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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Rotonda West, 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 Rotonda West, Florida since 1851, 27 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Milton in 2024. Since 1950, 133 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
27

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
51

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
133

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
1

4 deaths in all

What the records show for Rotonda West

The strongest storm to pass near Rotonda West was Ian in 2022, a Category 4 hurricane with 148 mph winds when its centre passed 14 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Charley in 2004, whose centre came within 9 miles. The record near Rotonda West 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, 15 have come since 2000. Rotonda West has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 59% of the 407 Florida cities on this site. The strongest of the 133 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on March 17, 1985; its path came within 16 miles, and it killed 2 people. Of the 133, 9 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 55 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 24. The most recent tornado was on October 9, 2024. Rotonda West has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 58% of the 407 Florida cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 10 times since 1989, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 407 Florida cities, 90% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Rotonda West.

Compare Rotonda West's storm record with another city →

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Rotonda West

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Rotonda West, Florida, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2024MiltonOct 1039 miCategory 3 (121 mph)Category 5
2022IanSep 2814 miCategory 4 (148 mph)Category 5
2022AlexJun 449 miTropical storm (41 mph)Tropical storm
2021ElsaJul 761 miCategory 1 (74 mph)Category 1
2020SallySep 1358 miTropical storm (44 mph)Category 2
2018GordonSep 352 miTropical storm (61 mph)Tropical storm
2017IrmaSep 1131 miCategory 1 (90 mph)Category 5
2017EmilyJul 3142 miTropical storm (43 mph)Tropical storm
2008FayAug 1962 miTropical storm (64 mph)Tropical storm
2007BarryJun 258 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2004JeanneSep 2669 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 3
2004FrancesSep 571 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 4
2004CharleyAug 139 miCategory 4 (145 mph)Category 4
2003ErikaAug 1473 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
2001GabrielleSep 1425 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
1999HarveySep 2165 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1998MitchNov 552 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 5
1994GordonNov 1634 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
1990MarcoOct 1123 miTropical storm (62 mph)Tropical storm
1988KeithNov 2334 miTropical storm (62 mph)Category 1
1985BobJul 2333 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1981DennisAug 1870 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1969JennyOct 345 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1968AbbyJun 45 miTropical storm (61 mph)Category 1
1966Unnamed 1966 stormJul 133 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1966AlmaJun 952 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 3
1960DonnaSep 1025 miCategory 2 (106 mph)Category 4
1959JudithOct 1813 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 1
1953HazelOct 914 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 1
1951HowOct 213 miTropical storm (62 mph)Category 2
1950EasySep 451 miCategory 1 (94 mph)Category 3
1949Unnamed 1949 stormAug 2766 miCategory 1 (91 mph)Category 4
1947Unnamed 1947 stormSep 2366 miTropical storm (60 mph)Tropical storm
1947Unnamed 1947 stormSep 1827 miCategory 2 (98 mph)Category 4
1946Unnamed 1946 stormOct 838 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 2
1945Unnamed 1945 stormSep 1639 miCategory 1 (92 mph)Category 4
1945Unnamed 1945 stormSep 517 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1944Unnamed 1944 stormOct 1920 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 4
1941Unnamed 1941 stormOct 615 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1939Unnamed 1939 stormAug 1272 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 1
1936Unnamed 1936 stormJul 2945 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 2
1936Unnamed 1936 stormJun 1562 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1935Unnamed 1935 stormSep 318 miCategory 4 (142 mph)Category 5
1933Unnamed 1933 stormSep 469 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 4
1933Unnamed 1933 stormJul 317 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1932Unnamed 1932 stormAug 3048 miTropical storm (61 mph)Category 1
1930Unnamed 1930 stormSep 950 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 4
1929Unnamed 1929 stormSep 2967 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 4
1928Unnamed 1928 stormSep 1760 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 5
1928Unnamed 1928 stormAug 1328 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 1
1926Unnamed 1926 stormSep 1814 miCategory 3 (114 mph)Category 4
1925Unnamed 1925 stormDec 142 miTropical storm (62 mph)Category 1
1916Unnamed 1916 stormMay 1445 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1910Unnamed 1910 stormOct 1818 miCategory 2 (99 mph)Category 4
1909Unnamed 1909 stormJun 2974 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1907Unnamed 1907 stormSep 1950 miTropical storm (39 mph)Tropical storm
1904Unnamed 1904 stormOct 187 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1903Unnamed 1903 stormSep 1228 miTropical storm (64 mph)Category 1
1901Unnamed 1901 stormAug 112 miTropical storm (47 mph)Category 1
1899Unnamed 1899 stormJul 3131 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 2
1897Unnamed 1897 stormSep 215 miTropical storm (66 mph)Tropical storm
1896Unnamed 1896 stormOct 937 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 2
1894Unnamed 1894 stormSep 2522 miCategory 2 (99 mph)Category 3
1892Unnamed 1892 stormOct 2455 miTropical storm (51 mph)Tropical storm
1891Unnamed 1891 stormAug 2565 miTropical storm (53 mph)Category 3
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 861 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1888Unnamed 1888 stormAug 1716 miCategory 1 (83 mph)Category 3
1886Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1871 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 1
1878Unnamed 1878 stormSep 813 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1878Unnamed 1878 stormJul 266 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1873Unnamed 1873 stormOct 722 miCategory 3 (113 mph)Category 3
1873Unnamed 1873 stormSep 2362 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1872Unnamed 1872 stormOct 2374 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1870Unnamed 1870 stormOct 2062 miCategory 1 (87 mph)Category 2
1861Unnamed 1861 stormNov 154 miTropical storm (64 mph)Category 1
1859Unnamed 1859 stormOct 2864 miCategory 1 (92 mph)Category 1
1859Unnamed 1859 stormOct 1835 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1858Unnamed 1858 stormSep 1446 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 2

