NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Sarasota, 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 Sarasota, Florida since 1851, 26 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Milton in 2024. Since 1950, 166 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 26
- Tropical storms
- 52
- Tornadoes
- 166
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Sarasota
The strongest storm to pass near Sarasota was Ian in 2022, a Category 4 hurricane with 132 mph winds when its centre passed 45 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1944, whose centre came within 2 miles. The record near Sarasota begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Milton in 2024, a Category 3 hurricane 8 miles away. The 1930s and the 1940s were the busiest decades, with 8 systems each. Of the 78 systems, 14 have come since 2000. Sarasota has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 53% of the 407 Florida cities on this site. The highest rating among the 166 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on March 17, 1985, came within 17 miles. The deadliest, an EF2 on January 17, 2016, killed 2 people. Of the 166, 30 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 41 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 26. The most recent tornado was on October 11, 2023. Sarasota has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 71% of the 407 Florida cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 40 times since 1969, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Sarasota has more hail reports within 10 miles than 51% of the 407 Florida cities.
Compare Sarasota's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Sarasota
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | MiltonOct 10 | 8 mi | Category 3 (114 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2022 | NicoleNov 10 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2022 | IanSep 28 | 45 mi | Category 4 (132 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 7 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | EtaNov 11 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | SallySep 13 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2018 | GordonSep 3 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2017 | IrmaSep 11 | 36 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2017 | EmilyJul 31 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2007 | BarryJun 2 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | JeanneSep 26 | 57 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2004 | FrancesSep 5 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 13 | 33 mi | Category 4 (131 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2001 | GabrielleSep 14 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1995 | ErinAug 2 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1994 | GordonNov 16 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1990 | MarcoOct 11 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1988 | KeithNov 23 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | BobJul 23 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1984 | IsidoreSep 28 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1969 | JennyOct 3 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | GladysOct 18 | 75 mi | Category 2 (96 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1968 | AbbyJun 4 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1966 | Unnamed 1966 stormJul 1 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1966 | AlmaJun 9 | 48 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 11 | 37 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | JudithOct 18 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1959 | Unnamed 1959 stormJun 18 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1953 | HazelOct 9 | 46 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1951 | HowOct 2 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1950 | EasySep 4 | 51 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 27 | 56 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 23 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 18 | 51 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 8 | 12 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 16 | 45 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 5 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 19 | 2 mi | Category 2 (102 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 6 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormAug 12 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormJul 29 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJul 29 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 4 | 24 mi | Category 4 (131 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 4 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormJul 31 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormAug 30 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1930 | Unnamed 1930 stormSep 9 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 17 | 45 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 13 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormSep 19 | 29 mi | Category 3 (117 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1925 | Unnamed 1925 stormDec 1 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1921 | Unnamed 1921 stormOct 25 | 50 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 14 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 18 | 35 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormJun 29 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 19 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormOct 18 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 12 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormAug 11 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 5 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormJul 31 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormAug 2 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 21 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormOct 9 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 25 | 43 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormOct 24 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 8 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 17 | 40 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 30 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 18 | 52 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 9 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormOct 7 | 54 mi | Category 3 (112 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormSep 23 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 23 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormOct 28 | 32 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormOct 18 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1858 | Unnamed 1858 stormSep 14 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormSep 12 | 50 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Sarasota: 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 Sarasota
