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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit South Bay, FL

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

86 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of South Bay, Florida since 1851, 43 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Nicole in 2022. Since 1950, 81 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
43

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
43

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
81

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
3

1 deaths in all

Tropical storms and hurricanes near South Bay

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of South Bay, Florida, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2022NicoleNov 1068 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 1
2022IanSep 2968 miCategory 2 (100 mph)Category 5
2022AlexJun 419 miTropical storm (44 mph)Tropical storm
2020IsaiasAug 274 miTropical storm (64 mph)Category 1
2017IrmaSep 1061 miCategory 2 (96 mph)Category 5
2008FayAug 1931 miTropical storm (68 mph)Tropical storm
2006ErnestoAug 3013 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
2005WilmaOct 2412 miCategory 3 (112 mph)Category 5
2005KatrinaAug 2559 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 5
2004JeanneSep 2644 miCategory 3 (112 mph)Category 3
2004FrancesSep 547 miCategory 2 (99 mph)Category 4
1999IreneOct 1621 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 2
1999HarveySep 2132 miTropical storm (54 mph)Tropical storm
1998MitchNov 57 miTropical storm (62 mph)Category 5
1995JerryAug 2339 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1995ErinAug 271 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 2
1994GordonNov 1649 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 1
1985BobJul 236 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1984IsidoreSep 2736 miTropical storm (54 mph)Tropical storm
1981DennisAug 1825 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1979DavidSep 346 miCategory 2 (98 mph)Category 5
1976DottieAug 1931 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1974Unnamed 1974 stormOct 757 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1969JennyOct 355 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1964IsbellOct 1517 miCategory 1 (92 mph)Category 3
1964CleoAug 2724 miCategory 1 (77 mph)Category 4
1960FlorenceSep 2310 miTropical storm (39 mph)Tropical storm
1960DonnaSep 1069 miCategory 3 (115 mph)Category 4
1959JudithOct 1820 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 1
1956Unnamed 1956 stormOct 162 miTropical storm (63 mph)Tropical storm
1953HazelOct 949 miCategory 1 (74 mph)Category 1
1952Unnamed 1952 stormFeb 324 miTropical storm (63 mph)Tropical storm
1951HowOct 238 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 2
1950KingOct 182 miCategory 2 (107 mph)Category 4
1949Unnamed 1949 stormAug 2719 miCategory 3 (119 mph)Category 4
1948Unnamed 1948 stormOct 664 miCategory 1 (93 mph)Category 3
1948Unnamed 1948 stormSep 223 miCategory 2 (97 mph)Category 4
1947Unnamed 1947 stormOct 1253 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 2
1947Unnamed 1947 stormSep 1736 miCategory 3 (113 mph)Category 4
1946Unnamed 1946 stormNov 226 miTropical storm (39 mph)Tropical storm
1945Unnamed 1945 stormSep 1641 miCategory 2 (105 mph)Category 4
1941Unnamed 1941 stormOct 657 miCategory 1 (82 mph)Category 3
1939Unnamed 1939 stormAug 1148 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 1
1936Unnamed 1936 stormJul 2973 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 2
1936Unnamed 1936 stormJun 1558 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1935Unnamed 1935 stormNov 459 miCategory 1 (91 mph)Category 2
1933Unnamed 1933 stormSep 433 miCategory 3 (121 mph)Category 4
1933Unnamed 1933 stormJul 3130 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1932Unnamed 1932 stormAug 3071 miTropical storm (61 mph)Category 1
1928Unnamed 1928 stormSep 1722 miCategory 3 (129 mph)Category 5
1928Unnamed 1928 stormAug 853 miCategory 2 (98 mph)Category 2
1926Unnamed 1926 stormSep 1853 miCategory 3 (119 mph)Category 4
1926Unnamed 1926 stormJul 2774 miCategory 2 (107 mph)Category 4
1925Unnamed 1925 stormDec 145 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 1
1924Unnamed 1924 stormOct 2150 miCategory 1 (76 mph)Category 5
1916Unnamed 1916 stormAug 254 miTropical storm (41 mph)Category 2
1916Unnamed 1916 stormMay 1443 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1909Unnamed 1909 stormAug 297 miTropical storm (43 mph)Tropical storm
1909Unnamed 1909 stormJun 295 miTropical storm (45 mph)Tropical storm
1906Unnamed 1906 stormOct 1861 miCategory 3 (114 mph)Category 3
1906Unnamed 1906 stormJun 1767 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 2
1904Unnamed 1904 stormOct 1839 miTropical storm (51 mph)Category 1
1903Unnamed 1903 stormSep 1214 miCategory 1 (74 mph)Category 1
1901Unnamed 1901 stormAug 1110 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1898Unnamed 1898 stormAug 249 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1896Unnamed 1896 stormOct 933 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1894Unnamed 1894 stormSep 2574 miCategory 2 (97 mph)Category 3
1892Unnamed 1892 stormJun 1142 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1891Unnamed 1891 stormOct 78 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1891Unnamed 1891 stormAug 2473 miTropical storm (60 mph)Category 3
1889Unnamed 1889 stormOct 621 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 2360 miTropical storm (45 mph)Category 1
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 821 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1888Unnamed 1888 stormAug 1734 miCategory 2 (98 mph)Category 3
1885Unnamed 1885 stormAug 2456 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 2
1878Unnamed 1878 stormOct 2270 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 2
1878Unnamed 1878 stormSep 849 miTropical storm (47 mph)Category 2
1876Unnamed 1876 stormOct 2013 miCategory 2 (98 mph)Category 3
1873Unnamed 1873 stormOct 755 miCategory 2 (105 mph)Category 3
1871Unnamed 1871 stormAug 2540 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 3
1871Unnamed 1871 stormAug 1739 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 3
1870Unnamed 1870 stormOct 2118 miCategory 1 (79 mph)Category 2
1865Unnamed 1865 stormOct 2332 miCategory 1 (93 mph)Category 2
1863Unnamed 1863 stormSep 1673 miTropical storm (59 mph)Tropical storm
1861Unnamed 1861 stormNov 138 miTropical storm (60 mph)Category 1
1859Unnamed 1859 stormOct 175 miTropical storm (54 mph)Tropical storm

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in South Bay: 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 South Bay

By decade

  • 2020s13(1 EF3+)
  • 2010s11
  • 2000s13
  • 1990s11
  • 1980s9
  • 1970s11(1 EF3+)
  • 1960s8
  • 1950s5(1 EF3+)
Strongest tornadoes near South Bay, Florida
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Oct 19, 1958F311 mi20.2 mi1 / 24
Oct 9, 2024EF325 mi32.89 mi0 / 7
Jan 24, 1979F323 mi9.6 mi0 / 0
Oct 9, 2024EF217 mi65.49 mi0 / 0
Aug 13, 2004F213 mi42 mi0 / 0
Nov 11, 1968F218 mi65.4 mi0 / 3
Oct 9, 2024EF116 mi16.97 mi0 / 0
Oct 9, 2024EF124 mi1.74 mi0 / 0
Oct 9, 2024EF124 mi1.26 mi0 / 0
Sep 27, 2022EF123 mi7.48 mi0 / 0
Sep 27, 2022EF124 mi1.39 mi0 / 0
Apr 18, 2003F14 mi3 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 81, 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 South Bay 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.

Other cities in Florida