NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lehigh Acres, 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
82 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Lehigh Acres, Florida since 1851, 31 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ian in 2022. Since 1950, 137 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 31
- Tropical storms
- 51
- Tornadoes
- 137
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
3 deaths in all
What the records show for Lehigh Acres
The strongest storm to pass near Lehigh Acres was an unnamed storm in 1935, a Category 4 hurricane with 152 mph winds when its centre passed 35 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Irma in 2017, whose centre came within 3 miles. The record near Lehigh Acres begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Ian in 2022, a Category 4 hurricane 26 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 8 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 82 systems, 13 have come since 2000. Lehigh Acres has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 76% of the 407 Florida cities on this site. The highest rating among the 137 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2 or EF2, reached 14 times; the most recent, on October 9, 2024, came within 14 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on November 9, 1968, killed 2 people. Of the 137, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 43 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 28. The most recent tornado was on October 9, 2024. Lehigh Acres has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 60% of the 407 Florida cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 30 times since 1994, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 407 Florida cities, 61% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Lehigh Acres.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lehigh Acres
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | IanSep 28 | 26 mi | Category 4 (144 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2022 | AlexJun 4 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | SallySep 12 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2018 | GordonSep 3 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2017 | IrmaSep 10 | 3 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2017 | EmilyJul 31 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | FayAug 19 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | ErnestoAug 30 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2005 | WilmaOct 24 | 42 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2004 | JeanneSep 26 | 71 mi | Category 2 (96 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2004 | FrancesSep 5 | 75 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 13 | 33 mi | Category 4 (147 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2001 | GabrielleSep 14 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1999 | IreneOct 16 | 73 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1999 | HarveySep 21 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | MitchNov 5 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1994 | GordonNov 16 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1992 | AndrewAug 24 | 65 mi | Category 4 (132 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1990 | MarcoOct 11 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1988 | KeithNov 23 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | BobJul 23 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1981 | DennisAug 18 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1976 | DottieAug 19 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1969 | JennyOct 2 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | AbbyJun 4 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1966 | Unnamed 1966 stormJul 1 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | IsbellOct 14 | 52 mi | Category 2 (99 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1960 | FlorenceSep 24 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 10 | 11 mi | Category 3 (114 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | JudithOct 18 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormOct 16 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1953 | HazelOct 9 | 21 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1952 | Unnamed 1952 stormFeb 3 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1951 | HowOct 2 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1950 | KingOct 18 | 52 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 27 | 56 mi | Category 2 (100 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1948 | Unnamed 1948 stormSep 22 | 47 mi | Category 3 (119 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 18 | 19 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 16 | 9 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 5 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 19 | 60 mi | Category 2 (106 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 6 | 21 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJul 29 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJun 15 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormNov 5 | 64 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 3 | 35 mi | Category 4 (152 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 4 | 67 mi | Category 2 (96 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormJul 31 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormAug 30 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormSep 29 | 69 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 17 | 54 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 13 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormSep 18 | 20 mi | Category 2 (107 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1925 | Unnamed 1925 stormDec 1 | overhead | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormOct 21 | 53 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormAug 25 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 14 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 18 | 21 mi | Category 2 (106 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormAug 29 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormJun 29 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 19 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormOct 18 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 12 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormAug 11 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormJul 30 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 21 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormOct 9 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1895 | Unnamed 1895 stormOct 16 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 25 | 19 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormJun 10 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormOct 7 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormAug 25 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormOct 6 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 8 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 17 | 8 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 8 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormJul 2 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormOct 20 | 37 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormOct 7 | 18 mi | Category 3 (110 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1870 | Unnamed 1870 stormOct 20 | 21 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 1 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormOct 18 | 25 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 Lehigh Acres: 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 Lehigh Acres
