Volusia County, Florida Hurricane History

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

Since 1852, 67 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Volusia County, Florida — about one every 2.6 years. Of those, 17 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Matthew (2016), which passed 43 miles away on 7 October 2016.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.6

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 · 3Cat 2 · 3Cat 1 · 13TS / TD · 48

The 67 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 3 of them reached Cat 3.

Key facts

Most recentMatthew (2016) — 43 mi away, 7 October 2016
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1893) — 105 kt (121 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordCleo (1964) — 0.9 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Unnamed Storm (1893) — 37.8 miles
Passes within 25 miles35 of 67
Peak monthOctober — 20 storms (30% of all)
Most active year1968 — 5 storms
Most active decade1960s — 9 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi3
Record span1852–2016

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Volusia County, Florida, October is the most active month, with 20 of the 67 recorded storms (30%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 79% of all activity. The 1960s was the most active decade on record, with 9 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	0	6	5	15	18	20	3	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1850s to 2010s. Decades with no storms are shown as empty columns. Comparing two equal 38-year windows inside the aircraft-reconnaissance era: 23 storms in 1950–1987 against 12 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s
3	0	6	2	5	3	3	2	4	4	5	9	4	5	1	8	3

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Matthew (2016)	7 Oct 2016	43.3 mi	Cat 3	102 kt
Julia (2016)	13 Sep 2016	4.6 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Debby (2012)	27 Jun 2012	30.8 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Fay (2008)	21 Aug 2008	16.7 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Ernesto (2006)	31 Aug 2006	40.5 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Tammy (2005)	5 Oct 2005	28.3 mi	TS / TD	44 kt
Charley (2004)	14 Aug 2004	3.7 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Henri (2003)	6 Sep 2003	18.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Edouard (2002)	5 Sep 2002	19.9 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Gabrielle (2001)	15 Sep 2001	31.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Leslie (2000)	4 Oct 2000	7.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Gordon (1994)	21 Nov 1994	6.7 mi	TS / TD	22 kt
Bob (1985)	24 Jul 1985	46.0 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Dennis (1981)	19 Aug 1981	21.9 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1981)	3 Jul 1981	23.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1980)	18 Nov 1980	35.9 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1980)	18 Jul 1980	30.8 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
David (1979)	4 Sep 1979	22.0 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	13 Sep 1976	20.6 mi	TS / TD	18 kt
Unnamed Storm (1974)	25 Jun 1974	10.8 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1973)	26 Sep 1973	41.3 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Jenny (1969)	4 Oct 1969	3.0 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Gladys (1968)	19 Oct 1968	42.6 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1968)	31 Aug 1968	28.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Dolly (1968)	10 Aug 1968	42.0 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Brenda (1968)	19 Jun 1968	7.8 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Abby (1968)	6 Jun 1968	23.9 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1965)	18 Oct 1965	21.7 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Cleo (1964)	28 Aug 1964	0.9 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Donna (1960)	11 Sep 1960	12.1 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1959)	18 Jun 1959	21.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1956)	16 Oct 1956	33.0 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1953)	21 Sep 1953	44.8 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
King (1950)	18 Oct 1950	33.3 mi	Cat 1	69 kt
Easy (1950)	6 Sep 1950	28.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	2 Nov 1946	47.9 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	16 Sep 1945	26.5 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	24 Jun 1945	31.2 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1944)	19 Oct 1944	44.7 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	30 Aug 1937	7.4 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	30 Jul 1937	12.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1936)	21 Aug 1936	0.9 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1930)	10 Sep 1930	8.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	28 Jul 1926	10.5 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1921)	26 Oct 1921	10.0 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	26 Aug 1916	22.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	1 Aug 1915	2.4 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1910)	18 Oct 1910	44.6 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	30 Aug 1909	16.3 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	21 Oct 1906	20.5 mi	TS / TD	36 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	17 Oct 1906	38.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	5 Oct 1899	10.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1897)	21 Sep 1897	15.2 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	26 Sep 1894	11.4 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	13 Oct 1893	37.8 mi	Cat 3	105 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	27 Aug 1893	47.4 mi	Cat 3	102 kt
Unnamed Storm (1887)	30 Oct 1887	5.6 mi	TS / TD	36 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	24 Aug 1885	38.5 mi	Cat 2	88 kt
Unnamed Storm (1879)	28 Oct 1879	45.8 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	10 Sep 1878	44.6 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	27 Oct 1877	45.9 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	23 Sep 1873	18.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1872)	23 Oct 1872	25.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	25 Aug 1871	46.8 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1859)	28 Oct 1859	43.1 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1858)	15 Sep 1858	24.4 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	12 Sep 1852	49.6 mi	TS / TD	50 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
Unnamed Storm (1920)	Post-tropical	30 Sep 1920	36.7 mi	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	Post-tropical	4 Oct 1912	12.7 mi	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1891)	Post-tropical	10 Oct 1891	44.0 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 Volusia County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Volusia County, Florida ranks #58 — more exposed than 97.4% of them. Within Florida it ranks #21 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 3 Unnamed (October 1893) passed 38 miles away on 13 October 1893 as a hurricane, reaching 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Matthew (2016) passed 43 miles away on 7 October 2016 as a hurricane, reaching 104 kt (120 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed (August 1893) passed 47 miles away on 27 August 1893 as a hurricane, reaching 104 kt (120 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1926) passed 11 miles away on 28 July 1926 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.

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

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 2.6 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 67 storms spread over the 174 years from 1852 to 2025. 9 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 9 years since the last one; 1 of the 54 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Volusia County, Florida?

17 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Volusia County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1852. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 67.

When was the last hurricane in Volusia County, Florida?

Matthew (2016), on 7 October 2016, passing 43 miles away — 10 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Matthew (2016) in 2016.

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

Unnamed Storm (1893), which reached 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 38 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Volusia County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.6 years — 67 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

Volusia County, Florida borders or sits close to 7 other counties with a published storm record. Lake County, Florida has 73 on record.

Lake County, Florida73 storms within 50 mi Marion County, Florida71 storms within 50 mi Flagler County, Florida69 storms within 50 mi Orange County, Florida68 storms within 50 mi Putnam County, Florida65 storms within 50 mi Seminole County, Florida64 storms within 50 mi Brevard County, Florida63 storms within 50 mi