Oct 1951 | 27.8 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| King (1950) | 18 Oct 1950 | 45.7 mi | Cat 1 | 78 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1949) | 27 Aug 1949 | 32.4 mi | Cat 1 | 82 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1945) | 16 Sep 1945 | 6.6 mi | Cat 1 | 78 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1944) | 19 Oct 1944 | 41.4 mi | Cat 2 | 87 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1941) | 6 Oct 1941 | 49.7 mi | TS / TD | 62 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1939) | 12 Aug 1939 | 43.1 mi | TS / TD | 55 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1933) | 4 Sep 1933 | 37.4 mi | Cat 1 | 65 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1933) | 31 Jul 1933 | 13.7 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1928) | 17 Sep 1928 | 26.5 mi | Cat 2 | 92 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1926) | 18 Sep 1926 | 47.5 mi | Cat 3 | 97 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1925) | 1 Dec 1925 | 31.2 mi | TS / TD | 52 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1921) | 16 Oct 1921 | 13.2 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1916) | 14 May 1916 | 12.2 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1910) | 18 Oct 1910 | 8.0 mi | Cat 1 | 78 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1909) | 30 Aug 1909 | 16.6 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1909) | 29 Jun 1909 | 39.1 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1906) | 22 Oct 1906 | 8.2 mi | TS / TD | 29 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1904) | 18 Oct 1904 | 32.1 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1903) | 12 Sep 1903 | 6.3 mi | TS / TD | 57 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1901) | 11 Aug 1901 | 24.5 mi | TS / TD | 39 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1898) | 2 Aug 1898 | 32.9 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1897) | 21 Sep 1897 | 9.5 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1896) | 9 Oct 1896 | 37.4 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1894) | 25 Sep 1894 | 2.3 mi | Cat 1 | 81 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1892) | 24 Oct 1892 | 42.8 mi | TS / TD | 43 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1888) | 8 Sep 1888 | 27.9 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1888) | 17 Aug 1888 | 42.5 mi | Cat 1 | 70 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1878) | 8 Sep 1878 | 19.9 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1873) | 7 Oct 1873 | 22.8 mi | Cat 2 | 92 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1861) | 1 Nov 1861 | 38.4 mi | TS / TD | 52 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1859) | 18 Oct 1859 | 0.8 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1858) | 14 Sep 1858 | 49.6 mi | TS / TD | 53 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex (2022) | Disturbance | 4 Jun 2022 | 50.0 mi | 37 kt |
| Ana (1991) | Remnant low | 30 Jun 1991 | 47.2 mi | 20 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1891) | Post-tropical | 10 Oct 1891 | 23.0 mi | 30 kt |
How DeSoto County, Florida compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, DeSoto County, Florida ranks #134 — more exposed than 93.9% of them. Within Florida it ranks #57 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.
Notable storms
- Cat 4 Ian (2022) passed 7 miles away on 29 September 2022 as a hurricane, reaching 130 kt (150 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 4 Charley (2004) passed 11 miles away on 13 August 2004 as a hurricane, reaching 130 kt (150 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1928) passed 27 miles away on 17 September 1928 as a hurricane, reaching 100 kt (115 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 3 Donna (1960) passed 6 miles away on 10 September 1960 as a hurricane, reaching 98 kt (113 mph) while within 50 miles.
50 of the 57 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 2.9 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 57 storms spread over the 168 years from 1858 to 2025. 8 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 12 years, between 1861 and 1873. It has been 1 year since the last one; 34 of the 46 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit DeSoto County, Florida?
21 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of DeSoto County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1858. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 57.
When was the last hurricane in DeSoto County, Florida?
Milton (2024), on 10 October 2024, passing 38 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 DeSoto County, Florida?
Ian (2022), which reached 130 kt (150 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 7 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit DeSoto County, Florida?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.9 years — 57 storms over the 168 years from 1858 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.
Nearby counties
DeSoto County, Florida borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. Glades County, Florida has 68 on record.