NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Fort Myers, FL
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
79 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Fort Myers, Florida since 1851, 32 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Milton in 2024. Since 1950, 149 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 32
- Tropical storms
- 47
- Tornadoes
- 149
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Fort Myers
The strongest storm to pass near Fort Myers was an unnamed storm in 1935, a Category 4 hurricane with 151 mph winds when its centre passed 25 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Donna in 1960, whose centre crossed the city. The record near Fort Myers begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Milton in 2024, a Category 3 hurricane 74 miles away. The 1890s and the 1940s were the busiest decades, with 8 systems each. Of the 79 systems, 12 have come since 2000. Fort Myers has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 79% of the 407 Florida cities on this site. The highest rating among the 149 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2 or EF2, reached 17 times; the most recent, on October 9, 2024, came within 2 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on November 9, 1968, killed 2 people. Of the 149, 31 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 50 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 29. The most recent tornado was on October 9, 2024. Fort Myers has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 66% of the 407 Florida cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 81 times since 1957, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Fort Myers has more hail reports within 10 miles than 83% of the 407 Florida cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Fort Myers
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | MiltonOct 10 | 74 mi | Category 3 (121 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2022 | IanSep 28 | 19 mi | Category 4 (144 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2022 | AlexJun 4 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | SallySep 12 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2018 | GordonSep 3 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2017 | IrmaSep 10 | 8 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2017 | EmilyJul 31 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | FayAug 19 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | ErnestoAug 30 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2005 | WilmaOct 24 | 45 mi | Category 3 (117 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 13 | 22 mi | Category 4 (148 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2001 | GabrielleSep 14 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1999 | HarveySep 21 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | MitchNov 5 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1994 | GordonNov 16 | overhead | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1992 | AndrewAug 24 | 62 mi | Category 4 (132 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1990 | MarcoOct 11 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1988 | KeithNov 23 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | BobJul 23 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1981 | DennisAug 18 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1969 | JennyOct 2 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | AbbyJun 4 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1966 | Unnamed 1966 stormJul 1 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1966 | AlmaJun 9 | 69 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1964 | IsbellOct 14 | 58 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 10 | overhead | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | JudithOct 18 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormOct 16 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1953 | HazelOct 9 | 16 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1951 | HowOct 2 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1950 | KingOct 18 | 63 mi | Category 2 (96 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1950 | EasySep 4 | 65 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 27 | 64 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1948 | Unnamed 1948 stormSep 22 | 55 mi | Category 3 (124 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 18 | 14 mi | Category 2 (100 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 7 | 71 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 16 | 20 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 5 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 19 | 49 mi | Category 2 (106 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 6 | 13 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJul 29 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJun 15 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormNov 5 | 64 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 3 | 25 mi | Category 4 (151 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 4 | 74 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormJul 31 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormAug 30 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormSep 29 | 61 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 17 | 62 mi | Category 3 (113 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 13 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormSep 18 | 12 mi | Category 2 (108 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1925 | Unnamed 1925 stormDec 1 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormOct 21 | 53 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormAug 25 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 14 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 18 | 10 mi | Category 2 (107 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormAug 29 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormJun 29 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 19 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormOct 18 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 12 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormAug 11 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormJul 30 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 21 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormOct 9 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1895 | Unnamed 1895 stormOct 16 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 25 | 9 mi | Category 2 (102 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormJun 10 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormOct 7 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormAug 25 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 8 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 17 | 2 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 8 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormJul 2 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormOct 20 | 47 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormOct 7 | 12 mi | Category 3 (113 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1870 | Unnamed 1870 stormOct 20 | 28 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 1 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormOct 18 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Fort Myers: 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 Fort Myers