By decade
- 2020s11
- 2010s13
- 2000s19
- 1990s44
- 1980s22
- 1970s15
- 1960s11
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 9, 1968 | F2 | 21 mi | 45.6 mi | 2 / 17 |
| Jun 17, 1982 | F2 | 13 mi | 8 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Oct 9, 2024 | EF2 | 14 mi | 16.29 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 16, 2022 | EF2 | 17 mi | 7.01 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 9, 2016 | EF2 | 21 mi | 3.35 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jul 23, 1989 | F2 | 13 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 4, 1988 | F2 | 13 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 9, 1986 | F2 | 20 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Jun 18, 1972 | F2 | 2 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 3, 1971 | F2 | 23 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 11, 1968 | F2 | 16 mi | 65.4 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Feb 23, 1965 | F2 | 14 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 137, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lehigh Acres
The Storm Prediction Center has 30 hail reports within 10 miles of Lehigh Acres since 1994, made on 28 separate days. Of these, 18 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently June 26, 2001. The most recent report is from June 11, 2025. May and June have the most reports, 10 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lehigh Acres
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Fort Myers SW Fl Regional Airport, FL, 8 miles southwest of Lehigh Acres at 31 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 76°F; January is the coolest, at 75°F and 54°F. June is the wettest at 10.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.5 inches; the year adds up to 53.5 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 77% of the year's precipitation (41.2 of 53.5 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 82 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (25); a normal September there has highs of 90°F and 8.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 119 days a year, almost all from April to October. A night below freezing comes less than once a year on average. That 53.5 inches is more than at 55 of the 125 Florida stations used on this site (44%). Fort Myers, 12 miles west, has its own station (Fort Myers Page Field Airport, FL): 57.5 inches a year, 4.0 more than here, and an August average high of 92°F against 91°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Fort Myers, FL, 14 miles west, averaged 88°F in July and August and 67°F in January over 2021–2025. It averaged 80°F or warmer from May to October. Sea level at the Fort Myers tide gauge, 14 miles from Lehigh Acres, has risen 1.43 ± 0.08 inches per decade from 1965 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 14.3 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 86 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 75 | 54 | 2.4 | 3 | 67 |
| Feb | 78 | 56 | 1.5 | 2 | 72 |
| Mar | 80 | 59 | 1.9 | 3 | 76 |
| Apr | 85 | 64 | 1.9 | 3 | 79 |
| May | 88 | 68 | 3.0 | 5 | 85 |
| Jun | 90 | 73 | 10.3 | 11 | 86 |
| Jul | 91 | 75 | 8.6 | 13 | 88 |
| Aug | 91 | 76 | 8.8 | 14 | 88 |
| Sep | 90 | 75 | 8.5 | 11 | 86 |
| Oct | 86 | 70 | 3.1 | 4 | 81 |
| Nov | 81 | 63 | 1.9 | 2 | 75 |
| Dec | 77 | 58 | 1.6 | 3 | 71 |
| Year | 84 | 66 | 53.5 | 74 | 79 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Fort Myers SW Fl Regional Airport, FL (31 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Fort Myers, FL, from NOAA Tides & Currents. 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 Lehigh Acres
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 32 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lehigh Acres: 25 thunderstorm wind reports, 3 heavy rain events, 3 lightning strikes and 1 flood. They killed 1 person and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $641,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on January 15, 2016.
June 29, 2017: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Lehigh Acres — 1 killed, 1 injured.
July 22, 2017: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Lehigh Acres — 1 injured.
January 15, 2016: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Lehigh Acres — $300,000 damage.
NWS: “An NWS and Lee County Emergency Management storm survey found numerous homes that sustained straight-line wind damage. Damage included roof damage, fascia and pieces of lanai and pool screen enclosures being ripped from houses.”
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 Lehigh Acres's 6 ZIP codes have filed 65 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $866,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Irma in 2017: 40 claims (62% of all) and $757,000. 80% 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, 85 have fewer than Lehigh Acres.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Irma2017 | 40 | $757,000 |
Lee County, which includes Lehigh Acres, has been named in 45 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 26 of them major disasters (by incident: 21 hurricanes, 6 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 Lee County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for hurricanes, coastal flooding and lightning; Relatively High for inland flooding; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $433.3 million a year, the 5th highest of 67 Florida counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $300.4 million (69%), 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).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Lehigh Acres
- Alva, FL8 mi
- Fort Myers, FL12 mi
- Estero, FL15 mi
- North Fort Myers, FL17 mi
- Labelle, FL18 mi
- Bonita Springs, FL19 mi
- Fort Myers Beach, FL20 mi
- Cape Coral, FL21 mi
- Immokalee, FL21 mi
- St James City, FL28 mi
- Naples, FL28 mi
- Sanibel, FL29 mi
All Florida cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Lehigh Acres with another place →