NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Punta Gorda, 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
79 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Punta Gorda, Florida since 1851, 28 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Milton in 2024. Since 1950, 191 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 28
- Tropical storms
- 51
- Tornadoes
- 191
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Punta Gorda
The strongest storm to pass near Punta Gorda was an unnamed storm in 1935, a Category 4 hurricane with 144 mph winds when its centre passed 32 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1910, whose centre came within 3 miles. The record near Punta Gorda begins with an unnamed storm in 1858; the most recent system was Milton in 2024, a Category 2 hurricane 46 miles away. The 1930s and the 2000s were the busiest decades, with 8 systems each. Of the 79 systems, 15 have come since 2000. Punta Gorda has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 62% of the 407 Florida cities on this site. The highest rating among the 191 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2 or EF2, reached 18 times; the most recent, on October 9, 2024, came within 14 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on July 30, 1968, killed 2 people. Of the 191, 27 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 69 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 36. The most recent tornado was on July 21, 2025. Punta Gorda has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 79% of the 407 Florida cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 33 times since 1967, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 407 Florida cities, 55% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Punta Gorda.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Punta Gorda
Of the 79 tracks on the map, 25 were moving northeast as they passed Punta Gorda, 24 northwest and 15 north. The unnamed 1935 storm, the strongest pass, was heading northwest; its centre passed 32 miles southwest of Punta Gorda. Within 75 miles of Punta Gorda, 34 of the 79 came ashore, 13 of them as hurricanes. In the last 30 seasons (1996–2025), 17 came near Punta Gorda: 5.7 a decade, against 4.3 a decade from 1851 to 1995.
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | MiltonOct 10 | 46 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2022 | IanSep 28 | 6 mi | Category 4 (137 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2022 | AlexJun 4 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | SallySep 13 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2018 | GordonSep 3 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2017 | IrmaSep 11 | 15 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2017 | EmilyJul 31 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | FayAug 19 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2007 | BarryJun 2 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | ErnestoAug 30 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2005 | WilmaOct 24 | 73 mi | Category 3 (117 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2004 | JeanneSep 26 | 59 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2004 | FrancesSep 5 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 13 | 4 mi | Category 4 (142 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2001 | GabrielleSep 14 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1999 | HarveySep 21 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | MitchNov 5 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1994 | GordonNov 16 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1990 | MarcoOct 11 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1988 | KeithNov 23 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | BobJul 23 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1984 | IsidoreSep 27 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1981 | DennisAug 18 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1969 | JennyOct 3 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | AbbyJun 4 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1966 | Unnamed 1966 stormJul 1 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1966 | AlmaJun 9 | 68 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 10 | 9 mi | Category 2 (106 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | JudithOct 18 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1953 | HazelOct 9 | 11 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1951 | HowOct 2 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1950 | KingOct 18 | 63 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1950 | EasySep 4 | 66 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 27 | 53 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 18 | 34 mi | Category 2 (99 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 8 | 51 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 16 | 24 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 5 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 19 | 34 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 6 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormAug 12 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJul 29 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJun 15 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 3 | 32 mi | Category 4 (144 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 4 | 58 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormJul 31 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormAug 30 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1930 | Unnamed 1930 stormSep 9 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 17 | 48 mi | Category 2 (107 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 13 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormSep 18 | 26 mi | Category 3 (112 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1925 | Unnamed 1925 stormDec 1 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 14 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 18 | 3 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormAug 29 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormJun 29 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 19 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormOct 