Miami-Dade County, Florida Hurricane History

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

Since 1863, 64 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Miami-Dade County, Florida — about one every 2.5 years. Of those, 27 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Sally (2020), which passed 5 miles away on 12 September 2020.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.5

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 4 · 4Cat 3 · 6Cat 2 · 8Cat 1 · 10TS / TD · 35

The 64 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 5.

Key facts

Most recentSally (2020) — 5 mi away, 12 September 2020
Strongest stormAndrew (1992) — 145 kt (167 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordDawn (1972) — 1.1 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Unnamed Storm (1926) — 5.9 miles
Passes within 25 miles33 of 64
Peak monthOctober — 20 storms (31% of all)
Most active year1968 — 3 storms
Most active decade1960s — 10 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi11
Record span1863–2020

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Miami-Dade County, Florida, October is the most active month, with 20 of the 64 recorded storms (31%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 80% of all activity. The 1960s was the most active decade on record, with 10 storms. 11 of the 64 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	2	6	4	13	18	20	1	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: 21 storms in 1950–1987 against 8 in 1988–2025.

1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
2	3	3	5	7	2	4	4	5	4	10	4	3	3	2	2	1

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Sally (2020)	12 Sep 2020	4.6 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Gordon (2018)	3 Sep 2018	37.7 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Bonnie (2010)	23 Jul 2010	9.2 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Ernesto (2006)	30 Aug 2006	22.9 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Katrina (2005)	26 Aug 2005	11.4 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Irene (1999)	15 Oct 1999	22.3 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Harvey (1999)	21 Sep 1999	42.7 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Andrew (1992)	24 Aug 1992	8.3 mi	Cat 4	135 kt
Floyd (1987)	12 Oct 1987	33.5 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Dennis (1981)	17 Aug 1981	43.4 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1981)	2 Jul 1981	25.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Dottie (1976)	19 Aug 1976	27.8 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Dawn (1972)	5 Sep 1972	1.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1971)	30 Aug 1971	5.8 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Felice (1970)	13 Sep 1970	48.4 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Gerda (1969)	7 Sep 1969	47.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1968)	27 Sep 1968	20.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Dolly (1968)	10 Aug 1968	37.0 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Brenda (1968)	18 Jun 1968	49.6 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Inez (1966)	4 Oct 1966	41.4 mi	Cat 2	83 kt
Betsy (1965)	8 Sep 1965	42.6 mi	Cat 3	100 kt
Isbell (1964)	14 Oct 1964	46.2 mi	Cat 2	83 kt
Cleo (1964)	27 Aug 1964	28.2 mi	Cat 2	95 kt
Alma (1962)	26 Aug 1962	49.5 mi	TS / TD	26 kt
Florence (1960)	23 Sep 1960	42.0 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1958)	25 May 1958	31.9 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1956)	16 Oct 1956	6.1 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1954)	18 Jun 1954	19.3 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
King (1950)	18 Oct 1950	19.8 mi	Cat 4	115 kt
Unnamed Storm (1948)	5 Oct 1948	8.1 mi	Cat 1	82 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	12 Oct 1947	12.1 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	17 Sep 1947	34.1 mi	Cat 3	105 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	15 Sep 1945	6.4 mi	Cat 3	111 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	6 Oct 1941	15.0 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Unnamed Storm (1936)	29 Jul 1936	14.7 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1936)	15 Jun 1936	12.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	4 Nov 1935	15.0 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1932)	30 Aug 1932	14.6 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1929)	28 Sep 1929	41.6 mi	Cat 3	99 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	21 Oct 1926	35.1 mi	Cat 3	110 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	18 Sep 1926	5.9 mi	Cat 4	119 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	21 Oct 1924	23.3 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	25 Aug 1916	11.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	14 May 1916	38.6 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	11 Oct 1909	35.7 mi	Cat 3	97 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	28 Jun 1909	36.5 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	18 Sep 1907	3.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	18 Oct 1906	6.9 mi	Cat 3	103 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	17 Jun 1906	7.1 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	20 Oct 1904	2.4 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1903)	11 Sep 1903	41.8 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	30 Jul 1899	39.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1895)	16 Oct 1895	33.5 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1892)	11 Jun 1892	27.6 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1891)	7 Oct 1891	37.8 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Unnamed Storm (1891)	24 Aug 1891	10.0 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1889)	6 Oct 1889	16.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	23 Sep 1888	20.6 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	16 Aug 1888	23.7 mi	Cat 3	105 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	21 Oct 1878	24.1 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	8 Sep 1878	38.0 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1870)	10 Oct 1870	47.4 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1865)	23 Oct 1865	23.5 mi	Cat 2	88 kt
Unnamed Storm (1863)	16 Sep 1863	42.2 mi	TS / TD	47 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 4 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
Ivan (2004)	Post-tropical	21 Sep 2004	20.5 mi	25 kt
Ana (1991)	Remnant low	30 Jun 1991	23.3 mi	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1952)	Remnant low	3 Feb 1952	31.1 mi	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	Post-tropical	16 Nov 1916	20.6 mi	50 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1863–2025. 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 Miami-Dade County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Miami-Dade County, Florida ranks #78 — more exposed than 96.5% of them. Within Florida it ranks #33 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 5 Andrew (1992) passed 8 miles away on 24 August 1992 as a hurricane, reaching 145 kt (167 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 4 Unnamed Storm (1926) passed 6 miles away on 18 September 1926 as a hurricane, reaching 125 kt (144 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 4 King (1950) passed 20 miles away on 18 October 1950 as a hurricane, reaching 115 kt (132 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 4 Unnamed Storm (1947) passed 34 miles away on 17 September 1947 as a hurricane, reaching 115 kt (132 mph) while within 50 miles.

51 of the 64 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 2.5 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 64 storms spread over the 163 years from 1863 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 10 years, between 1878 and 1888. It has been 5 years since the last one; 8 of the 49 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Miami-Dade County, Florida?

27 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Miami-Dade County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1863. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 64.

When was the last hurricane in Miami-Dade County, Florida?

Katrina (2005), on 26 August 2005, passing 11 miles away — 21 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Sally (2020) in 2020.

What was the strongest storm to affect Miami-Dade County, Florida?

Andrew (1992), which reached 145 kt (167 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 8 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Miami-Dade County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.5 years — 64 storms over the 163 years from 1863 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Miami-Dade County, Florida borders or sits close to 4 other counties with a published storm record. Palm Beach County, Florida has 73 on record.

Palm Beach County, Florida73 storms within 50 mi Broward County, Florida70 storms within 50 mi Collier County, Florida68 storms within 50 mi Monroe County, Florida62 storms within 50 mi