NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Miramar Beach, 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
77 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Miramar Beach, Florida since 1851, 31 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Fred in 2021. Since 1950, 109 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 31
- Tropical storms
- 46
- Tornadoes
- 109
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Miramar Beach
The strongest storm to pass near Miramar Beach was Michael in 2018, a Category 5 hurricane with 160 mph winds when its centre passed 57 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1939, whose centre crossed the city. The record near Miramar Beach begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Fred in 2021, a tropical storm 57 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 8 systems, 2 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 77 systems, 11 have come since 2000. Miramar Beach has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 76% of the 407 Florida cities on this site. The highest rating among the 109 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on December 10, 1967, came within 18 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on December 10, 1967, killed 1 person. Of the 109, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 40 have come since 2000. September and December have had the most tornadoes, 15 each. The most recent tornado was on May 10, 2025. Of the 407 Florida cities, 60% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Miramar Beach. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 13 times since 1962, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 407 Florida cities, 88% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Miramar Beach.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Miramar Beach
Of the 77 tracks on the map, 32 were moving northeast as they passed Miramar Beach, 22 north and 11 northwest. Michael (2018), the strongest pass, was heading northeast and came ashore 58 miles southeast of Miramar Beach. Within 75 miles of Miramar Beach, 58 of the 77 came ashore, 27 of them as hurricanes. In the last 30 seasons (1996–2025), 13 came near Miramar Beach: 4.3 a decade, against 4.4 a decade from 1851 to 1995.
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | FredAug 16 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | SallySep 16 | 68 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 19 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 10 | 57 mi | Category 5 (160 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2018 | AlbertoMay 28 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2009 | ClaudetteAug 17 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | FayAug 23 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | DennisJul 10 | 41 mi | Category 3 (123 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2005 | ArleneJun 11 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2001 | BarryAug 6 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2000 | HeleneSep 22 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | EarlSep 3 | 39 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1997 | DannyJul 20 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 4 | 39 mi | Category 2 (106 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | ErinAug 3 | 37 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1994 | BerylAug 15 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1994 | AlbertoJul 3 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | KateNov 21 | 62 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | JuanOct 31 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | ElenaSep 2 | 59 mi | Category 3 (124 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 4 mi | Category 3 (127 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 19 | 49 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1970 | BeckyJul 22 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1969 | Unnamed 1969 stormOct 1 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 15 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | HildaOct 5 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | IreneOct 8 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | DebbieSep 8 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | FlossySep 25 | 2 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1953 | FlorenceSep 26 | 11 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1953 | AliceJun 6 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1948 | Unnamed 1948 stormJul 9 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormAug 13 | overhead | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormJun 16 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormSep 20 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormAug 31 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJul 31 | 13 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormOct 6 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 1 | 38 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormSep 20 | 32 mi | Category 3 (122 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 15 | 71 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1919 | Unnamed 1919 stormJul 4 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1917 | Unnamed 1917 stormSep 29 | 11 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 18 | 62 mi | Category 2 (106 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 4 | 58 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1914 | Unnamed 1914 stormSep 18 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 11 | 50 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 28 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 28 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormJun 12 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormNov 3 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 14 | 37 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 10 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 17 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormAug 2 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormAug 3 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormJul 7 | 7 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 40 mi | Category 3 (121 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormAug 7 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 23 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 19 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormJul 27 | 13 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormSep 28 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormSep 21 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 30 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 10 | 21 mi | Category 3 (117 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormAug 31 | overhead | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormOct 16 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 10 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 3 | 57 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormSep 19 | 6 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1875 | Unnamed 1875 stormSep 27 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1868 | Unnamed 1868 stormOct 4 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormOct 5 | 71 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormAug 12 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 31 | 30 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 23 | 43 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Miramar Beach: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Check hail and hurricane history for any address
