Indian River County, Florida Hurricane History

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

Since 1861, 70 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Indian River County, Florida — about one every 2.4 years. Of those, 25 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Milton (2024), which passed 46 miles away on 10 October 2024.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.4

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 · 5Cat 2 · 9Cat 1 · 13TS / TD · 43

The 70 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 5 of them reached Cat 3.

Key facts

Most recentMilton (2024) — 46 mi away, 10 October 2024
Strongest stormMatthew (2016) — 109 kt (125 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordNicole (2022) — 3.1 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Unnamed Storm (1871) — 24.9 miles
Passes within 25 miles34 of 70
Peak monthAugust — 23 storms (33% of all)
Most active year1968 — 3 storms
Most active decade1960s and 1980s — 8 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi5
Record span1861–2024

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Indian River County, Florida, August is the most active month, with 23 of the 70 recorded storms (33%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 79% of all activity. The 1960s and 1980s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 8 storms. 5 of the 70 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	0	4	6	23	12	20	5	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1860s to 2020s. Decades with no storms are shown as empty columns. Comparing two equal 38-year windows inside the aircraft-reconnaissance era: 25 storms in 1950–1987 against 18 in 1988–2025.

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

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Milton (2024)	10 Oct 2024	46.0 mi	Cat 1	69 kt
Nicole (2022)	10 Nov 2022	3.1 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Ian (2022)	29 Sep 2022	27.2 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Three (2019)	23 Jul 2019	47.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Emily (2017)	1 Aug 2017	3.7 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Matthew (2016)	7 Oct 2016	49.3 mi	Cat 3	109 kt
Julia (2016)	13 Sep 2016	5.2 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Fay (2008)	20 Aug 2008	11.2 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Ernesto (2006)	30 Aug 2006	11.9 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Tammy (2005)	5 Oct 2005	37.9 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Jeanne (2004)	26 Sep 2004	25.9 mi	Cat 2	92 kt
Frances (2004)	5 Sep 2004	22.1 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Irene (1999)	16 Oct 1999	28.1 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Jerry (1995)	24 Aug 1995	19.6 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Erin (1995)	2 Aug 1995	5.7 mi	Cat 1	71 kt
Gordon (1994)	16 Nov 1994	6.6 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Keith (1988)	23 Nov 1988	38.5 mi	TS / TD	36 kt
Chris (1988)	28 Aug 1988	41.3 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Bob (1985)	24 Jul 1985	14.2 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1984)	26 Oct 1984	39.0 mi	TS / TD	26 kt
Isidore (1984)	27 Sep 1984	22.6 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Barry (1983)	25 Aug 1983	13.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Dennis (1981)	18 Aug 1981	24.6 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1981)	2 Jul 1981	9.5 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
David (1979)	3 Sep 1979	10.9 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Dottie (1976)	19 Aug 1976	33.2 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1974)	7 Oct 1974	37.8 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Unnamed Storm (1971)	13 Aug 1971	47.3 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Jenny (1969)	3 Oct 1969	31.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Gerda (1969)	7 Sep 1969	4.6 mi	TS / TD	26 kt
Dolly (1968)	10 Aug 1968	7.3 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Brenda (1968)	19 Jun 1968	38.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Abby (1968)	5 Jun 1968	34.5 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Cleo (1964)	27 Aug 1964	4.3 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Alma (1962)	26 Aug 1962	18.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Florence (1960)	24 Sep 1960	12.7 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Judith (1959)	18 Oct 1959	48.6 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1956)	16 Oct 1956	8.9 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1954)	20 Jun 1954	28.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Hazel (1953)	9 Oct 1953	9.9 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1953)	12 Jul 1953	23.9 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
How (1951)	2 Oct 1951	20.6 mi	TS / TD	49 kt
King (1950)	18 Oct 1950	36.9 mi	Cat 1	77 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	27 Aug 1949	44.9 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1948)	22 Sep 1948	40.2 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	2 Nov 1946	28.8 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1939)	12 Aug 1939	21.3 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	4 Sep 1933	33.4 mi	Cat 2	88 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	30 Jul 1933	41.5 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	17 Sep 1928	45.5 mi	Cat 3	104 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	8 Aug 1928	3.5 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	28 Jul 1926	31.0 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1921)	16 Oct 1921	24.9 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	25 Aug 1916	13.0 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	1 Aug 1915	49.4 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	29 Jun 1909	42.5 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	2 Aug 1898	28.7 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1896)	9 Oct 1896	17.2 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1892)	25 Oct 1892	25.3 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1891)	7 Oct 1891	39.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1889)	6 Oct 1889	38.1 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	8 Sep 1888	46.0 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	24 Aug 1885	27.5 mi	Cat 1	77 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	29 Aug 1880	33.3 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1876)	20 Oct 1876	13.8 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	7 Oct 1873	8.5 mi	Cat 2	84 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	25 Aug 1871	4.6 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	17 Aug 1871	24.9 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Unnamed Storm (1870)	21 Oct 1870	28.6 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1861)	1 Nov 1861	16.4 mi	TS / TD	53 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	36.2 mi	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1925)	Post-tropical	1 Dec 1925	12.6 mi	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1891)	Post-tropical	10 Oct 1891	28.9 mi	30 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1861–2025. 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 Indian River County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Indian River County, Florida ranks #34 — more exposed than 98.5% of them. Within Florida it ranks #9 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 3 Matthew (2016) passed 49 miles away on 7 October 2016 as a hurricane, reaching 109 kt (125 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1928) passed 45 miles away on 17 September 1928 as a hurricane, reaching 108 kt (124 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Jeanne (2004) passed 26 miles away on 26 September 2004 as a hurricane, reaching 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1933) passed 33 miles away on 4 September 1933 as a hurricane, reaching 102 kt (117 mph) while within 50 miles.

55 of the 70 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 2.4 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 70 storms spread over the 165 years from 1861 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 11 years, between 1898 and 1909. It has been 1 year since the last one; 39 of the 55 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Indian River County, Florida?

25 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Indian River County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1861. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 70.

When was the last hurricane in Indian River County, Florida?

Milton (2024), on 10 October 2024, passing 46 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 Indian River County, Florida?

Matthew (2016), which reached 109 kt (125 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 49 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Indian River County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.4 years — 70 storms over the 165 years from 1861 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Indian River County, Florida borders or sits close to 4 other counties with a published storm record. St. Lucie County, Florida has 72 on record.

St. Lucie County, Florida72 storms within 50 mi Okeechobee County, Florida67 storms within 50 mi Osceola County, Florida66 storms within 50 mi Brevard County, Florida63 storms within 50 mi