Orange County, Florida Hurricane History

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

Since 1852, 68 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Orange County, Florida — about one every 2.6 years. Of those, 16 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Milton (2024), which passed 27 miles away on 10 October 2024.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.6

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 2 · 3Cat 1 · 12TS / TD · 53

The 68 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 3 of them reached Cat 2.

Key facts

Most recentMilton (2024) — 27 mi away, 10 October 2024
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1926) — 90 kt (104 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1909) — 1.7 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles24 of 68
Peak monthAugust — 19 storms (28% of all)
Most active year1968 — 4 storms
Most active decade1960s — 7 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
Record span1852–2024

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Orange County, Florida, August is the most active month, with 19 of the 68 recorded storms (28%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 78% of all activity. The 1960s was the most active decade on record, with 7 storms. 0 of the 68 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	5	3	19	17	17	6	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: 20 storms in 1950–1987 against 14 in 1988–2025.

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

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Milton (2024)	10 Oct 2024	26.8 mi	Cat 1	69 kt
Nicole (2022)	10 Nov 2022	37.6 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Ian (2022)	29 Sep 2022	41.5 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Julia (2016)	13 Sep 2016	20.5 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Fay (2008)	20 Aug 2008	43.9 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Ernesto (2006)	31 Aug 2006	43.1 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Charley (2004)	14 Aug 2004	10.3 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Henri (2003)	6 Sep 2003	10.5 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Gabrielle (2001)	15 Sep 2001	5.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Leslie (2000)	4 Oct 2000	33.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Jerry (1995)	24 Aug 1995	27.1 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Erin (1995)	2 Aug 1995	33.3 mi	TS / TD	54 kt
Gordon (1994)	21 Nov 1994	29.8 mi	TS / TD	23 kt
Keith (1988)	23 Nov 1988	35.1 mi	TS / TD	36 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	4 Nov 1987	41.1 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Isidore (1984)	28 Sep 1984	42.8 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Dennis (1981)	18 Aug 1981	29.8 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1981)	3 Jul 1981	41.3 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
David (1979)	4 Sep 1979	40.7 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	13 Sep 1976	11.2 mi	TS / TD	15 kt
Unnamed Storm (1974)	25 Jun 1974	22.4 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1971)	14 Aug 1971	37.0 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Jenny (1969)	4 Oct 1969	31.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1968)	31 Aug 1968	32.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Dolly (1968)	10 Aug 1968	46.5 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Brenda (1968)	19 Jun 1968	13.6 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Abby (1968)	5 Jun 1968	36.5 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Cleo (1964)	28 Aug 1964	20.5 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Donna (1960)	11 Sep 1960	15.8 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Unnamed Storm (1959)	18 Jun 1959	19.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1956)	16 Oct 1956	39.9 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1953)	21 Sep 1953	48.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
King (1950)	18 Oct 1950	12.2 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Easy (1950)	6 Sep 1950	23.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	2 Nov 1946	25.1 mi	TS / TD	26 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	16 Sep 1945	22.9 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1944)	19 Oct 1944	43.9 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	22 Oct 1941	41.9 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	30 Aug 1937	46.0 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	30 Jul 1937	35.1 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1936)	21 Aug 1936	38.5 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1930)	9 Sep 1930	25.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	9 Aug 1928	30.3 mi	TS / TD	44 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	28 Jul 1926	44.0 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1921)	26 Oct 1921	22.5 mi	Cat 1	73 kt
Unnamed Storm (1921)	16 Oct 1921	47.7 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	26 Aug 1916	32.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	15 May 1916	48.7 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	1 Aug 1915	32.3 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1910)	18 Oct 1910	35.3 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	30 Aug 1909	1.7 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	29 Jun 1909	41.7 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	21 Oct 1906	14.8 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	17 Oct 1906	48.1 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	5 Oct 1899	28.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1897)	21 Sep 1897	4.1 mi	TS / TD	44 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	26 Sep 1894	12.2 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1892)	25 Oct 1892	40.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1887)	30 Oct 1887	28.7 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	29 Aug 1880	11.5 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	23 Sep 1873	36.4 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1872)	23 Oct 1872	6.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	25 Aug 1871	11.0 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	17 Aug 1871	27.3 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1861)	1 Nov 1861	49.0 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1859)	28 Oct 1859	20.1 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1858)	14 Sep 1858	8.3 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	12 Sep 1852	17.6 mi	TS / TD	50 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
Unnamed Storm (1912)	Post-tropical	4 Oct 1912	47.6 mi	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1891)	Post-tropical	10 Oct 1891	38.3 mi	30 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 Orange County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Orange County, Florida ranks #51 — more exposed than 97.7% of them. Within Florida it ranks #16 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1926) passed 44 miles away on 28 July 1926 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1880) passed 11 miles away on 29 August 1880 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 David (1979) passed 41 miles away on 4 September 1979 as a hurricane, reaching 85 kt (98 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1871) passed 11 miles away on 25 August 1871 as a hurricane, reaching 80 kt (92 mph) while within 50 miles.

54 of the 68 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 2.6 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 68 storms spread over the 174 years from 1852 to 2025. 11 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 1861 and 1871. It has been 1 year since the last one; 40 of the 54 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Orange County, Florida?

16 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Orange County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1852. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 68.

When was the last hurricane in Orange County, Florida?

Milton (2024), on 10 October 2024, passing 27 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 Orange County, Florida?

Unnamed Storm (1926), which reached 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 44 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Orange County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.6 years — 68 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

Orange County, Florida borders or sits close to 6 other counties with a published storm record. Lake County, Florida has 73 on record.

Lake County, Florida73 storms within 50 mi Volusia County, Florida67 storms within 50 mi Osceola County, Florida66 storms within 50 mi Seminole County, Florida64 storms within 50 mi Brevard County, Florida63 storms within 50 mi Polk County, Florida62 storms within 50 mi