Manatee County, Florida Hurricane History

No active tropical cyclones are within 500 miles of Manatee 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 Manatee County, Florida — about one every 2.8 years. Of those, 19 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Milton (2024), which passed 3 miles away on 10 October 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 · 3Cat 3 · 3Cat 2 · 4Cat 1 · 9TS / TD · 44

The 63 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 3 of them reached Cat 4.

Key facts

Most recentMilton (2024) — 3 mi away, 10 October 2024
Strongest stormCharley (2004) — 125 kt (144 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordEmily (2017) — 2.3 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Milton (2024) — 2.9 miles
Passes within 25 miles16 of 63
Peak monthSeptember — 23 storms (37% of all)
Most active year2004 — 3 storms
Most active decade1930s, 1940s, 1960s and 2000s — 6 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi6
Record span1852–2024

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Manatee County, Florida, September is the most active month, with 23 of the 63 recorded storms (37%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 81% of all activity. The 1930s, 1940s, 1960s and 2000s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 6 storms. 6 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	1	4	4	10	23	18	3	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: 13 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
4	0	3	2	5	5	2	5	6	6	1	6	2	5	1	6	2	2

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Milton (2024)	10 Oct 2024	2.9 mi	Cat 2	95 kt
Ian (2022)	28 Sep 2022	46.1 mi	Cat 3	108 kt
Irma (2017)	11 Sep 2017	27.2 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Emily (2017)	31 Jul 2017	2.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Barry (2007)	2 Jun 2007	18.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Jeanne (2004)	26 Sep 2004	45.1 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Frances (2004)	5 Sep 2004	40.4 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Charley (2004)	13 Aug 2004	30.7 mi	Cat 3	108 kt
Henri (2003)	6 Sep 2003	38.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Gabrielle (2001)	14 Sep 2001	6.4 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Marco (1990)	11 Oct 1990	24.1 mi	TS / TD	51 kt
Keith (1988)	23 Nov 1988	5.0 mi	TS / TD	51 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	4 Nov 1987	29.9 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1984)	26 Oct 1984	8.8 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Barry (1983)	25 Aug 1983	7.0 mi	TS / TD	24 kt
Unnamed Storm (1980)	17 Nov 1980	44.1 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1974)	25 Jun 1974	34.9 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1971)	13 Aug 1971	40.8 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Jenny (1969)	4 Oct 1969	37.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1968)	30 Aug 1968	31.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Abby (1968)	4 Jun 1968	33.8 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1966)	1 Jul 1966	34.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Florence (1960)	25 Sep 1960	19.1 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Donna (1960)	11 Sep 1960	32.3 mi	Cat 1	82 kt
Unnamed Storm (1959)	18 Jun 1959	44.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	27 Aug 1949	43.6 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	8 Oct 1946	12.8 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	16 Sep 1945	36.4 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	5 Sep 1945	47.4 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1944)	19 Oct 1944	3.0 mi	Cat 2	87 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	6 Oct 1941	35.9 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1939)	12 Aug 1939	40.2 mi	TS / TD	51 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	29 Jul 1937	49.8 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	4 Sep 1935	34.1 mi	Cat 4	113 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	4 Sep 1933	45.1 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	31 Jul 1933	32.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1930)	9 Sep 1930	15.3 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	17 Sep 1928	32.9 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	13 Aug 1928	41.8 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	19 Sep 1926	42.0 mi	Cat 3	102 kt
Unnamed Storm (1921)	25 Oct 1921	47.3 mi	Cat 3	100 kt
Unnamed Storm (1921)	16 Oct 1921	49.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	14 May 1916	36.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1910)	18 Oct 1910	30.3 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	30 Aug 1909	45.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	22 Oct 1906	43.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	18 Oct 1904	47.0 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1903)	12 Sep 1903	3.3 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	11 Aug 1901	35.8 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	5 Oct 1899	36.4 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	2 Aug 1898	29.6 mi	TS / TD	34 kt
Unnamed Storm (1897)	21 Sep 1897	32.6 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	25 Sep 1894	39.4 mi	Cat 1	78 kt
Unnamed Storm (1892)	24 Oct 1892	14.4 mi	TS / TD	44 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	8 Sep 1888	37.6 mi	TS / TD	36 kt
Unnamed Storm (1887)	30 Oct 1887	49.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	9 Sep 1878	17.6 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	23 Sep 1873	33.5 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1872)	23 Oct 1872	34.8 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1859)	28 Oct 1859	29.4 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1859)	18 Oct 1859	41.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1858)	14 Sep 1858	16.1 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	12 Sep 1852	40.2 mi	Cat 1	65 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	19.2 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 Manatee County, Florida more than once.

Barry — 2 passes (1983, 2007)

How Manatee County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Manatee County, Florida ranks #93 — more exposed than 95.8% of them. Within Florida it ranks #40 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 4 Charley (2004) passed 31 miles away on 13 August 2004 as a hurricane, reaching 125 kt (144 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 4 Unnamed Storm (1935) passed 34 miles away on 4 September 1935 as a hurricane, reaching 120 kt (138 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 4 Ian (2022) passed 46 miles away on 28 September 2022 as a hurricane, reaching 116 kt (133 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Milton (2024) passed 3 miles away on 10 October 2024 as a hurricane, reaching 106 kt (122 mph) while within 50 miles.

55 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. 9 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 52 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Manatee County, Florida?

19 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Manatee 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 Manatee County, Florida?

Milton (2024), on 10 October 2024, passing 3 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 Manatee County, Florida?

Charley (2004), which reached 125 kt (144 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 31 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Manatee 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

Manatee County, Florida borders or sits close to 6 other counties with a published storm record. Hillsborough County, Florida has 65 on record.

Hillsborough County, Florida65 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 DeSoto County, Florida57 storms within 50 mi Sarasota County, Florida56 storms within 50 mi