The cities listed below are ranked 1 through 50 with the amount of years between a Storm or Hurricane coming within 60 miles n-s-e or west of that city (in parenthesis). This ranking method is based on tracking charts dating back to 1871 from every Hurricane Season. Keep in mind when viewing this list that Florida and the S.W Caribbean get the most action due to vulnerability of all 6 months of Hurricane Season. The east Caribbean only has August, September and October as main threats!!This list is updated at the end of each Hurricane Season & re-calculated!!
Rankings = #1 most hits and Brushes to #50 ,This list is compiled out of our 155 cities & Islands throughout U.S,Mex and all Caribbean Islands.The rankings are based on all Hurricanes as well as Tropical Storms!!
1st Tiebreaker for cities is # of direct hits by Hurricanes!!
2nd tiebreaker is # of direct hits by Tropical Storms!!
The Top 50!!
Updated to include the 2008 Hurricane Season
rankings adjusted on 4/09/09
CAUTION!!This ranking system has become very popular with Insurance companies,schools & local government offices. The ranking list has shown up on company brochures,text books & government hurricane pamphlets with mistakes. We have found many print errors for example--(title "Hurricane prone areas Delray bch,Florida hit by hurricanes every 2.56 years") not true,this is for both TROPICAL STORMS & hurricanes. We do not want people thinking Delray Bch gets hit by a hurricane every three years. This list changes after each hurricane season, so if you are planning a document to last for more than one year the rankings may be inaccurate. Please allow us to proof read the documents you plan on using before inaccurate information spreads, contact jim@hurricanecity.com . Under no circumstances may this code be reproduced on other web pages,however you are more than welcome to link to this page.(see comments in hidden html) Thankyou!!!
| These cities & Islands are affected (within 60 to 70miles **subjective to size damage ect;**) more than any other cities by tropical systems SINCE 1871 | ||
| 1)Grand Cayman | every 2.16 years | affected by both Gustav & Paloma in 2008 ,this island remains the Hurricane & Tropical Storm capital of the Atlantic basin, brushed or hit by Hurricanes & Tropical Storms 64 times from the 1871 season until now(WOW) |
| 2)Cape Hatteras,North Carolina | every 2.38 years | A reanalysis of a couple of T-Storms from the past has moved Cape Hatteras to #2,The most affected area in the U.S by named storms.(affected 58 times since 1871) |
| 3)Abaco Island | every 2.38 years | affected by Hanna in 2008(58 times since 1871) |
| 4)Grand Bahama Island,Bahamas | every 2.46 years | Had a quiet 2008 Hurricane season .(Affected 56 times since 1871) |
| 5)Andros Island,Bahamas | every 2.46 years | had a quiet hurricane season in 2008 , a tiebreaker of 1 less T.S hit than Abaco. (affected 57 times since 1871) |
| 6)Isle of Youth,Cuba | every 2.56 years | the most dramatic jump in the rankings from #15 to #6 after a very active 2008 season. Gustav & Ike affected the area along with areas ranked ahead having a slow season in 08.Isle of youth has had 19 hurricane hits since 1871 which helped to leapfrog the list. The most affected area in Cuba(affected 54 times since 1871) |
| 7)Delray bch,Florida | every 2.56 years | drops 1 position due to a slow 08 season along with Isle of Youth having 5 more hurricane hits than Delray since 1871. Still the most affected city in Florida.(54 times) |
| 8)Bermuda | every 2.56 years | moves up 2 positions with T.S Bertha in 2008.One less T.S hit than Delray |
| 9)Cancun Mexico | every 2.56 years | Quiet the past 3 seasons and drops 2 positions but still the most affected in Mexico. Two less hurricanes than Bermuda & Delray, affected 54 times since 1871 |
