Franklin County, Florida Hurricane History

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

Since 1852, 61 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Franklin County, Florida — about one every 2.9 years. Of those, 20 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Mindy (2021), which passed 13 miles away on 9 September 2021.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.9

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 5 · 1Cat 3 · 2Cat 2 · 5Cat 1 · 13TS / TD · 40

The 61 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 5.

Key facts

Most recentMindy (2021) — 13 mi away, 9 September 2021
Strongest stormMichael (2018) — 140 kt (161 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1898) — 1.8 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Unnamed Storm (1877) — 41.2 miles
Passes within 25 miles28 of 61
Peak monthAugust — 16 storms (26% of all)
Most active year1885 — 3 storms
Most active decade1880s and 1900s — 6 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi3
Record span1852–2021

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Franklin County, Florida, August is the most active month, with 16 of the 61 recorded storms (26%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 70% of all activity. The 1880s and 1900s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 6 storms. 3 of the 61 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	13	2	16	14	13	1	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: 11 storms in 1950–1987 against 14 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
1	2	5	6	3	6	2	4	5	2	1	1	5	4	4	4	4	2

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Mindy (2021)	9 Sep 2021	12.9 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Fred (2021)	16 Aug 2021	35.1 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Michael (2018)	10 Oct 2018	46.7 mi	Cat 5	140 kt
Hermine (2016)	2 Sep 2016	23.6 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Colin (2016)	7 Jun 2016	36.4 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Debby (2012)	26 Jun 2012	48.1 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Claudette (2009)	16 Aug 2009	39.2 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Fay (2008)	23 Aug 2008	10.9 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Alberto (2006)	13 Jun 2006	44.7 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Bonnie (2004)	12 Aug 2004	5.0 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Josephine (1996)	8 Oct 1996	31.3 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Erin (1995)	3 Aug 1995	49.2 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Allison (1995)	5 Jun 1995	8.8 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Beryl (1994)	15 Aug 1994	47.1 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	15 Aug 1987	4.0 mi	TS / TD	15 kt
Kate (1985)	21 Nov 1985	39.1 mi	Cat 1	82 kt
Elena (1985)	1 Sep 1985	47.2 mi	Cat 3	110 kt
Unnamed Storm (1980)	19 Jul 1980	11.9 mi	TS / TD	21 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	23 May 1976	23.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Agnes (1972)	19 Jun 1972	42.0 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Alpha (1972)	28 May 1972	28.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1971)	14 Oct 1971	5.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Becky (1970)	22 Jul 1970	28.7 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Alma (1966)	9 Jun 1966	19.7 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1957)	8 Jun 1957	12.0 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	7 Oct 1947	4.8 mi	TS / TD	26 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	7 Oct 1941	12.9 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1939)	12 Aug 1939	20.5 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	20 Sep 1937	10.8 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	31 Aug 1937	43.7 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1936)	22 Aug 1936	40.2 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1932)	15 Sep 1932	2.1 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	14 Aug 1928	11.1 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	10 Aug 1928	38.1 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	29 Sep 1924	25.4 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	15 Sep 1924	16.2 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	4 Sep 1915	33.0 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	11 Sep 1912	46.8 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	30 Jun 1909	47.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	12 Jun 1906	47.4 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1903)	13 Sep 1903	30.8 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	28 Sep 1901	14.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	13 Jun 1901	13.3 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1900)	11 Oct 1900	43.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	1 Aug 1899	7.1 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	2 Aug 1898	1.8 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	15 Jun 1893	35.2 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	30 Jun 1886	19.0 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	21 Jun 1886	46.7 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	29 Sep 1885	49.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	21 Sep 1885	34.8 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	31 Aug 1885	45.5 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	31 Aug 1880	1.8 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	10 Oct 1878	31.6 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	26 Oct 1877	47.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	3 Oct 1877	41.2 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	19 Sep 1873	11.3 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	5 Oct 1871	5.8 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1868)	4 Oct 1868	28.0 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1867)	6 Oct 1867	19.2 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	9 Oct 1852	14.9 mi	Cat 2	90 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
Fay (2020)	Remnant low	6 Jul 2020	38.3 mi	30 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1852–2025. 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 Franklin County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Franklin County, Florida ranks #104 — more exposed than 95.3% of them. Within Florida it ranks #47 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 5 Michael (2018) passed 47 miles away on 10 October 2018 as a hurricane, reaching 140 kt (161 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Elena (1985) passed 47 miles away on 1 September 1985 as a hurricane, reaching 110 kt (127 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1877) passed 41 miles away on 3 October 1877 as a hurricane, reaching 100 kt (115 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1852) passed 15 miles away on 9 October 1852 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.

56 of the 61 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 61 storms spread over the 174 years from 1852 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 1852 and 1867. It has been 4 years since the last one; 11 of the 47 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Franklin County, Florida?

20 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Franklin County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1852. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 61.

When was the last hurricane in Franklin County, Florida?

Michael (2018), on 10 October 2018, passing 47 miles away — 8 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Mindy (2021) in 2021.

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

Michael (2018), which reached 140 kt (161 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 47 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Franklin County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.9 years — 61 storms over the 174 years from 1852 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Franklin County, Florida borders or sits close to 4 other counties with a published storm record. Wakulla County, Florida has 61 on record.

Wakulla County, Florida61 storms within 50 mi Gulf County, Florida58 storms within 50 mi Liberty County, Florida58 storms within 50 mi Calhoun County, Florida54 storms within 50 mi