Martin County, Florida Hurricane History

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

Since 1859, 72 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Martin County, Florida — about one every 2.3 years. Of those, 26 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Nicole (2022), which passed 33 miles away on 10 November 2022.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.3

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 · 2Cat 3 · 5Cat 2 · 8Cat 1 · 12TS / TD · 45

The 72 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 2 of them reached Cat 4.

Key facts

Most recentNicole (2022) — 33 mi away, 10 November 2022
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1928) — 125 kt (144 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1954) — 1.1 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Unnamed Storm (1871) — 5.5 miles
Passes within 25 miles45 of 72
Peak monthAugust — 23 storms (32% of all)
Most active year1909 — 3 storms
Most active decade1950s — 9 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi7
Record span1859–2022

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Martin County, Florida, August is the most active month, with 23 of the 72 recorded storms (32%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 78% of all activity. The 1950s was the most active decade on record, with 9 storms. 7 of the 72 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	1	0	0	0	3	7	23	13	20	5	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: 25 storms in 1950–1987 against 16 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
1	2	6	3	4	5	1	3	3	3	9	6	5	6	5	6	3	1

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Nicole (2022)	10 Nov 2022	33.1 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Three (2019)	23 Jul 2019	45.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Emily (2017)	1 Aug 2017	46.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Julia (2016)	13 Sep 2016	19.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Fay (2008)	19 Aug 2008	38.7 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Ernesto (2006)	30 Aug 2006	29.6 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Wilma (2005)	24 Oct 2005	21.2 mi	Cat 3	98 kt
Tammy (2005)	5 Oct 2005	45.4 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Jeanne (2004)	26 Sep 2004	11.5 mi	Cat 3	100 kt
Frances (2004)	5 Sep 2004	12.5 mi	Cat 2	88 kt
Irene (1999)	16 Oct 1999	13.5 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Mitch (1998)	5 Nov 1998	14.1 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Jerry (1995)	23 Aug 1995	5.5 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Erin (1995)	2 Aug 1995	36.3 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Gordon (1994)	16 Nov 1994	37.2 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Chris (1988)	28 Aug 1988	38.9 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Bob (1985)	23 Jul 1985	2.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1984)	26 Oct 1984	5.4 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Isidore (1984)	27 Sep 1984	4.7 mi	TS / TD	46 kt
Dennis (1981)	18 Aug 1981	37.9 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1981)	2 Jul 1981	7.0 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
David (1979)	3 Sep 1979	14.6 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Dottie (1976)	19 Aug 1976	20.7 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	11 Jun 1976	14.3 mi	TS / TD	22 kt
Unnamed Storm (1974)	7 Oct 1974	33.7 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Beth (1971)	10 Aug 1971	40.6 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Gerda (1969)	7 Sep 1969	13.5 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Dolly (1968)	10 Aug 1968	5.8 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Isbell (1964)	15 Oct 1964	21.1 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Cleo (1964)	27 Aug 1964	3.9 mi	TS / TD	59 kt
Alma (1962)	26 Aug 1962	15.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Florence (1960)	24 Sep 1960	2.2 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Judith (1959)	18 Oct 1959	8.5 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1956)	16 Oct 1956	18.7 mi	TS / TD	54 kt
Unnamed Storm (1954)	20 Jun 1954	1.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Hazel (1953)	9 Oct 1953	36.4 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1953)	29 Aug 1953	38.1 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Unnamed Storm (1953)	12 Jul 1953	10.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1952)	3 Feb 1952	28.6 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
How (1951)	2 Oct 1951	22.5 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
King (1950)	18 Oct 1950	32.5 mi	Cat 2	86 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	27 Aug 1949	17.8 mi	Cat 3	105 kt
Unnamed Storm (1948)	22 Sep 1948	5.3 mi	Cat 1	82 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	2 Nov 1946	9.8 mi	TS / TD	34 kt
Unnamed Storm (1939)	11 Aug 1939	14.6 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	4 Sep 1933	7.6 mi	Cat 3	102 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	30 Jul 1933	2.2 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	17 Sep 1928	13.1 mi	Cat 3	112 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	8 Aug 1928	19.3 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	27 Jul 1926	42.3 mi	Cat 2	92 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	25 Aug 1916	19.6 mi	TS / TD	34 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	26 Sep 1909	10.8 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	29 Aug 1909	40.5 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	29 Jun 1909	27.8 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1903)	12 Sep 1903	48.9 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	11 Aug 1901	44.4 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	2 Aug 1898	8.0 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1896)	9 Oct 1896	23.8 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1895)	16 Oct 1895	44.0 mi	TS / TD	29 kt
Unnamed Storm (1891)	7 Oct 1891	6.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1889)	6 Oct 1889	12.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	8 Sep 1888	15.1 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	24 Aug 1885	28.1 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	2 Jul 1878	20.5 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1876)	20 Oct 1876	18.5 mi	Cat 1	82 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	7 Oct 1873	48.2 mi	Cat 2	88 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	25 Aug 1871	6.2 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	17 Aug 1871	5.5 mi	Cat 2	95 kt
Unnamed Storm (1870)	21 Oct 1870	14.5 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Unnamed Storm (1865)	23 Oct 1865	33.7 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1861)	1 Nov 1861	43.9 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1859)	17 Oct 1859	39.6 mi	TS / TD	48 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
Alex (2022)	Disturbance	4 Jun 2022	8.0 mi	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1925)	Post-tropical	1 Dec 1925	45.2 mi	52 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1859–2025. 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 Martin County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Martin County, Florida ranks #25 — more exposed than 98.9% of them. Within Florida it ranks #4 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 4 Unnamed Storm (1928) passed 13 miles away on 17 September 1928 as a hurricane, reaching 125 kt (144 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 4 Unnamed Storm (1949) passed 18 miles away on 27 August 1949 as a hurricane, reaching 115 kt (132 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1933) passed 8 miles away on 4 September 1933 as a hurricane, reaching 110 kt (127 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Jeanne (2004) passed 12 miles away on 26 September 2004 as a hurricane, reaching 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles.

55 of the 72 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 2.3 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 72 storms spread over the 167 years from 1859 to 2025. 12 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 10 years, between 1916 and 1926. It has been 3 years since the last one; 14 of the 57 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Martin County, Florida?

26 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Martin County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1859. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 72.

When was the last hurricane in Martin County, Florida?

Nicole (2022), on 10 November 2022, passing 33 miles away — 4 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Nicole (2022) in 2022.

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

Unnamed Storm (1928), which reached 125 kt (144 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 13 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Martin County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.3 years — 72 storms over the 167 years from 1859 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Martin County, Florida borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. Palm Beach County, Florida has 73 on record.

Palm Beach County, Florida73 storms within 50 mi St. Lucie County, Florida72 storms within 50 mi Glades County, Florida68 storms within 50 mi Okeechobee County, Florida67 storms within 50 mi Hendry County, Florida66 storms within 50 mi