NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Polk City, 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
74 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Polk City, Florida since 1851, 22 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Milton in 2024. Since 1950, 184 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 22
- Tropical storms
- 52
- Tornadoes
- 184
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
40 deaths in all
What the records show for Polk City
The strongest storm to pass near Polk City was an unnamed storm in 1873, a Category 2 hurricane with 101 mph winds when its centre passed 68 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1859, whose centre came within 4 miles. The record near Polk City begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Milton in 2024, a Category 1 hurricane 21 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1960s, with 8 systems, 2 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 74 systems, 12 have come since 2000. Of the 407 Florida cities on this site, 60% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Polk City. The strongest of the 184 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 4, 1966; its path came within 2 miles, and it killed 11 people. The deadliest, an F3 on February 22, 1998, killed 25 people. Of the 184, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 37 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 38. The most recent tornado was on September 26, 2024. Polk City has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 77% of the 407 Florida cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 33 times since 1968, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 407 Florida cities, 55% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Polk City.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Polk City
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | MiltonOct 10 | 21 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2022 | NicoleNov 10 | overhead | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2022 | IanSep 29 | 54 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2017 | IrmaSep 11 | 22 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2017 | EmilyJul 31 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2016 | JuliaSep 13 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | FayAug 20 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | ErnestoAug 30 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2004 | JeanneSep 26 | 15 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2004 | FrancesSep 5 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 14 | 14 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2001 | GabrielleSep 14 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1995 | JerryAug 24 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1995 | ErinAug 2 | overhead | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1990 | MarcoOct 11 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1988 | KeithNov 23 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1984 | IsidoreSep 28 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1982 | Unnamed 1982 stormJun 18 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1981 | DennisAug 18 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1968 | GladysOct 19 | 60 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1968 | DollyAug 10 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1968 | BrendaJun 19 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1968 | AbbyJun 4 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormOct 18 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | CleoAug 28 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | FlorenceSep 24 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 11 | 6 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | Unnamed 1959 stormJun 18 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormOct 16 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1950 | KingOct 18 | 27 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1950 | EasySep 6 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 27 | 16 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 23 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 8 | 44 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 16 | 5 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormJun 24 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 19 | 21 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormAug 12 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormJul 30 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormAug 21 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 4 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1930 | Unnamed 1930 stormSep 9 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 17 | 16 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 9 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1925 | Unnamed 1925 stormDec 1 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1921 | Unnamed 1921 stormOct 26 | 30 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 30 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 15 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 1 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 18 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormJun 29 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormOct 21 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 12 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 5 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormAug 2 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 21 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 26 | 14 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormOct 24 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 8 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 30 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 19 | 69 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormOct 8 | 73 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormAug 30 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 10 | 55 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormOct 7 | 68 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormSep 23 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 23 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 25 | 26 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 17 | 11 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 1 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormOct 28 | 4 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormOct 18 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1858 | Unnamed 1858 stormSep 14 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormSep 12 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Polk City: 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 Polk City
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s12
- 2000s20
- 1990s48(2 EF3+)
- 1980s35
- 1970s36
- 1960s19(1 EF3+)
- 1950s9
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 1966 | F4 | 2 mi | 135.8 mi | 11 / 530 |
| Feb 22, 1998 | F3 | 21 mi | 28 mi | 25 / 150 |
| Feb 22, 1998 | F3 | 22 mi | 18 mi | 3 / 70 |
| May 8, 1979 | F2 | 11 mi | 4 mi | 1 / 40 |
| Oct 18, 2019 | EF2 | 12 mi | 11.45 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 10, 2017 | EF2 | 4 mi | 0.59 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 24, 2012 | EF2 | 13 mi | 6.22 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 27, 1997 | F2 | 12 mi | 5.8 mi | 0 / 18 |
| Feb 8, 1986 | F2 | 21 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 2, 1983 | F2 | 22 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 9, 1982 | F2 | 22 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Dec 1, 1978 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 184, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Polk City
The Storm Prediction Center has 33 hail reports within 10 miles of Polk City since 1968, made on 31 separate days. Of these, 20 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 8 days, most recently May 13, 2024. The most recent report is from May 13, 2024. June has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Polk City
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Winter Haven Gilbert Airport, FL, 9 miles southeast of Polk City at 146 feet. July and August are the warmest, with an average high of 93°F and low of 75°F; January is the coolest, at 73°F and 52°F. June and July are the wettest at 7.4 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 1.5 inches; the year adds up to 46.1 inches over 72 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 66% of the year's precipitation (30.3 of 46.1 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 74 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (24); a normal September there has highs of 91°F and 5.3 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 121 days a year, almost all from April to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 1 nights a year. That 46.1 inches is more than at 6 of the 125 Florida stations used on this site (5%). Davenport, 12 miles northeast, has its own station (Kissimmee 2, FL): 52.8 inches a year, 6.7 more than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 93°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 73 | 52 | 2.5 | 4 |
| Feb | 76 | 55 | 2.4 | 4 |
| Mar | 80 | 59 | 3.0 | 4 |
| Apr | 85 | 63 | 2.5 | 4 |
| May | 90 | 69 | 2.7 | 5 |
| Jun | 92 | 74 | 7.4 | 11 |
| Jul | 93 | 75 | 7.4 | 12 |
| Aug | 93 | 76 | 6.5 | 11 |
| Sep | 91 | 74 | 5.3 | 9 |
| Oct | 86 | 68 | 2.2 | 4 |
| Nov | 80 | 60 | 1.5 | 3 |
| Dec | 74 | 55 | 2.7 | 4 |
| Year | 84 | 65 | 46.1 | 72 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Winter Haven Gilbert Airport, FL (146 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 Polk City
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 32 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Polk City: 26 thunderstorm wind reports, 4 lightning strikes, 1 flash flood and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 19, and the NWS estimated $491,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 72 mph, on March 31, 2011.
September 7, 2012: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Polk City — 1 killed.
June 28, 1997: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Polk City — 9 injured, $3,000 damage.
NWS: “S. Highway 98 and Rockridge Road.”
August 27, 2011: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Polk City — 9 injured.
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 Polk City's ZIP code 33868 have filed 46 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1994, and were paid $528,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Milton in 2024: 19 claims (41% of all) and $363,000, then Hurricane Irma in 2017 with 12. 91% 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, 65 have fewer than Polk City.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Milton2024 | 19 | $363,000 |
| Hurricane Irma2017 | 12 | $119,000 |
Polk County, which includes Polk City, has been named in 42 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 24 of them major disasters (by incident: 18 hurricanes, 7 fires, 5 severe storms, 4 tropical storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Milton, on October 11, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Polk County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for hurricanes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively High for tornadoes and inland flooding; Relatively Moderate for hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $212.6 million a year, the 13th highest of 67 Florida counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $92.3 million (43%), 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 Polk City
- Auburndale, FL8 mi
- Lake Alfred, FL8 mi
- Davenport, FL12 mi
- Lakeland, FL13 mi
- Winter Haven, FL13 mi
- Haines City, FL13 mi
- Eagle Lake, FL14 mi
- Dundee, FL16 mi
- Celebration, FL17 mi
- Bartow, FL20 mi
- Plant City, FL22 mi
- Mulberry, FL23 mi
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