Hernando County, Florida Hurricane History

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

Since 1852, 66 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Hernando County, Florida — about one every 2.6 years. Of those, 16 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Nicole (2022), which passed 11 miles away on 10 November 2022.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.6

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 · 2Cat 2 · 2Cat 1 · 13TS / TD · 49

The 66 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 2 of them reached Cat 3.

Key facts

Most recentNicole (2022) — 11 mi away, 10 November 2022
Strongest stormEasy (1950) — 105 kt (121 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1933) — 1.6 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Easy (1950) — 10.5 miles
Passes within 25 miles36 of 66
Peak monthSeptember — 19 storms (29% of all)
Most active year1871 — 2 storms
Most active decade1940s — 8 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi2
Record span1852–2022

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Hernando County, Florida, September is the most active month, with 19 of the 66 recorded storms (29%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 70% of all activity. The 1940s was the most active decade on record, with 8 storms. 2 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	0	0	0	2	9	4	12	19	15	5	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: 17 storms in 1950–1987 against 12 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
2	0	7	6	2	1	2	4	5	8	3	6	4	4	4	5	1	2

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Nicole (2022)	10 Nov 2022	10.8 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Eta (2020)	12 Nov 2020	40.9 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Irma (2017)	11 Sep 2017	12.3 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Barry (2007)	2 Jun 2007	8.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Jeanne (2004)	26 Sep 2004	7.8 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Frances (2004)	6 Sep 2004	21.0 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Henri (2003)	6 Sep 2003	32.7 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Edouard (2002)	5 Sep 2002	20.5 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Jerry (1995)	24 Aug 1995	12.8 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Erin (1995)	2 Aug 1995	13.2 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1992)	26 Jun 1992	23.0 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Marco (1990)	11 Oct 1990	30.8 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	4 Nov 1987	26.7 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Isidore (1984)	28 Sep 1984	14.2 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1982)	18 Jun 1982	19.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1980)	18 Nov 1980	4.2 mi	TS / TD	22 kt
Unnamed Storm (1974)	27 Sep 1974	42.0 mi	TD	—
Unnamed Storm (1974)	25 Jun 1974	30.0 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1971)	15 Aug 1971	17.6 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Alma (1970)	25 May 1970	40.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Jenny (1969)	4 Oct 1969	22.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Gladys (1968)	19 Oct 1968	14.1 mi	Cat 1	82 kt
Unnamed Storm (1968)	29 Aug 1968	19.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1966)	1 Jul 1966	34.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1965)	19 Oct 1965	6.8 mi	TS / TD	29 kt
Unnamed Storm (1964)	6 Jun 1964	43.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1959)	18 Jun 1959	28.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1953)	20 Sep 1953	30.8 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Easy (1950)	6 Sep 1950	10.5 mi	Cat 1	82 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	27 Aug 1949	6.7 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	23 Sep 1947	19.4 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	2 Nov 1946	41.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	8 Oct 1946	3.4 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	24 Jun 1945	9.9 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1944)	19 Oct 1944	28.0 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	22 Oct 1941	28.9 mi	TS / TD	23 kt
Unnamed Storm (1940)	3 Aug 1940	35.1 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1939)	12 Aug 1939	22.4 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	30 Jul 1937	15.6 mi	TS / TD	44 kt
Unnamed Storm (1934)	23 Jul 1934	32.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	4 Sep 1933	1.6 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1930)	9 Sep 1930	36.5 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	17 Sep 1928	20.0 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	9 Aug 1928	3.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1921)	25 Oct 1921	15.2 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Unnamed Storm (1920)	30 Sep 1920	32.8 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	15 May 1916	23.7 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1910)	18 Oct 1910	38.1 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	29 Jun 1909	6.4 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	5 Oct 1899	28.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	2 Aug 1898	32.6 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1889)	17 Jun 1889	43.5 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	8 Sep 1888	2.5 mi	TS / TD	44 kt
Unnamed Storm (1887)	30 Oct 1887	17.6 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	19 Jul 1886	19.4 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	8 Oct 1880	26.0 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	30 Aug 1880	7.7 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1879)	27 Oct 1879	32.4 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	10 Sep 1878	5.4 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1874)	28 Sep 1874	40.5 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	23 Sep 1873	19.7 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1872)	23 Oct 1872	32.7 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	25 Aug 1871	30.9 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	17 Aug 1871	36.9 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1859)	28 Oct 1859	46.3 mi	Cat 1	78 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	12 Sep 1852	34.7 mi	TS / TD	63 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	1.9 mi	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	Post-tropical	4 Oct 1912	35.3 mi	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	Post-tropical	31 Oct 1911	27.2 mi	27 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 Hernando County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Hernando County, Florida ranks #63 — more exposed than 97.1% of them. Within Florida it ranks #23 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 3 Easy (1950) passed 10 miles away on 6 September 1950 as a hurricane, reaching 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1921) passed 15 miles away on 25 October 1921 as a hurricane, reaching 100 kt (115 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1878) passed 5 miles away on 10 September 1878 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Gladys (1968) passed 14 miles away on 19 October 1968 as a hurricane, reaching 85 kt (98 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 2.6 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 66 storms spread over the 174 years from 1852 to 2025. 8 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 12 years, between 1859 and 1871. It has been 3 years since the last one; 14 of the 57 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Hernando County, Florida?

16 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Hernando County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1852. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 66.

When was the last hurricane in Hernando County, Florida?

Irma (2017), on 11 September 2017, passing 12 miles away — 9 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Nicole (2022) in 2022.

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

Easy (1950), which reached 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 10 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Hernando County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.6 years — 66 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

Hernando County, Florida borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. Citrus County, Florida has 73 on record.

Citrus County, Florida73 storms within 50 mi Sumter County, Florida70 storms within 50 mi Pasco County, Florida70 storms within 50 mi Hillsborough County, Florida65 storms within 50 mi Pinellas County, Florida62 storms within 50 mi