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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Tampa, FL

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

78 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Tampa, Florida since 1851, 29 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Milton in 2024. Since 1950, 340 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
29

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
49

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
340

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
3

20 deaths in all

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Tampa

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Tampa, Florida, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2024MiltonOct 1032 miCategory 2 (105 mph)Category 5
2022NicoleNov 1036 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 1
2022IanSep 2973 miCategory 3 (112 mph)Category 5
2021ElsaJul 763 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 1
2020EtaNov 1257 miTropical storm (61 mph)Category 4
2017IrmaSep 1120 miCategory 1 (76 mph)Category 5
2017EmilyJul 3135 miTropical storm (49 mph)Tropical storm
2004JeanneSep 2622 miTropical storm (66 mph)Category 3
2004FrancesSep 611 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 4
2004CharleyAug 1348 miCategory 2 (102 mph)Category 4
2001GabrielleSep 1433 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
2000GordonSep 1775 miTropical storm (72 mph)Category 1
1995JerryAug 2449 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1995ErinAug 223 miTropical storm (61 mph)Category 2
1990MarcoOct 1127 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1988KeithNov 2340 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 1
1984IsidoreSep 2832 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1982Unnamed 1982 stormJun 1847 miTropical storm (45 mph)Tropical storm
1974Unnamed 1974 stormJun 252 miTropical storm (56 mph)Tropical storm
1968GladysOct 1941 miCategory 2 (98 mph)Category 2
1968AbbyJun 459 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
1966Unnamed 1966 stormJul 134 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1966AlmaJun 966 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 3
1960DonnaSep 1143 miCategory 1 (84 mph)Category 4
1959Unnamed 1959 stormJun 188 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1953Unnamed 1953 stormSep 2069 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1950KingOct 1869 miCategory 1 (83 mph)Category 4
1950EasySep 621 miCategory 1 (77 mph)Category 3
1949Unnamed 1949 stormAug 2721 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 4
1947Unnamed 1947 stormSep 2334 miTropical storm (63 mph)Tropical storm
1946Unnamed 1946 stormOct 85 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 2
1945Unnamed 1945 stormSep 1644 miCategory 1 (84 mph)Category 4
1945Unnamed 1945 stormSep 574 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1945Unnamed 1945 stormJun 2443 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 2
1944Unnamed 1944 stormOct 1915 miCategory 1 (93 mph)Category 4
1941Unnamed 1941 stormOct 2064 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1941Unnamed 1941 stormOct 656 miCategory 1 (76 mph)Category 3
1939Unnamed 1939 stormAug 1210 miTropical storm (60 mph)Category 1
1937Unnamed 1937 stormJul 2917 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1935Unnamed 1935 stormSep 446 miCategory 3 (122 mph)Category 5
1933Unnamed 1933 stormSep 422 miTropical storm (64 mph)Category 4
1933Unnamed 1933 stormJul 3170 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1930Unnamed 1930 stormSep 912 miTropical storm (39 mph)Category 4
1928Unnamed 1928 stormSep 1725 miCategory 1 (93 mph)Category 5
1928Unnamed 1928 stormAug 1356 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 1
1928Unnamed 1928 stormAug 935 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1926Unnamed 1926 stormSep 1969 miCategory 3 (120 mph)Category 4
1921Unnamed 1921 stormOct 2517 miCategory 2 (109 mph)Category 4
1920Unnamed 1920 stormSep 3066 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 1
1916Unnamed 1916 stormMay 1528 miTropical storm (41 mph)Tropical storm
1910Unnamed 1910 stormOct 1835 miCategory 1 (74 mph)Category 4
1909Unnamed 1909 stormJun 2931 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1903Unnamed 1903 stormSep 1231 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 1
1901Unnamed 1901 stormAug 1169 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 1
1899Unnamed 1899 stormOct 5overheadTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1899Unnamed 1899 stormJul 3171 miTropical storm (72 mph)Category 2
1898Unnamed 1898 stormAug 24 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1897Unnamed 1897 stormSep 2152 miTropical storm (55 mph)Tropical storm
1896Unnamed 1896 stormSep 2968 miCategory 3 (127 mph)Category 3
1894Unnamed 1894 stormSep 2652 miCategory 1 (82 mph)Category 3
1892Unnamed 1892 stormOct 2423 miTropical storm (51 mph)Tropical storm
1889Unnamed 1889 stormJun 1772 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 817 miTropical storm (45 mph)Tropical storm
1887Unnamed 1887 stormOct 3016 miTropical storm (45 mph)Category 1
1886Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1836 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 1
1880Unnamed 1880 stormOct 855 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 1
1880Unnamed 1880 stormAug 3040 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 2
1879Unnamed 1879 stormOct 2765 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
1878Unnamed 1878 stormSep 1036 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 2
1874Unnamed 1874 stormSep 2864 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 1
1873Unnamed 1873 stormSep 239 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1872Unnamed 1872 stormOct 23overheadTropical storm (55 mph)Category 1
1871Unnamed 1871 stormAug 2559 miTropical storm (66 mph)Category 3
1871Unnamed 1871 stormAug 1751 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 3
1859Unnamed 1859 stormOct 2811 miCategory 1 (91 mph)Category 1
1859Unnamed 1859 stormOct 1870 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1858Unnamed 1858 stormSep 1420 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 2
1852Unnamed 1852 stormSep 123 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 1

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

By decade

  • 2020s19
  • 2010s34
  • 2000s30
  • 1990s83(1 EF3+)
  • 1980s42
  • 1970s79(1 EF3+)
  • 1960s40(1 EF3+)
  • 1950s13
Strongest tornadoes near Tampa, Florida
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Apr 4, 1966F41 mi135.8 mi11 / 530
Oct 3, 1992F318 mi2.6 mi3 / 75
May 4, 1978F315 mi1.5 mi3 / 94
Dec 7, 1996F217 mi2 mi1 / 0
Oct 3, 1992F218 mi3 mi1 / 0
Oct 11, 2023EF218 mi4.97 mi0 / 0
Dec 16, 2020EF27 mi13.11 mi0 / 0
Dec 25, 2006F222 mi0.83 mi0 / 2
Jul 12, 1992F218 mi4.5 mi0 / 6
Dec 11, 1983F214 mi8 mi0 / 0
Feb 2, 1983F216 mi4 mi0 / 2
Dec 15, 1981F220 mi4.7 mi0 / 5

The strongest 12 of 340, 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 Tampa 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