Gilchrist County, Florida Hurricane History

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

Since 1867, 64 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Gilchrist County, Florida — about one every 2.5 years. Of those, 14 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Debby (2024), which passed 37 miles away on 5 August 2024.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.5

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 · 2Cat 1 · 11TS / TD · 48

The 64 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 3 of them reached Cat 3.

Key facts

Most recentDebby (2024) — 37 mi away, 5 August 2024
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1896) — 110 kt (127 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordFay (2008) — 0.7 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Unnamed Storm (1896) — 10.6 miles
Passes within 25 miles29 of 64
Peak monthSeptember — 19 storms (30% of all)
Most active year1871 — 3 storms
Most active decade1880s — 9 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi3
Record span1867–2024

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Gilchrist County, Florida, September is the most active month, with 19 of the 64 recorded storms (30%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 64% of all activity. The 1880s was the most active decade on record, with 9 storms. 3 of the 64 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	5	9	7	9	19	13	2	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1860s to 2020s. Decades with no storms are shown as empty columns. Comparing two equal 38-year windows inside the aircraft-reconnaissance era: 15 storms in 1950–1987 against 16 in 1988–2025.

1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
1	6	9	2	2	1	2	7	3	4	4	4	3	2	4	5	5

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Debby (2024)	5 Aug 2024	36.9 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Idalia (2023)	30 Aug 2023	46.3 mi	Cat 3	100 kt
Nicole (2022)	10 Nov 2022	34.0 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Elsa (2021)	7 Jul 2021	42.6 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Eta (2020)	12 Nov 2020	16.4 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Irma (2017)	11 Sep 2017	6.8 mi	TS / TD	49 kt
Colin (2016)	7 Jun 2016	33.1 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Andrea (2013)	7 Jun 2013	13.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Debby (2012)	27 Jun 2012	23.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Beryl (2012)	28 May 2012	49.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Fay (2008)	22 Aug 2008	0.7 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Barry (2007)	2 Jun 2007	41.8 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Jeanne (2004)	27 Sep 2004	12.4 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Gordon (2000)	18 Sep 2000	13.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Jerry (1995)	25 Aug 1995	30.3 mi	TS / TD	26 kt
Marco (1990)	12 Oct 1990	17.4 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Isidore (1984)	28 Sep 1984	44.6 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1982)	18 Jun 1982	46.8 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1980)	18 Jul 1980	21.3 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	23 May 1976	46.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1973)	26 Sep 1973	14.3 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Alpha (1972)	28 May 1972	49.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Alma (1970)	25 May 1970	0.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1966)	2 Jul 1966	19.0 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Dora (1964)	10 Sep 1964	19.2 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Unnamed Storm (1964)	6 Jun 1964	26.6 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Brenda (1960)	29 Jul 1960	31.6 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1953)	20 Sep 1953	50.0 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Love (1950)	21 Oct 1950	32.6 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
King (1950)	19 Oct 1950	30.5 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Easy (1950)	5 Sep 1950	43.1 mi	Cat 3	105 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	27 Aug 1949	3.6 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	8 Oct 1946	29.8 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	21 Oct 1941	16.7 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	21 Sep 1937	24.1 mi	TS / TD	22 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	31 Aug 1937	10.6 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1936)	22 Aug 1936	8.3 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	4 Sep 1935	36.3 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1934)	23 Jul 1934	43.7 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	5 Sep 1933	25.7 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1932)	15 Sep 1932	44.7 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	28 Jul 1926	46.3 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1920)	30 Sep 1920	48.3 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	15 May 1916	48.5 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	30 Jun 1909	37.7 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1900)	12 Oct 1900	9.5 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1896)	29 Sep 1896	10.6 mi	Cat 3	100 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	16 Jun 1893	44.6 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1889)	17 Jun 1889	29.6 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	11 Oct 1888	18.5 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	9 Sep 1888	8.1 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	19 Jul 1886	42.8 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	11 Oct 1885	18.3 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	30 Sep 1885	32.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	11 Oct 1882	18.8 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	8 Oct 1880	48.1 mi	Cat 1	66 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	8 Sep 1880	31.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1879)	27 Oct 1879	45.6 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	26 Oct 1877	22.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1874)	28 Sep 1874	20.8 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	6 Sep 1871	18.5 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	26 Aug 1871	28.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	18 Aug 1871	17.8 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1867)	6 Oct 1867	1.6 mi	TS / TD	55 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	46.2 mi	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	Post-tropical	24 Sep 1947	18.3 mi	49 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	Post-tropical	4 Oct 1912	47.8 mi	30 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1867–2025. 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.

Storms that came back

1 named storm in this record passed Gilchrist County, Florida more than once.

Debby — 2 passes (2012, 2024)

How Gilchrist County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Gilchrist County, Florida ranks #75 — more exposed than 96.6% of them. Within Florida it ranks #30 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1896) passed 11 miles away on 29 September 1896 as a hurricane, reaching 110 kt (127 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Easy (1950) passed 43 miles away on 5 September 1950 as a hurricane, reaching 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Idalia (2023) passed 46 miles away on 30 August 2023 as a hurricane, reaching 100 kt (115 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1888) passed 19 miles away on 11 October 1888 as a hurricane, reaching 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles.

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

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 2.5 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 64 storms spread over the 159 years from 1867 to 2025. 8 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 9 years, between 1900 and 1909. It has been 1 year since the last one; 36 of the 53 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Gilchrist County, Florida?

14 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Gilchrist County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1867. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 64.

When was the last hurricane in Gilchrist County, Florida?

Debby (2024), on 5 August 2024, passing 37 miles away — 2 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Debby (2024) in 2024.

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

Unnamed Storm (1896), which reached 110 kt (127 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 11 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Gilchrist County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.5 years — 64 storms over the 159 years from 1867 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Gilchrist County, Florida borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. Lafayette County, Florida has 70 on record.

Lafayette County, Florida70 storms within 50 mi Suwannee County, Florida67 storms within 50 mi Levy County, Florida65 storms within 50 mi Columbia County, Florida65 storms within 50 mi Dixie County, Florida63 storms within 50 mi