Escambia County, Florida Hurricane History
Since 1859, 55 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Escambia County, Florida — about one every 3.0 years. Of those, 20 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Sally (2020), which passed 14 miles away on 16 September 2020.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentSally (2020) — 14 mi away, 16 September 2020
- Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1882) — 110 kt (127 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1934) — 2.5 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Dennis (2005) — 10.9 miles
- Passes within 25 miles26 of 55
- Peak monthSeptember — 18 storms (33% of all)
- Most active year1887 — 2 storms
- Most active decade2000s — 8 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi6
- Record span1859–2020
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 11 | 18 | 10 | 1 | 0 |
Activity by decade
| 1850s | 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 1 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sally (2020) | 16 Sep 2020 | 13.6 mi | Cat 1 | 81 kt |
| Claudette (2009) | 17 Aug 2009 | 32.6 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Fay (2008) | 24 Aug 2008 | 29.9 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Ten (2007) | 22 Sep 2007 | 5.6 mi | TS / TD | 22 kt |
| Dennis (2005) | 10 Jul 2005 | 10.9 mi | Cat 2 | 90 kt |
| Arlene (2005) | 11 Jun 2005 | 11.9 mi | TS / TD | 46 kt |
| Ivan (2004) | 16 Sep 2004 | 31.5 mi | Cat 2 | 91 kt |
| Hanna (2002) | 14 Sep 2002 | 40.4 mi | TS / TD | 27 kt |
| Helene (2000) | 22 Sep 2000 | 39.4 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Georges (1998) | 29 Sep 1998 | 23.2 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Danny (1997) | 20 Jul 1997 | 6.3 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Opal (1995) | 4 Oct 1995 | 20.6 mi | Cat 3 | 100 kt |
| Erin (1995) | 3 Aug 1995 | 5.8 mi | Cat 1 | 70 kt |
| Alberto (1994) | 3 Jul 1994 | 49.4 mi | TS / TD | 55 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1987) | 14 Aug 1987 | 35.6 mi | TS / TD | 15 kt |
| Juan (1985) | 31 Oct 1985 | 15.7 mi | TS / TD | 52 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1980) | 20 Jul 1980 | 47.2 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1977) | 19 Jul 1977 | 25.7 mi | TS / TD | 26 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1969) | 1 Oct 1969 | 31.3 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1965) | 15 Jun 1965 | 26.0 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Florence (1960) | 26 Sep 1960 | 7.3 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Irene (1959) | 8 Oct 1959 | 17.3 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Flossy (1956) | 24 Sep 1956 | 32.5 mi | Cat 1 | 80 kt |
| Baker (1950) | 31 Aug 1950 | 36.4 mi | Cat 1 | 75 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1948) | 9 Jul 1948 | 10.8 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1944) | 11 Sep 1944 | 37.1 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1939) | 13 Aug 1939 | 32.5 mi | TS / TD | 52 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1939) | 16 Jun 1939 | 22.9 mi | TS / TD | 47 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1936) | 22 Aug 1936 | 11.8 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1936) | 31 Jul 1936 | 31.2 mi | Cat 1 | 70 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1934) | 6 Oct 1934 | 2.5 mi | TS / TD | 39 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1926) | 20 Sep 1926 | 15.9 mi | Cat 3 | 100 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1923) | 26 Jun 1923 | 45.5 mi | TS / TD | 34 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1922) | 17 Oct 1922 | 32.5 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1919) | 4 Jul 1919 | 14.0 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1917) | 29 Sep 1917 | 33.9 mi | Cat 3 | 100 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1916) | 18 Oct 1916 | 10.2 mi | Cat 2 | 95 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1914) | 18 Sep 1914 | 5.7 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1911) | 11 Aug 1911 | 19.2 mi | Cat 1 | 70 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1904) | 3 Nov 1904 | 37.6 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1902) | 10 Oct 1902 | 9.2 mi | TS / TD | 47 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1901) | 17 Sep 1901 | 40.2 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1896) | 7 Jul 1896 | 49.7 mi | Cat 2 | 85 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1894) | 7 Aug 1894 | 20.4 mi | TS / TD | 48 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1889) | 23 Sep 1889 | 5.2 mi | TS / TD | 58 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1887) | 19 Oct 1887 | 39.0 mi | TS / TD | 43 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1887) | 27 Jul 1887 | 43.8 mi | Cat 1 | 75 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1885) | 28 Sep 1885 | 4.9 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1882) | 10 Sep 1882 | 31.7 mi | Cat 3 | 110 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1880) | 31 Aug 1880 | 22.4 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1879) | 16 Oct 1879 | 35.6 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1877) | 19 Sep 1877 | 23.0 mi | Cat 1 | 70 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1870) | 30 Jul 1870 | 40.5 mi | Cat 1 | 70 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1860) | 12 Aug 1860 | 42.7 mi | TS / TD | 63 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1859) | 16 Sep 1859 | 30.8 mi | TS / TD | 57 kt |
Post-tropical and extratropical passes
A further 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ida (2009) | Post-tropical | 10 Nov 2009 | 1.6 mi | 31 kt |
| Hilda (1964) | Post-tropical | 5 Oct 1964 | 1.2 mi | 50 kt |
How Escambia County, Florida compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Escambia County, Florida ranks #149 — more exposed than 93.2% of them. Within Florida it ranks #60 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.
Notable storms
- Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1882) passed 32 miles away on 10 September 1882 as a hurricane, reaching 110 kt (127 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 3 Dennis (2005) passed 11 miles away on 10 July 2005 as a hurricane, reaching 107 kt (123 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 3 Ivan (2004) passed 31 miles away on 16 September 2004 as a hurricane, reaching 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1926) passed 16 miles away on 20 September 1926 as a hurricane, reaching 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles.
52 of the 55 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 3.0 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 55 storms spread over the 167 years from 1859 to 2025. 5 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 11 years, between 2009 and 2020. It has been 5 years since the last one; 8 of the 49 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Escambia County, Florida?
20 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Escambia County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1859. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 55.
When was the last hurricane in Escambia County, Florida?
Sally (2020), on 16 September 2020, passing 14 miles away — 6 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Sally (2020) in 2020.
What was the strongest storm to affect Escambia County, Florida?
Unnamed Storm (1882), which reached 110 kt (127 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 32 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Escambia County, Florida?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 3.0 years — 55 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
Escambia County, Florida borders or sits close to 4 other counties with a published storm record. Baldwin County, Alabama has 56 on record.