NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Key West, FL
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
76 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Key West, Florida since 1851, 40 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ian in 2022. Since 1950, 35 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 40
- Tropical storms
- 36
- Tornadoes
- 35
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Key West
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | IanSep 28 | 72 mi | Category 3 (127 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 6 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | EtaNov 9 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | SallySep 12 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2018 | GordonSep 3 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | HectorAug 13 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2017 | IrmaSep 10 | 16 mi | Category 4 (132 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2012 | IsaacAug 26 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2008 | FayAug 18 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | WilmaOct 24 | 73 mi | Category 3 (124 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2005 | RitaSep 20 | 43 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 26 | 40 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 13 | 66 mi | Category 3 (117 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1999 | IreneOct 15 | 6 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1998 | GeorgesSep 25 | 5 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1994 | GordonNov 15 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1992 | AndrewAug 24 | 75 mi | Category 4 (132 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1991 | FabianOct 16 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1990 | MarcoOct 10 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1988 | UlekiSep 8 | 41 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1987 | FloydOct 12 | overhead | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1981 | DennisAug 16 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1976 | DottieAug 19 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1970 | GretaSep 27 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1969 | JennyOct 2 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1966 | InezOct 5 | 2 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1966 | Unnamed 1966 stormJun 30 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1966 | AlmaJun 8 | 60 mi | Category 3 (114 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1965 | BetsySep 8 | 41 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | IsbellOct 14 | 34 mi | Category 3 (110 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 10 | 53 mi | Category 4 (139 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | Unnamed 1952 stormFeb 3 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1950 | EasySep 3 | 46 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1948 | Unnamed 1948 stormOct 5 | 21 mi | Category 2 (108 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1948 | Unnamed 1948 stormSep 21 | 9 mi | Category 3 (121 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormOct 11 | 34 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 4 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 18 | 70 mi | Category 3 (119 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormNov 5 | 74 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 3 | 55 mi | Category 5 (184 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormOct 5 | 45 mi | Category 2 (107 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormSep 28 | 54 mi | Category 2 (106 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 13 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormOct 20 | 38 mi | Category 4 (130 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1919 | Unnamed 1919 stormSep 9 | 24 mi | Category 4 (147 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormNov 15 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 14 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 17 | 54 mi | Category 3 (127 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormOct 11 | 15 mi | Category 3 (117 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormOct 18 | 31 mi | Category 3 (121 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormJun 16 | 29 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormOct 20 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 5 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormJul 30 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 23 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 11 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 10 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1895 | Unnamed 1895 stormOct 16 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1895 | Unnamed 1895 stormOct 1 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 25 | 15 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormJun 10 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormOct 7 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormOct 5 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 23 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormAug 18 | 47 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 17 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 21 | 47 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 7 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormOct 19 | 11 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormJun 1 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1870 | Unnamed 1870 stormOct 20 | 61 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1870 | Unnamed 1870 stormOct 9 | 33 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1865 | Unnamed 1865 stormOct 23 | 2 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 1 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormAug 16 | 29 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 22 | 32 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Key West: 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 West
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s2
- 2000s8
- 1990s4
- 1980s8
- 1970s4
- 1960s2
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 1980 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Jun 18, 1972 | F2 | 6 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 40 |
| Jun 18, 1972 | F2 | 3 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1966 | F2 | 2 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Oct 8, 2024 | EF1 | 3 mi | 0.28 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 20, 1983 | F1 | 13 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 3, 1982 | F1 | 2 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 9, 1972 | F1 | 7 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 6, 1963 | F1 | 2 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 17, 1957 | F1 | 11 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 4, 1953 | F1 | 2 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 19, 2024 | EF0 | 24 mi | 0.26 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 35, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
How to read this page
A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Key West while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.
Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.
Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.