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Tool · NHC HURDAT2 · SPC tornado and hail reports

Compare the Storm History of Two Cities

Tropical systems within 75 miles since 1851, tornadoes within 25 miles since 1950 and hail within 10 miles since 1955, side by side.

Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated

Miami, FL vs Oklahoma City, OK: what the records show

Miami, FL and Oklahoma City, OK are 1,223 miles apart.

Miami has had more hurricanes pass within 75 miles since 1851: 37 against 0 (84 and 2 tropical systems in all).

Category 3 or stronger at the closest point: 18 for Miami, 0 for Oklahoma City.

The strongest storm at its closest pass was the Florida Keys Labor Day Hurricane (1935) for Miami, Category 5 at 66 miles, and the Galveston Hurricane (1900) for Oklahoma City, tropical storm strength at 7 miles.

The closest track: an unnamed 1906 storm passed 1 mile from Miami at Category 3; the nearest to Oklahoma City was the Galveston Hurricane (1900), 7 miles away.

Since 2000, 9 tropical systems have passed near Miami and 1 near Oklahoma City. The busiest decade was the 1890s for Miami (8) and the 1900s for Oklahoma City (1).

Oklahoma City has had more tornadoes within 25 miles since 1950: 340 against 200; EF3 or stronger: 2 near Miami, 39 near Oklahoma City; deaths: 1 and 95.

The strongest tornado on record nearby: for Miami, an F3 on June 17, 1959, 2 miles away; for Oklahoma City, an F5 on May 3, 1999, 6 miles away, 36 deaths.

By year: Miami averaged 1.9 tornadoes a year in 1950–1989 and 3.4 in 1990–2025; Oklahoma City 3.7 and 5.4. Part of any rise is better reporting of weak tornadoes since the 1990s, which applies to both.

Oklahoma City has had hail reported on more days within 10 miles since 1955: 342 against 92; hail of 2 inches or more: 4 reports near Miami, 85 reports near Oklahoma City.

Largest hail reported: 4" near Miami (March 29, 1963); 5" near Oklahoma City (May 16, 1960).

In short: Miami has the larger count in tropical systems; Oklahoma City has the larger count in tornadoes and hail days. These are counts of storms recorded near each city, not a forecast or a measure of risk to a property.

Side by side

Storm records of Miami, FL and Oklahoma City, OK
RecordMiami, FLOklahoma City, OK
Hurricanes within 75 misince 1851370
Tropical storms within 75 mibelow hurricane strength472
Category 3+ at closest point180
Strongest at closest pointFlorida Keys Labor Day Hurricane 1935 · Category 5 · 66 milesGalveston Hurricane 1900 · tropical storm strength · 7 miles
Closest trackUnnamed 1906 · Category 3 · 1 mileGalveston Hurricane 1900 · tropical storm strength · 7 miles
Most recent tropical systemEta 2020 · tropical storm strength · 63 milesErin 2007 · tropical storm strength · 11 miles
Tornadoes within 25 misince 1950200340
EF3 or stronger239
Tornado deathsall tornadoes counted nearby195
Strongest tornadoF3 · June 17, 1959 · 2 milesF5 · May 3, 1999 · 6 miles
Most recent tornadoEF1 · October 9, 2024 · 23 milesEF0 · July 12, 2025 · 13 miles
Days with hail within 10 misince 195592342
Hail reports 1" or larger66582
Hail reports 2" or larger485
Largest hail4"5"

By decade

Tropical systems within 75 miles and tornadoes within 25 miles, by decade
DecadeTropical · MiamiTropical · Oklahoma CityTornadoes · MiamiTornadoes · Oklahoma City
2020s (2020–25)301449
2010s301870
2000s313736
1990s505338
1980s403625
1970s301042
1960s602151
1950s401129
1940s80——
1930s70——
1920s50——
1910s30——
1900s81——
1890s80——
1880s60——
1870s50——
1860s20——
1850s10——

The SPC tornado file starts in 1950, so earlier decades have no tornado count.

Full storm history of Miami →Full storm history of Oklahoma City →

How the comparison works

Each city's record is the same one its own page shows: every Atlantic and eastern Pacific tropical system in NOAA's HURDAT2 whose track passed within 75 miles, every tornado in the Storm Prediction Center file whose path came within 25 miles, and every SPC hail report within 10 miles. Distances are measured from the city's centre, so two cities a few miles apart share most of their storms.

“Strongest at closest point” is the storm's sustained wind where its track came nearest the city, not its peak over open water and not the wind felt on the ground. A hurricane counts as Category 3 or stronger only when it was that strong at the closest point. Tornado ratings are on the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after it.

The decade table and the yearly averages show how each record changed over time. Older decades are thinner for every city: weak tornadoes and small hail were reported far less often before the 1990s, and storms before the satellite era could be missed at sea. Compare two cities across the same years rather than one city's past against its present.

The counts describe what passed near each city, not the risk to a particular house. For the sources, distances and corrections, see how this storm history is built.