From the first recorded storm in 1559 to today, this comprehensive history of Florida hurricanes traces a by-year timeline and highlights the 10 worst Florida hurricanes.
We try explaining storm tracks, damage trends, and how El Niño/La Niña shape hurricane risk across the peninsula and Keys—so you can quickly see what hit, when it hit, and how it changed Florida.
What You Will Find About the Hurricanes of Florida
Table of Contents (Quick Links):
- The 10 Worst Florida Hurricanes
- What Causes Hurricanes in Florida
- FAQs About Florida Hurricanes
- Chronological List of Florida Hurricanes
- Hurricane Ian Sets Record
How Many Hurricanes Have Hit Florida?
While Florida hurricanes are thousands of years old, accurate weather information is limited to the last couple of centuries.
The descriptions of many storms, mainly by mariners, go back hundreds of years. Many of the records may or may not be the classic definition of a hurricane. Little specific data exists for Florida prior to the 16th century, since most of the population was in north Florida.
Forty percent of all hurricanes that form in the Atlantic hit Florida and 62 occurred in the twentieth century.
We will restrict ourselves to information beginning in 1559. Reports prior to that time are difficult to determine the strength and intensity of storms.
Accurate measurements were not reliably available until the early 20th century.
Our list below details the major hurricanes that significantly impacted Florida. Some Florida hurricanes have come close to Florida’s shores causing high winds, but not of hurricane velocity.
List of Florida Hurricanes By Year
1559 – In September 1559, a Florida hurricane ripped through the Gulf and destroyed the Spanish settlement in Pensacola. Conquistador, Tristan de Luna, had convinced the King of Spain that Pensacola was the best port in the “Indies”. The colony was abandoned two years later due to the storm’s destruction.
1599 – Storm surge, presumed to be a hurricane, swept over St. Augustine killing numerous residents, knocking down homes, and “Majesty’s supplies was destroyed”.
1622 – In September 1622 a hurricane in the Atlantic spread havoc across the Keys as well as shipping in the straits of Florida. One of the casualties of this storm was the Spanish galleon Atocha made famous when Mel Fisher of Key West discovered the wreckage worth millions.
1752 – On November 3, 1752, a hurricane struck Santa Rosa Island in the panhandle. It destroyed all the buildings on the island except the hospital.
1760 – An August 1760 hurricane hits Pensacola destroying a significant part of the stockade and tearing roofs from most of the houses.
1811– The hurricane of Oct. 5, 1811, in St. Augustine, was especially damaging. Hurricanes had struck here in 1804 and 1806 as well. Rebuilding the city was frustrating for the settlers. Many deserted or migrated inland.
1841 – Hurricane destroys Fort Dulany at Punta Rassa (near Ft. Myers) on the Caloosahatchee River.
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This article originally appeared here and was republished with permission.
