San Sebastián Municipio, Puerto Rico Hurricane History

No active tropical cyclones are within 500 miles of San Sebastián Municipio, Puerto Rico as of Thursday, 10 September 2026. Official forecasts at nhc.noaa.gov.

Since 1852, 32 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of San Sebastián Municipio, Puerto Rico — about one every 5.4 years. Of those, 16 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Fiona (2022), which passed 24 miles away on 18 September 2022.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

5.4

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 · 2Cat 3 · 4Cat 2 · 5Cat 1 · 6TS / TD · 15

The 32 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 2 of them reached Cat 4.

Key facts

Most recentFiona (2022) — 24 mi away, 18 September 2022
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1928) — 130 kt (150 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1916) — 2.0 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Unnamed Storm (1899) — 5.3 miles
Passes within 25 miles22 of 32
Peak monthSeptember — 16 storms (50% of all)
Most active year1901 — 2 storms
Most active decade1890s, 1910s, 1950s, 2000s and 2010s — 3 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi6
Record span1852–2022

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In San Sebastián Municipio, Puerto Rico, September is the most active month, with 16 of the 32 recorded storms (50%). The primary season runs July to September, accounting for 91% of all activity. The 1890s, 1910s, 1950s, 2000s and 2010s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 3 storms. 6 of the 32 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	0	4	9	16	1	1	1

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: 6 storms in 1950–1987 against 10 in 1988–2025.

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

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Fiona (2022)	18 Sep 2022	24.4 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Laura (2020)	22 Aug 2020	34.2 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Maria (2017)	20 Sep 2017	15.5 mi	Cat 3	98 kt
Bertha (2014)	2 Aug 2014	49.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Irene (2011)	22 Aug 2011	32.0 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Fay (2008)	15 Aug 2008	28.7 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Olga (2007)	11 Dec 2007	4.7 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Jeanne (2004)	15 Sep 2004	7.2 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Georges (1998)	22 Sep 1998	17.8 mi	Cat 2	92 kt
Hortense (1996)	10 Sep 1996	20.1 mi	Cat 1	69 kt
Gert (1981)	8 Sep 1981	33.9 mi	TS / TD	46 kt
Frederic (1979)	4 Sep 1979	17.1 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Claudette (1979)	18 Jul 1979	5.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Betsy (1956)	12 Aug 1956	14.7 mi	Cat 1	82 kt
Dolly (1953)	8 Sep 1953	37.1 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Baker (1950)	23 Aug 1950	16.8 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1932)	27 Sep 1932	10.1 mi	Cat 2	95 kt
Unnamed Storm (1931)	11 Sep 1931	12.4 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	14 Sep 1928	6.6 mi	Cat 4	120 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	24 Jul 1926	29.1 mi	Cat 2	89 kt
Unnamed Storm (1919)	3 Sep 1919	20.6 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	22 Aug 1916	2.0 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	13 Jul 1916	49.5 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	12 Sep 1901	12.5 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	7 Jul 1901	30.4 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	8 Aug 1899	5.3 mi	Cat 3	110 kt
Unnamed Storm (1896)	1 Sep 1896	11.5 mi	Cat 2	83 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	17 Aug 1893	11.6 mi	Cat 2	92 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	29 Nov 1878	34.0 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1876)	13 Sep 1876	9.3 mi	Cat 1	77 kt
Unnamed Storm (1867)	30 Oct 1867	6.1 mi	Cat 1	77 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	5 Sep 1852	12.5 mi	TS / TD	60 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

No system on record passed within 50 miles of San Sebastián Municipio, Puerto Rico after losing tropical characteristics, so every storm listed above was still a tropical or subtropical cyclone at its closest approach.

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 municipio'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 San Sebastián Municipio, Puerto Rico compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, San Sebastián Municipio, Puerto Rico ranks #491 — more exposed than 77.8% of them. Within Puerto Rico it ranks #77 of 78, against a territory average of 38.4 storms per municipio.

Notable storms

Cat 4 Unnamed Storm (1928) passed 7 miles away on 14 September 1928 as a hurricane, reaching 130 kt (150 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 4 Unnamed Storm (1899) passed 5 miles away on 8 August 1899 as a hurricane, reaching 117 kt (135 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Maria (2017) passed 16 miles away on 20 September 2017 as a hurricane, reaching 111 kt (128 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1932) passed 10 miles away on 27 September 1932 as a hurricane, reaching 98 kt (113 mph) while within 50 miles.

22 of the 32 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 5.4 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 32 storms spread over the 174 years from 1852 to 2025. 3 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while decades have gone by with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 23 years, between 1956 and 1979. It has been 3 years since the last one; 9 of the 28 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit San Sebastián Municipio, Puerto Rico?

16 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of San Sebastián Municipio, Puerto Rico at hurricane strength since 1852. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 32.

When was the last hurricane in San Sebastián Municipio, Puerto Rico?

Fiona (2022), on 18 September 2022, passing 24 miles away — 4 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Fiona (2022) in 2022.

What was the strongest storm to affect San Sebastián Municipio, Puerto Rico?

Unnamed Storm (1928), which reached 130 kt (150 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 7 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit San Sebastián Municipio, Puerto Rico?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 5.4 years — 32 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 municipios

San Sebastián Municipio, Puerto Rico borders or sits close to 4 other municipios with a published storm record. Las Marías Municipio, Puerto Rico has 39 on record.

Las Marías Municipio, Puerto Rico39 storms within 50 mi Añasco Municipio, Puerto Rico38 storms within 50 mi Lares Municipio, Puerto Rico34 storms within 50 mi Isabela Municipio, Puerto Rico33 storms within 50 mi