Jacksonville, Florida'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)

Jacksonville most likely to be hit by a hurricane between September 14th and September 20th

Years near or within core of wind field

1871-3bdts
1873ts
1874bdts
1877-2bdtsbr
1878bd
1878bdts
1879bdts
1880bdts
1880bd
1885
1885bdts
1885bdtsbr
1886bdts
1888bdts
1888bd
1889tsbd
1893-2m
1894bd
1896bdm
1897tsbd
1898m
1900tsbd
1906ts
1907tsbd
1910tsbd
1914ts
1915ts
1916bdts
1920tsbd
1926ts
1928bd
1932tsbd
1934ts bd
1936ts
1938tsbdbr
1940tsbd
1944bdts
1945bd
1947tsbr
1949bdbr
1950bdtsbr
1952br
1960bdbr
1960bdts
1964tsbd
1964
1968ts
1968bdbr
1979
1984tsbd
1985ts
1988tsbr
2000tsbd
2005ts
2008ts
2012ts
2013tsbd
2016-2bdts
2016bdtsbr
2016
2017bdts
2019br
2020bdts
2022bdbr
2022br
2023bdbr
2024bdts
2024-2bdbr

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

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

Easy
Able
Donna
Brenda
Cleo
Dora
Abby
Gladys
David
Isadore
Isabel
Chris
Gordon
Tammy
Fay
Beryl
Andrea
Colin
Hermine
Julia
Matthew
Irma
Dorian
Eta
Ian
Nicole
Idalia
Debby
Helene
Milton

Tropical Storm to Hurricane ratio

TS = 50, 67.57%
H = 24, 32.43%

23.94% of all tropical systems affecting Jacksonville are major hurricanes this includes brushes

Longest gap between storms

11 years 1989-1999

How often this area gets affected?

Brushed or hit every 2.07 years

Average years between direct hurricane hits. (hurricane force winds for at least a few hours)

Once every 11.77 years. (13 hits) State stats

Average years between direct major hurricane hits. (major hurricane force winds for at least a few hours)

Once every 38.25 years. (4 hits)

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

104 mph

Statistically when this area should be affected next

Before the end of 2026

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

Last affected by

2024 October 10th Hurricane Milton brushes well to the south by 125 miles with 85 mph winds while moving offshore.

This area's hurricane history

1878 September 11th, strengthening to a hurricane while moving away with 85 mph winds, pressure 29.19 (HURDAT)
1885 August 24th, a category 2 hurricane moving north while just east with 105 mph winds
1888 October 11th 80 mph from the southwest
1893 August 27th, 115 mph just off shore while moving north.Distance from downtown Jacksonville of 38 nm yields a central pressure of 943.5 mb at the storm�s closest point of approach to Jacksonville. Damage reports from the 1893 hurricane are very similar to damage sustained in Hurricane Floyd in 1999 and it appears the 1893 event was a similar storm for those areas. Hit map
1893, October 13th, 120 mph just offshore while moving north. Hit map
1894 September 26th a hurricane from the south-southwest heavy damage to crops & homes passes just south & southeast with 80 mph winds.
1896 September 29th a very fast moving hurricane from the Gulf of Mexico south-southwest passes 49 miles west with 125 mph winds causing heavy damage. Hit map
1898 October 2nd a major hurricane with 130 mph winds moves into the Georgia - Northern Florida border coming from the southeast. Hit map
1928 September 17, 90 mph from the south just west
1960 September 11th, Hurricane Donna hits from the southwest passing just east with 105 mph winds. NHC Wallet
1964 Dora September 10th 110 mph winds (HURDAT2) just south by 30 miles from the east, 3 killed 230 mill in damage area battered by hurricane force winds for 15 hrs, heavy damage here. Northeast winds @ 85 mph observed. Hit map | Video Dora as it happened | Newspaper headline | NHC Wallet
1979 September 4th from the south-southeast, David passes by just offshore by 40 miles arguably a brush with 95 mph winds. NHC Wallet
2016, October 7th Hurricane Matthew passes just east by 37 miles with 110 mph winds while moving north. One death reported, 72-year-old man was repairing a hole in his roof when he fell off the roof. Battering waves knocked down and washed away part of the Jacksonville Beach Pier. The combination of storm surge and freshwater flooding of the St. Johns River destroyed many properties and knocked out electrical power for nearly 250,000 customers in the Jacksonville metropolitan area. (per NHC) Radar animation (Brian McNoldy, Univ. of Miami, Rosenstiel School) | Best models | Matthew timeline | NHC final report | USGS surge info | A disaster named Matthew video

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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......