Suwannee County, Florida Hurricane History

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

Since 1867, 67 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Suwannee County, Florida — about one every 2.4 years. Of those, 9 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Helene (2024), which passed 39 miles away on 27 September 2024.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.4

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 · 2Cat 2 · 2Cat 1 · 5TS / TD · 57

The 67 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 4.

Key facts

Most recentHelene (2024) — 39 mi away, 27 September 2024
Strongest stormHelene (2024) — 120 kt (138 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1885) — 1.7 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Idalia (2023) — 20.8 miles
Passes within 25 miles31 of 67
Peak monthSeptember — 22 storms (33% of all)
Most active year1871 — 4 storms
Most active decade1880s — 8 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi3
Record span1867–2024

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Suwannee County, Florida, September is the most active month, with 22 of the 67 recorded storms (33%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 75% of all activity. The 1880s was the most active decade on record, with 8 storms. 3 of the 67 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	4	7	4	12	22	16	2	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: 13 storms in 1950–1987 against 20 in 1988–2025.

1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
2	7	8	2	2	0	3	6	4	4	4	4	1	4	5	4	7

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Helene (2024)	27 Sep 2024	39.0 mi	Cat 3	108 kt
Debby (2024)	5 Aug 2024	8.9 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Idalia (2023)	30 Aug 2023	20.8 mi	Cat 2	93 kt
Nicole (2022)	10 Nov 2022	47.8 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Mindy (2021)	9 Sep 2021	39.6 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Elsa (2021)	7 Jul 2021	25.5 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Eta (2020)	12 Nov 2020	44.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Irma (2017)	11 Sep 2017	7.7 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Colin (2016)	7 Jun 2016	9.5 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Andrea (2013)	7 Jun 2013	16.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Beryl (2012)	28 May 2012	20.8 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Fay (2008)	22 Aug 2008	26.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Alberto (2006)	13 Jun 2006	30.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Jeanne (2004)	27 Sep 2004	19.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Bonnie (2004)	12 Aug 2004	39.0 mi	TS / TD	29 kt
Gordon (2000)	18 Sep 2000	13.5 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Georges (1998)	1 Oct 1998	21.5 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Josephine (1996)	8 Oct 1996	19.1 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Jerry (1995)	25 Aug 1995	14.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Marco (1990)	12 Oct 1990	2.9 mi	TS / TD	23 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	16 Aug 1987	44.5 mi	TS / TD	13 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	23 May 1976	14.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1973)	26 Sep 1973	47.6 mi	TD	—
Alpha (1972)	28 May 1972	17.0 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Alma (1970)	25 May 1970	26.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1966)	2 Jul 1966	2.9 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Alma (1966)	10 Jun 1966	49.1 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Dora (1964)	10 Sep 1964	11.9 mi	TS / TD	54 kt
Brenda (1960)	29 Jul 1960	8.4 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1957)	9 Jun 1957	44.4 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Love (1950)	21 Oct 1950	6.5 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
King (1950)	19 Oct 1950	18.2 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Easy (1950)	7 Sep 1950	47.9 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	27 Aug 1949	9.0 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	7 Oct 1947	42.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	8 Oct 1946	46.2 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	21 Oct 1941	48.0 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	21 Sep 1937	9.6 mi	TS / TD	22 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	31 Aug 1937	34.5 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1936)	22 Aug 1936	23.5 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	5 Sep 1935	18.6 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	5 Sep 1933	26.4 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1932)	15 Sep 1932	16.0 mi	TS / TD	44 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	29 Jul 1926	31.8 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	29 Sep 1924	38.7 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	16 Sep 1924	38.7 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1902)	15 Jun 1902	30.0 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1900)	12 Oct 1900	30.2 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1896)	29 Sep 1896	24.9 mi	Cat 3	98 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	16 Jun 1893	13.4 mi	TS / TD	49 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	11 Oct 1888	49.0 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	9 Sep 1888	8.3 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	12 Oct 1885	6.3 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	30 Sep 1885	1.7 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	21 Sep 1885	27.0 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	31 Aug 1885	48.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	11 Oct 1882	8.9 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	8 Sep 1880	8.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	11 Oct 1878	42.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1874)	28 Sep 1874	49.4 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	19 Sep 1873	42.8 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	5 Oct 1871	30.1 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	6 Sep 1871	49.7 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	26 Aug 1871	46.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	18 Aug 1871	36.7 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1868)	4 Oct 1868	37.9 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1867)	6 Oct 1867	35.7 mi	TS / TD	55 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 (1947)	Post-tropical	24 Sep 1947	39.6 mi	48 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1867–2025. 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.

Storms that came back

1 named storm in this record passed Suwannee County, Florida more than once.

Alma — 2 passes (1966, 1970)

How Suwannee County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Suwannee County, Florida ranks #57 — more exposed than 97.4% of them. Within Florida it ranks #20 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 4 Helene (2024) passed 39 miles away on 27 September 2024 as a hurricane, reaching 120 kt (138 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Idalia (2023) passed 21 miles away on 30 August 2023 as a hurricane, reaching 100 kt (115 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1896) passed 25 miles away on 29 September 1896 as a hurricane, reaching 100 kt (115 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1935) passed 19 miles away on 5 September 1935 as a hurricane, reaching 85 kt (98 mph) while within 50 miles.

62 of the 67 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 2.4 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 67 storms spread over the 159 years from 1867 to 2025. 10 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while decades have gone by with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 22 years, between 1902 and 1924. It has been 1 year since the last one; 36 of the 51 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Suwannee County, Florida?

9 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Suwannee County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1867. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 67.

When was the last hurricane in Suwannee County, Florida?

Helene (2024), on 27 September 2024, passing 39 miles away — 2 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Helene (2024) in 2024.

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

Helene (2024), which reached 120 kt (138 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 39 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Suwannee County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.4 years — 67 storms over the 159 years from 1867 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

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

Lafayette County, Florida70 storms within 50 mi Madison County, Florida67 storms within 50 mi Columbia County, Florida65 storms within 50 mi Gilchrist County, Florida64 storms within 50 mi Hamilton County, Florida64 storms within 50 mi