NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Gainesville, 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
80 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Gainesville, Florida since 1851, 14 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Debby in 2024. Since 1950, 82 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 14
- Tropical storms
- 66
- Tornadoes
- 82
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Gainesville
The strongest storm to pass near Gainesville was an unnamed storm in 1896, a Category 3 hurricane with 114 mph winds when its centre passed 26 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1888, whose centre came within 4 miles. The record near Gainesville begins with an unnamed storm in 1867; the most recent system was Debby in 2024, a tropical storm 60 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 11 systems, 3 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 80 systems, 15 have come since 2000. Of the 407 Florida cities on this site, 94% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Gainesville. The highest rating among the 82 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2, reached 10 times; the most recent, on March 14, 1986, came within 3 miles. The deadliest, an F1 on March 12, 1993, killed 1 person. Of the 82, 11 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 25 have come since 2000. March has had the most tornadoes, 11. The most recent tornado was on August 4, 2024. Of the 407 Florida cities, 82% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Gainesville. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 79 times since 1961, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Gainesville has more hail reports within 10 miles than 82% of the 407 Florida cities.
Compare Gainesville's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Gainesville
Of the 80 tracks on the map, 35 were moving northeast as they passed Gainesville, 20 north and 13 northwest. The unnamed 1896 storm, the strongest pass, was heading northeast and came ashore 54 miles southwest of Gainesville. Within 75 miles of Gainesville, 37 of the 80 came ashore, 13 of them as hurricanes. In the last 30 seasons (1996–2025), 16 came near Gainesville: 5.3 a decade, against 4.4 a decade from 1851 to 1995.
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | DebbyAug 5 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2023 | IdaliaAug 30 | 71 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2022 | NicoleNov 10 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 7 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | EtaNov 12 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2017 | IrmaSep 11 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | JuliaSep 14 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2016 | ColinJun 7 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | DebbyJun 26 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | BerylMay 28 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | FayAug 22 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | TammyOct 6 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | JeanneSep 27 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2000 | GordonSep 18 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1984 | IsidoreSep 28 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1982 | Unnamed 1982 stormJun 18 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormMay 23 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1972 | AlphaMay 28 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1971 | Unnamed 1971 stormAug 16 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | GladysOct 19 | 38 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1968 | AbbyJun 6 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1966 | Unnamed 1966 stormJul 1 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormOct 18 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | DoraSep 10 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | CleoAug 28 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 11 | 74 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 29 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1953 | Unnamed 1953 stormSep 20 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1950 | LoveOct 21 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1950 | KingOct 18 | 10 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1950 | EasySep 7 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 27 | 29 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 24 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 8 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 16 | 52 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormJun 24 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 19 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 21 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormAug 30 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormJul 30 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormAug 22 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 4 | 62 mi | Category 2 (96 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 5 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 15 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 18 | 27 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 9 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormJul 28 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 30 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 15 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 2 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 19 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormJun 30 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormOct 21 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormOct 12 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 5 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 26 mi | Category 3 (114 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 26 | 70 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 16 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormJun 17 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormOct 11 | 4 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 9 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 30 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 19 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 11 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormSep 21 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormOct 11 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormOct 8 | 28 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 8 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormAug 30 | 66 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormOct 27 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 10 | 37 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 26 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 28 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormSep 23 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormSep 6 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 25 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 18 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormOct 7 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Gainesville: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Check hail and hurricane history for any address
