Honduras' 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)

Honduras most likely to be hit by a hurricane between August 31st and September 6th

Years within or near core winds

1890ts
1892
1893
1898tsbr
1906bdts
1913tsbr
1916tsbr
1918
1920tsbr
1921ts
1931tsbr
1933tsbr
1934ts
1935
1940bdts
1941bd
1945br
1949tsbr
1953ts
1954tsbr
1960br
1961
1964bdts
1969
1971bd
1974
1978m
1980tsbr
1998m
2005tsbr
2007brm
2010-2ts
2011ts
2014ts
2016br
2017bdts
2020-2bdts
2022br
2024ts

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

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

Alice
Gilda
Abby
Anna
Francelia
Anna
Edith
Fifi
Greta
Hermine
Mitch
Gamma
Felix
Matthew
Richard
Harvey
Hanna
Earl
Nate
Eta
Iota
Lisa
Sara

Tropical Storm to Hurricane ratio

TS = 25, 60.98%
H = 16, 39.02%

only 8.11% of all tropical systems affecting Honduras are major hurricanes this includes brushes

Longest gap between storms

17 years 1981-1997

How often this area gets affected?

Brushed or hit every 3.73 years

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

Once every 13.91 years. (11 hits)

Average years between direct major hurricane hits. (major hurricane in advisory or HURDAT upon passage)

Once every 51 years. (3 hits)

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

107 mph

Statistically when this area should be affected next

Before the end of 2028

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

Last affected by

2024 November 16th Tropical Storm Sara moves along north coast with 50 mph winds while slowly moving west up to 40" of rain in some places.

This area's hurricane history

1892 October 11th, 85 mph from the east-southeast
1893 July 5th, 85 mph from the southeast
1918 a category 2 hurricanes with 105 mph winds skirts the north coast on August 25th.
1935 October 25th 85 mph from the northeast.
1941 September 28th, 110 mph from the east-southeast
1961 July 23rd, Hurricane Anna 80mph (HURDAT) from the east-southeast skirts the north coast.
1969 Hurricane Francelia hits southern Belize & northwest Honduras 110 mph winds on September 2nd from the east-northeast. Newspaper article
1971 Edith, September 9th, 140 mph (HURDAT2) from the east-southeast. NHC Wallet
1974 Hurricane Fifi, 110 mph kills 3,000, the town of Choloma destroyed September 18th, Fifi was cloud seeded & Hondurans blamed the U.S. for altering the hurricanes movement. 12,000 killed. NHC Wallet
1978 September 18th, Greta hits with 130 mph winds killing many from the east-southeast as it skirts the north coast. NHC Wallet
1998 October 27th, Hurricane Mitch hits from the north with 140 mph winds while weakening moving very slowly in late October very heavy rains killing 14,600 in Honduras according to the International Disaster Database and up to 23,000 in all of central america after earlier being a category 5 with 180 mph winds while over the open waters. Mitch caused hurricane force winds over coastal Honduras for approximately 36 hrs. Windjammer ship "Fantome" was never found with 31 aboard missing. 92% of bridges & 52% of roads were destroyed.Newspaper article #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 | Monument | Monument panned out | Author of the "The ship & the storm" the story of Hurricane Mitch sinking the Fantome

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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......