| 10)Grand Isle,Louisiana | every 2.60 years | affected by hurricane Gustav in 2008 and moves up 4 positions to #10 . 19 hurricane hits put this city at the top of the 2.60 group & the most affected in Louisiana.(affected 53 times) |
| 11)Hollywood,Florida | every 2.60 years | had quiet 2007 & 2008 seasons and drops 3 positions. One less hurricane hit than Grand Isle since 1871 (affected 53 times ) |
| 12)Deerfield bch,Florida | every 2.60 years | Been quiet since 2006 season and drops 3 positions, 2 less hurricanes than Hollywood (affected 53 times since 1871) |
| 13)Boca Raton,Florida | every 2.60 years | Quiet since 2006 season and drops 2 positions,three less hurricanes than Deerfield (affected 53 times since 1871) |
| 14)Ft Pierce,Florida | every 2.65 years | Affected by T.S Fay in 2008 and moves up 3 positions. 23 direct hurricane hits since 1871 puts this city at the top of the 2.65 list.(affected 52 times |
| 15)Florida city,Florida | every 2.65 years | Quiet since 2006 season and drops 3 positions.One less direct hurricane hit than Ft Pierce (Affected 52 times since 1871.) |
| 16)Bimini,Bahamas | every 2.65 years | Quiet since 2005 and drops 3 positions (affected 52 times since 1871) |
| 17)Wilmington,North Carolina | every 2.65 years | A reanalysis in 2009 of past T-Storms pushes Wilminton into the top 50.(affected 52 times since 1871) |
| 18)Merida, Mexico | every 2.65 years | Quiet since 2005 .(affected 52 times since 1871) |
| 19)Cabo Corrientes,Cuba | every 2.71 years | Brushed by Gustav & Ike in 2008 and moves up 8 positions. You may ask why is Isle of youth ranked higher? since 1871 many Storms & Hurricanes have passed to far N.E heading to Fla or too far South heading to Yucatan while going into Gulf,also less vulnerable to late season storms than Isle of youth.(affected 50 times since 1871) |
| 20)Key West,Florida | every 2.71 years | Affected by T.S Fay in 2008 and moves up 3 positions. 19 direct hurricane hits put this city at the top of the 2.71 group. (affected 51 times since 1871) |
| 21)Miami,Florida | every 2.71 years | Quiet since 2006 and drops 1 position. Six less T.S hits that Key West since 1871 as tiebreaker as they both have 19 hurricane hits.(affected 51 times) |
| 22)Fort Lauderdale,Florida | every 2.71 years | Quiet since 2006 & drops 1 position. Ranked 1 slot lower than Miami due to three less hurricane hits since 1871. (Affected 51 times since 1871) |
| 23)Grenada | every 2.71 years | Had a quiet 2008 Hurricane season & drops 1 position.(affected 51 times since 1871) |
| 24)Stuart,Florida | every 2.76 years | Affected by T.S Fay in 2008 & moves up 1 position. Top of the 2.76 group with 24 hurricane hits.(affected 49 times since 1871) |
| 25)Palm bch,Florida | every 2.76 years | Brushed by T.S Fay in 2008 & moves up 1 position. (affected 50 times since 1871) |
| 26)Spring Hill,Florida | every 2.76 years | Been quiet since 2004 & drops 3 positions.This area gets affected by the big bend storms as well as crossovers from both the east & SW Fla coasts.The most affected city on the Florida west coast.(affected 50 times) |
| 27)Morehead city,North Carolina | every 2.82 years | A reanalysis in 2009 of several past T-Storms moves this city up 10 positions.(affected 49 times since 1871) |
| 28)Cozumel,Mexico | every 2.82 years | Had a quiet 2008 season & drops 1 position.Cancun has been affected 6 more times than Cozumel while being closer to the Yucatan channel being brushed by many systems recurving in the Yucatan Channel.Strangely Cozumel has had more direct Hurricane hits than Cancun but the rankings are based on brushes & hits by T-Storms and Hurricanes so Cancun is ranked much higher.. |
| 29)Saint Martin/Maarten | every 2.82 years | Brushed by Hurricane Omar in 2008 & moves up 1 position.(Affected 49 times since 1871) |
