Sumter County, Florida Hurricane History

No active tropical cyclones are within 500 miles of Sumter 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 Sumter 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 17 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 · 1Cat 2 · 3Cat 1 · 17TS / TD · 49

The 70 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 3.

Key facts

Most recentNicole (2022) — 17 mi away, 10 November 2022
Strongest stormEasy (1950) — 103 kt (119 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1941) — 1.6 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Easy (1950) — 22.2 miles
Passes within 25 miles37 of 70
Peak monthSeptember — 24 storms (34% of all)
Most active year2004 — 3 storms
Most active decade1940s and 2000s — 8 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi1
Record span1852–2022

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Sumter County, Florida, September is the most active month, with 24 of the 70 recorded storms (34%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 79% of all activity. The 1940s and 2000s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 8 storms. 1 of the 70 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	6	3	14	24	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: 16 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	3	2	4	7	8	4	5	3	4	3	8	1	1

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Nicole (2022)	10 Nov 2022	16.7 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Irma (2017)	11 Sep 2017	18.3 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Barry (2007)	2 Jun 2007	21.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Jeanne (2004)	26 Sep 2004	22.7 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Frances (2004)	6 Sep 2004	43.9 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Charley (2004)	14 Aug 2004	41.4 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Henri (2003)	6 Sep 2003	27.1 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Edouard (2002)	5 Sep 2002	20.2 mi	TS / TD	22 kt
Gabrielle (2001)	14 Sep 2001	39.1 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Leslie (2000)	4 Oct 2000	45.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Jerry (1995)	24 Aug 1995	11.1 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Erin (1995)	2 Aug 1995	31.2 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Gordon (1994)	21 Nov 1994	48.1 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	4 Nov 1987	15.3 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Isidore (1984)	28 Sep 1984	12.4 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1982)	18 Jun 1982	35.6 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1980)	18 Nov 1980	10.2 mi	TS / TD	21 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	13 Sep 1976	34.5 mi	TS / TD	15 kt
Unnamed Storm (1974)	25 Jun 1974	19.5 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1971)	15 Aug 1971	36.3 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Jenny (1969)	4 Oct 1969	10.0 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Gladys (1968)	19 Oct 1968	22.6 mi	Cat 1	78 kt
Unnamed Storm (1968)	31 Aug 1968	14.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1965)	18 Oct 1965	16.0 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Donna (1960)	11 Sep 1960	32.0 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Unnamed Storm (1959)	18 Jun 1959	29.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1953)	20 Sep 1953	19.9 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
King (1950)	18 Oct 1950	26.7 mi	Cat 1	69 kt
Easy (1950)	6 Sep 1950	22.2 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	27 Aug 1949	24.9 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	23 Sep 1947	40.3 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	2 Nov 1946	11.9 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	8 Oct 1946	27.2 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	16 Sep 1945	24.5 mi	Cat 1	69 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	24 Jun 1945	14.4 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1944)	19 Oct 1944	6.0 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	22 Oct 1941	1.6 mi	TS / TD	24 kt
Unnamed Storm (1939)	12 Aug 1939	44.8 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	30 Aug 1937	45.2 mi	TS / TD	49 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	30 Jul 1937	8.1 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1936)	22 Aug 1936	45.1 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1934)	23 Jul 1934	38.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	4 Sep 1933	27.9 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1930)	9 Sep 1930	19.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	17 Sep 1928	6.0 mi	Cat 1	74 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	9 Aug 1928	19.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1921)	26 Oct 1921	9.9 mi	Cat 1	78 kt
Unnamed Storm (1920)	30 Sep 1920	34.6 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	15 May 1916	6.5 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1910)	18 Oct 1910	10.6 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	30 Aug 1909	48.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	29 Jun 1909	21.0 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	21 Oct 1906	31.8 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	5 Oct 1899	16.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1897)	21 Sep 1897	49.7 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	26 Sep 1894	35.4 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	8 Sep 1888	31.8 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1887)	30 Oct 1887	9.7 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	19 Jul 1886	34.6 mi	Cat 1	64 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	8 Oct 1880	37.0 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	30 Aug 1880	14.2 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1879)	27 Oct 1879	37.2 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	10 Sep 1878	19.2 mi	Cat 1	77 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	23 Sep 1873	7.3 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1872)	23 Oct 1872	27.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	25 Aug 1871	6.1 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	17 Aug 1871	7.2 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1859)	28 Oct 1859	45.5 mi	Cat 1	77 kt
Unnamed Storm (1858)	14 Sep 1858	43.7 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	12 Sep 1852	40.6 mi	TS / TD	57 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
Ana (1991)	Remnant low	1 Jul 1991	23.8 mi	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	Post-tropical	4 Oct 1912	27.9 mi	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	Post-tropical	1 Nov 1911	32.7 mi	25 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 Sumter County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Sumter County, Florida ranks #37 — more exposed than 98.3% of them. Within Florida it ranks #12 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 3 Easy (1950) passed 22 miles away on 6 September 1950 as a tropical storm, reaching 103 kt (119 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1921) passed 10 miles away on 26 October 1921 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 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 23 miles away on 19 October 1968 as a hurricane, reaching 85 kt (98 mph) while within 50 miles.

61 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. 11 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 57 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Sumter County, Florida?

18 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Sumter 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 Sumter County, Florida?

Irma (2017), on 11 September 2017, passing 18 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 Sumter County, Florida?

Easy (1950), which reached 103 kt (119 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 22 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Sumter 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

Sumter County, Florida borders or sits close to 6 other counties with a published storm record. Lake County, Florida has 73 on record.

Lake County, Florida73 storms within 50 mi Citrus County, Florida73 storms within 50 mi Marion County, Florida71 storms within 50 mi Pasco County, Florida70 storms within 50 mi Hernando County, Florida66 storms within 50 mi Polk County, Florida62 storms within 50 mi