Duval County, Florida Hurricane History

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

Since 1853, 64 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Duval County, Florida — about one every 2.7 years. Of those, 12 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Eta (2020), which passed 12 miles away on 12 November 2020.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.7

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 4 · 1Cat 2 · 4Cat 1 · 7TS / TD · 52

The 64 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 4.

Key facts

Most recentEta (2020) — 12 mi away, 12 November 2020
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1898) — 115 kt (132 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordJulia (2016) — 3.5 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Unnamed Storm (1898) — 40.4 miles
Passes within 25 miles34 of 64
Peak monthSeptember — 20 storms (31% of all)
Most active year1964 — 3 storms
Most active decade1880s — 8 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi1
Record span1853–2020

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Duval County, Florida, September is the most active month, with 20 of the 64 recorded storms (31%). Activity concentrates in June, September and October, together 73% of all storms. The 1880s was the most active decade on record, with 8 storms. 1 of the 64 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	4	9	4	5	20	18	4	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: 18 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	7	8	3	2	4	2	3	5	1	6	5	7	2	2	4	1

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Eta (2020)	12 Nov 2020	11.8 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Julia (2016)	14 Sep 2016	3.5 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Colin (2016)	7 Jun 2016	36.9 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Andrea (2013)	7 Jun 2013	41.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Beryl (2012)	28 May 2012	9.8 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Barry (2007)	2 Jun 2007	13.9 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Tammy (2005)	6 Oct 2005	11.7 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Georges (1998)	1 Oct 1998	14.5 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Gordon (1994)	21 Nov 1994	5.9 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1988)	14 Aug 1988	11.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Isabel (1985)	10 Oct 1985	23.5 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Isidore (1984)	28 Sep 1984	4.5 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1984)	13 Jun 1984	12.8 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1982)	18 Jun 1982	20.6 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1981)	3 Jul 1981	42.8 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1980)	18 Nov 1980	45.1 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
David (1979)	4 Sep 1979	42.0 mi	Cat 2	84 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	14 Sep 1976	11.8 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Unnamed Storm (1973)	26 Sep 1973	49.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Alpha (1972)	28 May 1972	43.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Alma (1970)	25 May 1970	43.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Gladys (1968)	19 Oct 1968	44.0 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1968)	31 Aug 1968	48.6 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Abby (1968)	6 Jun 1968	15.4 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Dora (1964)	10 Sep 1964	26.8 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Cleo (1964)	28 Aug 1964	20.9 mi	TS / TD	54 kt
Unnamed Storm (1964)	6 Jun 1964	22.6 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Easy (1950)	7 Sep 1950	17.7 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	7 Oct 1947	33.3 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	3 Nov 1946	20.7 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	8 Oct 1946	31.6 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	17 Sep 1945	17.9 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1944)	19 Oct 1944	5.5 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	21 Sep 1937	18.6 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1934)	23 Jul 1934	35.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1932)	15 Sep 1932	40.0 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	18 Sep 1928	5.5 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	28 Jul 1926	32.6 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	15 May 1916	7.0 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	2 Aug 1915	12.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1914)	17 Sep 1914	23.5 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1910)	19 Oct 1910	10.1 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	21 Oct 1906	20.1 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1900)	12 Oct 1900	13.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	2 Oct 1898	40.4 mi	Cat 4	115 kt
Unnamed Storm (1896)	29 Sep 1896	41.8 mi	Cat 2	95 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	26 Sep 1894	37.1 mi	Cat 1	69 kt
Unnamed Storm (1889)	17 Jun 1889	14.1 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	11 Oct 1888	6.6 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	19 Jul 1886	26.8 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	30 Sep 1885	7.1 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	21 Sep 1885	41.6 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	11 Oct 1882	42.9 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	8 Oct 1880	38.6 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	8 Sep 1880	38.8 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1879)	28 Oct 1879	43.7 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	11 Sep 1878	35.5 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	27 Oct 1877	47.1 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1874)	28 Sep 1874	13.0 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	2 Jun 1873	35.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	7 Sep 1871	4.2 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	18 Aug 1871	32.4 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1867)	7 Oct 1867	9.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1853)	21 Oct 1853	48.2 mi	Cat 2	90 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	2 Jul 1991	23.8 mi	20 kt
Hilda (1964)	Post-tropical	5 Oct 1964	46.3 mi	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	Post-tropical	24 Sep 1947	33.5 mi	46 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1853–2025. 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 Duval County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Duval County, Florida ranks #74 — more exposed than 96.6% of them. Within Florida it ranks #29 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 4 Unnamed Storm (1898) passed 40 miles away on 2 October 1898 as a hurricane, reaching 115 kt (132 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Dora (1964) passed 27 miles away on 10 September 1964 as a hurricane, reaching 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1896) passed 42 miles away on 29 September 1896 as a hurricane, reaching 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1853) passed 48 miles away on 21 October 1853 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.

50 of the 64 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 2.7 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 64 storms spread over the 173 years from 1853 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 14 years, between 1853 and 1867. It has been 5 years since the last one; 7 of the 53 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Duval County, Florida?

12 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Duval County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1853. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 64.

When was the last hurricane in Duval County, Florida?

David (1979), on 4 September 1979, passing 42 miles away — 47 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Eta (2020) in 2020.

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

Unnamed Storm (1898), which reached 115 kt (132 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 40 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Duval County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.7 years — 64 storms over the 173 years from 1853 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Duval County, Florida borders or sits close to 4 other counties with a published storm record. St. Johns County, Florida has 72 on record.

St. Johns County, Florida72 storms within 50 mi Nassau County, Florida67 storms within 50 mi Baker County, Florida61 storms within 50 mi Clay County, Florida59 storms within 50 mi