NHC AL091966 · Atlantic basin
Hurricane Inez (1966)
September 21, 1966 – October 11, 1966
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
Hurricane Inez peaked at Category 5 with 161 mph sustained winds and passed within 75 miles of 49 US cities, 49 of them while still at hurricane strength.
Inez in the record
HURDAT2 tracks Inez for 20 days, from September 21, 1966 to October 11, 1966. Its first position, at 9.9°N 35.1°W, records it as a tropical depression; its last, at 21.5°N 100.6°W, as a tropical depression. It reached tropical-storm strength on September 24, hurricane strength on September 26 and major-hurricane strength on September 27. Its peak was 161 mph (140 knots), Category 5, on September 28, and its lowest central pressure was 927 millibars on September 28. It spent about 12 days at hurricane strength. HURDAT2 marks 3 landfalls within 50 miles of a US city on this site; they were on October 4 at 98 mph (Category 2), 2 miles from Tavernier, FL; on October 4 at 98 mph (Category 2), 3 miles from Big Pine Key, FL; on October 5 at 98 mph (Category 2), 4 miles from Key West, FL. It has 6 more landfalls in the record farther from the cities here. Its centre passed within 75 miles of 49 US cities, in 2 states and territories, most in Florida (40), between September 28 and October 5. The strongest pass was 161 mph (Category 5) 69 miles from Boqueron, PR; the centre came closest to Big Pine Key, FL, 1 mile away. All of them had it at hurricane strength at the closest point, 9 at major-hurricane strength. It reached more US cities than 17% of the 737 storms on this site, and ranks 3rd of the 3 storms of 1966 here.
- Peak strength
- Category 5
- Cities within 75 mi
- 49
- At hurricane strength
- 49
- States
- 2
161 mph
when closest
Cities Inez passed near, strongest first
Puerto Rico (9)
- BoqueronCategory 5 · 69 mi
- LajasCategory 5 · 71 mi
- Cabo RojoCategory 5 · 75 mi
- EnsenadaCategory 5 · 68 mi
- GuanicaCategory 5 · 71 mi
- GuayanillaCategory 5 · 75 mi
- MerceditaCategory 5 · 74 mi
- PonceCategory 5 · 75 mi
- Santa IsabelCategory 4 · 75 mi
Florida (40)
- Big Pine KeyCategory 2 · overhead
- TavernierCategory 2 · 1 mi
- IslamoradaCategory 2 · 2 mi
- Key WestCategory 2 · 2 mi
- Summerland KeyCategory 2 · 4 mi
- MarathonCategory 2 · 5 mi
- Key LargoCategory 2 · 8 mi
- Florida CityCategory 2 · 29 mi
- HomesteadCategory 2 · 32 mi
- Cutler BayCategory 1 · 36 mi
- Palmetto BayCategory 1 · 40 mi
- South MiamiCategory 1 · 44 mi
- MiamiCategory 1 · 47 mi
- DoralCategory 1 · 54 mi
- HialeahCategory 1 · 57 mi
- WestonCategory 1 · 71 mi
- Coral GablesCategory 1 · 46 mi
- Opa LockaCategory 1 · 57 mi
- Miami LakesCategory 1 · 58 mi
- Miami GardensCategory 1 · 60 mi
- MiramarCategory 1 · 63 mi
- Pembroke PinesCategory 1 · 65 mi
- SunriseCategory 1 · 74 mi
- Key BiscayneCategory 1 · 42 mi
- Miami BeachCategory 1 · 50 mi
- Miami ShoresCategory 1 · 53 mi
- Bay Harbor IslandsCategory 1 · 54 mi
- North MiamiCategory 1 · 55 mi
- North Miami BeachCategory 1 · 58 mi
- Sunny Isles BeachCategory 1 · 58 mi
- AventuraCategory 1 · 59 mi
- HollywoodCategory 1 · 63 mi
- DavieCategory 1 · 68 mi
- PlantationCategory 1 · 72 mi
- Lauderdale LakesCategory 1 · 73 mi
- Hallandale BeachCategory 1 · 61 mi
- Dania BeachCategory 1 · 65 mi
- Fort LauderdaleCategory 1 · 71 mi
- Wilton ManorsCategory 1 · 72 mi
- Oakland ParkCategory 1 · 74 mi
Other storms of the 1966 season
- AlmaCategory 3 · 724 cities
- Unnamed (AL121966)Tropical storm · 161 cities
About this record
The track is the National Hurricane Center's best-track record, revised after the season with every observation available. Strength at a city is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, not the wind that city measured.