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Gainesville
By decade
- 2020s6
- 2010s4
- 2000s15
- 1990s18
- 1980s16
- 1970s16
- 1960s6
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 14, 1986 | F2 | 3 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 27, 1984 | F2 | 22 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 23, 1983 | F2 | 23 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Feb 2, 1983 | F2 | 11 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 4 |
| May 4, 1978 | F2 | 2 mi | 12.8 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 19, 1978 | F2 | 13 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Apr 4, 1973 | F2 | 18 mi | 39 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Feb 3, 1970 | F2 | 5 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 28, 1966 | F2 | 1 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 8, 1957 | F2 | 15 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 12, 1993 | F1 | 13 mi | 0.8 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Aug 4, 2024 | EF1 | 25 mi | 0.18 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 82, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Gainesville
The Storm Prediction Center has 79 hail reports within 10 miles of Gainesville since 1961, made on 53 separate days. Of these, 30 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on July 17, 1997. The most recent report is from April 11, 2025. June has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Gainesville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Gainesville Regional Airport, FL, 6 miles east of Gainesville at 123 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 67°F and 43°F. June is the wettest at 7.6 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 1.8 inches; the year adds up to 48.5 inches over 73 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 62% of the year's precipitation (30.3 of 48.5 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 80 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (25); a normal September there has highs of 88°F and 5.1 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 90 days a year, almost all from April to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 15 nights a year. That 48.5 inches is more than at 10 of the 125 Florida stations used on this site (8%). Alachua, 12 miles northwest, has its own station (High Springs, FL): 51.7 inches a year, 3.2 more than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 67 | 43 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Feb | 71 | 46 | 2.7 | 4 |
| Mar | 76 | 50 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Apr | 82 | 56 | 2.7 | 4 |
| May | 87 | 63 | 3.1 | 5 |
| Jun | 90 | 70 | 7.6 | 11 |
| Jul | 91 | 72 | 6.7 | 11 |
| Aug | 91 | 72 | 6.4 | 10 |
| Sep | 88 | 69 | 5.1 | 7 |
| Oct | 82 | 61 | 2.7 | 4 |
| Nov | 75 | 51 | 1.8 | 3 |
| Dec | 69 | 45 | 2.9 | 5 |
| Year | 81 | 58 | 48.5 | 73 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Gainesville Regional Airport, FL (123 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. 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 Gainesville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 307 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Gainesville: 213 thunderstorm wind reports, 61 heavy rain events, 22 floods, 7 lightning strikes and 4 flash floods. They killed 1 person and injured 6, and the NWS estimated $482,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on April 29, 1996.
July 5, 2015: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Gainesville — 1 killed, 2 injured.
NWS: “A tree limb was blown down at Poe Springs park, which hit a woman on the head. Two others were injured.”
March 24, 2013: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Gainesville — 1 injured, $5,000 damage.
NWS: “A tree was blown down on a home which resulted in a minor injury to the home homeowner. The time of damage was based on radar.”
June 10, 2008: lightning strike 2 miles from the centre of Gainesville — 1 injured.
NWS: “A 21 year old male was struck by lightning near 3500 SW Archer Road. He was rushed to Shands Hospital.”
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 Gainesville's 8 ZIP codes have filed 206 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $5.6 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Irma in 2017: 50 claims (24% of all) and $2.0 million, then Hurricane Frances in 2004 with 24 and Hurricane Elsa in 2021 with 21. 55% 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, 145 have fewer than Gainesville.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Irma2017 | 50 | $2.0 million |
| Hurricane Frances2004 | 24 | $445,000 |
| Hurricane Elsa2021 | 21 | $2.0 million |
Alachua County, which includes Gainesville, has been named in 35 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1993, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 17 hurricanes, 5 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 Alachua County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for lightning; Relatively High for hurricanes and tornadoes; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $89.6 million a year, the 32nd highest of 67 Florida counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $35.0 million (39%), is from inland flooding.
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).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Gainesville
- Micanopy, FL12 mi
- Alachua, FL12 mi
- Newberry, FL14 mi
- Archer, FL15 mi
- High Springs, FL18 mi
- Hampton, FL19 mi
- Bronson, FL20 mi
- Hawthorne, FL21 mi
- Williston, FL22 mi
- Reddick, FL22 mi
- Melrose, FL22 mi
- Keystone Heights, FL24 mi
All Florida cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Gainesville with another place →