18 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 12 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormAug 11 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormJul 31 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 21 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormOct 9 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 25 | 8 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormOct 24 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormAug 25 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 8 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 17 | 22 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 8 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormJul 2 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormOct 20 | 67 mi | Category 2 (100 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormOct 7 | 14 mi | Category 3 (110 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormSep 23 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 17 | 72 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1870 | Unnamed 1870 stormOct 20 | 53 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 1 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormOct 28 | 69 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormOct 18 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1858 | Unnamed 1858 stormSep 14 | 59 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 Punta Gorda: 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 Punta Gorda
By decade
- 2020s14
- 2010s15
- 2000s40
- 1990s54
- 1980s31
- 1970s23
- 1960s10
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 30, 1968 | F2 | 9 mi | 0.3 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Oct 9, 2024 | EF2 | 14 mi | 16.29 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 9, 2016 | EF2 | 25 mi | 3.35 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jun 21, 2006 | F2 | 7 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 4, 1993 | F2 | 6 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 23, 1989 | F2 | 23 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 4, 1988 | F2 | 23 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 9, 1986 | F2 | 23 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Dec 12, 1983 | F2 | 22 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jun 18, 1972 | F2 | 24 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 3, 1971 | F2 | 6 mi | 7.3 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Dec 3, 1971 | F2 | 23 mi | 5.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 191, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Punta Gorda
The Storm Prediction Center has 33 hail reports within 10 miles of Punta Gorda since 1967, made on 32 separate days. Of these, 17 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 3, 2005. The most recent report is from August 5, 2022. July has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Punta Gorda
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Punta Gorda 4 ESE, FL, 2 miles southeast of Punta Gorda 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 79 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (27); 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, 15 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.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Fort Myers, FL, 22 miles southeast, 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, 22 miles from Punta Gorda, 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 | 77 | 53 | 2.0 | 3 | 67 |
| Feb | 80 | 55 | 2.0 | 3 | 72 |
| Mar | 83 | 58 | 2.6 | 3 | 76 |
| Apr | 87 | 63 | 2.3 | 4 | 79 |
| May | 91 | 67 | 3.5 | 5 | 85 |
| Jun | 93 | 73 | 9.6 | 11 | 86 |
| Jul | 94 | 75 | 8.5 | 12 | 88 |
| Aug | 94 | 75 | 9.2 | 13 | 88 |
| Sep | 93 | 74 | 7.5 | 10 | 86 |
| Oct | 89 | 68 | 3.2 | 5 | 81 |
| Nov | 83 | 60 | 1.8 | 3 | 75 |
| Dec | 79 | 56 | 1.9 | 3 | 71 |
| Year | 87 | 65 | 54.1 | 74 | 79 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Punta Gorda 4 ESE, FL (20 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 Punta Gorda
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 40 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Punta Gorda: 36 thunderstorm wind reports, 2 heavy rain events and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 5, and the NWS estimated $481,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on May 26, 2026.
August 15, 2011: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Punta Gorda — 5 injured.
January 17, 2016: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Punta Gorda — $225,000 damage.
NWS: “Charlotte County Emergency Management reported that they received an estimated 60 different calls from home and business owners about wind damage around western Charlotte County on the morning of the 17th.”
August 6, 2000: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Punta Gorda — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “The Charlotte County Emergency Management reported that thunderstorm winds downed several large trees, downed numerous large branches and power lines across the county.”
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 Punta Gorda's 4 ZIP codes have filed 4,184 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $169.2 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Milton in 2024: 1,460 claims (35% of all) and $82.2 million, then Hurricane Helene in 2024 with 949 and Hurricane Charley in 2004 with 441. 95% 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, 315 have fewer than Punta Gorda.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Milton2024 | 1,460 | $82.2 million |
| Hurricane Helene2024 | 949 | $72.3 million |
| Hurricane Charley2004 | 441 | $1.1 million |
| Hurricane Ian2022 | 344 | $2.3 million |
| Torrential rain2001 | 189 | $2.4 million |
| Hurricane Irma2017 | 115 | $2.4 million |
Charlotte County, which includes Punta Gorda, 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 Punta Gorda
- Port Charlotte, FL8 mi
- North Port, FL15 mi
- Rotonda West, FL16 mi
- North Fort Myers, FL17 mi
- Placida, FL18 mi
- Englewood, FL20 mi
- Bokeelia, FL20 mi
- Arcadia, FL20 mi
- Cape Coral, FL21 mi
- Venice, FL27 mi
- Fort Myers, FL27 mi
- St James City, FL28 mi
All Florida cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Punta Gorda with another place →