By decade
- 2020s11
- 2010s14
- 2000s25
- 1990s45
- 1980s20
- 1970s18
- 1960s12
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 9, 1968 | F2 | 25 mi | 45.6 mi | 2 / 17 |
| Jun 17, 1982 | F2 | 23 mi | 8 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Oct 31, 1960 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Oct 9, 2024 | EF2 | 2 mi | 16.29 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 16, 2022 | EF2 | 5 mi | 7.01 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 9, 2016 | EF2 | 9 mi | 3.35 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jul 23, 1989 | F2 | 4 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 4, 1988 | F2 | 4 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 9, 1986 | F2 | 9 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Jun 18, 1972 | F2 | 13 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 18, 1972 | F2 | 21 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 18, 1972 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 149, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Fort Myers
The Storm Prediction Center has 81 hail reports within 10 miles of Fort Myers since 1957, made on 67 separate days. Of these, 41 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on May 31, 1965. The most recent report is from June 25, 2025. July has the most reports, 25.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Fort Myers
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Fort Myers Page Field Airport, FL, 2 miles northwest of Fort Myers at 15 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 75°F; January is the coolest, at 75°F and 54°F. August is the wettest at 10.4 inches of precipitation on average and February and November the driest at 1.8 inches; the year adds up to 57.5 inches over 77 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 75% of the year's precipitation (43.4 of 57.5 inches); the other six months are drier. Highs reach 90°F on about 120 days a year, almost all from April to October. A night below freezing comes less than once a year on average. That 57.5 inches is more than at 88 of the 125 Florida stations used on this site (70%). Estero, 10 miles south, has its own station (Fort Myers SW Fl Regional Airport, FL): 53.5 inches a year, 4.0 less than here, and an August average high of 91°F against 92°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Fort Myers, FL, 6 miles northwest, averaged 88°F in July and August and 67°F in January over 2021–2025. It averaged 80°F or warmer from May to October. Sea level at the Fort Myers tide gauge, 6 miles from Fort Myers, has risen 1.43 ± 0.08 inches per decade from 1965 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 14.3 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 86 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 75 | 54 | 2.4 | 3 | 67 |
| Feb | 78 | 57 | 1.8 | 3 | 72 |
| Mar | 81 | 60 | 2.1 | 3 | 76 |
| Apr | 85 | 64 | 2.4 | 4 | 79 |
| May | 90 | 69 | 3.5 | 5 | 85 |
| Jun | 91 | 74 | 9.7 | 12 | 86 |
| Jul | 92 | 75 | 9.4 | 13 | 88 |
| Aug | 92 | 75 | 10.4 | 14 | 88 |
| Sep | 90 | 74 | 9.0 | 11 | 86 |
| Oct | 87 | 69 | 3.1 | 5 | 81 |
| Nov | 81 | 62 | 1.8 | 3 | 75 |
| Dec | 77 | 57 | 1.9 | 3 | 71 |
| Year | 85 | 66 | 57.5 | 77 | 79 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Fort Myers Page Field Airport, FL (15 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Fort Myers, FL, from NOAA Tides & Currents. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Fort Myers
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 104 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Fort Myers: 75 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 floods, 8 lightning strikes and 7 heavy rain events. They killed 3 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $3.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on January 15, 2016.
June 29, 2017: lightning strike 4 miles from the centre of Fort Myers — 1 killed, 1 injured.
NWS: “Local broadcast media reported that a 9 month pregnant woman was struck by lightning in a neighborhood in Fort Myers. She was transported to a local hospital.”
September 10, 2007: lightning strike 5 miles from the centre of Fort Myers — 1 killed.
October 3, 2012: lightning strike 2 miles from the centre of Fort Myers — 1 killed.
NWS: “An 11 year old student was struck by lightning during football practice at around 4:30 pm EDT on the 3rd, right after taking the field. The student died on the afternoon of the 7th after he was removed from life support.”
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Flood insurance policyholders in Fort Myers's 10 ZIP codes have filed 13,405 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $1.21 billion for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Ian in 2022: 9,173 claims (68% of all) and $1.06 billion, then Hurricane Milton in 2024 with 934 and Hurricane Irma in 2017 with 799. 92% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 340 Florida cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 336 have fewer than Fort Myers.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Ian2022 | 9,173 | $1.06 billion |
| Hurricane Milton2024 | 934 | $56.3 million |
| Hurricane Irma2017 | 799 | $23.1 million |
| Hurricane Helene2024 | 532 | $41.9 million |
| Hurricane Charley2004 | 278 | $1.4 million |
| Torrential rain2001 | 148 | $2.0 million |
Lee County, which includes Fort Myers, has been named in 45 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 26 of them major disasters (by incident: 21 hurricanes, 6 fires, 5 tropical storms, 4 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Milton, on October 11, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Lee County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for hurricanes, coastal flooding and lightning; Relatively High for inland flooding; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $433.3 million a year, the 5th highest of 67 Florida counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $300.4 million (69%), is from hurricanes.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Fort Myers in the notable storm records: Hurricane Ian (2022)
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Fort Myers
- Cape Coral, FL10 mi
- North Fort Myers, FL10 mi
- Estero, FL10 mi
- Fort Myers Beach, FL10 mi
- Lehigh Acres, FL12 mi
- Bonita Springs, FL16 mi
- St James City, FL16 mi
- Alva, FL17 mi
- Sanibel, FL18 mi
- Bokeelia, FL20 mi
- Naples, FL27 mi
- Punta Gorda, FL27 mi
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