St. Lucie County, Florida Hurricane History

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

Since 1861, 72 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of St. Lucie County, Florida — about one every 2.3 years. Of those, 25 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Nicole (2022), which passed 18 miles away on 10 November 2022.

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 · 1Cat 3 · 5Cat 2 · 9Cat 1 · 12TS / TD · 45

The 72 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 4.

Key facts

Most recentNicole (2022) — 18 mi away, 10 November 2022
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1928) — 120 kt (138 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordDolly (1968) — 2.0 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Jeanne (2004) — 9.4 miles
Passes within 25 miles40 of 72
Peak monthAugust and October — 21 storms (29% of all)
Most active year1871 — 2 storms
Most active decade1950s and 1960s — 8 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi6
Record span1861–2022

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In St. Lucie County, Florida, August and October are tied as the most active months, with 21 of the 72 recorded storms (29%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 76% of all activity. The 1950s and 1960s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 8 storms. 6 of the 72 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	7	21	13	21	5	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1860s to 2020s. Decades with no storms are shown as empty columns. Comparing two equal 38-year windows inside the aircraft-reconnaissance era: 27 storms in 1950–1987 against 17 in 1988–2025.

1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
2	6	3	4	2	1	4	3	3	8	8	5	7	5	6	3	2

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Nicole (2022)	10 Nov 2022	17.6 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Ian (2022)	29 Sep 2022	45.9 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Three (2019)	23 Jul 2019	44.0 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Emily (2017)	1 Aug 2017	26.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Julia (2016)	13 Sep 2016	10.2 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Fay (2008)	20 Aug 2008	28.6 mi	TS / TD	54 kt
Ernesto (2006)	30 Aug 2006	23.9 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Wilma (2005)	24 Oct 2005	38.6 mi	Cat 3	100 kt
Tammy (2005)	5 Oct 2005	39.5 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Jeanne (2004)	26 Sep 2004	9.4 mi	Cat 3	100 kt
Frances (2004)	5 Sep 2004	5.5 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Irene (1999)	16 Oct 1999	18.1 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Mitch (1998)	5 Nov 1998	34.3 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Jerry (1995)	24 Aug 1995	6.5 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Erin (1995)	2 Aug 1995	21.3 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Gordon (1994)	16 Nov 1994	19.6 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Chris (1988)	28 Aug 1988	37.3 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Bob (1985)	24 Jul 1985	7.8 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1984)	26 Oct 1984	17.1 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Isidore (1984)	27 Sep 1984	6.5 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Barry (1983)	25 Aug 1983	37.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Dennis (1981)	18 Aug 1981	34.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1981)	2 Jul 1981	3.0 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
David (1979)	3 Sep 1979	10.7 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Dottie (1976)	19 Aug 1976	24.2 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	11 Jun 1976	27.5 mi	TS / TD	22 kt
Unnamed Storm (1974)	7 Oct 1974	33.4 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1971)	13 Aug 1971	46.8 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Jenny (1969)	3 Oct 1969	48.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Gerda (1969)	7 Sep 1969	13.8 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Dolly (1968)	10 Aug 1968	2.0 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Brenda (1968)	19 Jun 1968	49.1 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Isbell (1964)	15 Oct 1964	37.4 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Cleo (1964)	27 Aug 1964	7.0 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Alma (1962)	26 Aug 1962	15.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Florence (1960)	24 Sep 1960	3.0 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Judith (1959)	18 Oct 1959	26.5 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1956)	16 Oct 1956	16.1 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1954)	20 Jun 1954	11.8 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Hazel (1953)	9 Oct 1953	17.4 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1953)	12 Jul 1953	4.8 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1952)	3 Feb 1952	36.8 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
How (1951)	2 Oct 1951	7.6 mi	TS / TD	49 kt
King (1950)	18 Oct 1950	39.3 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	27 Aug 1949	32.3 mi	Cat 2	95 kt
Unnamed Storm (1948)	22 Sep 1948	20.3 mi	Cat 1	81 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	2 Nov 1946	20.8 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1939)	12 Aug 1939	6.1 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	4 Sep 1933	18.7 mi	Cat 3	102 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	30 Jul 1933	19.3 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	17 Sep 1928	29.8 mi	Cat 3	108 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	8 Aug 1928	7.9 mi	Cat 1	76 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	27 Jul 1926	34.8 mi	Cat 2	91 kt
Unnamed Storm (1921)	16 Oct 1921	45.1 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	25 Aug 1916	18.9 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	26 Sep 1909	28.6 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	29 Jun 1909	36.9 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	2 Aug 1898	12.7 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1896)	9 Oct 1896	6.7 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1892)	25 Oct 1892	48.9 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1891)	7 Oct 1891	20.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1889)	6 Oct 1889	24.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	8 Sep 1888	31.1 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	24 Aug 1885	25.4 mi	Cat 1	73 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	2 Jul 1878	36.8 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1876)	20 Oct 1876	9.0 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	7 Oct 1873	31.2 mi	Cat 2	84 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	25 Aug 1871	21.2 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	17 Aug 1871	12.4 mi	Cat 2	88 kt
Unnamed Storm (1870)	21 Oct 1870	6.1 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1865)	23 Oct 1865	48.7 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1861)	1 Nov 1861	31.9 mi	TS / TD	52 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	12.7 mi	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1925)	Post-tropical	1 Dec 1925	31.9 mi	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1891)	Post-tropical	10 Oct 1891	45.9 mi	30 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1861–2025. 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 St. Lucie County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, St. Lucie County, Florida ranks #27 — more exposed than 98.8% of them. Within Florida it ranks #6 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 4 Unnamed Storm (1928) passed 30 miles away on 17 September 1928 as a hurricane, reaching 120 kt (138 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1949) passed 32 miles away on 27 August 1949 as a hurricane, reaching 110 kt (127 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1933) passed 19 miles away on 4 September 1933 as a hurricane, reaching 110 kt (127 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Jeanne (2004) passed 9 miles away on 26 September 2004 as a hurricane, reaching 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles.

54 of the 72 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 72 storms spread over the 165 years from 1861 to 2025. 15 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 11 years, between 1898 and 1909. It has been 3 years since the last one; 15 of the 56 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit St. Lucie County, Florida?

25 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of St. Lucie County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1861. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 72.

When was the last hurricane in St. Lucie County, Florida?

Nicole (2022), on 10 November 2022, passing 18 miles away — 4 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Nicole (2022) in 2022.

What was the strongest storm to affect St. Lucie County, Florida?

Unnamed Storm (1928), which reached 120 kt (138 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 30 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit St. Lucie County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.3 years — 72 storms over the 165 years from 1861 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

St. Lucie County, Florida borders or sits close to 4 other counties with a published storm record. Palm Beach County, Florida has 73 on record.

Palm Beach County, Florida73 storms within 50 mi Martin County, Florida72 storms within 50 mi Indian River County, Florida70 storms within 50 mi Okeechobee County, Florida67 storms within 50 mi