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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Fort Lauderdale, FL

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

88 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Fort Lauderdale, Florida since 1851, 43 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Alex in 2022. Since 1950, 232 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
43

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
45

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
232

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
4

1 deaths in all

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Fort Lauderdale

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2022AlexJun 469 miTropical storm (45 mph)Tropical storm
2020SallySep 1259 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
2020IsaiasAug 249 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 1
2018HectorAug 1366 miTropical storm (51 mph)Category 4
2010NicoleSep 3068 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2010BonnieJul 2351 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
2006ErnestoAug 3052 miTropical storm (41 mph)Category 1
2005WilmaOct 2438 miCategory 3 (112 mph)Category 5
2005KatrinaAug 2510 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 5
2004JeanneSep 2672 miCategory 3 (121 mph)Category 3
2004FrancesSep 570 miCategory 2 (106 mph)Category 4
1999IreneOct 1625 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 2
1999HarveySep 2115 miTropical storm (53 mph)Tropical storm
1998MitchNov 553 miTropical storm (62 mph)Category 5
1995JerryAug 2333 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1992AndrewAug 2444 miCategory 5 (167 mph)Category 5
1991FabianOct 1660 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1988UlekiSep 867 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 3
1987FloydOct 1359 miTropical storm (68 mph)Category 1
1985BobJul 2356 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1984IsidoreSep 2729 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1981DennisAug 1765 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1979DavidSep 335 miCategory 2 (98 mph)Category 5
1976DottieAug 1919 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1974Unnamed 1974 stormOct 639 miTropical storm (49 mph)Tropical storm
1966InezOct 471 miCategory 1 (90 mph)Category 5
1964IsbellOct 1533 miCategory 1 (92 mph)Category 3
1964CleoAug 27overheadCategory 2 (98 mph)Category 4
1960FlorenceSep 2444 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1959JudithOct 1862 miTropical storm (53 mph)Category 1
1956Unnamed 1956 stormOct 1630 miTropical storm (63 mph)Tropical storm
1953Unnamed 1953 stormOct 552 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1952Unnamed 1952 stormFeb 325 miTropical storm (63 mph)Tropical storm
1950KingOct 1816 miCategory 3 (128 mph)Category 4
1949Unnamed 1949 stormAug 2631 miCategory 4 (132 mph)Category 4
1948Unnamed 1948 stormOct 614 miCategory 1 (93 mph)Category 3
1948Unnamed 1948 stormSep 2247 miCategory 2 (98 mph)Category 4
1947Unnamed 1947 stormOct 123 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 2
1947Unnamed 1947 stormSep 173 miCategory 4 (130 mph)Category 4
1946Unnamed 1946 stormNov 124 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1945Unnamed 1945 stormSep 1545 miCategory 3 (122 mph)Category 4
1941Unnamed 1941 stormOct 644 miCategory 1 (94 mph)Category 3
1939Unnamed 1939 stormAug 1161 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 1
1936Unnamed 1936 stormJul 2956 miTropical storm (61 mph)Category 2
1936Unnamed 1936 stormJun 1520 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1935Unnamed 1935 stormNov 417 miCategory 2 (98 mph)Category 2
1935Unnamed 1935 stormSep 2965 miCategory 4 (138 mph)Category 4
1933Unnamed 1933 stormSep 447 miCategory 3 (127 mph)Category 4
1933Unnamed 1933 stormJul 3064 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 1
1932Unnamed 1932 stormAug 3055 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 1
1928Unnamed 1928 stormSep 1638 miCategory 4 (145 mph)Category 5
1928Unnamed 1928 stormAug 752 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 2
1926Unnamed 1926 stormOct 2147 miCategory 3 (127 mph)Category 4
1926Unnamed 1926 stormSep 1837 miCategory 4 (140 mph)Category 4
1926Unnamed 1926 stormJul 2764 miCategory 2 (109 mph)Category 4
1924Unnamed 1924 stormOct 2110 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 5
1916Unnamed 1916 stormNov 1638 miTropical storm (56 mph)Tropical storm
1916Unnamed 1916 stormAug 2523 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1916Unnamed 1916 stormMay 1468 miTropical storm (45 mph)Tropical storm
1909Unnamed 1909 stormOct 1152 miCategory 2 (108 mph)Category 3
1909Unnamed 1909 stormAug 2919 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1909Unnamed 1909 stormJun 283 miTropical storm (51 mph)Tropical storm
1906Unnamed 1906 stormOct 1811 miCategory 3 (114 mph)Category 3
1906Unnamed 1906 stormJun 1717 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 2
1904Unnamed 1904 stormOct 1745 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
1903Unnamed 1903 stormSep 11overheadCategory 1 (84 mph)Category 1
1901Unnamed 1901 stormAug 1012 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1898Unnamed 1898 stormOct 1158 miTropical storm (69 mph)Tropical storm
1898Unnamed 1898 stormAug 264 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1892Unnamed 1892 stormJun 117 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1891Unnamed 1891 stormOct 741 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1891Unnamed 1891 stormAug 2450 miCategory 1 (74 mph)Category 3
1889Unnamed 1889 stormOct 623 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 2314 miTropical storm (44 mph)Category 1
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 735 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1888Unnamed 1888 stormAug 1619 miCategory 3 (120 mph)Category 3
1885Unnamed 1885 stormAug 2437 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 2
1878Unnamed 1878 stormOct 2226 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 2
1878Unnamed 1878 stormSep 869 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 2
1876Unnamed 1876 stormOct 2060 miCategory 2 (100 mph)Category 3
1876Unnamed 1876 stormSep 1637 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1871Unnamed 1871 stormAug 2565 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 3
1871Unnamed 1871 stormAug 1657 miCategory 3 (115 mph)Category 3
1870Unnamed 1870 stormOct 2169 miCategory 1 (79 mph)Category 2
1870Unnamed 1870 stormOct 1160 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 3
1865Unnamed 1865 stormOct 2317 miCategory 1 (94 mph)Category 2
1863Unnamed 1863 stormSep 1630 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1859Unnamed 1859 stormOct 1718 miTropical storm (69 mph)Tropical storm

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Fort Lauderdale: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.

Tornadoes within 25 miles of Fort Lauderdale

By decade

  • 2020s14
  • 2010s35
  • 2000s34
  • 1990s52
  • 1980s45(1 EF3+)
  • 1970s17
  • 1960s24(1 EF3+)
  • 1950s11(2 EF3+)
Strongest tornadoes near Fort Lauderdale, Florida
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Mar 1, 1980F32 mi7.8 mi1 / 33
Feb 23, 1965F3in town5.7 mi0 / 6
Jun 17, 1959F318 mi12.7 mi0 / 77
Apr 10, 1956F35 mi7.8 mi0 / 20
Sep 27, 2022EF216 mi6.98 mi0 / 2
Oct 18, 2011EF211 mi1.11 mi0 / 0
Feb 2, 1998F25 mi21 mi0 / 0
Mar 17, 1983F27 mi52.5 mi0 / 2
May 24, 1979F23 mi3 mi0 / 2
Mar 4, 1972F21 mi2 mi0 / 6
Jun 22, 1971F224 mi2 mi0 / 0
Jun 13, 1971F24 mi4.5 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 232, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

How to read this page

A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Fort Lauderdale while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.

Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.

Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.

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