NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Saint Johns, 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
88 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Saint Johns, Florida since 1851, 18 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Debby in 2024. Since 1950, 140 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 18
- Tropical storms
- 70
- Tornadoes
- 140
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Saint Johns
The strongest storm to pass near Saint Johns was an unnamed storm in 1898, a Category 4 hurricane with 132 mph winds when its centre passed 52 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1928, whose centre came within 5 miles. The record near Saint Johns begins with an unnamed storm in 1853; the most recent system was Debby in 2024, a tropical storm 64 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 12 systems, 2 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 88 systems, 14 have come since 2000. Of the 407 Florida cities on this site, 85% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Saint Johns. The highest rating among the 140 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on February 7, 1971, came within 14 miles. The deadliest, an F0 on June 11, 2001, killed 1 person. Of the 140, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 60 have come since 2000. September has had the most tornadoes, 28. The most recent tornado was on May 29, 2025. Saint Johns has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 62% of the 407 Florida cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 97 times since 1957, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Saint Johns has more hail reports within 10 miles than 86% of the 407 Florida cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Saint Johns
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | DebbyAug 6 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | EtaNov 12 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2017 | IrmaSep 11 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | MatthewOct 7 | 56 mi | Category 3 (113 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | JuliaSep 14 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2016 | ColinJun 7 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | BerylMay 28 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | FayAug 22 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | TammyOct 5 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 14 | 45 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2002 | KyleOct 11 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2002 | EdouardSep 5 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2000 | GordonSep 18 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1988 | ChrisAug 28 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | IsabelOct 10 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | BobJul 24 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1984 | IsidoreSep 28 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1982 | Unnamed 1982 stormJun 18 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1981 | DennisAug 19 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 4 | 42 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormSep 14 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormMay 23 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1972 | AlphaMay 28 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | GladysOct 19 | 29 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1968 | BrendaJun 20 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1968 | AbbyJun 6 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormOct 18 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | HildaOct 5 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | DoraSep 10 | 11 mi | Category 2 (96 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | CleoAug 28 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 11 | 45 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 29 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormOct 16 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1950 | KingOct 18 | 45 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1950 | EasySep 7 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormOct 7 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 24 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 8 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 17 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormJun 24 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 19 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormAug 30 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormJul 30 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormAug 22 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 15 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1930 | Unnamed 1930 stormSep 10 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 18 | 5 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormJul 28 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 30 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 15 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 2 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1914 | Unnamed 1914 stormSep 17 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 19 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormOct 21 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormOct 12 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 5 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormOct 2 | 52 mi | Category 4 (132 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 51 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 26 | 31 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 53 mi | Category 3 (121 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 27 | 57 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormJun 17 | overhead | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormOct 11 | 10 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 9 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 30 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 19 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 1 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormSep 21 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 24 | 51 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1884 | Unnamed 1884 stormSep 10 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormOct 11 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormOct 8 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 8 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormOct 28 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 11 | 22 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 27 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormSep 20 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 28 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormSep 23 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormJun 2 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormSep 7 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 18 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1868 | Unnamed 1868 stormOct 5 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormOct 7 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 8 | 64 mi | Category 3 (127 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1853 | Unnamed 1853 stormOct 20 | 54 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Saint Johns: 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 Saint Johns
