Seminole County, Florida Hurricane History

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

Since 1852, 64 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Seminole County, Florida — about one every 2.7 years. Of those, 16 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Milton (2024), which passed 31 miles away on 10 October 2024.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.7

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 · 4Cat 1 · 12TS / TD · 48

The 64 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 4 of them reached Cat 2.

Key facts

Most recentMilton (2024) — 31 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) — 2.6 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles25 of 64
Peak monthAugust — 19 storms (30% of all)
Most active year1968 — 4 storms
Most active decade1960s and 2000s — 8 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 Seminole County, Florida, August is the most active month, with 19 of the 64 recorded storms (30%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 81% of all activity. The 1960s and 2000s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 8 storms. 0 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	0	4	4	19	16	17	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: 18 storms in 1950–1987 against 15 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
3	1	4	3	4	3	3	4	4	2	4	8	3	4	3	8	1	2

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Milton (2024)	10 Oct 2024	31.4 mi	Cat 1	69 kt
Ian (2022)	29 Sep 2022	38.0 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Julia (2016)	13 Sep 2016	6.2 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Fay (2008)	20 Aug 2008	32.2 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Ernesto (2006)	31 Aug 2006	34.0 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Tammy (2005)	5 Oct 2005	38.1 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Charley (2004)	14 Aug 2004	13.3 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Henri (2003)	6 Sep 2003	7.8 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Edouard (2002)	5 Sep 2002	43.9 mi	TS / TD	29 kt
Gabrielle (2001)	15 Sep 2001	6.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Leslie (2000)	4 Oct 2000	26.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Jerry (1995)	24 Aug 1995	43.7 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Erin (1995)	2 Aug 1995	47.6 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Gordon (1994)	21 Nov 1994	14.4 mi	TS / TD	23 kt
Keith (1988)	23 Nov 1988	37.5 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Bob (1985)	24 Jul 1985	44.4 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Dennis (1981)	19 Aug 1981	20.1 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1981)	3 Jul 1981	27.2 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
David (1979)	4 Sep 1979	26.4 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	13 Sep 1976	22.3 mi	TS / TD	15 kt
Unnamed Storm (1974)	25 Jun 1974	23.6 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Jenny (1969)	4 Oct 1969	27.9 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1968)	31 Aug 1968	39.6 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Dolly (1968)	10 Aug 1968	36.5 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Brenda (1968)	19 Jun 1968	3.4 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Abby (1968)	6 Jun 1968	35.3 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1965)	18 Oct 1965	46.1 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Cleo (1964)	28 Aug 1964	6.5 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Donna (1960)	11 Sep 1960	21.0 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1959)	18 Jun 1959	5.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1956)	16 Oct 1956	29.2 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
King (1950)	18 Oct 1950	23.2 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Easy (1950)	6 Sep 1950	33.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	2 Nov 1946	41.1 mi	TS / TD	26 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	16 Sep 1945	32.4 mi	Cat 1	69 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	30 Aug 1937	31.6 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	30 Jul 1937	33.4 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Unnamed Storm (1936)	21 Aug 1936	24.8 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1930)	10 Sep 1930	26.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	8 Aug 1928	46.0 mi	TS / TD	46 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	28 Jul 1926	27.8 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1921)	26 Oct 1921	16.2 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1921)	16 Oct 1921	46.6 mi	TS / TD	34 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	26 Aug 1916	20.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	1 Aug 1915	15.6 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1910)	18 Oct 1910	46.7 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	30 Aug 1909	2.6 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	21 Oct 1906	24.9 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	17 Oct 1906	33.1 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	5 Oct 1899	29.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1897)	21 Sep 1897	4.5 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	26 Sep 1894	19.7 mi	TS / TD	61 kt
Unnamed Storm (1892)	25 Oct 1892	48.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1887)	30 Oct 1887	26.6 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	24 Aug 1885	42.8 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	29 Aug 1880	26.0 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	23 Sep 1873	36.7 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1872)	23 Oct 1872	5.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	25 Aug 1871	27.8 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	17 Aug 1871	42.9 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1861)	1 Nov 1861	43.7 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Unnamed Storm (1859)	28 Oct 1859	18.4 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1858)	14 Sep 1858	8.5 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	12 Sep 1852	24.8 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	37.6 mi	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1891)	Post-tropical	10 Oct 1891	33.0 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 Seminole County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Seminole County, Florida ranks #79 — more exposed than 96.4% of them. Within Florida it ranks #34 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1926) passed 28 miles away on 28 July 1926 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1880) passed 26 miles away on 29 August 1880 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1885) passed 43 miles away on 24 August 1885 as a hurricane, reaching 86 kt (99 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 David (1979) passed 26 miles away on 4 September 1979 as a hurricane, reaching 85 kt (98 mph) while within 50 miles.

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

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 2.7 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 64 storms spread over the 174 years from 1852 to 2025. 8 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; 36 of the 53 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Seminole County, Florida?

16 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Seminole County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1852. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 64.

When was the last hurricane in Seminole County, Florida?

Milton (2024), on 10 October 2024, passing 31 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 Seminole County, Florida?

Unnamed Storm (1926), which reached 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 28 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Seminole County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.7 years — 64 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

Seminole County, Florida borders or sits close to 4 other counties with a published storm record. Lake County, Florida has 73 on record.

Lake County, Florida73 storms within 50 mi Orange County, Florida68 storms within 50 mi Volusia County, Florida67 storms within 50 mi Brevard County, Florida63 storms within 50 mi