Gadsden County, Florida Hurricane History

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

Since 1851, 58 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Gadsden County, Florida — about one every 3.0 years. Of those, 16 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Nicole (2022), which passed 19 miles away on 11 November 2022.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

3.0

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 3 · 1Cat 2 · 4Cat 1 · 9TS / TD · 43

The 58 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 4.

Key facts

Most recentNicole (2022) — 19 mi away, 11 November 2022
Strongest stormMichael (2018) — 125 kt (144 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordDora (1964) — 1.6 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Unnamed Storm (1894) — 9.9 miles
Passes within 25 miles27 of 58
Peak monthSeptember — 19 storms (33% of all)
Most active year1885 — 3 storms
Most active decade1870s and 1900s — 6 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi2
Record span1851–2022

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Gadsden County, Florida, September is the most active month, with 19 of the 58 recorded storms (33%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 78% of all activity. The 1870s and 1900s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 6 storms. 2 of the 58 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	0	7	3	15	19	11	3	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 11 in 1988–2025.

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

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Nicole (2022)	11 Nov 2022	19.2 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Mindy (2021)	9 Sep 2021	30.8 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Fred (2021)	17 Aug 2021	46.9 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Michael (2018)	10 Oct 2018	27.4 mi	Cat 3	108 kt
Hermine (2016)	2 Sep 2016	41.3 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Frances (2004)	6 Sep 2004	15.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Bonnie (2004)	12 Aug 2004	41.7 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Georges (1998)	30 Sep 1998	3.9 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Earl (1998)	3 Sep 1998	16.4 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Allison (1995)	5 Jun 1995	37.8 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Beryl (1994)	16 Aug 1994	35.9 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	16 Aug 1987	44.1 mi	TS / TD	15 kt
Charley (1986)	13 Aug 1986	36.5 mi	TS / TD	10 kt
Kate (1985)	22 Nov 1985	4.7 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Agnes (1972)	20 Jun 1972	29.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1971)	14 Oct 1971	46.2 mi	TD	—
Becky (1970)	22 Jul 1970	37.3 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Alma (1966)	9 Jun 1966	37.8 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Dora (1964)	11 Sep 1964	1.6 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1957)	9 Jun 1957	41.2 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Flossy (1956)	25 Sep 1956	33.7 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Florence (1953)	27 Sep 1953	43.0 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	16 Oct 1947	36.6 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	7 Oct 1947	11.7 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	7 Oct 1941	8.7 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	20 Sep 1937	49.2 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	31 Aug 1937	19.4 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1936)	22 Aug 1936	23.9 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1929)	1 Oct 1929	13.9 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	14 Aug 1928	23.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	10 Aug 1928	9.8 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	16 Sep 1924	32.1 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	4 Sep 1915	46.1 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1914)	17 Sep 1914	39.5 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	4 Aug 1911	37.2 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	1 Jul 1909	1.6 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	28 Sep 1907	8.7 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Jun 1907	3.0 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	3 Nov 1904	48.6 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	28 Sep 1901	6.9 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	14 Jun 1901	7.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	1 Aug 1899	36.5 mi	Cat 1	64 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	9 Oct 1894	9.9 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	1 Jul 1886	17.7 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	21 Jun 1886	39.2 mi	Cat 1	78 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	29 Sep 1885	13.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	21 Sep 1885	26.4 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	31 Aug 1885	13.8 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	10 Oct 1878	22.2 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	3 Oct 1877	1.9 mi	Cat 1	73 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	20 Sep 1877	15.3 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1875)	27 Sep 1875	6.9 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	19 Sep 1873	43.2 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	26 Aug 1871	15.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1868)	4 Oct 1868	26.2 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1856)	31 Aug 1856	33.8 mi	Cat 1	73 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	9 Oct 1852	37.8 mi	Cat 2	83 kt
Unnamed Storm (1851)	24 Aug 1851	26.7 mi	Cat 2	87 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 4 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
Fay (2020)	Remnant low	6 Jul 2020	27.4 mi	22 kt
Nestor (2019)	Post-tropical	19 Oct 2019	13.9 mi	38 kt
Five (2010)	Remnant low	16 Aug 2010	43.6 mi	20 kt
Hilda (1964)	Post-tropical	5 Oct 1964	13.4 mi	46 kt

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

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Gadsden County, Florida ranks #126 — more exposed than 94.3% of them. Within Florida it ranks #53 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 4 Michael (2018) passed 27 miles away on 10 October 2018 as a hurricane, reaching 125 kt (144 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1894) passed 10 miles away on 9 October 1894 as a hurricane, reaching 98 kt (113 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1851) passed 27 miles away on 24 August 1851 as a hurricane, reaching 93 kt (107 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1852) passed 38 miles away on 9 October 1852 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.

55 of the 58 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 58 storms spread over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025. 11 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 13 years, between 1972 and 1985. It has been 3 years since the last one; 17 of the 45 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Gadsden County, Florida?

16 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Gadsden County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1851. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 58.

When was the last hurricane in Gadsden County, Florida?

Michael (2018), on 10 October 2018, passing 27 miles away — 8 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Nicole (2022) in 2022.

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

Michael (2018), which reached 125 kt (144 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 27 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Gadsden County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 3.0 years — 58 storms over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Gadsden County, Florida borders or sits close to 7 other counties with a published storm record. Leon County, Florida has 62 on record.

Leon County, Florida62 storms within 50 mi Jackson County, Florida58 storms within 50 mi Grady County, Georgia58 storms within 50 mi Liberty County, Florida58 storms within 50 mi Decatur County, Georgia57 storms within 50 mi Calhoun County, Florida54 storms within 50 mi Seminole County, Georgia53 storms within 50 mi