Highlands County, Florida Hurricane History

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

Since 1859, 64 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Highlands County, Florida — about one every 2.6 years. Of those, 22 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Milton (2024), which passed 44 miles away on 10 October 2024.

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 4 · 1Cat 3 · 3Cat 2 · 11Cat 1 · 5TS / TD · 44

The 64 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 4.

Key facts

Most recentMilton (2024) — 44 mi away, 10 October 2024
Strongest stormIan (2022) — 116 kt (133 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1888) — 1.9 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Unnamed Storm (1928) — 5.4 miles
Passes within 25 miles34 of 64
Peak monthAugust and October — 18 storms (28% of all)
Most active year2004 — 3 storms
Most active decade1960s — 7 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi4
Record span1859–2024

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Highlands County, Florida, August and October are tied as the most active months, with 18 of the 64 recorded storms (28%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 83% of all activity. The 1960s was the most active decade on record, with 7 storms. 4 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	1	3	2	18	17	18	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: 19 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	1	5	1	5	6	3	3	3	3	6	7	2	5	3	5	2	3

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Milton (2024)	10 Oct 2024	43.5 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Nicole (2022)	10 Nov 2022	38.8 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Ian (2022)	29 Sep 2022	8.3 mi	Cat 1	82 kt
Irma (2017)	11 Sep 2017	32.6 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Emily (2017)	1 Aug 2017	11.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Fay (2008)	19 Aug 2008	21.9 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Ernesto (2006)	30 Aug 2006	31.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Jeanne (2004)	26 Sep 2004	16.3 mi	Cat 1	82 kt
Frances (2004)	5 Sep 2004	19.9 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Charley (2004)	13 Aug 2004	35.9 mi	Cat 2	92 kt
Jerry (1995)	24 Aug 1995	28.9 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Erin (1995)	2 Aug 1995	44.6 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Gordon (1994)	16 Nov 1994	12.5 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Keith (1988)	23 Nov 1988	33.1 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1984)	26 Oct 1984	5.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Isidore (1984)	27 Sep 1984	22.9 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Barry (1983)	25 Aug 1983	25.1 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Dennis (1981)	18 Aug 1981	21.0 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	13 Sep 1976	46.5 mi	TS / TD	15 kt
Unnamed Storm (1971)	13 Aug 1971	2.3 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Jenny (1969)	3 Oct 1969	5.2 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Gerda (1969)	7 Sep 1969	41.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Brenda (1968)	19 Jun 1968	5.4 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Abby (1968)	4 Jun 1968	22.6 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Cleo (1964)	27 Aug 1964	47.8 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Florence (1960)	24 Sep 1960	20.7 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Donna (1960)	11 Sep 1960	33.3 mi	Cat 1	82 kt
Judith (1959)	18 Oct 1959	34.1 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1956)	16 Oct 1956	39.4 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Hazel (1953)	9 Oct 1953	17.0 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1953)	12 Jul 1953	49.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
How (1951)	2 Oct 1951	21.8 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
King (1950)	18 Oct 1950	15.9 mi	Cat 1	78 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	27 Aug 1949	7.7 mi	Cat 1	82 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	2 Nov 1946	23.0 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	16 Sep 1945	24.0 mi	Cat 1	78 kt
Unnamed Storm (1939)	12 Aug 1939	21.4 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	4 Sep 1933	13.8 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	31 Jul 1933	19.5 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	17 Sep 1928	5.4 mi	Cat 2	95 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	8 Aug 1928	45.7 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1921)	16 Oct 1921	11.3 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	25 Aug 1916	36.6 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	14 May 1916	18.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1910)	18 Oct 1910	35.2 mi	Cat 1	74 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	30 Aug 1909	14.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	29 Jun 1909	10.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	22 Oct 1906	22.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	18 Oct 1904	49.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1903)	12 Sep 1903	30.2 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	11 Aug 1901	42.0 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	2 Aug 1898	11.9 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1897)	21 Sep 1897	30.4 mi	TS / TD	49 kt
Unnamed Storm (1896)	9 Oct 1896	27.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	25 Sep 1894	25.8 mi	Cat 1	78 kt
Unnamed Storm (1892)	24 Oct 1892	40.0 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	8 Sep 1888	1.9 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	8 Sep 1878	45.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1876)	20 Oct 1876	42.5 mi	Cat 2	83 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	7 Oct 1873	15.1 mi	Cat 2	92 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	17 Aug 1871	23.2 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1870)	21 Oct 1870	42.2 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1861)	1 Nov 1861	17.8 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1859)	18 Oct 1859	26.1 mi	TS / TD	40 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
Alex (2022)	Disturbance	4 Jun 2022	41.3 mi	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1925)	Post-tropical	1 Dec 1925	15.2 mi	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1891)	Post-tropical	10 Oct 1891	7.6 mi	30 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 Highlands County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Highlands County, Florida ranks #77 — more exposed than 96.5% of them. Within Florida it ranks #32 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 4 Ian (2022) passed 8 miles away on 29 September 2022 as a hurricane, reaching 116 kt (133 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Charley (2004) passed 36 miles away on 13 August 2004 as a hurricane, reaching 108 kt (124 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1928) passed 5 miles away on 17 September 1928 as a hurricane, reaching 108 kt (124 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1873) passed 15 miles away on 7 October 1873 as a hurricane, reaching 96 kt (110 mph) while within 50 miles.

56 of the 64 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 64 storms spread over the 167 years from 1859 to 2025. 13 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 1 year since the last one; 37 of the 49 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Highlands County, Florida?

22 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Highlands County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1859. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 64.

When was the last hurricane in Highlands County, Florida?

Milton (2024), on 10 October 2024, passing 44 miles away — 2 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Milton (2024) in 2024.

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

Ian (2022), which reached 116 kt (133 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 8 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Highlands County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.6 years — 64 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

Highlands County, Florida borders or sits close to 7 other counties with a published storm record. Glades County, Florida has 68 on record.

Glades County, Florida68 storms within 50 mi Okeechobee County, Florida67 storms within 50 mi Osceola County, Florida66 storms within 50 mi Polk County, Florida62 storms within 50 mi Hardee County, Florida61 storms within 50 mi DeSoto County, Florida57 storms within 50 mi Charlotte County, Florida51 storms within 50 mi