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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Carolina, PR

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

68 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Carolina, Puerto Rico since 1851, 32 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ernesto in 2024. Since 1950, 8 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
32

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
36

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
8

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
0

no recorded deaths

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Carolina

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Carolina, Puerto Rico, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2024ErnestoAug 1435 miTropical storm (68 mph)Category 2
2022FionaSep 1871 miCategory 1 (83 mph)Category 4
2021FredAug 1175 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
2020LauraAug 2247 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 4
2019KarenSep 2442 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2019DorianAug 2847 miCategory 1 (83 mph)Category 5
2017MariaSep 2020 miCategory 4 (137 mph)Category 5
2017IrmaSep 646 miCategory 5 (173 mph)Category 5
2015ErikaAug 2870 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
2011IreneAug 228 miCategory 1 (76 mph)Category 3
2007OlgaDec 116 miTropical storm (45 mph)Tropical storm
2006IokeAug 2763 miCategory 5 (161 mph)Category 5
2004JeanneSep 1525 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
2001DeanAug 2241 miTropical storm (56 mph)Tropical storm
2000DebbyAug 2238 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 1
1999JoseOct 2160 miTropical storm (62 mph)Category 2
1999DoraAug 1962 miTropical storm (72 mph)Category 4
1998GeorgesSep 2117 miCategory 2 (109 mph)Category 4
1996HortenseSep 1064 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 4
1996BerthaJul 852 miCategory 1 (90 mph)Category 3
1995MarilynSep 1639 miCategory 2 (109 mph)Category 3
1989HugoSep 1813 miCategory 3 (125 mph)Category 5
1984KlausNov 728 miTropical storm (53 mph)Category 1
1981GertSep 810 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 2
1979FredericSep 420 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 4
1975EloiseSep 1646 miTropical storm (43 mph)Category 3
1969AnnaJul 3175 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1967SarahSep 1431 miTropical storm (72 mph)Category 4
1956BetsyAug 1226 miCategory 2 (97 mph)Category 3
1955HildaSep 1256 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1953DollySep 835 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1950BakerAug 2344 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1949Unnamed 1949 stormSep 330 miTropical storm (41 mph)Category 3
1943Unnamed 1943 stormAug 1460 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1940Unnamed 1940 stormAug 545 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1938Unnamed 1938 stormAug 846 miTropical storm (59 mph)Tropical storm
1933Unnamed 1933 stormJul 2639 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 1
1932Unnamed 1932 stormSep 2716 miCategory 3 (120 mph)Category 4
1931Unnamed 1931 stormSep 118 miCategory 1 (84 mph)Category 2
1931Unnamed 1931 stormAug 1743 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1928Unnamed 1928 stormSep 1323 miCategory 4 (157 mph)Category 5
1928Unnamed 1928 stormAug 351 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1926Unnamed 1926 stormJul 2369 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 4
1924Unnamed 1924 stormAug 2956 miCategory 2 (109 mph)Category 2
1924Unnamed 1924 stormAug 1940 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1919Unnamed 1919 stormSep 355 miTropical storm (48 mph)Category 4
1916Unnamed 1916 stormAug 2223 miCategory 1 (93 mph)Category 2
1916Unnamed 1916 stormJul 13overheadTropical storm (52 mph)Category 2
1910Unnamed 1910 stormSep 761 miCategory 2 (98 mph)Category 2
1909Unnamed 1909 stormAug 2271 miCategory 1 (92 mph)Category 3
1908Unnamed 1908 stormSep 1055 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1901Unnamed 1901 stormSep 123 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1901Unnamed 1901 stormJul 769 miTropical storm (64 mph)Category 1
1900Unnamed 1900 stormAug 3165 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 4
1899Unnamed 1899 stormAug 831 miCategory 4 (138 mph)Category 4
1898Unnamed 1898 stormOct 2868 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1896Unnamed 1896 stormSep 152 miCategory 2 (98 mph)Category 3
1894Unnamed 1894 stormOct 1455 miCategory 2 (98 mph)Category 4
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 1722 miCategory 3 (113 mph)Category 3
1889Unnamed 1889 stormSep 355 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 2
1887Unnamed 1887 stormOct 1070 miTropical storm (67 mph)Category 1
1879Unnamed 1879 stormAug 1460 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1878Unnamed 1878 stormNov 2831 miTropical storm (69 mph)Tropical storm
1876Unnamed 1876 stormSep 1320 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 3
1871Unnamed 1871 stormAug 2252 miCategory 3 (115 mph)Category 3
1867Unnamed 1867 stormOct 294 miCategory 2 (99 mph)Category 3
1852Unnamed 1852 stormSep 2450 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 1
1852Unnamed 1852 stormSep 546 miCategory 1 (78 mph)Category 1

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Carolina: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.

Tornadoes within 25 miles of Carolina

By decade

  • 2020s1
  • 2010s2
  • 2000s1
  • 1990s2
  • 1970s1
  • 1960s1
Strongest tornadoes near Carolina, Puerto Rico
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Aug 30, 1974F110 mi2 mi0 / 0
May 5, 1969F111 mi1.5 mi0 / 1
Mar 16, 2023EF016 mi0.25 mi0 / 0
Sep 30, 2019EF012 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Mar 26, 2017EF04 mi0.43 mi0 / 0
Feb 23, 2000F07 mi0.2 mi0 / 0
Sep 8, 1999F019 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
May 1, 1995F09 mi0 / 0

The strongest 8 of 8, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

How to read this page

A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Carolina while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.

Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.

Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.

Other cities in Puerto Rico