| 30)Lake worth,Florida | every 2.82 years | Quiet since 2005 and drops 2 positions.(Affected 49 times since 1871) |
| 31)Turks & Caicos Islands. | every 2.82 years | affected by Hanna & Ike and moves up 4 positions.(affected 49 times since 1871) |
| 32)Elizabeth city,North carolina | every 2.82 years | Affected by T.S Hanna in 2008 but remains in the same position.(Affected 49 times since 1871) |
| 33)Jupiter,Florida | every 2.88 years | Brushed by T.S Fay in 2008 but stays the same. This city has been hit by a hurricane 25 times since 1871(Hurricane hit capital of Atlantic basin) but is ranked down at #32 due to being (Affected 48 times since 1871) |
| 34)Eleuthera Island,Bahamas | every 2.82 years | had a quiet 2008 season & drops 2 positions. Two less direct hurricane hits than Lake Worth since 1871.(affected 49 times) |
| 35)Key Largo,Florida | every 2.88 years | Quiet since 2006 & drops 3 positions.Ten less hurricane hits than Jupiter. (affected 48 times since 1871) |
| 36)Galveston,Texas | every 2.94 years | Affected by Edouard & Ike in 2008 and has the largest jump in the rankings moving up 10 positions.Most affected area in Texas. (affected 47 times since 1871) |
| 37)Morgan City,Louisiana | every 2.94 years | Hit by Hurricane Gustav in 2008 & moves up 2 positions. (affected 47 times since 1871) |
| 38)Little San Salvador,Bahamas | every 2.94 years | Quiet since 2004 & drops 3 positions. (affected 47 times since 1871) |
| 39)Cedar Key,Florida | every 2.94 years | affected by T.S Fay in 2008 & moves up 3 positions.(affected 47 times since 1871) |
| 40)Vero bch,Florida | every 3.00 years | Affected by T.S Fay in 2008 & moves up 4 positions..(affected 46 times since 1871) |
| 41)Fort Walton,Florida | every 3.00 years | Quiet since 2005 & drops 5 positions.(affected 46 times since 1871) |
| 42)Pensacola,Florida | every 3.00 years | Also quiet since 2005 & also drops 5 positions. Both Pensacola and Ft Walton have been directly hit 17 times since 1871. The tiebreaker is 4 less tropical storm hits than Ft Walton. (affected 46 times since 1871) |
| 43)Havana,Cuba | every 3.00 years | Affected by Gustav & Ike in 2008 and moves up 6 positions.(Affected 46 times). |
| 44)Destin,Florida | every 3.00 years | Quiet since 2005 & drops 5 positions.Ranked lower than Ft Walton due to 3 less direct hurricane hits since 1871.(affected 46 times since 1871) |
| 45)Jacksonville,Florida | every 3.00 years | Affected by T.S Fay & moves up 1 position.(affected 46 times) |
| 46)Nassau,Bahamas | every 3.00 years | Had a quiet 2008 season & drops 6 positions. 2 less hurricane hits than neighboring Andros Isl which is very high on this list and gets many more systems brushing to south.(affected 46 times since 1871) |
| 47)Martinique | every 3.00 years | Had a quiet 2008 Hurricane season & drops 5 positions.(affected 46 times since 1871) |
| 48)Fort Myers,Florida | every 3.07 years | Affected by T.S Fay & moves up 2 positions.Leads the 3.07 group with 15 hurricanes.Even though ranked much lower than Spring Hill,Ft Myers has the highest number hurricane hits on the Fla west coast.(affected 45 times since 1871) |
| 49)Naples,Florida | every 3.07 years | Affected by T.S Fay in 2008 & moves up 2 positions. One less direct hurricane hit than Ft Myers.(affected 45 times since 1871) |
| 50)Port Charlotte,Florida | every 3.07 years | Had a quiet 2008 season & drops 3 positions.(affected 45 times since 1871) |
Example #1 cayman islands affected (within 60m) 64 times
since 1871 or 138 years divided by 64 times = 2.16 years. These city rankings are based on the Hurricanecity list of cities located HEREYour coastal city may not be ranked because it is not in the database but just figure in between the nearest cities to you.
