NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lake Wales, FL
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
74 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Lake Wales, Florida since 1851, 26 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Milton in 2024. Since 1950, 127 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 26
- Tropical storms
- 48
- Tornadoes
- 127
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
37 deaths in all
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lake Wales
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | MiltonOct 10 | 5 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2022 | NicoleNov 10 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2022 | IanSep 29 | 27 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2017 | IrmaSep 11 | 34 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2017 | EmilyJul 31 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2016 | JuliaSep 13 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | FayAug 20 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | ErnestoAug 30 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2004 | JeanneSep 26 | 14 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2004 | FrancesSep 5 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 13 | 10 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2001 | GabrielleSep 14 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1995 | JerryAug 24 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1995 | ErinAug 2 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1994 | GordonNov 16 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1988 | KeithNov 23 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | BobJul 24 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1984 | IsidoreSep 28 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1981 | DennisAug 18 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 4 | 62 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1974 | Unnamed 1974 stormJun 25 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | DollyAug 10 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1968 | BrendaJun 19 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1968 | AbbyJun 4 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1964 | CleoAug 28 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | FlorenceSep 24 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 11 | 16 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | JudithOct 18 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1959 | Unnamed 1959 stormJun 18 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormOct 16 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1953 | HazelOct 9 | 50 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1951 | HowOct 2 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1950 | KingOct 18 | 14 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1950 | EasySep 6 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 27 | 16 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 8 | 64 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 16 | 15 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 19 | 44 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormAug 12 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormJul 30 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 4 | 14 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormJul 31 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1930 | Unnamed 1930 stormSep 9 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 17 | 24 mi | Category 2 (102 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 8 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormJul 28 | 74 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1925 | Unnamed 1925 stormDec 1 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1921 | Unnamed 1921 stormOct 26 | 55 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 14 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 1 | 70 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 18 | 24 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormJun 29 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 12 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 5 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormAug 2 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 21 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormOct 9 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 26 | 8 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormOct 24 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 8 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 30 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormAug 29 | 32 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 8 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormOct 20 | 68 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormOct 7 | 41 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormSep 23 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 23 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 25 | 29 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 17 | 7 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 1 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormOct 28 | 21 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormOct 18 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1858 | Unnamed 1858 stormSep 14 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormSep 12 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Lake Wales: 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 Lake Wales
By decade
- 2020s6
- 2010s8
- 2000s16
- 1990s36(1 EF3+)
- 1980s24
- 1970s17
- 1960s14(1 EF3+)
- 1950s6
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 1966 | F4 | 22 mi | 135.8 mi | 11 / 530 |
| Feb 22, 1998 | F3 | 23 mi | 28 mi | 25 / 150 |
| May 8, 1979 | F2 | 16 mi | 4 mi | 1 / 40 |
| Jun 24, 2012 | EF2 | 11 mi | 6.22 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 9, 1998 | F2 | 5 mi | 10.4 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Dec 27, 1997 | F2 | 15 mi | 5.8 mi | 0 / 18 |
| Feb 8, 1986 | F2 | 20 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 19, 1981 | F2 | 24 mi | 5.4 mi | 0 / 11 |
| Mar 17, 1973 | F2 | 17 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1966 | F2 | 12 mi | 123.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 6, 1964 | F2 | 14 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 29, 1963 | F2 | 7 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 127, 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 Lake Wales 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.