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Rotonda West: 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 Rotonda West

By decade

  • 2020s12
  • 2010s11
  • 2000s32
  • 1990s32
  • 1980s17(1 EF3+)
  • 1970s20
  • 1960s5
  • 1950s4
Strongest tornadoes near Rotonda West, Florida
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Mar 17, 1985F316 mi3 mi2 / 45
Jul 30, 1968F211 mi0.3 mi2 / 0
Oct 9, 2024EF223 mi16.29 mi0 / 0
Jun 21, 2006F29 mi3 mi0 / 3
Apr 4, 1993F211 mi2 mi0 / 1
Jun 18, 1972F220 mi2 mi0 / 0
Dec 3, 1971F210 mi7.3 mi0 / 5
Dec 3, 1971F217 mi5.9 mi0 / 0
Dec 3, 1971F221 mi4.9 mi0 / 3
Feb 3, 1970F216 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Nov 11, 1968F29 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Nov 9, 1968F218 mi4.1 mi0 / 2

The strongest 12 of 133, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

Hail in Rotonda West

The Storm Prediction Center has 10 hail reports within 10 miles of Rotonda West since 1989. Of these, 3 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently June 15, 1994. The most recent report is from July 11, 2017.

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.

Weather by month in Rotonda West

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Punta Gorda 4 ESE, FL, 16 miles east of Rotonda West 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%). Englewood, 6 miles northwest, has its own station (Venice, FL): 51.4 inches a year, 2.7 less than here, and an August average high of 92°F against 94°F.

Monthly climate normals 1991–2020 at Punta Gorda 4 ESE, FL
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. inDays ≥ 0.1"
Jan77532.03
Feb80552.03
Mar83582.63
Apr87632.34
May91673.55
Jun93739.611
Jul94758.512
Aug94759.213
Sep93747.510
Oct89683.25
Nov83601.83
Dec79561.93
Year876554.174

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.

Florida weather by month, station by station →

Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Rotonda West

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 22 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Rotonda West: 17 thunderstorm wind reports, 4 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $610,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 64 mph, on June 9, 2008.

  • August 14, 2016: lightning strike 6 miles from the centre of Rotonda West — 1 killed.

  • August 4, 2009: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Rotonda West — $150,000 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 Rotonda West's ZIP code 33947 have filed 386 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1982, and were paid $11.5 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Ian in 2022: 323 claims (84% of all) and $11.1 million. 88% 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, 188 have fewer than Rotonda West.

Flood insurance claims in Rotonda West by named event
EventClaimsPaid
Hurricane Ian2022323$11.1 million

Charlotte County, which includes Rotonda West, 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).

Rotonda West in the notable storm records: Hurricane Ian (2022)

What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.

Cities near Rotonda West