Havana, Cuba's History with Tropical Systems

(br) = Brush (ts) = Tropical Storm (bd) = Back Door, meaning coming from over land from opposite coast. Not all names are noted. Also, storms before 1950 were not named. Not every stat on every storm description is given. (since 1871)

Havana most likely to be hit by a hurricane between September 21st and September 27th

Years within or near core

1875bdts
1876m
1878
1881ts
1882-2br
1886br
1888
1891ts
1894ts
1896ts
1898-2ts
1900tsbr
1902ts
1906tsbr
1906m
1909m
1910m
1917brm
1926m
1926tsbr
1930ts
1933m
1933
1944m
1945ts
1946br
1947-2ts
1948-2m
1950
1958tsbr
1964brm
1966bd
1968br
1979tsbr
1985ts
1985
1987tsbr
1991tsbr
1998tsbr
1999
2001brm
2004m
2005
2008brm
2008br
2010ts
2017brm
2020tsbr
2021bdts
2021br
2022mbr
2024tsbr
2024br
2024mbr

58 times in 153 years (as of end of 2024)

Names from list above (I storms most likely to impact the area)

Easy
Alice
Ella
Isbell
Alma
Gladys
Frances
Frederic
Elena
Kate
Fabian
Irene
Michelle
Charley
Dennis
Gustav
Ike
Paula
Irma
Laura
Elsa
Ida
Ian
Debby
Helene
Rafael

Tropical Storm to Hurricane ratio

TS = 25, 43.10%
H = 33, 56.90%

29.31% of all tropical systems affecting Havana are major hurricanes this includes brushes

Longest gap between storms

10 years 1969-1978

How often this area gets affected?

Brushed or hit every 2.64 years

Average years between direct hurricane hits. (usually within 40 miles to include small hurricanes)

Once every 8.5 years. (18 hits)

Average years between major hurricane hits.

Once every 15.30 years. (10 hits)

Average MPH of hurricane hits. (based on sustained winds from advisories, not gusts)

108 mph

Statistically when this area should be affected next

Before the end of 2027

This is just a statistical average & does not mean the area will be affected by that year.

Last affected by

2024 November 6th Hurricane Rafael brushes 28 miles to west with 115 mph winds tiny core misses the city while moving northwest.

This area's hurricane history

1876 115 mph from south October 19th. Hit map
1878, 80 mph October 21st from the southwest, 70 killed, alot of damage to buildings, three schooners sunk.
1888 September 4th 90 mph winds from the east, 600 killed killed.
1906 October 17th, 120 mph from the south-southwest hits the area with very heavy rain while moving towards Florida
1909 October 11th, 120 mph from the west-southwest just north.
1910 October 17th, a hurricane passes just west by 60 miles with 135 mph winds.
1926 October 20th, 115 mph pressure 28.07 99 mph winds recorded 650 killed, 325 buildings demolished. Aftermath video
1933 September 1st 120 mph just north
1933 October 5th, pressure 28.92 winds 95 mph from the south
1944 October 18th, 140mph (HURDAT) from the south with winds measured at 163 mph, heavy damage kills 319 in Cuba newspaper article
1948 September 21st moving slowly from the south 125 mph winds (HURDAT) caused moderate to heavy damage here & just east weather map
1948 October 5th 125 mph (HURDAT) from the southwest heavy rains kill 11
1950 September 3rd 90 mph (HURDAT) Hurricane Easy hits from the south just east of here.
1966 June 8th, 105 mph from the south-southwest Hurricane Alma gusts to 110 mph winds causing heavy damage & killing 11, 11 am ET. NHC Wallet
1985 Hurricane Kate nips the north coast as a category 1 on November 20th from the east-southeast 90 mph gusts to 100 mph collapses dozens of buildings killing 10 in Cuba & 50 serious injuries. NHC Wallet
1999 October 14th Hurricane Irene hits with 75 mph winds while moving north causes minor damage here.2 killed in west Cuba. Press 29.32 inHg. NHC report
2004, August 13th Hurricane Charley hits just west with 120 mph winds while moving north. Radar image
2005 Hurricane Dennis passes over east Havana with 100 mph winds on July 9th. The storm whipped fierce 10-foot waves over Havana's seawall, and its winds tore apart pieces of some of the city's crumbling colonial buildings, according to the Associated Press.Chunks of concrete fell from the city's colonial buildings. At least 5,000 homes were damaged in Havana's surrounding province,Dennis models 2 days out

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Stat sources:

Text Sources:

"Divine Wind" by Kerry Emanuel
"Florida Hurricanes and Tropical Storms" by John M. Williams and Iver W. Duedall
"Florida's Hurricane History" by Jay Barnes
"Hurricane Almanac" by Bryan Norcross
HurricaneCity.com calculations by Jim Williams
"Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States" by Rick Schwartz
"Hurricane Watch" by Dr. Bob Sheets and Jack Williams
"Inside the Hurricane" by Pete Davies
"Isaac's Storm" by Erik Larson
"Killer 'Cane" by Robert Mykle
"Lunatic Wind" by William Price Fox
Miami Herald newspaper (microfilm)
"Path of Destruction" by John McQuaid and Mark Schleifstein
Sun Sentinel newspaper (microfilm)
"The Major Hurricanes To Affect The Bahamas" by Wayne Neely
"The Ship and the Storm" by Jim Carrier
Plus many more......