Palm Beach County, Florida Hurricane History

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

Since 1859, 73 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Palm Beach County, Florida — about one every 2.3 years. Of those, 27 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Julia (2016), which passed 48 miles away on 13 September 2016.

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 · 3Cat 3 · 8Cat 2 · 8Cat 1 · 9TS / TD · 45

The 73 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 3 of them reached Cat 4.

Key facts

Most recentJulia (2016) — 48 mi away, 13 September 2016
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1928) — 125 kt (144 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordGerda (1969) — 3.2 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Unnamed Storm (1948) — 10.9 miles
Passes within 25 miles38 of 73
Peak monthAugust — 23 storms (32% of all)
Most active year1888 — 3 storms
Most active decade1950s — 8 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi11
Record span1859–2016

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Palm Beach County, Florida, August is the most active month, with 23 of the 73 recorded storms (32%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 84% of all activity. The 1950s was the most active decade on record, with 8 storms. 11 of the 73 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	4	5	23	18	20	2	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1850s to 2010s. Decades with no storms are shown as empty columns. Comparing two equal 38-year windows inside the aircraft-reconnaissance era: 26 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
1	1	5	5	5	6	1	3	3	5	8	7	6	6	4	6	1

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Julia (2016)	13 Sep 2016	47.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Fay (2008)	19 Aug 2008	46.6 mi	TS / TD	59 kt
Ernesto (2006)	30 Aug 2006	30.1 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Wilma (2005)	24 Oct 2005	15.3 mi	Cat 3	98 kt
Katrina (2005)	25 Aug 2005	49.8 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Jeanne (2004)	26 Sep 2004	41.0 mi	Cat 3	105 kt
Frances (2004)	5 Sep 2004	41.0 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Irene (1999)	16 Oct 1999	7.5 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Harvey (1999)	21 Sep 1999	29.2 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Mitch (1998)	5 Nov 1998	19.6 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Jerry (1995)	23 Aug 1995	26.8 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Chris (1988)	28 Aug 1988	47.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Bob (1985)	23 Jul 1985	18.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1984)	26 Oct 1984	33.5 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Isidore (1984)	27 Sep 1984	23.1 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Dennis (1981)	18 Aug 1981	41.5 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1981)	2 Jul 1981	13.9 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
David (1979)	3 Sep 1979	32.6 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Dottie (1976)	19 Aug 1976	21.8 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	11 Jun 1976	12.5 mi	TS / TD	21 kt
Unnamed Storm (1974)	7 Oct 1974	41.4 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Dawn (1972)	6 Sep 1972	46.0 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Beth (1971)	10 Aug 1971	34.0 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Gerda (1969)	7 Sep 1969	3.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1968)	27 Sep 1968	40.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Dolly (1968)	10 Aug 1968	11.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Isbell (1964)	15 Oct 1964	6.2 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Cleo (1964)	27 Aug 1964	9.2 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Alma (1962)	26 Aug 1962	23.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Florence (1960)	24 Sep 1960	4.8 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Judith (1959)	18 Oct 1959	24.4 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1956)	16 Oct 1956	14.7 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1954)	19 Jun 1954	7.7 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1953)	29 Aug 1953	11.5 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Unnamed Storm (1953)	12 Jul 1953	22.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1952)	3 Feb 1952	11.2 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
How (1951)	2 Oct 1951	47.1 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
King (1950)	18 Oct 1950	16.2 mi	Cat 3	98 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	27 Aug 1949	11.2 mi	Cat 3	110 kt
Unnamed Storm (1948)	22 Sep 1948	10.9 mi	Cat 2	83 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	12 Oct 1947	41.6 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	17 Sep 1947	37.3 mi	Cat 3	102 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	2 Nov 1946	13.9 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1939)	11 Aug 1939	40.8 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	4 Sep 1933	25.9 mi	Cat 3	110 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	30 Jul 1933	31.2 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	17 Sep 1928	15.8 mi	Cat 4	117 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	8 Aug 1928	41.4 mi	Cat 2	88 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	21 Oct 1924	47.2 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	25 Aug 1916	11.9 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	26 Sep 1909	12.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	29 Aug 1909	10.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	29 Jun 1909	9.4 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	18 Oct 1906	47.6 mi	Cat 3	98 kt
Unnamed Storm (1903)	12 Sep 1903	21.6 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	11 Aug 1901	15.1 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	2 Aug 1898	37.8 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1896)	9 Oct 1896	44.2 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1895)	16 Oct 1895	23.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1892)	11 Jun 1892	33.0 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1891)	7 Oct 1891	7.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1889)	6 Oct 1889	8.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	23 Sep 1888	44.1 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	8 Sep 1888	14.6 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	16 Aug 1888	40.8 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	24 Aug 1885	40.4 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	2 Jul 1878	5.4 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1876)	20 Oct 1876	28.7 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	25 Aug 1871	32.5 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	17 Aug 1871	32.4 mi	Cat 3	100 kt
Unnamed Storm (1870)	21 Oct 1870	31.1 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1865)	23 Oct 1865	18.5 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1859)	17 Oct 1859	10.8 mi	TS / TD	50 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 3 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	29.8 mi	39 kt
Ivan (2004)	Post-tropical	21 Sep 2004	48.0 mi	25 kt
Ana (1991)	Remnant low	30 Jun 1991	48.1 mi	20 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 Palm Beach County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Palm Beach County, Florida ranks #22 — more exposed than 99.0% of them. Within Florida it ranks #3 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 4 Unnamed Storm (1928) passed 16 miles away on 17 September 1928 as a hurricane, reaching 125 kt (144 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 4 Unnamed Storm (1949) passed 11 miles away on 27 August 1949 as a hurricane, reaching 115 kt (132 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 4 Unnamed Storm (1947) passed 37 miles away on 17 September 1947 as a hurricane, reaching 115 kt (132 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1933) passed 26 miles away on 4 September 1933 as a hurricane, reaching 110 kt (127 mph) while within 50 miles.

55 of the 73 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 73 storms spread over the 167 years from 1859 to 2025. 15 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 8 years, between 1916 and 1924. It has been 9 years since the last one; 0 of the 55 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Palm Beach County, Florida?

27 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Palm Beach County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1859. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 73.

When was the last hurricane in Palm Beach County, Florida?

Wilma (2005), on 24 October 2005, passing 15 miles away — 21 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Julia (2016) in 2016.

What was the strongest storm to affect Palm Beach County, Florida?

Unnamed Storm (1928), which reached 125 kt (144 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 16 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Palm Beach County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.3 years — 73 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

Palm Beach County, Florida borders or sits close to 7 other counties with a published storm record. Martin County, Florida has 72 on record.

Martin County, Florida72 storms within 50 mi St. Lucie County, Florida72 storms within 50 mi Broward County, Florida70 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 Miami-Dade County, Florida64 storms within 50 mi