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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Safety Harbor, 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

77 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Safety Harbor, Florida since 1851, 30 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Milton in 2024. Since 1950, 283 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
30

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
47

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
283

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
4

19 deaths in all

What the records show for Safety Harbor

The strongest storm to pass near Safety Harbor was an unnamed storm in 1896, a Category 3 hurricane with 127 mph winds when its centre passed 56 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1852, whose centre crossed the city. The record near Safety Harbor begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Milton in 2024, a Category 2 hurricane 39 miles away. The 1880s and the 1940s were the busiest decades, with 9 systems each. Of the 77 systems, 11 have come since 2000. Safety Harbor has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 71% of the 407 Florida cities on this site. The highest rating among the 283 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 4, 1966, came within 4 miles. Of the 283, 15 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 77 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 47. The most recent tornado was on September 25, 2025. Safety Harbor has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 98% of the 407 Florida cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 59 times since 1956, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Safety Harbor has more hail reports within 10 miles than 68% of the 407 Florida cities.

Compare Safety Harbor's storm record with another city →

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Safety Harbor

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Safety Harbor, Florida, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2024MiltonOct 1039 miCategory 2 (109 mph)Category 5
2022NicoleNov 1046 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 1
2021ElsaJul 750 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 1
2020EtaNov 1244 miTropical storm (61 mph)Category 4
2017IrmaSep 1133 miCategory 1 (76 mph)Category 5
2017EmilyJul 3135 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
2004JeanneSep 2632 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 3
2004FrancesSep 618 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 4
2004CharleyAug 1360 miCategory 2 (106 mph)Category 4
2001GabrielleSep 1443 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 1
2000GordonSep 1763 miTropical storm (72 mph)Category 1
1995JerryAug 2461 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1995ErinAug 227 miTropical storm (62 mph)Category 2
1990MarcoOct 1114 miTropical storm (51 mph)Tropical storm
1988KeithNov 2346 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 1
1984IsidoreSep 2841 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1982Unnamed 1982 stormJun 1838 miTropical storm (44 mph)Tropical storm
1968GladysOct 1932 miCategory 2 (98 mph)Category 2
1968AbbyJun 469 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
1966Unnamed 1966 stormJul 121 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1966AlmaJun 955 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 3
1960DonnaSep 1156 miCategory 1 (85 mph)Category 4
1959Unnamed 1959 stormJun 183 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1953Unnamed 1953 stormSep 2069 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1950EasySep 627 miCategory 1 (83 mph)Category 3
1949Unnamed 1949 stormAug 2733 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 4
1947Unnamed 1947 stormSep 2322 miTropical storm (63 mph)Tropical storm
1946Unnamed 1946 stormOct 89 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 2
1945Unnamed 1945 stormSep 1657 miCategory 1 (84 mph)Category 4
1945Unnamed 1945 stormSep 566 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1945Unnamed 1945 stormJun 2441 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 2
1944Unnamed 1944 stormOct 1927 miCategory 1 (93 mph)Category 4
1941Unnamed 1941 stormOct 2055 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1941Unnamed 1941 stormOct 646 miCategory 1 (77 mph)Category 3
1939Unnamed 1939 stormAug 1216 miTropical storm (60 mph)Category 1
1937Unnamed 1937 stormJul 299 miTropical storm (62 mph)Tropical storm
1935Unnamed 1935 stormSep 434 miCategory 3 (120 mph)Category 5
1933Unnamed 1933 stormSep 432 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 4
1933Unnamed 1933 stormJul 3169 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1930Unnamed 1930 stormSep 923 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 4
1928Unnamed 1928 stormSep 1738 miCategory 1 (93 mph)Category 5
1928Unnamed 1928 stormAug 1344 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 1
1928Unnamed 1928 stormAug 942 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1926Unnamed 1926 stormSep 1961 miCategory 3 (121 mph)Category 4
1921Unnamed 1921 stormOct 259 miCategory 3 (114 mph)Category 4
1920Unnamed 1920 stormSep 3060 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 1
1916Unnamed 1916 stormMay 1541 miTropical storm (41 mph)Tropical storm
1910Unnamed 1910 stormOct 1848 miCategory 1 (74 mph)Category 4
1909Unnamed 1909 stormJun 2941 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1903Unnamed 1903 stormSep 1225 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1901Unnamed 1901 stormAug 1163 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 1
1899Unnamed 1899 stormOct 55 miTropical storm (53 mph)Tropical storm
1899Unnamed 1899 stormJul 3160 miCategory 1 (76 mph)Category 2
1898Unnamed 1898 stormAug 24 miTropical storm (41 mph)Category 1
1897Unnamed 1897 stormSep 2164 miTropical storm (55 mph)Tropical storm
1896Unnamed 1896 stormSep 2956 miCategory 3 (127 mph)Category 3
1894Unnamed 1894 stormSep 2665 miCategory 1 (82 mph)Category 3
1892Unnamed 1892 stormOct 2426 miTropical storm (51 mph)Tropical storm
1889Unnamed 1889 stormJun 1764 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
1888Unnamed 1888 stormOct 1073 miCategory 2 (109 mph)Category 2
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 827 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1887Unnamed 1887 stormOct 309 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1886Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1824 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 1
1885Unnamed 1885 stormOct 1164 miTropical storm (69 mph)Tropical storm
1882Unnamed 1882 stormOct 1070 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 4
1880Unnamed 1880 stormOct 847 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 1
1880Unnamed 1880 stormAug 3046 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 2
1879Unnamed 1879 stormOct 2758 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
1878Unnamed 1878 stormSep 1028 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 2
1874Unnamed 1874 stormSep 2853 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 1
1873Unnamed 1873 stormSep 232 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1872Unnamed 1872 stormOct 236 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 1
1871Unnamed 1871 stormAug 2567 miTropical storm (62 mph)Category 3
1871Unnamed 1871 stormAug 1763 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 3
1859Unnamed 1859 stormOct 2816 miCategory 1 (91 mph)Category 1
1858Unnamed 1858 stormSep 1425 miTropical storm (66 mph)Category 2
1852Unnamed 1852 stormSep 12overheadCategory 1 (78 mph)Category 1

