York County, Maine Hurricane History
Since 1858, 20 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of York County, Maine — about one every 8.4 years. Of those, 5 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Bertha (1996), which passed 25 miles away on 14 July 1996.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentBertha (1996) — 25 mi away, 14 July 1996
- Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1869) — 90 kt (104 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordAble (1952) — 4.4 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
- Passes within 25 miles11 of 20
- Peak monthSeptember — 10 storms (50% of all)
- Most active year1861 — 2 storms
- Most active decade1860s and 1960s — 4 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
- Record span1858–1996
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
Activity by decade
| 1850s | 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bertha (1996) | 14 Jul 1996 | 25.1 mi | TS / TD | 58 kt |
| Bob (1991) | 19 Aug 1991 | 37.7 mi | Cat 1 | 68 kt |
| Gloria (1985) | 27 Sep 1985 | 41.2 mi | TS / TD | 62 kt |
| Esther (1961) | 26 Sep 1961 | 35.7 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1961) | 15 Sep 1961 | 8.2 mi | TS / TD | 59 kt |
| Donna (1960) | 13 Sep 1960 | 5.7 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Brenda (1960) | 31 Jul 1960 | 23.9 mi | TS / TD | 39 kt |
| Able (1952) | 2 Sep 1952 | 4.4 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1923) | 19 Oct 1923 | 35.0 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1916) | 21 Jul 1916 | 31.8 mi | TS / TD | 44 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1908) | 31 May 1908 | 7.3 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1897) | 24 Sep 1897 | 9.4 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1894) | 10 Oct 1894 | 19.2 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1893) | 29 Aug 1893 | 43.1 mi | TS / TD | 51 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1874) | 30 Sep 1874 | 8.3 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1869) | 4 Oct 1869 | 34.2 mi | Cat 2 | 90 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1869) | 9 Sep 1869 | 6.5 mi | Cat 1 | 75 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1861) | 3 Nov 1861 | 10.6 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1861) | 28 Sep 1861 | 31.4 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1858) | 16 Sep 1858 | 16.7 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
Post-tropical and extratropical passes
A further 14 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. Showing the 8 most recent.
| Storm | Status | Closest approach | Distance | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barry (2007) | Post-tropical | 5 Jun 2007 | 25.3 mi | 33 kt |
| Hermine (2004) | Post-tropical | 31 Aug 2004 | 24.1 mi | 25 kt |
| Floyd (1999) | Post-tropical | 17 Sep 1999 | 9.4 mi | 45 kt |
| Chris (1988) | Post-tropical | 30 Aug 1988 | 22.7 mi | 20 kt |
| Gracie (1959) | Post-tropical | 2 Oct 1959 | 34.0 mi | 25 kt |
| Carol (1954) | Post-tropical | 31 Aug 1954 | 35.0 mi | 75 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1945) | Post-tropical | 19 Sep 1945 | 15.7 mi | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1934) | Post-tropical | 9 Sep 1934 | 22.7 mi | 38 kt |
How York County, Maine compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, York County, Maine ranks #785 — more exposed than 64.4% of them. Within Maine it ranks #1 of 16, against a state average of 12.1 storms per county.
Notable storms
- Cat 2 Unnamed (October 1869) passed 34 miles away on 4 October 1869 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Unnamed (September 1869) passed 7 miles away on 9 September 1869 as a hurricane, reaching 80 kt (92 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Bob (1991) passed 38 miles away on 19 August 1991 as a hurricane, reaching 68 kt (78 mph) while within 50 miles.
- TS / TD Gloria (1985) passed 41 miles away on 27 September 1985 as a hurricane, reaching 62 kt (71 mph) while within 50 miles.
20 of the 20 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 8.4 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 20 storms spread over the 168 years from 1858 to 2025. 4 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while decades have gone by with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 29 years, between 1923 and 1952. It has been 29 years since the last one; 0 of the 15 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit York County, Maine?
5 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of York County, Maine at hurricane strength since 1858. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 20.
When was the last hurricane in York County, Maine?
Bob (1991), on 19 August 1991, passing 38 miles away — 35 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Bertha (1996) in 1996.
What was the strongest storm to affect York County, Maine?
Unnamed Storm (1869), which reached 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 34 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit York County, Maine?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 8.4 years — 20 storms over the 168 years from 1858 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.
Nearby counties
York County, Maine borders or sits close to 6 other counties with a published storm record. Rockingham County, New Hampshire has 21 on record.