Washington County, Florida Hurricane History

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

Since 1851, 55 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Washington County, Florida — about one every 3.2 years. Of those, 19 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Fred (2021), which passed 15 miles away on 17 August 2021.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

3.2

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 5 · 1Cat 3 · 4Cat 2 · 5Cat 1 · 11TS / TD · 34

The 55 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 5.

Key facts

Most recentFred (2021) — 15 mi away, 17 August 2021
Strongest stormMichael (2018) — 140 kt (161 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordTammy (2005) — 0.7 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Unnamed Storm (1851) — 22.3 miles
Passes within 25 miles26 of 55
Peak monthSeptember — 19 storms (35% of all)
Most active year1885 — 3 storms
Most active decade1880s and 1900s — 6 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi5
Record span1851–2021

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Washington County, Florida, September is the most active month, with 19 of the 55 recorded storms (35%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 76% of all activity. The 1880s and 1900s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 6 storms. 5 of the 55 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	1	5	5	17	19	6	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 12 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
2	0	3	6	4	6	5	2	3	1	4	2	3	2	4	5	2	1

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Fred (2021)	17 Aug 2021	15.2 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Michael (2018)	10 Oct 2018	27.3 mi	Cat 4	126 kt
Alberto (2018)	28 May 2018	23.6 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Claudette (2009)	17 Aug 2009	45.5 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Fay (2008)	23 Aug 2008	14.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Tammy (2005)	6 Oct 2005	0.7 mi	TS / TD	12 kt
Barry (2001)	6 Aug 2001	40.8 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Helene (2000)	22 Sep 2000	37.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Georges (1998)	30 Sep 1998	7.3 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Earl (1998)	3 Sep 1998	25.3 mi	Cat 1	66 kt
Beryl (1994)	16 Aug 1994	24.4 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Alberto (1994)	3 Jul 1994	38.4 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	15 Aug 1987	42.7 mi	TS / TD	15 kt
Kate (1985)	21 Nov 1985	42.3 mi	Cat 1	82 kt
Eloise (1975)	23 Sep 1975	32.7 mi	Cat 3	101 kt
Agnes (1972)	20 Jun 1972	28.0 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Becky (1970)	22 Jul 1970	26.1 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1969)	21 Sep 1969	21.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1965)	15 Jun 1965	37.2 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Debbie (1957)	8 Sep 1957	11.6 mi	TS / TD	34 kt
Flossy (1956)	25 Sep 1956	6.4 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Florence (1953)	26 Sep 1953	20.6 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Alice (1953)	6 Jun 1953	11.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	7 Oct 1947	14.0 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1939)	13 Aug 1939	39.8 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	31 Aug 1937	10.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1936)	22 Aug 1936	18.3 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Unnamed Storm (1929)	1 Oct 1929	20.7 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	14 Aug 1928	33.1 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1917)	29 Sep 1917	29.0 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	4 Sep 1915	18.7 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Unnamed Storm (1914)	18 Sep 1914	26.4 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	16 Jul 1912	49.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	4 Aug 1911	29.9 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	28 Sep 1907	27.7 mi	TS / TD	44 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	29 Jun 1907	20.8 mi	TS / TD	49 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	12 Jun 1906	4.9 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	3 Nov 1904	14.8 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1903)	14 Sep 1903	8.1 mi	Cat 1	73 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	17 Sep 1901	32.6 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	2 Aug 1899	16.6 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	3 Aug 1898	17.3 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1896)	7 Jul 1896	28.9 mi	Cat 1	77 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	9 Oct 1894	29.3 mi	Cat 3	105 kt
Unnamed Storm (1887)	27 Jul 1887	43.4 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	29 Sep 1885	4.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	21 Sep 1885	41.7 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	31 Aug 1885	31.7 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	10 Sep 1882	43.0 mi	Cat 2	88 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	31 Aug 1880	34.1 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	3 Oct 1877	40.3 mi	Cat 2	87 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	20 Sep 1877	2.7 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1875)	27 Sep 1875	27.5 mi	TS / TD	46 kt
Unnamed Storm (1856)	31 Aug 1856	10.1 mi	Cat 2	83 kt
Unnamed Storm (1851)	23 Aug 1851	22.3 mi	Cat 2	93 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 5 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
Fay (2020)	Remnant low	6 Jul 2020	31.9 mi	23 kt
Nestor (2019)	Post-tropical	19 Oct 2019	31.6 mi	39 kt
Five (2010)	Remnant low	16 Aug 2010	15.9 mi	20 kt
Ida (2009)	Post-tropical	11 Nov 2009	11.2 mi	25 kt
Hilda (1964)	Post-tropical	5 Oct 1964	5.1 mi	49 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1851–2025. 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 Washington County, Florida more than once.

Alberto — 2 passes (1994, 2018)

How Washington County, Florida compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Washington County, Florida ranks #151 — more exposed than 93.2% of them. Within Florida it ranks #62 of 67, against a state average of 63.4 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 5 Michael (2018) passed 27 miles away on 10 October 2018 as a hurricane, reaching 140 kt (161 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Eloise (1975) passed 33 miles away on 23 September 1975 as a hurricane, reaching 110 kt (127 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1894) passed 29 miles away on 9 October 1894 as a hurricane, reaching 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1877) passed 40 miles away on 3 October 1877 as a hurricane, reaching 100 kt (115 mph) while within 50 miles.

51 of the 55 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 3.2 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 55 storms spread over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025. 7 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 19 years, between 1856 and 1875. It has been 4 years since the last one; 11 of the 46 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Washington County, Florida?

19 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Washington County, Florida at hurricane strength since 1851. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 55.

When was the last hurricane in Washington County, Florida?

Michael (2018), on 10 October 2018, passing 27 miles away — 8 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Fred (2021) in 2021.

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

Michael (2018), which reached 140 kt (161 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 27 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Washington County, Florida?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 3.2 years — 55 storms over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Washington County, Florida borders or sits close to 4 other counties with a published storm record. Jackson County, Florida has 58 on record.

Jackson County, Florida58 storms within 50 mi Walton County, Florida55 storms within 50 mi Holmes County, Florida54 storms within 50 mi Bay County, Florida53 storms within 50 mi