Jefferson County, Florida Hurricane History

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

Since 1852, 63 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Jefferson County, Florida — about one every 2.8 years. Of those, 13 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Helene (2024), which passed 19 miles away on 27 September 2024.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.8

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 · 1Cat 2 · 2Cat 1 · 10TS / TD · 49

The 63 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 4.

Key facts

Most recentHelene (2024) — 19 mi away, 27 September 2024
Strongest stormHelene (2024) — 120 kt (138 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1924) — 3.6 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Helene (2024) — 19.2 miles
Passes within 25 miles32 of 63
Peak monthSeptember — 22 storms (35% of all)
Most active year1885 — 3 storms
Most active decade1870s — 7 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi2
Record span1852–2024

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Jefferson County, Florida, September is the most active month, with 22 of the 63 recorded storms (35%). Activity concentrates in June, August and September, together 73% of all storms. The 1870s was the most active decade on record, with 7 storms. 2 of the 63 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	3	11	2	13	22	10	2	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: 10 storms in 1950–1987 against 19 in 1988–2025.

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

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Helene (2024)	27 Sep 2024	19.2 mi	Cat 3	108 kt
Debby (2024)	5 Aug 2024	45.3 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Idalia (2023)	30 Aug 2023	36.5 mi	Cat 2	93 kt
Nicole (2022)	11 Nov 2022	13.2 mi	TS / TD	34 kt
Mindy (2021)	9 Sep 2021	7.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Elsa (2021)	7 Jul 2021	31.8 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Irma (2017)	11 Sep 2017	38.5 mi	TS / TD	46 kt
Hermine (2016)	2 Sep 2016	3.9 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Colin (2016)	7 Jun 2016	45.5 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Beryl (2012)	29 May 2012	41.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Fay (2008)	23 Aug 2008	47.0 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Alberto (2006)	13 Jun 2006	26.0 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Jeanne (2004)	27 Sep 2004	23.8 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Frances (2004)	6 Sep 2004	14.7 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Bonnie (2004)	12 Aug 2004	14.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Georges (1998)	30 Sep 1998	13.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Josephine (1996)	8 Oct 1996	27.4 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Jerry (1995)	25 Aug 1995	37.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Allison (1995)	5 Jun 1995	7.2 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	16 Aug 1987	5.4 mi	TS / TD	15 kt
Charley (1986)	13 Aug 1986	5.9 mi	TS / TD	10 kt
Kate (1985)	22 Nov 1985	38.5 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	23 May 1976	31.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Alpha (1972)	28 May 1972	29.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1971)	16 Aug 1971	27.8 mi	TD	—
Alma (1966)	10 Jun 1966	4.7 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Dora (1964)	11 Sep 1964	14.2 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1957)	9 Jun 1957	4.0 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Love (1950)	21 Oct 1950	49.3 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	8 Oct 1947	15.2 mi	TS / TD	23 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	7 Oct 1941	35.7 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	21 Sep 1937	31.2 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	31 Aug 1937	23.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1936)	22 Aug 1936	21.9 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	5 Sep 1935	38.8 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	5 Sep 1933	26.1 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1932)	15 Sep 1932	27.4 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	10 Aug 1928	29.8 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	29 Sep 1924	15.8 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	16 Sep 1924	3.6 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	30 Jun 1909	23.1 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Sep 1907	41.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Jun 1907	22.2 mi	TS / TD	46 kt
Unnamed Storm (1902)	15 Jun 1902	27.5 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	28 Sep 1901	36.5 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	13 Jun 1901	44.9 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	9 Oct 1894	43.8 mi	Cat 1	82 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	15 Jun 1893	36.8 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	1 Jul 1886	20.0 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	21 Jun 1886	5.5 mi	Cat 1	78 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	30 Sep 1885	8.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	21 Sep 1885	11.2 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	31 Aug 1885	16.5 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	8 Sep 1880	45.5 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	11 Oct 1878	15.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	3 Oct 1877	39.5 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	20 Sep 1877	36.3 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1875)	27 Sep 1875	38.8 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	19 Sep 1873	11.5 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	5 Oct 1871	22.9 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	26 Aug 1871	14.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1868)	4 Oct 1868	7.1 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	10 Oct 1852	7.2 mi	Cat 1	80 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 2 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
Hilda (1964)	Post-tropical	5 Oct 1964	31.6 mi	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1929)	Post-tropical	1 Oct 1929	44.8 mi	55 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 Jefferson County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Jefferson County, Florida ranks #92 — more exposed than 95.8% of them. Within Florida it ranks #39 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 4 Helene (2024) passed 19 miles away on 27 September 2024 as a hurricane, reaching 120 kt (138 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Idalia (2023) passed 37 miles away on 30 August 2023 as a hurricane, reaching 100 kt (115 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1852) passed 7 miles away on 10 October 1852 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1886) passed 6 miles away on 21 June 1886 as a hurricane, reaching 85 kt (98 mph) while within 50 miles.

60 of the 63 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 2.8 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 63 storms spread over the 174 years from 1852 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 16 years, between 1852 and 1868. It has been 1 year since the last one; 32 of the 47 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Jefferson County, Florida?

13 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Jefferson County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1852. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 63.

When was the last hurricane in Jefferson County, Florida?

Helene (2024), on 27 September 2024, passing 19 miles away — 2 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Helene (2024) in 2024.

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

Helene (2024), which reached 120 kt (138 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 19 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Jefferson County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.8 years — 63 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

Jefferson County, Florida borders or sits close to 6 other counties with a published storm record. Brooks County, Georgia has 69 on record.

Brooks County, Georgia69 storms within 50 mi Madison County, Florida67 storms within 50 mi Thomas County, Georgia64 storms within 50 mi Taylor County, Florida63 storms within 50 mi Leon County, Florida62 storms within 50 mi Wakulla County, Florida61 storms within 50 mi