NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Key Largo, 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
73 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Key Largo, Florida since 1851, 36 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Eta in 2020. Since 1950, 42 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 36
- Tropical storms
- 37
- Tornadoes
- 42
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Key Largo
The strongest storm to pass near Key Largo was an unnamed storm in 1935, a Category 5 hurricane with 184 mph winds when its centre passed 33 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1878, whose centre crossed the city. The record near Key Largo begins with an unnamed storm in 1863; the most recent system was Eta in 2020, a tropical storm 24 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 9 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 73 systems, 8 have come since 2000. Key Largo has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 84% of the 407 Florida cities on this site. The highest rating among the 42 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2, reached 2 times; the most recent, on November 4, 1998, passed within a mile of the city centre. Of the 42, 10 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 12 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 7. The most recent tornado was on October 9, 2024. Of the 407 Florida cities, 97% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Key Largo. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 2 times since 1994, with stones up to 0.75 inches (penny size). Of the 407 Florida cities, 98% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Key Largo.
Compare Key Largo's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Key Largo
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | EtaNov 9 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | SallySep 12 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2018 | GordonSep 3 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2017 | IrmaSep 10 | 73 mi | Category 3 (128 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2010 | NicoleSep 30 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2010 | BonnieJul 23 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | ErnestoAug 30 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 26 | 43 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1999 | IreneOct 15 | 43 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1999 | HarveySep 21 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1992 | AndrewAug 24 | 26 mi | Category 5 (165 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1991 | FabianOct 16 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1987 | FloydOct 12 | overhead | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1981 | DennisAug 17 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1976 | DottieAug 19 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1974 | Unnamed 1974 stormOct 6 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1970 | GretaSep 27 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1966 | InezOct 4 | 8 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1965 | BetsySep 8 | 9 mi | Category 3 (114 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | IsbellOct 14 | 75 mi | Category 2 (100 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1964 | CleoAug 27 | 32 mi | Category 2 (105 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 10 | 38 mi | Category 4 (144 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormOct 15 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1953 | Unnamed 1953 stormOct 4 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1952 | Unnamed 1952 stormFeb 3 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1950 | KingOct 18 | 25 mi | Category 3 (128 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1948 | Unnamed 1948 stormOct 5 | 21 mi | Category 2 (100 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1948 | Unnamed 1948 stormSep 21 | 64 mi | Category 4 (130 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormOct 12 | 42 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 17 | 66 mi | Category 3 (121 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 15 | 13 mi | Category 4 (132 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 6 | 26 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJul 29 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJun 15 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormNov 4 | 48 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 28 | 44 mi | Category 4 (133 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 3 | 33 mi | Category 5 (184 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormOct 5 | 41 mi | Category 3 (113 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormAug 30 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormSep 28 | 11 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 13 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormOct 21 | 7 mi | Category 3 (127 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormSep 18 | 32 mi | Category 4 (144 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormOct 21 | 57 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormNov 15 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormAug 25 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 14 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormOct 11 | 4 mi | Category 3 (112 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormJun 28 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormOct 18 | 21 mi | Category 3 (121 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormJun 17 | 17 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormOct 17 | 13 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 11 | 69 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormJul 30 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 23 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 11 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormSep 27 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1895 | Unnamed 1895 stormOct 16 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1895 | Unnamed 1895 stormOct 2 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormJun 