Hendry County, Florida Hurricane History

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

Since 1859, 66 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Hendry County, Florida — about one every 2.5 years. Of those, 21 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Irma (2017), which passed 34 miles away on 10 September 2017.

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 4 · 1Cat 3 · 9Cat 2 · 4Cat 1 · 7TS / TD · 45

The 66 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 4.

Key facts

Most recentIrma (2017) — 34 mi away, 10 September 2017
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1948) — 115 kt (132 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordDennis (1981) — 2.0 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Unnamed Storm (1945) — 15.1 miles
Passes within 25 miles26 of 66
Peak monthOctober — 23 storms (35% of all)
Most active year1909 — 3 storms
Most active decade1950s — 9 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi10
Record span1859–2017

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Hendry County, Florida, October is the most active month, with 23 of the 66 recorded storms (35%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 74% of all activity. The 1950s was the most active decade on record, with 9 storms. 10 of the 66 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	1	0	0	1	6	5	12	14	23	3	1

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: 22 storms in 1950–1987 against 9 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s
1	2	5	3	4	7	2	4	2	5	9	6	4	3	4	3	2

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Irma (2017)	10 Sep 2017	34.0 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Bonnie (2010)	23 Jul 2010	47.0 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Fay (2008)	19 Aug 2008	10.0 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Ernesto (2006)	30 Aug 2006	12.5 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Wilma (2005)	24 Oct 2005	25.3 mi	Cat 2	95 kt
Irene (1999)	16 Oct 1999	43.2 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Harvey (1999)	21 Sep 1999	33.8 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Mitch (1998)	5 Nov 1998	10.0 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Gordon (1994)	16 Nov 1994	35.4 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Bob (1985)	23 Jul 1985	10.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1984)	26 Oct 1984	45.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Dennis (1981)	18 Aug 1981	2.0 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Dottie (1976)	19 Aug 1976	45.9 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	11 Jun 1976	9.8 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1971)	30 Aug 1971	47.1 mi	TS / TD	23 kt
Unnamed Storm (1971)	13 Aug 1971	49.5 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Jenny (1969)	3 Oct 1969	28.0 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Gerda (1969)	7 Sep 1969	41.0 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Brenda (1968)	18 Jun 1968	9.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Isbell (1964)	14 Oct 1964	29.4 mi	Cat 2	83 kt
Florence (1960)	23 Sep 1960	27.4 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Donna (1960)	10 Sep 1960	41.4 mi	Cat 3	102 kt
Judith (1959)	18 Oct 1959	26.3 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1956)	16 Oct 1956	30.4 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1954)	19 Jun 1954	32.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Hazel (1953)	9 Oct 1953	41.6 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1953)	29 Aug 1953	22.8 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1953)	11 Jul 1953	10.4 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Unnamed Storm (1952)	3 Feb 1952	41.5 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
How (1951)	2 Oct 1951	32.2 mi	TS / TD	46 kt
King (1950)	18 Oct 1950	26.2 mi	Cat 2	92 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	27 Aug 1949	41.4 mi	Cat 2	95 kt
Unnamed Storm (1948)	22 Sep 1948	19.6 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	17 Sep 1947	24.6 mi	Cat 2	92 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	16 Sep 1945	15.1 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	6 Oct 1941	36.3 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1936)	15 Jun 1936	47.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	31 Jul 1933	37.1 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	17 Sep 1928	42.4 mi	Cat 3	104 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	18 Sep 1926	33.6 mi	Cat 3	96 kt
Unnamed Storm (1925)	1 Dec 1925	30.4 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	21 Oct 1924	45.2 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	25 Aug 1916	32.3 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	14 May 1916	15.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	26 Sep 1909	9.7 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	29 Aug 1909	12.7 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	29 Jun 1909	32.0 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	22 Oct 1906	43.8 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	18 Oct 1904	13.3 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1903)	12 Sep 1903	8.2 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	11 Aug 1901	7.6 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1896)	9 Oct 1896	23.9 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1895)	16 Oct 1895	42.7 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1892)	11 Jun 1892	48.9 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1891)	7 Oct 1891	26.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1889)	6 Oct 1889	43.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	8 Sep 1888	41.6 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	17 Aug 1888	15.9 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	8 Sep 1878	21.4 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	2 Jul 1878	19.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1876)	20 Oct 1876	7.8 mi	Cat 2	87 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	7 Oct 1873	45.1 mi	Cat 2	92 kt
Unnamed Storm (1870)	20 Oct 1870	7.7 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1865)	23 Oct 1865	50.0 mi	Cat 1	82 kt
Unnamed Storm (1861)	1 Nov 1861	18.9 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1859)	17 Oct 1859	13.3 mi	TS / TD	43 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
Alex (2022)	Disturbance	4 Jun 2022	11.4 mi	38 kt
Ivan (2004)	Post-tropical	21 Sep 2004	47.7 mi	25 kt
Ana (1991)	Remnant low	30 Jun 1991	32.8 mi	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1891)	Post-tropical	9 Oct 1891	37.8 mi	31 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1859–2025. 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 Hendry County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Hendry County, Florida ranks #62 — more exposed than 97.2% of them. Within Florida it ranks #22 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 4 Unnamed Storm (1948) passed 20 miles away on 22 September 1948 as a hurricane, reaching 115 kt (132 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1928) passed 42 miles away on 17 September 1928 as a hurricane, reaching 112 kt (129 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1926) passed 34 miles away on 18 September 1926 as a hurricane, reaching 107 kt (123 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Donna (1960) passed 41 miles away on 10 September 1960 as a hurricane, reaching 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles.

54 of the 66 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 66 storms spread over the 167 years from 1859 to 2025. 10 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 10 years, between 1878 and 1888. It has been 8 years since the last one; 2 of the 53 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Hendry County, Florida?

21 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Hendry County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1859. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 66.

When was the last hurricane in Hendry County, Florida?

Irma (2017), on 10 September 2017, passing 34 miles away — 9 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Irma (2017) in 2017.

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

Unnamed Storm (1948), which reached 115 kt (132 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 20 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Hendry County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.5 years — 66 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

Hendry County, Florida borders or sits close to 8 other counties with a published storm record. Palm Beach County, Florida has 73 on record.

Palm Beach County, Florida73 storms within 50 mi Martin County, Florida72 storms within 50 mi Broward County, Florida70 storms within 50 mi Collier County, Florida68 storms within 50 mi Glades County, Florida68 storms within 50 mi Monroe County, Florida62 storms within 50 mi Lee County, Florida59 storms within 50 mi Charlotte County, Florida51 storms within 50 mi