NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Sanibel, FL
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
73 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Sanibel, Florida since 1851, 27 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Milton in 2024. Since 1950, 129 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 27
- Tropical storms
- 46
- Tornadoes
- 129
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Sanibel
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | MiltonOct 9 | 70 mi | Category 3 (122 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2022 | IanSep 28 | 19 mi | Category 4 (151 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2022 | AlexJun 4 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 6 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | SallySep 12 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2018 | GordonSep 3 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2017 | IrmaSep 10 | 24 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2017 | EmilyJul 31 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | FayAug 19 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | ErnestoAug 30 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2005 | WilmaOct 24 | 44 mi | Category 3 (121 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 13 | 11 mi | Category 4 (148 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2001 | GabrielleSep 14 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1999 | HarveySep 21 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | MitchNov 5 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1994 | GordonNov 16 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1992 | AndrewAug 24 | 51 mi | Category 4 (132 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1990 | MarcoOct 11 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1988 | KeithNov 23 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | BobJul 23 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1981 | DennisAug 17 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1969 | JennyOct 2 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | AbbyJun 4 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1966 | Unnamed 1966 stormJul 1 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1966 | AlmaJun 9 | 52 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1964 | IsbellOct 14 | 61 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 10 | 16 mi | Category 3 (117 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | JudithOct 18 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1953 | HazelOct 9 | 18 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1951 | HowOct 2 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1950 | EasySep 4 | 47 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1948 | Unnamed 1948 stormSep 22 | 62 mi | Category 4 (132 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 18 | overhead | Category 2 (99 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 7 | 58 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 16 | 38 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 4 | overhead | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 19 | 34 mi | Category 2 (107 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 6 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJul 29 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJun 15 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormNov 5 | 57 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 3 | 8 mi | Category 4 (151 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormJul 31 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormAug 30 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormSep 29 | 45 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 13 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormSep 18 | 5 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1925 | Unnamed 1925 stormDec 1 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormOct 21 | 46 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 14 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 18 | 4 mi | Category 3 (110 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormAug 29 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 19 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormOct 18 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 12 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormAug 11 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormJul 30 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 21 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormOct 9 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1895 | Unnamed 1895 stormOct 16 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 25 | 5 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormJun 10 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormOct 7 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormAug 25 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 17 | 12 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 8 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormJul 2 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormOct 20 | 57 mi | Category 2 (102 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormOct 7 | 8 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1870 | Unnamed 1870 stormOct 20 | 33 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 1 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormOct 18 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1858 | Unnamed 1858 stormSep 14 | 71 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 Sanibel: 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 Sanibel
By decade
- 2020s10
- 2010s10
- 2000s24
- 1990s39
- 1980s16
- 1970s16
- 1960s10
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 31, 1960 | F2 | 2 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Oct 9, 2024 | EF2 | 15 mi | 16.29 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 16, 2022 | EF2 | 7 mi | 7.01 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 9, 2016 | EF2 | 9 mi | 3.35 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jul 23, 1989 | F2 | 19 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 4, 1988 | F2 | 19 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 9, 1986 | F2 | 13 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Jun 18, 1972 | F2 | 3 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 18, 1972 | F2 | 14 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 3, 1971 | F2 | 7 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 11, 1968 | F2 | 24 mi | 65.4 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Feb 23, 1965 | F2 | 18 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 129, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
How to read this page
A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Sanibel while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.
Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.
Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.