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Miramar Beach
By decade
- 2020s18
- 2010s8
- 2000s14
- 1990s22
- 1980s17
- 1970s21
- 1960s9(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 10, 1967 | F3 | 18 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 25, 1964 | F3 | 10 mi | 12.8 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Dec 10, 1967 | F2 | 10 mi | 6.8 mi | 1 / 50 |
| Jan 22, 2023 | EF2 | 3 mi | 0.78 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 1, 1996 | F2 | 6 mi | 0.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 1, 1989 | F2 | 12 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 7, 1974 | F2 | 17 mi | 5.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 12, 1971 | F2 | 13 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 10, 1965 | F2 | 19 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 5, 1962 | F2 | 8 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 10, 2025 | EF1 | 24 mi | 8.03 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 10, 2025 | EF1 | 5 mi | 1.87 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 109, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Miramar Beach
The Storm Prediction Center has 13 hail reports within 10 miles of Miramar Beach since 1962, made on 10 separate days. Of these, 5 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), fell on March 29, 1972. The most recent report is from June 25, 2025. March has the most reports, 5.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Miramar Beach
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Destin Fort Walton Airport, FL, 7 miles west of Miramar Beach at 22 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 76°F; January is the coolest, at 63°F and 45°F. August is the wettest at 6.1 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 55.4 inches over 65 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 52% of the year's precipitation (28.7 of 55.4 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 77 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (23); a normal September there has highs of 89°F and 5.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 50 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 6 nights a year. That 55.4 inches is more than at 72 of the 125 Florida stations used on this site (58%). Niceville, 10 miles northwest, has its own station (Niceville, FL): 73.6 inches a year, 18.2 more than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63 | 45 | 4.5 | 6 |
| Feb | 66 | 48 | 5.0 | 5 |
| Mar | 71 | 54 | 4.7 | 5 |
| Apr | 76 | 60 | 4.6 | 4 |
| May | 84 | 68 | 3.2 | 4 |
| Jun | 89 | 74 | 4.7 | 6 |
| Jul | 91 | 76 | 5.8 | 7 |
| Aug | 91 | 76 | 6.1 | 8 |
| Sep | 89 | 72 | 5.2 | 5 |
| Oct | 81 | 63 | 2.8 | 4 |
| Nov | 72 | 53 | 4.1 | 4 |
| Dec | 66 | 48 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Year | 78 | 61 | 55.4 | 65 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Destin Fort Walton Airport, FL (22 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 Miramar Beach
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 93 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Miramar Beach: 48 thunderstorm wind reports, 37 flash floods, 4 floods, 3 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 2 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $2.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 106 mph, on January 9, 2024. April has had the most flash floods, 15 of 37. Of the 277 Florida cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 264 have had fewer than Miramar Beach.
June 21, 2008: lightning strike 5 miles from the centre of Miramar Beach — 2 killed.
NWS: “Two Walton County men were killed when lightning struck their fishing boat on Choctawhatchee Bay.”
July 31, 2012: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Miramar Beach — 2 injured, $50,000 damage.
July 2, 2009: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Miramar Beach — $1.0 million damage.
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 Miramar Beach's ZIP code 32550 have filed 1,040 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1985, and were paid $27.6 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Ivan in 2004: 233 claims (22% of all) and $6.8 million, then Hurricane Dennis in 2005 with 186 and Hurricane Opal in 1995 with 159. 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, 244 have fewer than Miramar Beach.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Ivan2004 | 233 | $6.8 million |
| Hurricane Dennis2005 | 186 | $5.1 million |
| Hurricane Opal1995 | 159 | $6.2 million |
| Mid-spring storms2014 | 154 | $5.9 million |
| Hurricane Georges (Panhandle)1998 | 79 | $264,000 |
| Hurricane Sally2020 | 37 | $1.0 million |
Walton County, which includes Miramar Beach, has been named in 43 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 25 of them major disasters (by incident: 22 hurricanes, 6 severe storms, 5 fires, 4 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 28, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Walton County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hurricanes and lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and coastal flooding; Relatively Low for inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $68.4 million a year, the 33rd highest of 67 Florida counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $47.3 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).
Miramar Beach in the notable storm records: Hurricane Michael (2018)
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Miramar Beach
- Destin, FL4 mi
- Niceville, FL10 mi
- Santa Rosa Beach, FL10 mi
- Valparaiso, FL12 mi
- Eglin Afb, FL13 mi
- Freeport, FL13 mi
- Shalimar, FL13 mi
- Fort Walton Beach, FL16 mi
- Hurlburt Field, FL18 mi
- Mary Esther, FL21 mi
- Defuniak Springs, FL26 mi
- Inlet Beach, FL26 mi
All Florida cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Miramar Beach with another place →