Liberty County, Florida Hurricane History

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

Since 1851, 58 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Liberty County, Florida — about one every 3.0 years. Of those, 19 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Nicole (2022), which passed 42 miles away on 11 November 2022.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

3.0

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 5 · 1Cat 3 · 3Cat 2 · 5Cat 1 · 11TS / TD · 38

The 58 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 5.

Key facts

Most recentNicole (2022) — 42 mi away, 11 November 2022
Strongest stormMichael (2018) — 140 kt (161 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1936) — 3.4 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Unnamed Storm (1877) — 9.9 miles
Passes within 25 miles29 of 58
Peak monthSeptember — 19 storms (33% of all)
Most active year1885 — 3 storms
Most active decade1870s and 1900s — 7 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi4
Record span1851–2022

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Liberty County, Florida, September is the most active month, with 19 of the 58 recorded storms (33%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 79% of all activity. The 1870s and 1900s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 7 storms. 4 of the 58 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	8	2	16	19	11	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: 9 storms in 1950–1987 against 12 in 1988–2025.

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

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Nicole (2022)	11 Nov 2022	42.3 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Mindy (2021)	9 Sep 2021	22.2 mi	TS / TD	44 kt
Fred (2021)	16 Aug 2021	31.8 mi	TS / TD	49 kt
Michael (2018)	10 Oct 2018	25.2 mi	Cat 4	126 kt
Hermine (2016)	2 Sep 2016	45.6 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Fay (2008)	23 Aug 2008	24.6 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Frances (2004)	6 Sep 2004	39.4 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Bonnie (2004)	12 Aug 2004	31.3 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Georges (1998)	30 Sep 1998	27.3 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Earl (1998)	3 Sep 1998	22.9 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Allison (1995)	5 Jun 1995	37.5 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Beryl (1994)	16 Aug 1994	27.5 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	15 Aug 1987	35.9 mi	TS / TD	15 kt
Kate (1985)	22 Nov 1985	11.0 mi	Cat 1	78 kt
Agnes (1972)	19 Jun 1972	24.6 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1971)	14 Oct 1971	19.6 mi	TD	—
Becky (1970)	22 Jul 1970	20.8 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Alma (1966)	9 Jun 1966	40.8 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Dora (1964)	11 Sep 1964	27.5 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1957)	9 Jun 1957	38.4 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Flossy (1956)	25 Sep 1956	47.2 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	7 Oct 1947	23.6 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	7 Oct 1941	16.3 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	20 Sep 1937	29.5 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	31 Aug 1937	7.7 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1936)	22 Aug 1936	3.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1932)	15 Sep 1932	42.3 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1929)	1 Oct 1929	24.8 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	14 Aug 1928	4.3 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	10 Aug 1928	27.4 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	15 Sep 1924	20.6 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	4 Sep 1915	32.0 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	1 Jul 1909	24.0 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	28 Sep 1907	18.4 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Jun 1907	17.3 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	12 Jun 1906	43.7 mi	TS / TD	44 kt
Unnamed Storm (1903)	13 Sep 1903	44.5 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	28 Sep 1901	20.0 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	13 Jun 1901	12.4 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	1 Aug 1899	12.5 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	3 Aug 1898	26.5 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	9 Oct 1894	19.8 mi	Cat 2	92 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	30 Jun 1886	13.7 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	29 Sep 1885	10.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	21 Sep 1885	12.7 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	31 Aug 1885	12.1 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	31 Aug 1880	32.5 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	10 Oct 1878	8.7 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	3 Oct 1877	9.9 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	20 Sep 1877	34.1 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1875)	27 Sep 1875	18.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	19 Sep 1873	37.5 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	5 Oct 1871	41.1 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	26 Aug 1871	37.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1868)	4 Oct 1868	16.5 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1856)	31 Aug 1856	39.4 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	9 Oct 1852	37.5 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1851)	23 Aug 1851	30.6 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	20.7 mi	25 kt
Nestor (2019)	Post-tropical	19 Oct 2019	20.4 mi	38 kt
Five (2010)	Remnant low	16 Aug 2010	36.0 mi	20 kt
Tammy (2005)	Remnant low	7 Oct 2005	43.7 mi	10 kt
Hilda (1964)	Post-tropical	5 Oct 1964	32.9 mi	47 kt

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

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Liberty County, Florida ranks #129 — more exposed than 94.2% of them. Within Florida it ranks #56 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 5 Michael (2018) passed 25 miles away on 10 October 2018 as a hurricane, reaching 140 kt (161 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1894) passed 20 miles away on 9 October 1894 as a hurricane, reaching 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1877) passed 10 miles away on 3 October 1877 as a hurricane, reaching 100 kt (115 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1851) passed 31 miles away on 23 August 1851 as a hurricane, reaching 96 kt (110 mph) while within 50 miles.

56 of the 58 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 3.0 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 58 storms spread over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025. 10 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 1972 and 1985. It has been 3 years since the last one; 19 of the 46 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Liberty County, Florida?

19 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Liberty County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1851. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 58.

When was the last hurricane in Liberty County, Florida?

Michael (2018), on 10 October 2018, passing 25 miles away — 8 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Nicole (2022) in 2022.

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

Michael (2018), which reached 140 kt (161 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 25 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Liberty County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 3.0 years — 58 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

Liberty County, Florida borders or sits close to 7 other counties with a published storm record. Leon County, Florida has 62 on record.

Leon County, Florida62 storms within 50 mi Wakulla County, Florida61 storms within 50 mi Franklin County, Florida61 storms within 50 mi Jackson County, Florida58 storms within 50 mi Gadsden County, Florida58 storms within 50 mi Gulf County, Florida58 storms within 50 mi Calhoun County, Florida54 storms within 50 mi