Pasco County, Florida Hurricane History

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

Since 1852, 70 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Pasco County, Florida — about one every 2.5 years. Of those, 18 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Nicole (2022), which passed 23 miles away on 10 November 2022.

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 3 · 2Cat 2 · 4Cat 1 · 14TS / TD · 50

The 70 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 2 of them reached Cat 3.

Key facts

Most recentNicole (2022) — 23 mi away, 10 November 2022
Strongest stormEasy (1950) — 105 kt (121 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1937) — 0.9 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Unnamed Storm (1921) — 0.9 miles
Passes within 25 miles37 of 70
Peak monthSeptember — 23 storms (33% of all)
Most active year1871 — 2 storms
Most active decade1940s — 9 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi2
Record span1852–2022

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Pasco County, Florida, September is the most active month, with 23 of the 70 recorded storms (33%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 74% of all activity. The 1940s was the most active decade on record, with 9 storms. 2 of the 70 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	7	4	12	23	17	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: 18 storms in 1950–1987 against 13 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
3	0	6	5	3	2	2	4	5	9	3	7	3	5	4	6	1	2

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Nicole (2022)	10 Nov 2022	23.0 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Eta (2020)	12 Nov 2020	48.3 mi	TS / TD	51 kt
Irma (2017)	11 Sep 2017	16.3 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Barry (2007)	2 Jun 2007	18.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Jeanne (2004)	26 Sep 2004	12.8 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Frances (2004)	6 Sep 2004	8.0 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Henri (2003)	6 Sep 2003	17.0 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Edouard (2002)	5 Sep 2002	36.5 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Gabrielle (2001)	14 Sep 2001	47.4 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Jerry (1995)	24 Aug 1995	26.9 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Erin (1995)	2 Aug 1995	6.9 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1992)	26 Jun 1992	27.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Marco (1990)	11 Oct 1990	29.4 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	4 Nov 1987	14.7 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1984)	26 Oct 1984	43.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Isidore (1984)	28 Sep 1984	18.4 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1982)	18 Jun 1982	32.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1980)	18 Nov 1980	9.6 mi	TS / TD	23 kt
Unnamed Storm (1974)	25 Jun 1974	14.8 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1971)	15 Aug 1971	2.3 mi	TS / TD	24 kt
Alma (1970)	25 May 1970	45.8 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Jenny (1969)	4 Oct 1969	10.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Gladys (1968)	19 Oct 1968	26.6 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Unnamed Storm (1968)	29 Aug 1968	9.3 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1966)	1 Jul 1966	33.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1965)	19 Oct 1965	18.9 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Florence (1960)	25 Sep 1960	37.5 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Donna (1960)	11 Sep 1960	48.9 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1959)	18 Jun 1959	17.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1953)	20 Sep 1953	47.8 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Easy (1950)	6 Sep 1950	3.9 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	27 Aug 1949	13.1 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	23 Sep 1947	26.8 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	2 Nov 1946	45.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	8 Oct 1946	1.4 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	16 Sep 1945	48.3 mi	Cat 1	71 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	24 Jun 1945	23.1 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1944)	19 Oct 1944	22.6 mi	Cat 1	78 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	22 Oct 1941	31.7 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1940)	3 Aug 1940	38.1 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1939)	12 Aug 1939	9.4 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	30 Jul 1937	0.9 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1934)	23 Jul 1934	45.5 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	4 Sep 1933	10.1 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1930)	9 Sep 1930	26.0 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	17 Sep 1928	23.0 mi	Cat 1	78 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	9 Aug 1928	17.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1921)	25 Oct 1921	0.9 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1920)	30 Sep 1920	47.1 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	15 May 1916	25.0 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1910)	18 Oct 1910	37.2 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	29 Jun 1909	17.7 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1903)	12 Sep 1903	48.4 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	5 Oct 1899	16.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	2 Aug 1898	20.8 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1892)	24 Oct 1892	43.7 mi	TS / TD	44 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	8 Sep 1888	5.5 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Unnamed Storm (1887)	30 Oct 1887	3.9 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	18 Jul 1886	26.8 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	8 Oct 1880	38.6 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	30 Aug 1880	22.3 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1879)	27 Oct 1879	49.0 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	10 Sep 1878	18.9 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	23 Sep 1873	7.8 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1872)	23 Oct 1872	19.4 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	25 Aug 1871	43.9 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	17 Aug 1871	43.9 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1859)	28 Oct 1859	31.3 mi	Cat 1	78 kt
Unnamed Storm (1858)	14 Sep 1858	39.1 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	12 Sep 1852	18.0 mi	Cat 1	65 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
Ana (1991)	Remnant low	1 Jul 1991	6.1 mi	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	Post-tropical	31 Oct 1911	39.1 mi	27 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 Pasco County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Pasco County, Florida ranks #36 — more exposed than 98.4% of them. Within Florida it ranks #11 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 3 Easy (1950) passed 4 miles away on 6 September 1950 as a hurricane, reaching 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1921) passed 1 miles away on 25 October 1921 as a hurricane, reaching 100 kt (115 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1878) passed 19 miles away on 10 September 1878 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Gladys (1968) passed 27 miles away on 19 October 1968 as a hurricane, reaching 85 kt (98 mph) while within 50 miles.

59 of the 70 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 70 storms spread over the 174 years from 1852 to 2025. 10 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 12 years, between 1859 and 1871. It has been 3 years since the last one; 16 of the 59 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Pasco County, Florida?

18 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Pasco County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1852. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 70.

When was the last hurricane in Pasco County, Florida?

Irma (2017), on 11 September 2017, passing 16 miles away — 9 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Nicole (2022) in 2022.

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

Easy (1950), which reached 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 4 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Pasco County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.5 years — 70 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

Pasco County, Florida borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. Sumter County, Florida has 70 on record.

Sumter County, Florida70 storms within 50 mi Hernando County, Florida66 storms within 50 mi Hillsborough County, Florida65 storms within 50 mi Pinellas County, Florida62 storms within 50 mi Polk County, Florida62 storms within 50 mi