Polk County, Florida Hurricane History

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

Since 1852, 62 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Polk County, Florida — about one every 2.8 years. Of those, 20 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Milton (2024), which passed 6 miles away on 10 October 2024.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.8

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 · 1Cat 2 · 6Cat 1 · 15TS / TD · 40

The 62 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 3.

Key facts

Most recentMilton (2024) — 6 mi away, 10 October 2024
Strongest stormCharley (2004) — 108 kt (124 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1909) — 3.2 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Charley (2004) — 11.6 miles
Passes within 25 miles39 of 62
Peak monthSeptember — 21 storms (34% of all)
Most active year1968 — 3 storms
Most active decade1960s and 1980s — 6 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi1
Record span1852–2024

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Polk County, Florida, September is the most active month, with 21 of the 62 recorded storms (34%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 82% of all activity. The 1960s and 1980s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 6 storms. 1 of the 62 storms was major hurricane (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	1	15	21	15	4	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: 17 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	4	3	5	3	2	4	3	5	3	6	3	6	2	5	2	3

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Milton (2024)	10 Oct 2024	6.5 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Nicole (2022)	10 Nov 2022	6.5 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Ian (2022)	29 Sep 2022	37.7 mi	Cat 1	77 kt
Irma (2017)	11 Sep 2017	25.8 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Emily (2017)	31 Jul 2017	31.5 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Jeanne (2004)	26 Sep 2004	9.3 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Frances (2004)	5 Sep 2004	9.7 mi	TS / TD	59 kt
Charley (2004)	14 Aug 2004	11.6 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Henri (2003)	6 Sep 2003	31.5 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Gabrielle (2001)	14 Sep 2001	7.2 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Jerry (1995)	24 Aug 1995	16.3 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Erin (1995)	2 Aug 1995	11.8 mi	TS / TD	54 kt
Keith (1988)	23 Nov 1988	14.5 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	4 Nov 1987	39.0 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1984)	26 Oct 1984	38.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Isidore (1984)	28 Sep 1984	4.5 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Barry (1983)	25 Aug 1983	22.9 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Dennis (1981)	18 Aug 1981	45.9 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	13 Sep 1976	12.2 mi	TS / TD	15 kt
Unnamed Storm (1974)	25 Jun 1974	36.5 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1971)	14 Aug 1971	7.2 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Jenny (1969)	3 Oct 1969	37.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1968)	30 Aug 1968	18.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Brenda (1968)	19 Jun 1968	32.2 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Abby (1968)	4 Jun 1968	23.0 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Florence (1960)	25 Sep 1960	18.7 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Donna (1960)	11 Sep 1960	4.5 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1959)	18 Jun 1959	37.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
King (1950)	18 Oct 1950	24.2 mi	Cat 1	73 kt
Easy (1950)	6 Sep 1950	29.9 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	27 Aug 1949	11.2 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	2 Nov 1946	15.5 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	16 Sep 1945	4.7 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1944)	19 Oct 1944	32.9 mi	Cat 1	78 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	22 Oct 1941	36.0 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1939)	12 Aug 1939	10.9 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	4 Sep 1933	9.3 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1930)	9 Sep 1930	29.1 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	17 Sep 1928	20.0 mi	Cat 2	88 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	9 Aug 1928	14.7 mi	TS / TD	44 kt
Unnamed Storm (1921)	26 Oct 1921	47.3 mi	Cat 1	78 kt
Unnamed Storm (1921)	16 Oct 1921	39.5 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	15 May 1916	15.4 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1910)	18 Oct 1910	13.1 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	30 Aug 1909	7.8 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	29 Jun 1909	3.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	22 Oct 1906	3.8 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	5 Oct 1899	39.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	2 Aug 1898	18.7 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1897)	21 Sep 1897	7.8 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	26 Sep 1894	3.9 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1892)	24 Oct 1892	8.0 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	8 Sep 1888	16.5 mi	TS / TD	36 kt
Unnamed Storm (1887)	30 Oct 1887	47.6 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	30 Aug 1880	31.4 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	23 Sep 1873	47.5 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1872)	23 Oct 1872	30.0 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	25 Aug 1871	33.9 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	17 Aug 1871	14.2 mi	Cat 1	73 kt
Unnamed Storm (1859)	28 Oct 1859	17.9 mi	Cat 1	77 kt
Unnamed Storm (1858)	14 Sep 1858	10.2 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	12 Sep 1852	14.9 mi	TS / TD	53 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 1 system 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 (1891)	Post-tropical	10 Oct 1891	40.3 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 Polk County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Polk County, Florida ranks #100 — more exposed than 95.5% of them. Within Florida it ranks #45 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 3 Charley (2004) passed 12 miles away on 14 August 2004 as a hurricane, reaching 108 kt (124 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1928) passed 20 miles away on 17 September 1928 as a hurricane, reaching 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Ian (2022) passed 38 miles away on 29 September 2022 as a hurricane, reaching 94 kt (108 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Milton (2024) passed 6 miles away on 10 October 2024 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.

52 of the 62 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 2.8 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 62 storms spread over the 174 years from 1852 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 13 years, between 2004 and 2017. It has been 1 year since the last one; 32 of the 47 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Polk County, Florida?

20 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Polk County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1852. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 62.

When was the last hurricane in Polk County, Florida?

Milton (2024), on 10 October 2024, passing 6 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 Polk County, Florida?

Charley (2004), which reached 108 kt (124 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 12 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Polk County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.8 years — 62 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

Polk County, Florida borders or sits close to 8 other counties with a published storm record. Lake County, Florida has 73 on record.

Lake County, Florida73 storms within 50 mi Sumter County, Florida70 storms within 50 mi Pasco County, Florida70 storms within 50 mi Orange County, Florida68 storms within 50 mi Hillsborough County, Florida65 storms within 50 mi Highlands County, Florida64 storms within 50 mi Manatee County, Florida63 storms within 50 mi Hardee County, Florida61 storms within 50 mi