NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Port St Joe, 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 Port St Joe, Florida since 1851, 30 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Mindy in 2021. Since 1950, 55 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 30
- Tropical storms
- 44
- Tornadoes
- 55
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Port St Joe
The strongest storm to pass near Port St Joe was Michael in 2018, a Category 5 hurricane with 160 mph winds when its centre passed 15 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1915, whose centre came within 3 miles. The record near Port St Joe begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Mindy in 2021, a tropical storm 16 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1870s, with 8 systems, 2 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 74 systems, 12 have come since 2000. Port St Joe has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 71% of the 407 Florida cities on this site. The strongest of the 55 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on December 10, 1967; its path came within 21 miles, and it killed 1 person. The deadliest, an F1 on September 15, 2004, killed 1 person. Of the 55, 10 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 19 have come since 2000. October has had the most tornadoes, 9. The most recent tornado was on October 27, 2025. Of the 407 Florida cities, 95% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Port St Joe. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 15 times since 1976, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 407 Florida cities, 85% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Port St Joe.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Port St Joe
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | MindySep 9 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | FredAug 16 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2019 | NestorOct 19 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 10 | 15 mi | Category 5 (160 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2018 | AlbertoMay 28 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2016 | HermineSep 2 | 56 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2016 | ColinJun 6 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | DebbyJun 25 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2009 | ClaudetteAug 16 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | FayAug 23 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | BonnieAug 12 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2001 | BarryAug 6 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | EarlSep 3 | 28 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 7 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1995 | ErinAug 3 | 44 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 5 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1994 | BerylAug 15 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | KateNov 21 | 10 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | ElenaSep 1 | 43 mi | Category 3 (127 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormMay 23 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 66 mi | Category 3 (127 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 19 | 21 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1970 | BeckyJul 22 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1966 | AlmaJun 9 | 52 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1964 | HildaOct 5 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | DoraSep 11 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | DebbieSep 8 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | Unnamed 1957 stormJun 8 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | FlossySep 25 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1953 | FlorenceSep 26 | 60 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1953 | AliceJun 6 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 7 | 44 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormAug 12 | 12 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormSep 20 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormAug 31 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJul 31 | 57 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 15 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 1 | 33 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 14 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 10 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormSep 20 | 49 mi | Category 3 (127 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 29 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 15 | 10 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 4 | 3 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormSep 11 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 11 | 66 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 28 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormJun 12 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 13 | 8 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormJun 13 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormOct 11 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormAug 1 | 26 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormAug 3 | 13 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 26 mi | Category 3 (121 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 15 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 30 | 13 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormSep 21 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 30 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormAug 31 | 5 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormOct 16 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 10 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 26 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 3 | 14 mi | Category 3 (112 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormSep 20 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1875 | Unnamed 1875 stormSep 27 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormSep 19 | 42 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormOct 5 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1868 | Unnamed 1868 stormOct 4 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormOct 6 | 31 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 31 | 41 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 9 | 45 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 23 | 28 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 Port St Joe: 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 Port St Joe
