Holmes County, Florida Hurricane History
Since 1851, 54 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Holmes County, Florida — about one every 3.2 years. Of those, 15 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Fred (2021), which passed 25 miles away on 17 August 2021.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentFred (2021) — 25 mi away, 17 August 2021
- Strongest stormMichael (2018) — 125 kt (144 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordFlorence (1953) — 2.2 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Eloise (1975) — 25.2 miles
- Passes within 25 miles25 of 54
- Peak monthSeptember — 19 storms (35% of all)
- Most active year1887 — 2 storms
- Most active decade1880s, 1900s and 1910s — 6 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi4
- Record span1851–2021
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 19 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
Activity by decade
| 1850s | 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fred (2021) | 17 Aug 2021 | 25.3 mi | TS / TD | 43 kt |
| Michael (2018) | 10 Oct 2018 | 45.4 mi | Cat 4 | 117 kt |
| Alberto (2018) | 29 May 2018 | 17.1 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Fay (2008) | 23 Aug 2008 | 25.1 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Tammy (2005) | 6 Oct 2005 | 5.6 mi | TS / TD | 13 kt |
| Barry (2001) | 6 Aug 2001 | 39.1 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Helene (2000) | 22 Sep 2000 | 17.0 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Georges (1998) | 30 Sep 1998 | 11.4 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Earl (1998) | 3 Sep 1998 | 45.5 mi | Cat 1 | 66 kt |
| Beryl (1994) | 16 Aug 1994 | 38.2 mi | TS / TD | 43 kt |
| Alberto (1994) | 3 Jul 1994 | 23.6 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1987) | 14 Aug 1987 | 47.2 mi | TS / TD | 15 kt |
| Eloise (1975) | 23 Sep 1975 | 25.2 mi | Cat 2 | 92 kt |
| Agnes (1972) | 20 Jun 1972 | 44.0 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Becky (1970) | 22 Jul 1970 | 33.9 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1969) | 21 Sep 1969 | 10.9 mi | TS / TD | 26 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1965) | 15 Jun 1965 | 19.2 mi | TS / TD | 48 kt |
| Debbie (1957) | 8 Sep 1957 | 8.1 mi | TS / TD | 33 kt |
| Flossy (1956) | 25 Sep 1956 | 14.4 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Florence (1953) | 26 Sep 1953 | 2.2 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Alice (1953) | 7 Jun 1953 | 4.0 mi | TS / TD | 24 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1947) | 7 Oct 1947 | 33.7 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1939) | 13 Aug 1939 | 47.2 mi | Cat 1 | 65 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1937) | 31 Aug 1937 | 2.2 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1936) | 22 Aug 1936 | 35.6 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1929) | 1 Oct 1929 | 40.4 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1928) | 14 Aug 1928 | 34.6 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1919) | 1 Oct 1919 | 44.1 mi | TS / TD | 21 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1917) | 29 Sep 1917 | 10.0 mi | Cat 1 | 72 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1915) | 4 Sep 1915 | 28.1 mi | TS / TD | 63 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1914) | 18 Sep 1914 | 7.4 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1912) | 16 Jul 1912 | 32.6 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1911) | 4 Aug 1911 | 10.7 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1907) | 28 Sep 1907 | 47.7 mi | TS / TD | 44 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1907) | 29 Jun 1907 | 38.8 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1906) | 13 Jun 1906 | 11.9 mi | TS / TD | 39 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1904) | 3 Nov 1904 | 5.8 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1903) | 14 Sep 1903 | 3.4 mi | TS / TD | 63 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1901) | 17 Sep 1901 | 12.4 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1899) | 2 Aug 1899 | 16.0 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1898) | 3 Aug 1898 | 24.8 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1896) | 7 Jul 1896 | 12.9 mi | Cat 1 | 77 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1894) | 9 Oct 1894 | 48.7 mi | Cat 3 | 98 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1889) | 23 Sep 1889 | 37.9 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1887) | 20 Oct 1887 | 47.2 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1887) | 27 Jul 1887 | 26.5 mi | TS / TD | 62 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1885) | 29 Sep 1885 | 19.9 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1882) | 10 Sep 1882 | 23.5 mi | Cat 1 | 80 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1880) | 31 Aug 1880 | 45.1 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1877) | 20 Sep 1877 | 17.6 mi | TS / TD | 58 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1875) | 27 Sep 1875 | 47.8 mi | TS / TD | 46 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1860) | 12 Aug 1860 | 36.0 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1856) | 31 Aug 1856 | 30.1 mi | Cat 2 | 83 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1851) | 23 Aug 1851 | 39.6 mi | Cat 2 | 93 kt |
Post-tropical and extratropical passes
A further 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fay (2020) | Remnant low | 6 Jul 2020 | 46.8 mi | 22 kt |
| Five (2010) | Remnant low | 16 Aug 2010 | 30.8 mi | 20 kt |
| Ida (2009) | Post-tropical | 11 Nov 2009 | 9.4 mi | 25 kt |
| Hilda (1964) | Post-tropical | 5 Oct 1964 | 16.5 mi | 49 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1934) | Post-tropical | 6 Oct 1934 | 42.7 mi | 30 kt |
Storms that came back
1 named storm in this record passed Holmes County, Florida more than once.
- Alberto — 2 passes (1994, 2018)
How Holmes County, Florida compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Holmes County, Florida ranks #157 — more exposed than 92.9% of them. Within Florida it ranks #64 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.
Notable storms
- Cat 4 Michael (2018) passed 45 miles away on 10 October 2018 as a hurricane, reaching 125 kt (144 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1894) passed 49 miles away on 9 October 1894 as a hurricane, reaching 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 3 Eloise (1975) passed 25 miles away on 23 September 1975 as a hurricane, reaching 100 kt (115 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1851) passed 40 miles away on 23 August 1851 as a hurricane, reaching 96 kt (110 mph) while within 50 miles.
50 of the 54 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 3.2 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 54 storms spread over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025. 6 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 15 years, between 1860 and 1875. It has been 4 years since the last one; 11 of the 47 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Holmes County, Florida?
15 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Holmes County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1851. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 54.
When was the last hurricane in Holmes County, Florida?
Michael (2018), on 10 October 2018, passing 45 miles away — 8 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Fred (2021) in 2021.
What was the strongest storm to affect Holmes County, Florida?
Michael (2018), which reached 125 kt (144 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 45 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Holmes County, Florida?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 3.2 years — 54 storms over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.
Nearby counties
Holmes County, Florida borders or sits close to 4 other counties with a published storm record. Jackson County, Florida has 58 on record.