Wakulla County, Florida Hurricane History

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

Since 1852, 61 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Wakulla County, Florida — about one every 2.9 years. Of those, 16 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Helene (2024), which passed 40 miles away on 27 September 2024.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.9

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 · 1Cat 2 · 5Cat 1 · 10TS / TD · 44

The 61 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 4.

Key facts

Most recentHelene (2024) — 40 mi away, 27 September 2024
Strongest stormHelene (2024) — 120 kt (138 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1928) — 0.8 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Helene (2024) — 39.9 miles
Passes within 25 miles36 of 61
Peak monthSeptember — 17 storms (28% of all)
Most active year1885 — 3 storms
Most active decade1880s — 7 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi2
Record span1852–2024

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Wakulla County, Florida, September is the most active month, with 17 of the 61 recorded storms (28%). Activity concentrates in June, August and September, together 72% of all storms. The 1880s was the most active decade on record, with 7 storms. 2 of the 61 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	2	12	1	15	17	12	2	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: 11 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
1	2	6	7	4	6	0	5	4	2	1	2	4	4	3	4	2	4

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Helene (2024)	27 Sep 2024	39.9 mi	Cat 4	120 kt
Idalia (2023)	30 Aug 2023	47.3 mi	Cat 3	100 kt
Nicole (2022)	11 Nov 2022	20.4 mi	TS / TD	34 kt
Mindy (2021)	9 Sep 2021	6.2 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Hermine (2016)	2 Sep 2016	14.8 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Colin (2016)	7 Jun 2016	41.9 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Fay (2008)	23 Aug 2008	22.6 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Alberto (2006)	13 Jun 2006	38.6 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Frances (2004)	6 Sep 2004	19.0 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Bonnie (2004)	12 Aug 2004	5.8 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Georges (1998)	30 Sep 1998	36.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Josephine (1996)	8 Oct 1996	26.1 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Allison (1995)	5 Jun 1995	9.5 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	16 Aug 1987	9.1 mi	TS / TD	15 kt
Charley (1986)	13 Aug 1986	21.5 mi	TS / TD	10 kt
Kate (1985)	22 Nov 1985	36.1 mi	Cat 1	78 kt
Unnamed Storm (1980)	19 Jul 1980	43.6 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	23 May 1976	29.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Alpha (1972)	28 May 1972	29.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1971)	14 Oct 1971	38.9 mi	TD	—
Unnamed Storm (1971)	16 Aug 1971	22.4 mi	TD	—
Alma (1966)	9 Jun 1966	9.5 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Dora (1964)	11 Sep 1964	17.3 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1957)	9 Jun 1957	7.2 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	8 Oct 1947	23.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	7 Oct 1941	14.9 mi	Cat 1	77 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	21 Sep 1937	13.7 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	31 Aug 1937	6.9 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1936)	22 Aug 1936	5.4 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1932)	15 Sep 1932	18.4 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1929)	1 Oct 1929	49.6 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	14 Aug 1928	24.3 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	10 Aug 1928	0.8 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	29 Sep 1924	22.4 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	15 Sep 1924	4.7 mi	TS / TD	51 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	30 Jun 1909	8.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	28 Sep 1907	45.5 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Jun 1907	36.1 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1902)	14 Jun 1902	44.3 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	28 Sep 1901	12.7 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	13 Jun 1901	16.4 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	1 Aug 1899	33.1 mi	Cat 1	81 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	2 Aug 1898	37.8 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	9 Oct 1894	46.7 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	15 Jun 1893	37.2 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	30 Jun 1886	19.1 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	21 Jun 1886	21.5 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	29 Sep 1885	17.6 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	21 Sep 1885	17.3 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	31 Aug 1885	28.3 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	8 Sep 1880	49.6 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	31 Aug 1880	35.9 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	10 Oct 1878	19.1 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	3 Oct 1877	37.3 mi	Cat 1	77 kt
Unnamed Storm (1875)	27 Sep 1875	43.8 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1873)	19 Sep 1873	13.4 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	5 Oct 1871	17.4 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	26 Aug 1871	19.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1868)	4 Oct 1868	16.2 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1867)	6 Oct 1867	43.5 mi	Cat 1	73 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	9 Oct 1852	7.5 mi	Cat 2	87 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
Nestor (2019)	Post-tropical	19 Oct 2019	48.9 mi	38 kt
Hilda (1964)	Post-tropical	5 Oct 1964	49.0 mi	45 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 Wakulla County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Wakulla County, Florida ranks #106 — more exposed than 95.2% of them. Within Florida it ranks #49 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 4 Helene (2024) passed 40 miles away on 27 September 2024 as a hurricane, reaching 120 kt (138 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Idalia (2023) passed 47 miles away on 30 August 2023 as a hurricane, reaching 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1894) passed 47 miles away on 9 October 1894 as a hurricane, reaching 91 kt (105 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1852) passed 8 miles away on 9 October 1852 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.

56 of the 61 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 2.9 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 61 storms spread over the 174 years from 1852 to 2025. 12 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 15 years, between 1852 and 1867. It has been 1 year since the last one; 32 of the 47 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Wakulla County, Florida?

16 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Wakulla County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1852. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 61.

When was the last hurricane in Wakulla County, Florida?

Helene (2024), on 27 September 2024, passing 40 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 Wakulla County, Florida?

Helene (2024), which reached 120 kt (138 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 40 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Wakulla County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.9 years — 61 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

Wakulla County, Florida borders or sits close to 4 other counties with a published storm record. Jefferson County, Florida has 63 on record.

Jefferson County, Florida63 storms within 50 mi Leon County, Florida62 storms within 50 mi Franklin County, Florida61 storms within 50 mi Liberty County, Florida58 storms within 50 mi