11 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormOct 7 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormAug 24 | 21 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormOct 6 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 23 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 16 | 49 mi | Category 3 (127 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 17 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 21 | overhead | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 8 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormOct 20 | 75 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 16 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1870 | Unnamed 1870 stormOct 10 | 17 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1865 | Unnamed 1865 stormOct 23 | 46 mi | Category 2 (102 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 16 | 32 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 Key Largo: 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 Key Largo
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s6
- 2000s4
- 1990s16
- 1980s7
- 1970s3
- 1960s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 4, 1998 | F2 | in town | 12 mi | 0 / 20 |
| Dec 20, 1973 | F2 | 20 mi | 7.6 mi | 0 / 9 |
| Oct 9, 2024 | EF1 | 22 mi | 2.93 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 2018 | EF1 | 13 mi | 0.88 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 2, 2002 | F1 | 23 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 4, 1998 | F1 | 21 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 11, 1987 | F1 | 5 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 21, 1986 | F1 | 13 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 20, 1973 | F1 | 23 mi | 8.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 9, 2022 | EF0 | 7 mi | 0.01 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 29, 2018 | EF0 | 25 mi | 0.33 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 2018 | EF0 | 12 mi | 0.23 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 42, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Key Largo
The Storm Prediction Center has 2 hail reports within 10 miles of Key Largo since 1994. None of them reached 1 inch. The largest size, 0.75 inches (penny size), was reported on 2 days, most recently June 13, 2007. The most recent report is from June 13, 2007.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Key Largo
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Tavernier, FL, 12 miles southwest of Key Largo at 7 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 80°F; January is the coolest, at 75°F and 64°F. September is the wettest at 8.0 inches of precipitation on average and March the driest at 1.6 inches; the year adds up to 44.9 inches over 63 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 69% of the year's precipitation (31.2 of 44.9 inches); the other six months are drier. October has brought the most of the 73 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (28); a normal October there has highs of 85°F and 5.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 49 days a year, almost all from June to October. A night below freezing comes less than once a year on average. That 44.9 inches is more than at 5 of the 125 Florida stations used on this site (4%). Islamorada, 21 miles southwest, has its own station (Islamorada, FL): 38.8 inches a year, 6.1 less than here, and the same July average high, 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 75 | 64 | 2.1 | 3 |
| Feb | 77 | 65 | 2.2 | 3 |
| Mar | 79 | 67 | 1.6 | 3 |
| Apr | 83 | 72 | 1.9 | 3 |
| May | 86 | 75 | 3.8 | 4 |
| Jun | 88 | 78 | 5.6 | 8 |
| Jul | 89 | 80 | 4.0 | 7 |
| Aug | 90 | 79 | 5.6 | 9 |
| Sep | 88 | 78 | 8.0 | 10 |
| Oct | 85 | 75 | 5.6 | 8 |
| Nov | 81 | 70 | 2.4 | 4 |
| Dec | 77 | 67 | 2.1 | 4 |
| Year | 83 | 73 | 44.9 | 63 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Tavernier, FL (7 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 Key Largo
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 17 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Key Largo: 11 thunderstorm wind reports, 4 floods and 2 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $26,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 84 mph, on February 2, 1998.
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 Key Largo's ZIP code 33037 have filed 2,565 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $40.2 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Irma in 2017: 1,000 claims (39% of all) and $24.9 million, then Hurricane Wilma in 2005 with 563 and Hurricane Irene in 1999 with 219. 87% 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, 292 have fewer than Key Largo.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Irma2017 | 1,000 | $24.9 million |
| Hurricane Wilma2005 | 563 | $9.5 million |
| Hurricane Irene1999 | 219 | $1.3 million |
| Hurricane Georges (Keys)1998 | 182 | $317,000 |
| Hurricane Andrew1992 | 138 | $0 |
| Hurricane Ian2022 | 38 | $681,000 |
Monroe County, which includes Key Largo, has been named in 47 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 27 of them major disasters (by incident: 26 hurricanes, 6 severe storms, 4 fires, 3 tropical storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Milton, on October 11, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Monroe County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for coastal flooding; Relatively High for hurricanes and lightning; Relatively Low for inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for tornadoes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $93.3 million a year, the 31st highest of 67 Florida counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $65.1 million (70%), 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).
Key Largo in the notable storm records: Florida Keys Labor Day Hurricane (1935)
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Key Largo
- Tavernier, FL12 mi
- Islamorada, FL21 mi
- Florida City, FL21 mi
- Homestead, FL25 mi
- Cutler Bay, FL30 mi
- Palmetto Bay, FL35 mi
- South Miami, FL40 mi
- Key Biscayne, FL42 mi
- Miami, FL43 mi
- Coral Gables, FL43 mi
- Marathon, FL48 mi
- Doral, FL48 mi
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