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s6
- 2000s11
- 1990s15
- 1980s3
- 1970s10
- 1960s4(1 EF3+)
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 10, 1967 | F3 | 21 mi | 7.1 mi | 1 / 50 |
| Oct 27, 1972 | F2 | 18 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Dec 10, 1967 | F2 | 13 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 23, 1961 | F2 | 22 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 9, 1958 | F2 | 9 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 24, 1956 | F2 | 19 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 15, 2004 | F1 | 10 mi | 5 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Oct 27, 2025 | EF1 | 8 mi | 1.22 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Jan 19, 2019 | EF1 | 23 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 22, 2017 | EF1 | 25 mi | 2.36 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 26, 2013 | EF1 | 19 mi | 2.92 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 27, 2006 | F1 | 22 mi | 1.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 55, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Port St Joe
The Storm Prediction Center has 15 hail reports within 10 miles of Port St Joe since 1976, made on 9 separate days. Of these, 12 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on March 27, 2024, the most recent report. March has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Port St Joe
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Apalachicola Airport, FL, 19 miles southeast of Port St Joe at 19 feet. July and August are the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 75°F; January is the coolest, at 64°F and 44°F. August is the wettest at 7.8 inches of precipitation on average and May the driest at 1.9 inches; the year adds up to 53.1 inches over 68 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 60% of the year's precipitation (32.1 of 53.1 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 74 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (23); a normal September there has highs of 87°F and 5.4 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 56 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 9 nights a year. That 53.1 inches is more than at 48 of the 125 Florida stations used on this site (38%). Wewahitchka, 15 miles northeast, has its own station (Wewahitchka, FL): 63.0 inches a year, 9.9 more than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 90°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Apalachicola, FL, 23 miles east, averaged 87°F in August and 56°F in January over 2021–2025. It averaged 80°F or warmer from June to September. Sea level at the Apalachicola tide gauge, 23 miles from Port St Joe, has risen 1.20 ± 0.11 inches per decade from 1967 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 12.0 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 70 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64 | 44 | 4.1 | 5 | 56 |
| Feb | 66 | 47 | 4.2 | 6 | 60 |
| Mar | 71 | 53 | 4.3 | 5 | 66 |
| Apr | 76 | 58 | 2.9 | 4 | 71 |
| May | 84 | 66 | 1.9 | 3 | 78 |
| Jun | 89 | 73 | 5.9 | 7 | 84 |
| Jul | 90 | 75 | 5.7 | 10 | 86 |
| Aug | 89 | 75 | 7.8 | 10 | 87 |
| Sep | 87 | 72 | 5.4 | 7 | 83 |
| Oct | 81 | 62 | 3.6 | 3 | 76 |
| Nov | 73 | 52 | 3.7 | 4 | 68 |
| Dec | 66 | 47 | 3.6 | 5 | 61 |
| Year | 78 | 60 | 53.1 | 68 | 73 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Apalachicola Airport, FL (19 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Apalachicola, 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 Port St Joe
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 40 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Port St Joe: 28 thunderstorm wind reports, 6 flash floods, 3 heavy rain events, 2 floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $1.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 87 mph, on May 17, 2024. September has had the most flash floods, 3 of 6. Of the 277 Florida cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 157 have had fewer than Port St Joe.
July 25, 2010: lightning strike 4 miles from the centre of Port St Joe — 1 killed.
NWS: “A 40 year old man was struck and killed by lightning while vacationing on Saint Joe Beach just prior to 1:30 pm EDT as reported by local newspapers.”
July 4, 2013: flood 8 miles from the centre of Port St Joe — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “Persistent heavy rains over a multi-day period led to significant areal flooding across Bay county. Preliminary damage estimates were around $1 million with significant damage to roads occurring.”
February 28, 1999: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Port St Joe — $200,000 damage.
NWS: “Straight-line winds caused scattered damage in the vicinity of Beacon Hill and St. Joe Beach.”
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 St Joe's ZIP code 32456 have filed 2,300 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $187.1 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Michael in 2018: 1,494 claims (65% of all) and $173.1 million, then Hurricane Opal in 1995 with 348 and Hurricane Dennis in 2005 with 124. 94% 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, 288 have fewer than Port St Joe.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Michael2018 | 1,494 | $173.1 million |
| Hurricane Opal1995 | 348 | $6.6 million |
| Hurricane Dennis2005 | 124 | $1.5 million |
| Hurricane Kate1985 | 85 | $1.0 million |
| Hurricane Ivan2004 | 19 | $980,000 |
| Hurricane Earl1998 | 12 | $62,000 |
Gulf County, which includes Port St Joe, has been named in 48 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 31 of them major disasters (by incident: 26 hurricanes, 7 severe storms, 5 tropical storms, 4 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Helene, on September 28, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Gulf County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hurricanes; Relatively Moderate for coastal flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes and heat waves; Very Low for hail, inland flooding and strong wind. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $17.3 million a year, the 51st highest of 67 Florida counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $12.3 million (71%), 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).
Port St Joe 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 Port St Joe
- Wewahitchka, FL15 mi
- Apalachicola, FL20 mi
- Eastpoint, FL26 mi
- Panama City, FL30 mi
- Lynn Haven, FL33 mi
- Panama City Beach, FL38 mi
- Youngstown, FL38 mi
- Bristol, FL41 mi
- Carrabelle, FL41 mi
- Blountstown, FL42 mi
- Fountain, FL45 mi
- Inlet Beach, FL46 mi
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