NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Port Charlotte, 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
78 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Port Charlotte, Florida since 1851, 26 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Milton in 2024. Since 1950, 156 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 26
- Tropical storms
- 52
- Tornadoes
- 156
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Port Charlotte
The strongest storm to pass near Port Charlotte was an unnamed storm in 1935, a Category 4 hurricane with 142 mph winds when its centre passed 28 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Charley in 2004, whose centre came within 4 miles. The record near Port Charlotte begins with an unnamed storm in 1858; the most recent system was Milton in 2024, a Category 3 hurricane 39 miles away. The 1930s and the 1940s were the busiest decades, with 8 systems each. Of the 78 systems, 14 have come since 2000. Port Charlotte has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 53% of the 407 Florida cities on this site. The strongest of the 156 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on March 17, 1985; its path came within 19 miles, and it killed 2 people. Of the 156, 25 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 60 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 27. The most recent tornado was on July 21, 2025. Port Charlotte has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 69% of the 407 Florida cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 35 times since 1967, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 407 Florida cities, 51% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Port Charlotte.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Port Charlotte
Of the 78 tracks on the map, 23 were moving northeast as they passed Port Charlotte, 22 northwest and 16 north. The unnamed 1935 storm, the strongest pass, was heading northwest; its centre passed 28 miles southwest of Port Charlotte. Within 75 miles of Port Charlotte, 32 of the 78 came ashore, 11 of them as hurricanes. In the last 30 seasons (1996–2025), 16 came near Port Charlotte: 5.3 a decade, against 4.3 a decade from 1851 to 1995.
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | MiltonOct 10 | 39 mi | Category 3 (112 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2022 | IanSep 28 | 14 mi | Category 4 (138 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2022 | AlexJun 4 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 7 | 70 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | SallySep 13 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2018 | GordonSep 3 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2017 | IrmaSep 11 | 22 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2017 | EmilyJul 31 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | FayAug 19 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2007 | BarryJun 2 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | JeanneSep 26 | 59 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2004 | FrancesSep 5 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 13 | 4 mi | Category 4 (140 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2001 | GabrielleSep 14 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1999 | HarveySep 21 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | MitchNov 5 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1994 | GordonNov 16 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1990 | MarcoOct 11 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1988 | KeithNov 23 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | BobJul 23 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1984 | IsidoreSep 28 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1981 | DennisAug 18 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1969 | JennyOct 3 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | AbbyJun 4 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1966 | Unnamed 1966 stormJul 1 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1966 | AlmaJun 9 | 62 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 10 | 16 mi | Category 2 (105 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | JudithOct 18 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1953 | HazelOct 9 | 18 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1951 | HowOct 2 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1950 | KingOct 18 | 69 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1950 | EasySep 4 | 61 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 27 | 56 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 23 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 18 | 35 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 8 | 42 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 16 | 30 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 5 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 19 | 26 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 6 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormAug 12 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJul 29 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJun 15 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 3 | 28 mi | Category 4 (142 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 4 | 59 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormJul 31 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormAug 30 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1930 | Unnamed 1930 stormSep 9 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 17 | 50 mi | Category 2 (105 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 13 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormSep 18 | 24 mi | Category 3 (113 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1925 | Unnamed 1925 stormDec 1 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 14 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 18 | 11 mi | Category 2 (96 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormJun 29 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 19 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormOct 18 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 12 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormAug 11 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 5 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormJul 31 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 21 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormOct 9 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 25 | 16 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormOct 24 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormAug 25 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 8 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 17 | 24 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 8 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormJul 2 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormOct 7 | 22 mi | Category 3 (112 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormSep 23 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 23 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1870 | Unnamed 1870 stormOct 20 | 61 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 1 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormOct 28 | 62 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormOct 18 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1858 | Unnamed 1858 stormSep 14 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Port Charlotte: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
