Port Charlotte,Florida's history with tropical systems
current weather
(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)

Years within or near core
1872tsbr,1873m,1873tsbr,1878ts,1888bd,1891bdtsbr,1892ts,1894,1896ts,1897ts,1899tsbr,1901bdts,1902tsbr,1903bdts,1904bdts,1910,1916bdts,1921brm,1925,1926bdm,1928ts,1928bdbrm,
1929,1932bdts,1933bdts,1935,1936bdts,1939bdtsbr,1941bd,1944,1945ts,1945bdm,1946br,1947bd,1947tsbr,1949bdbr,1950m,1951ts,1953,1959ts,1960m,1964brm,1964bdbr,1966,1968ts,1985tsbr,
1988ts,1990ts,1994ts,1998ts,1999tsbr,2001ts,2004m,2005brm,2007tsbr,2017tsbr,2017,2020tsbr,2021br,2022m,2022bdtsbr
61 times in 152 yrs end of 2023






Names from list above
Easy,How,Hazel,Judith,Donna,Isbell,Cleo,Alma,Abby,Bob,Marco,Gordon,Mitch,Harvey,Gabrielle,Charley,Wilma,Barry,Emily,Irma,Eta,Elsa,Ian,Nicole

Tropical Storm to Hurricane ratio
TS=34, 55.93% H=27, 44.07%

Longest gap between storms
16 years 1968-1985

How often this area gets affected?
Port Charlotte brushed or hit every 2.45 years

Average years between direct hurricane hits.(hurricane force winds for a few hours)
(19h)once every 7.6 years

Average years between major hurricane hits.(7)
once every 21.71 years

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

Statistically when Port Charlotte should be affected next
before the end of 2025

Last affected by
2022 November 10th Tropical storm Nicole passes well to the north while moving N.W with 55mph winds.

Port Charlotte's hurricane history
1873 Oct 6th a hurricane hits here after moving west in the Gulf of Mexico abrubtly turns east & hits the area as a cat 3 just south with 115mph winds from the S.W. Hit map
1888 Aug 17th,80mph from the ESE just south
1894 sept 25th a 105mph hurricane hits from the south & clips just east of the area causing heavy damage especially to crops.
1910 oct 18th 110mph coming from the south pressure here around 28.50. 7 men killed in fishing boats
1925 Nov 30th a minimal hurricane 75mph passes just north from the S.W
1926 sept 18th the 1926 hurricane which destroyed miami moves just south of here with 120mph winds from the ESE causing storm surge flooding & broke windows with some roof damage.
1929 Sept 29th,105mph from the S.E passes just south
1935 sept 3rd the hurricane that destroyed the keys moves just west of here with 110mph winds while moving NNW
1941 Oct 6th a 110mph hurricane comes from the S.E causing some storm surge flooding from the S.E
1944 oct 19th 105mph hits from the south causing storm surge flooding here,this large system caused damage all over the state.Forecaster Grady Norton called this 48 hrs in advance.
1945 sept 16th a 115mph hurricane from the S.E causes heavy crop damage in florida while passing just east.
1947 Sept 18th to the south, 95mph from the east
1950,sept 4th Easy passes to the west with 115mph winds from the south
1953 ,Oct 9th HRD project finds former TS Hazel as a hurricane hitting with 85mph winds.
1960 Hurricane Donna ,125mph from the SSE sept 10th press 28.08 heavy storm surge flooding & damage,gusts over 130mph here(measured by FPL),water was first pulled out into Gulf then brought back in as eye passed north causing heavy damage. more here | Gordon Dunn talks about forecasting Donna | NHC Wallet
1966 June 9th,Hurricane Alma passes to the west with 110mph winds from the south. NHC Wallet
2004 Aug 13th,Hurricane Charley hits direct with 145mph winds. Very heavy destruction in Charlotte & Desoto counties from wind & storm surge. A rather small but powerfull hurricane with a 6 to 10 mile wide eye,33 killed with 14 billion in damage. 5 deaths in Charlotte county.Nearly 5 months after landfall nearly 1/3 of hotel room in the area are still not being rented.Surge was less than 7ft on the Gulf & only 1.5 ft in coastal waters.Newspaper headline | Damage photo | Damage photo #2 | Damage photo #3 | Article | headline #2 | headline #3 headline #4 headline #5 headline #7 Forecast track 48 hrs before landfall | av model error | Satellite image of Charley at landfall Animated radar image at landfall | Closeup sat image | wind swath map | Jim Leonard video from Port Charlotte | Ultimate chase video | NHC final report
2017 Sept 10th Hurricane Irma passes just 18 miles to the east while moving north with 100mph winds. | UKMET model 2 days out | Power outage photos before & after | Best performing models 5 days before hit | Long range GEFS many days out | Best track data | USGS surge info | Radar animation (Brian McNoldy) | Our live coverage
2022 Sept 28th hurricane Ian eye passes over while moving slowly NNE with 140mph winds. hit map | Video of mobile homes getting ripped apart | Our coverage as it happened | NHC Report


Stat sources: NHC Track maps/hurdat2/cyclone reports Hurricane research division
Text Sources:(alp)....Divine Wind Kerry Emanuel.....Florida Hurricanes & Tropical Storms John M. Williams & Iver W.Duedall.....Florida's Hurricane History Jay Barnes.....Hurricane Almanac Bryan Norcross.....hurricanecity.com (calculations) Jim Williams.....Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States Rick Schwartz.....Hurricane Watch Dr. Bob Sheets & Jack Williams.....Inside the Hurricane Pete Davies..... Isaac's Storm Erik Larson..... Killer Cane Robert Mykle.....Lunatic Wind William Price Fox....Miami Herald newspaper(microfilm).....Path of destruction John McQuaid & Mark Schleifstein.....Sun sentinel newspaper(microfilm).....The Major Hurricanes to affect the Bahamas Wayne Neely.....The Ship & the Storm Jim Carrier.....plus many more.............
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