By decade
- 2020s16
- 2010s15
- 2000s29
- 1990s21
- 1980s12
- 1970s23(1 EF3+)
- 1960s14
- 1950s10(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 7, 1971 | F3 | 14 mi | 13.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 1958 | F3 | 24 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 9 |
| Aug 12, 2004 | F2 | 22 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 29, 2001 | F2 | 6 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 2, 1996 | F2 | 17 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 24, 1995 | F2 | 24 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Mar 18, 1975 | F2 | 20 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 12, 1974 | F2 | 1 mi | 4.3 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 12, 1974 | F2 | 21 mi | 17.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jan 22, 1972 | F2 | 19 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jun 6, 1964 | F2 | 22 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 9, 1961 | F2 | 23 mi | 5.1 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 140, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Saint Johns
The Storm Prediction Center has 97 hail reports within 10 miles of Saint Johns since 1957, made on 70 separate days. Of these, 45 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on June 3, 1999. The most recent report is from May 15, 2024. June has the most reports, 32.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Saint Johns
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Jacksonville NAS, FL, 11 miles north of Saint Johns at 20 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 76°F; January is the coolest, at 66°F and 47°F. June is the wettest at 7.3 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 2.0 inches; the year adds up to 47.7 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 66% of the year's precipitation (31.3 of 47.7 inches); the other six months are drier. Highs reach 90°F on about 97 days a year, almost all from April to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 4 nights a year. That 47.7 inches is more than at 8 of the 125 Florida stations used on this site (6%). Ponte Vedra Beach, 15 miles northeast, has its own station (Jacksonville Beach, FL): 52.4 inches a year, 4.7 more than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 92°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Jacksonville University, FL, 18 miles north, averaged 86°F in August and 58°F in January over 2021–2025. It averaged 80°F or warmer from June to September. Sea level at the Mayport tide gauge, 24 miles from Saint Johns, has risen 1.15 ± 0.05 inches per decade from 1928 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 11.5 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 65 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66 | 47 | 2.9 | 5 | 58 |
| Feb | 69 | 50 | 2.3 | 5 | 62 |
| Mar | 74 | 55 | 3.1 | 6 | 68 |
| Apr | 81 | 61 | 2.4 | 4 | 73 |
| May | 86 | 69 | 3.2 | 5 | 79 |
| Jun | 90 | 74 | 7.3 | 10 | 84 |
| Jul | 92 | 76 | 6.0 | 10 | 86 |
| Aug | 91 | 76 | 6.3 | 10 | 86 |
| Sep | 88 | 74 | 6.1 | 8 | 83 |
| Oct | 82 | 66 | 3.6 | 5 | 76 |
| Nov | 73 | 56 | 2.0 | 4 | 69 |
| Dec | 68 | 50 | 2.5 | 4 | 62 |
| Year | 80 | 63 | 47.7 | 76 | 74 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Jacksonville NAS, FL (20 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Jacksonville University, 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 Saint Johns
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 402 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Saint Johns: 260 thunderstorm wind reports, 81 heavy rain events, 36 lightning strikes, 17 floods and 8 flash floods. They killed 0 people and injured 11, and the NWS estimated $1.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on February 2, 1996. Of the 277 Florida cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 169 have had fewer than Saint Johns.
July 20, 2017: lightning strike 6 miles from the centre of Saint Johns — 3 injured.
NWS: “A lightning strike caused 3 injuries.”
January 21, 2010: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Saint Johns — 2 injured.
NWS: “Two construction workers were blown off of an overpass. Both men suffered minor injuries.”
June 13, 2009: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Saint Johns — 1 injured.
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 Saint Johns's ZIP code 32259 have filed 109 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $4.4 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Irma in 2017: 40 claims (37% of all) and $3.4 million, then Hurricane Matthew in 2016 with 13. 60% 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, 114 have fewer than Saint Johns.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Irma2017 | 40 | $3.4 million |
| Hurricane Matthew2016 | 13 | $240,000 |
St. Johns County, which includes Saint Johns, has been named in 34 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 21 of them major disasters (by incident: 21 hurricanes, 4 tropical storms, 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Milton, on October 11, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives St. Johns County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hurricanes, coastal flooding and lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding and heat waves; Relatively Low for strong wind; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $97.0 million a year, the 30th highest of 67 Florida counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $51.5 million (53%), is from inland flooding.
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 Saint Johns
- Fleming Island, FL7 mi
- Orange Park, FL10 mi
- Green Cove Springs, FL11 mi
- Jacksonville, FL14 mi
- Ponte Vedra Beach, FL15 mi
- Middleburg, FL17 mi
- Jacksonville Beach, FL18 mi
- Neptune Beach, FL20 mi
- St Augustine, FL20 mi
- Atlantic Beach, FL21 mi
- Elkton, FL23 mi
- East Palatka, FL29 mi
All Florida cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Saint Johns with another place →