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Tornadoes within 25 miles of Port Charlotte
By decade
- 2020s13
- 2010s12
- 2000s35
- 1990s38
- 1980s24(1 EF3+)
- 1970s25
- 1960s5
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 17, 1985 | F3 | 19 mi | 3 mi | 2 / 45 |
| Jul 30, 1968 | F2 | 1 mi | 0.3 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Oct 9, 2024 | EF2 | 21 mi | 16.29 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 21, 2006 | F2 | in town | 3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 4, 1993 | F2 | 2 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Dec 12, 1983 | F2 | 23 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Dec 3, 1971 | F2 | 2 mi | 7.3 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Dec 3, 1971 | F2 | 15 mi | 5.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 3, 1971 | F2 | 22 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Feb 3, 1970 | F2 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 3, 1970 | F2 | 19 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 11, 1968 | F2 | 15 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 156, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Port Charlotte
The Storm Prediction Center has 35 hail reports within 10 miles of Port Charlotte since 1967, made on 33 separate days. Of these, 19 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on July 10, 1992. The most recent report is from August 5, 2022. June and July have the most reports, 9 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Port Charlotte
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Punta Gorda 4 ESE, FL, 10 miles southeast of Port Charlotte at 20 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 94°F and low of 75°F; January is the coolest, at 77°F and 53°F. June is the wettest at 9.6 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 1.8 inches; the year adds up to 54.1 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 74% of the year's precipitation (39.8 of 54.1 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 78 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (28); a normal September there has highs of 93°F and 7.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 136 days a year, almost all from March to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 1 nights a year. That 54.1 inches is more than at 61 of the 125 Florida stations used on this site (49%). North Port, 7 miles northwest, has its own station (Myakka Rvr Sp, FL): 61.2 inches a year, 7.1 more than here, and an August average high of 93°F against 94°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 77 | 53 | 2.0 | 3 |
| Feb | 80 | 55 | 2.0 | 3 |
| Mar | 83 | 58 | 2.6 | 3 |
| Apr | 87 | 63 | 2.3 | 4 |
| May | 91 | 67 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Jun | 93 | 73 | 9.6 | 11 |
| Jul | 94 | 75 | 8.5 | 12 |
| Aug | 94 | 75 | 9.2 | 13 |
| Sep | 93 | 74 | 7.5 | 10 |
| Oct | 89 | 68 | 3.2 | 5 |
| Nov | 83 | 60 | 1.8 | 3 |
| Dec | 79 | 56 | 1.9 | 3 |
| Year | 87 | 65 | 54.1 | 74 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Punta Gorda 4 ESE, FL (20 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 Port Charlotte
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 43 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Port Charlotte: 35 thunderstorm wind reports, 5 lightning strikes, 2 floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 0 people and injured 6, and the NWS estimated $854,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on May 26, 2026.
August 15, 2011: lightning strike 2 miles from the centre of Port Charlotte — 5 injured.
NWS: “Five men were working on a roof when a bolt from the blue struck them. One of the men, 35-years-old, went into cardiac arrest as a result, and CPR was performed on him for three minutes before he was resuscitated.”
July 29, 2010: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Port Charlotte — 1 injured.
January 17, 2016: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Port Charlotte — $225,000 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 Port Charlotte's 6 ZIP codes have filed 3,242 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $100.7 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Ian in 2022: 962 claims (30% of all) and $20.0 million, then Hurricane Helene in 2024 with 705 and Hurricane Milton in 2024 with 563. The year with the most claims was 2024, with 1,287. 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, 308 have fewer than Port Charlotte.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Ian2022 | 962 | $20.0 million |
| Hurricane Helene2024 | 705 | $50.9 million |
| Hurricane Milton2024 | 563 | $25.2 million |
| Hurricane Charley2004 | 372 | $276,000 |
| Hurricane Irma2017 | 92 | $723,000 |
| Flooding1992 | 64 | $73,000 |
Charlotte County, which includes Port Charlotte, has been named in 42 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 25 of them major disasters (by incident: 19 hurricanes, 5 severe storms, 5 tropical storms, 4 fires). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Milton, on October 11, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Charlotte County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for hurricanes and lightning; Relatively High for coastal flooding; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $131.3 million a year, the 22nd highest of 67 Florida counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $99.8 million (76%), 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 Port Charlotte
- North Port, FL7 mi
- Punta Gorda, FL8 mi
- Rotonda West, FL10 mi
- Englewood, FL13 mi
- Placida, FL13 mi
- Venice, FL18 mi
- Arcadia, FL22 mi
- Bokeelia, FL22 mi
- Nokomis, FL22 mi
- North Fort Myers, FL25 mi
- Osprey, FL26 mi
- Cape Coral, FL26 mi
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