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

By decade

  • 2020s20
  • 2010s30
  • 2000s27
  • 1990s70(1 EF3+)
  • 1980s35
  • 1970s54(1 EF3+)
  • 1960s35(1 EF3+)
  • 1950s12(1 EF3+)
Strongest tornadoes near Safety Harbor, Florida
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Apr 4, 1966F44 mi135.8 mi11 / 530
Apr 15, 1958F424 mi0.1 mi0 / 7
Oct 3, 1992F312 mi2.6 mi3 / 75
May 4, 1978F36 mi1.5 mi3 / 94
Oct 3, 1992F28 mi3 mi1 / 0
Oct 11, 2023EF26 mi4.97 mi0 / 0
Dec 16, 2020EF28 mi13.11 mi0 / 0
Jul 12, 1992F25 mi4.5 mi0 / 6
Dec 11, 1983F29 mi8 mi0 / 0
Dec 15, 1981F216 mi4.7 mi0 / 5
Dec 1, 1978F218 mi0.8 mi0 / 0
Jan 8, 1978F225 mi10 mi0 / 2

The strongest 12 of 283, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

Hail in Safety Harbor

The Storm Prediction Center has 59 hail reports within 10 miles of Safety Harbor since 1956, made on 54 separate days. Of these, 21 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 March 31, 2001. The most recent report is from June 26, 2019. July has the most reports, 21.

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

Radar-estimated hail days in Safety Harbor since 2019 →

Weather by month in Safety Harbor

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is St Petersburg International Airport, FL, 7 miles south of Safety Harbor at 11 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 76°F; January is the coolest, at 71°F and 53°F. July is the wettest at 9.7 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 1.6 inches; the year adds up to 53.5 inches over 72 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 71% of the year's precipitation (37.9 of 53.5 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 77 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (28); a normal September there has highs of 89°F and 6.4 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 94 days a year, almost all from May to October. A night below freezing comes less than once a year on average. That 53.5 inches is more than at 53 of the 125 Florida stations used on this site (42%). Oldsmar, 3 miles northeast, has its own station (Tarpon Spgs Sewage Plt, FL): 54.4 inches a year, 0.9 more than here, and the same August average high, 91°F.

Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Clearwater Beach, FL, 9 miles west, averaged 90°F in July and 64°F in January over 2021–2025. It averaged 80°F or warmer from May to September. Sea level at the Clearwater Beach tide gauge, 9 miles from Safety Harbor, has risen 1.72 ± 0.10 inches per decade from 1973 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 17.2 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 109 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.

Monthly climate normals 1991–2020 at St Petersburg International Airport, FL
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. inDays ≥ 0.1"Water °F
Jan71532.6564
Feb73552.4366
Mar77592.4373
Apr82642.6378
May87702.7484
Jun90758.91188
Jul90769.71390
Aug91768.81389
Sep89756.4986
Oct84702.5379
Nov77611.6372
Dec73562.9468
Year826653.57278

Averages for 1991–2020 at St Petersburg International Airport, FL (11 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Clearwater Beach, 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.

Florida weather by month, station by station →

Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Safety Harbor

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 162 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Safety Harbor: 93 thunderstorm wind reports, 54 lightning strikes, 13 heavy rain events and 2 flash floods. They killed 6 people and injured 23, and the NWS estimated $5.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 78 mph, on December 16, 2007.

  • July 21, 2019: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Safety Harbor — 1 killed, 7 injured.

  • June 24, 2012: heavy rain event 7 miles from the centre of Safety Harbor — 1 killed.

  • June 19, 2015: lightning strike 6 miles from the centre of Safety Harbor — 1 killed.

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 Safety Harbor's ZIP code 34695 have filed 142 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $5.8 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Helene in 2024: 30 claims (21% of all) and $2.7 million, then Hurricane Milton in 2024 with 23 and Flooding in 1988 with 14. 70% 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, 130 have fewer than Safety Harbor.

Flood insurance claims in Safety Harbor by named event
EventClaimsPaid
Hurricane Helene202430$2.7 million
Hurricane Milton202423$1.7 million
Flooding198814$80,000
Tropical Storm Debby201210$117,000

Pinellas County, which includes Safety Harbor, has been named in 45 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 25 of them major disasters (by incident: 21 hurricanes, 7 severe storms, 5 fires, 5 tropical storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Milton, on October 11, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Pinellas County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for hurricanes, tornadoes, coastal flooding and lightning; Relatively High for hail and inland flooding; Relatively Moderate for strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $303.4 million a year, the 9th highest of 67 Florida counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $110.1 million (36%), 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 Safety Harbor