Flagler County, Florida Hurricane History

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

Since 1858, 69 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Flagler County, Florida — about one every 2.4 years. Of those, 17 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Matthew (2016), which passed 39 miles away on 7 October 2016.

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 · 3Cat 2 · 4Cat 1 · 11TS / TD · 51

The 69 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 3 of them reached Cat 3.

Key facts

Most recentMatthew (2016) — 39 mi away, 7 October 2016
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1893) — 105 kt (121 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordDebby (2012) — 1.9 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Matthew (2016) — 38.5 miles
Passes within 25 miles37 of 69
Peak monthSeptember — 19 storms (28% of all)
Most active year1968 — 4 storms
Most active decade1960s — 10 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi3
Record span1858–2016

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Flagler County, Florida, September is the most active month, with 19 of the 69 recorded storms (28%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 71% of all activity. The 1960s was the most active decade on record, with 10 storms. 3 of the 69 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	2	9	6	12	19	18	3	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1850s to 2010s. Decades with no storms are shown as empty columns. Comparing two equal 38-year windows inside the aircraft-reconnaissance era: 25 storms in 1950–1987 against 11 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s
1	0	4	5	5	2	4	3	5	4	4	10	4	7	1	6	4

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Matthew (2016)	7 Oct 2016	38.5 mi	Cat 3	100 kt
Julia (2016)	13 Sep 2016	6.4 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Debby (2012)	27 Jun 2012	1.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Beryl (2012)	28 May 2012	48.5 mi	TS / TD	56 kt
Fay (2008)	22 Aug 2008	9.9 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Tammy (2005)	5 Oct 2005	22.3 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Charley (2004)	14 Aug 2004	13.5 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Henri (2003)	6 Sep 2003	45.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Edouard (2002)	5 Sep 2002	9.5 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Leslie (2000)	4 Oct 2000	19.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Gordon (1994)	21 Nov 1994	16.7 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Isidore (1984)	28 Sep 1984	47.5 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1984)	13 Jun 1984	34.0 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1982)	18 Jun 1982	41.8 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Dennis (1981)	19 Aug 1981	29.5 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1981)	3 Jul 1981	27.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1980)	18 Nov 1980	13.0 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1980)	18 Jul 1980	2.8 mi	TS / TD	24 kt
David (1979)	4 Sep 1979	27.2 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	14 Sep 1976	13.0 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1974)	25 Jun 1974	26.2 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1973)	26 Sep 1973	12.3 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Jenny (1969)	4 Oct 1969	26.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Gladys (1968)	19 Oct 1968	15.5 mi	Cat 1	73 kt
Unnamed Storm (1968)	31 Aug 1968	8.6 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Brenda (1968)	20 Jun 1968	17.3 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Abby (1968)	6 Jun 1968	18.0 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1965)	18 Oct 1965	10.2 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Dora (1964)	10 Sep 1964	28.9 mi	Cat 2	94 kt
Cleo (1964)	28 Aug 1964	1.9 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1964)	6 Jun 1964	39.4 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Donna (1960)	11 Sep 1960	10.2 mi	Cat 1	73 kt
Unnamed Storm (1956)	16 Oct 1956	45.1 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1953)	21 Sep 1953	49.5 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
King (1950)	18 Oct 1950	41.8 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Easy (1950)	7 Sep 1950	21.9 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	2 Nov 1946	34.0 mi	TS / TD	21 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	16 Sep 1945	15.4 mi	Cat 1	66 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	24 Jun 1945	4.9 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Unnamed Storm (1944)	19 Oct 1944	29.6 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	30 Aug 1937	19.0 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	30 Jul 1937	13.4 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1936)	22 Aug 1936	22.9 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1934)	23 Jul 1934	26.6 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1930)	10 Sep 1930	17.9 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	18 Sep 1928	38.5 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	28 Jul 1926	5.9 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1921)	26 Oct 1921	37.1 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	26 Aug 1916	44.0 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	15 May 1916	43.8 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	2 Aug 1915	7.4 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1910)	19 Oct 1910	37.0 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	30 Aug 1909	37.9 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	21 Oct 1906	13.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	5 Oct 1899	16.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1897)	21 Sep 1897	36.8 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	26 Sep 1894	5.5 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	13 Oct 1893	39.6 mi	Cat 3	105 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	27 Aug 1893	44.1 mi	Cat 3	100 kt
Unnamed Storm (1889)	17 Jun 1889	44.6 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1887)	30 Oct 1887	22.4 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	19 Jul 1886	33.4 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	24 Aug 1885	39.8 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	8 Oct 1880	24.8 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1879)	28 Oct 1879	20.8 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	11 Sep 1878	20.2 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	27 Oct 1877	16.4 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	23 Sep 1873	12.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1858)	15 Sep 1858	49.4 mi	TS / TD	50 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	1 Jul 1991	33.5 mi	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1920)	Post-tropical	30 Sep 1920	13.0 mi	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	Post-tropical	4 Oct 1912	20.1 mi	31 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1858–2025. 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 Flagler County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Flagler County, Florida ranks #45 — more exposed than 98.0% of them. Within Florida it ranks #13 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 3 Unnamed (October 1893) passed 40 miles away on 13 October 1893 as a hurricane, reaching 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Matthew (2016) passed 39 miles away on 7 October 2016 as a hurricane, reaching 102 kt (117 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed (August 1893) passed 44 miles away on 27 August 1893 as a hurricane, reaching 101 kt (116 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Dora (1964) passed 29 miles away on 10 September 1964 as a hurricane, reaching 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles.

54 of the 69 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 69 storms spread over the 168 years from 1858 to 2025. 12 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 15 years, between 1858 and 1873. It has been 9 years since the last one; 2 of the 53 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Flagler County, Florida?

17 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Flagler County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1858. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 69.

When was the last hurricane in Flagler County, Florida?

Matthew (2016), on 7 October 2016, passing 39 miles away — 10 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Matthew (2016) in 2016.

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

Unnamed Storm (1893), which reached 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 40 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Flagler County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.4 years — 69 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

Flagler 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 Marion County, Florida71 storms within 50 mi Volusia County, Florida67 storms within 50 mi Putnam County, Florida65 storms within 50 mi