Hillsborough County, Florida Hurricane History

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

Since 1852, 65 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Hillsborough County, Florida — about one every 2.7 years. Of those, 19 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Milton (2024), which passed 22 miles away on 10 October 2024.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.7

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 · 4Cat 2 · 4Cat 1 · 12TS / TD · 45

The 65 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 4 of them reached Cat 3.

Key facts

Most recentMilton (2024) — 22 mi away, 10 October 2024
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1935) — 110 kt (127 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1898) — 2.9 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Milton (2024) — 22.2 miles
Passes within 25 miles30 of 65
Peak monthSeptember — 23 storms (35% of all)
Most active year2004 — 3 storms
Most active decade1960s — 7 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi4
Record span1852–2024

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Hillsborough County, Florida, September is the most active month, with 23 of the 65 recorded storms (35%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 78% of all activity. The 1960s was the most active decade on record, with 7 storms. 4 of the 65 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	5	4	12	23	16	4	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: 16 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
3	0	3	4	5	4	2	3	5	6	2	7	2	6	3	6	2	2

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Milton (2024)	10 Oct 2024	22.2 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Nicole (2022)	10 Nov 2022	38.2 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Irma (2017)	11 Sep 2017	16.9 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Emily (2017)	31 Jul 2017	27.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Barry (2007)	2 Jun 2007	15.0 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Jeanne (2004)	26 Sep 2004	23.9 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Frances (2004)	6 Sep 2004	15.1 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Charley (2004)	13 Aug 2004	39.8 mi	Cat 2	92 kt
Henri (2003)	6 Sep 2003	13.1 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Gabrielle (2001)	14 Sep 2001	23.3 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Jerry (1995)	24 Aug 1995	48.1 mi	TS / TD	34 kt
Erin (1995)	2 Aug 1995	29.4 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Marco (1990)	11 Oct 1990	31.0 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Keith (1988)	23 Nov 1988	30.5 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	4 Nov 1987	10.4 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1984)	26 Oct 1984	20.3 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Isidore (1984)	28 Sep 1984	33.4 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Barry (1983)	25 Aug 1983	33.3 mi	TS / TD	24 kt
Unnamed Storm (1980)	18 Nov 1980	33.5 mi	TS / TD	24 kt
Unnamed Storm (1974)	25 Jun 1974	15.7 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1971)	15 Aug 1971	23.4 mi	TS / TD	21 kt
Jenny (1969)	4 Oct 1969	17.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1968)	29 Aug 1968	7.9 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Abby (1968)	4 Jun 1968	49.2 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1966)	1 Jul 1966	39.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1965)	19 Oct 1965	44.7 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Florence (1960)	25 Sep 1960	10.1 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Donna (1960)	11 Sep 1960	36.0 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1959)	18 Jun 1959	26.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Easy (1950)	6 Sep 1950	26.4 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	27 Aug 1949	23.8 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	23 Sep 1947	42.3 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	8 Oct 1946	14.4 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	16 Sep 1945	37.7 mi	Cat 1	73 kt
Unnamed Storm (1944)	19 Oct 1944	7.6 mi	Cat 1	81 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	22 Oct 1941	42.0 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1939)	12 Aug 1939	16.4 mi	TS / TD	51 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	29 Jul 1937	26.8 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	4 Sep 1935	47.7 mi	Cat 3	108 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	4 Sep 1933	23.9 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1930)	9 Sep 1930	2.9 mi	TS / TD	34 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	17 Sep 1928	21.4 mi	Cat 2	83 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	9 Aug 1928	39.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1921)	25 Oct 1921	26.8 mi	Cat 2	95 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	15 May 1916	25.6 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1910)	18 Oct 1910	29.3 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	30 Aug 1909	43.6 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	29 Jun 1909	33.4 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	22 Oct 1906	45.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1903)	12 Sep 1903	27.4 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	5 Oct 1899	10.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	2 Aug 1898	2.9 mi	TS / TD	34 kt
Unnamed Storm (1897)	21 Sep 1897	43.4 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	26 Sep 1894	44.5 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1892)	24 Oct 1892	15.2 mi	TS / TD	44 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	8 Sep 1888	18.0 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1887)	30 Oct 1887	27.2 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	18 Jul 1886	44.5 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	30 Aug 1880	45.3 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	9 Sep 1878	44.2 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	23 Sep 1873	19.6 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1872)	23 Oct 1872	10.8 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1859)	28 Oct 1859	11.7 mi	Cat 1	78 kt
Unnamed Storm (1858)	14 Sep 1858	11.0 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	12 Sep 1852	12.1 mi	TS / TD	63 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 1 system 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	19.6 mi	20 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.

Storms that came back

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

Barry — 2 passes (1983, 2007)

How Hillsborough County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Hillsborough County, Florida ranks #68 — more exposed than 96.9% of them. Within Florida it ranks #26 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1935) passed 48 miles away on 4 September 1935 as a hurricane, reaching 110 kt (127 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Charley (2004) passed 40 miles away on 13 August 2004 as a hurricane, reaching 108 kt (124 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Milton (2024) passed 22 miles away on 10 October 2024 as a hurricane, reaching 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1921) passed 27 miles away on 25 October 1921 as a hurricane, reaching 100 kt (115 mph) while within 50 miles.

57 of the 65 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 2.7 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 65 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 13 years, between 1859 and 1872. It has been 1 year since the last one; 38 of the 55 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Hillsborough County, Florida?

19 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Hillsborough County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1852. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 65.

When was the last hurricane in Hillsborough County, Florida?

Milton (2024), on 10 October 2024, passing 22 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 Hillsborough County, Florida?

Unnamed Storm (1935), which reached 110 kt (127 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 48 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Hillsborough County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.7 years — 65 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

Hillsborough County, Florida borders or sits close to 6 other counties with a published storm record. Pasco County, Florida has 70 on record.

Pasco County, Florida70 storms within 50 mi Hernando County, Florida66 storms within 50 mi Manatee County, Florida63 storms within 50 mi Pinellas County, Florida62 storms within 50 mi Polk County, Florida62 storms within 50 mi Hardee County, Florida61 storms within 50 mi