By decade
- 2020s11
- 2010s14
- 2000s16
- 1990s49
- 1980s22(1 EF3+)
- 1970s36(1 EF3+)
- 1960s10
- 1950s8(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 17, 1985 | F3 | 17 mi | 3 mi | 2 / 45 |
| Jan 24, 1979 | F3 | 13 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 31, 1958 | F3 | 15 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jan 17, 2016 | EF2 | 23 mi | 9.2 mi | 2 / 4 |
| Jan 17, 2016 | EF2 | 4 mi | 1.15 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Feb 1, 1972 | F2 | 9 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Feb 1, 1972 | F2 | 21 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 3, 1971 | F2 | 16 mi | 5.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 3, 1971 | F2 | 11 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Feb 3, 1970 | F2 | 18 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 13, 1969 | F2 | 3 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 9, 1968 | F2 | 14 mi | 4.1 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 166, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Sarasota
The Storm Prediction Center has 40 hail reports within 10 miles of Sarasota since 1969, made on 33 separate days. Of these, 12 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently May 21, 1999. The most recent report is from October 15, 2022.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Sarasota
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Sarasota Bradenton Airport, FL, 7 miles northwest of Sarasota at 28 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 75°F; January is the coolest, at 73°F and 52°F. August is the wettest at 9.1 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 1.8 inches; the year adds up to 49.2 inches over 66 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 70% of the year's precipitation (34.2 of 49.2 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 90°F and 6.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 85 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 1 nights a year. That 49.2 inches is more than at 14 of the 125 Florida stations used on this site (11%). University Park, 6 miles north, has its own station (Bradenton 5 ESE, FL): 56.3 inches a year, 7.1 more than here, and the same August average high, 92°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Port Manatee, FL, 22 miles north, averaged 89°F in July and 62°F in January over 2021–2025. It averaged 80°F or warmer from May to September. Sea level at the Port Manatee tide gauge, 22 miles from Sarasota, has risen 2.15 ± 0.13 inches per decade from 1976 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 21.5 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 123 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 73 | 52 | 2.8 | 4 | 62 |
| Feb | 75 | 55 | 1.9 | 3 | 66 |
| Mar | 78 | 58 | 2.9 | 4 | 72 |
| Apr | 83 | 63 | 2.5 | 3 | 77 |
| May | 88 | 68 | 2.6 | 4 | 83 |
| Jun | 90 | 74 | 7.1 | 9 | 86 |
| Jul | 91 | 75 | 7.4 | 11 | 89 |
| Aug | 92 | 75 | 9.1 | 12 | 88 |
| Sep | 90 | 74 | 6.0 | 8 | 86 |
| Oct | 86 | 68 | 2.8 | 4 | 79 |
| Nov | 80 | 60 | 1.8 | 3 | 72 |
| Dec | 75 | 55 | 2.3 | 3 | 67 |
| Year | 83 | 65 | 49.2 | 66 | 77 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Sarasota Bradenton Airport, FL (28 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Port Manatee, 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 Sarasota
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 84 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Sarasota: 55 thunderstorm wind reports, 10 lightning strikes, 9 floods, 9 heavy rain events and 1 flash flood. They killed 3 people and injured 61, and the NWS estimated $14.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on January 9, 2024.
June 24, 2018: lightning strike 5 miles from the centre of Sarasota — 1 killed, 1 injured.
NWS: “A man and woman at the beach began to head for shelter as it started to rain. The man was struck by lightning, knocking back the woman back.”
July 16, 2014: lightning strike 4 miles from the centre of Sarasota — 1 killed.
NWS: “A 39 year old man was struck and killed by lightning while roofing a home near Siesta Key. The man was taken to a nearby hospital but was unable to be revived.”
August 26, 2016: lightning strike 4 miles from the centre of Sarasota — 1 killed.
NWS: “A 50 year old homeless woman was struck and killed by lightning. She was seeking shelter under a gazebo in the park.”
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 Sarasota's 13 ZIP codes have filed 8,672 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $568.4 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Helene in 2024: 3,327 claims (38% of all) and $452.2 million, then Hurricane Milton in 2024 with 1,027 and Flooding in 1992 with 775. 85% 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, 332 have fewer than Sarasota.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene2024 | 3,327 | $452.2 million |
| Hurricane Milton2024 | 1,027 | $17.0 million |
| Flooding1992 | 775 | $6.1 million |
| Hurricane Debby2024 | 630 | $49.5 million |
| The 'No-Name Storm'1982 | 260 | $891,000 |
| Torrential rain2001 | 255 | $3.4 million |
Sarasota County, which includes Sarasota, has been named in 48 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 29 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 Sarasota County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for hurricanes and lightning; Relatively High for tornadoes, inland flooding, coastal flooding and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $273.0 million a year, the 10th highest of 67 Florida counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $180.4 million (66%), 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).
Sarasota in the notable storm records: Hurricane Helene (2024)
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Sarasota
- University Park, FL6 mi
- Osprey, FL9 mi
- Lakewood Ranch, FL10 mi
- Longboat Key, FL11 mi
- Bradenton, FL11 mi
- Nokomis, FL13 mi
- Ellenton, FL15 mi
- Palmetto, FL16 mi
- Myakka City, FL17 mi
- Venice, FL18 mi
- Holmes Beach, FL18 mi
- Parrish, FL18 mi
All Florida cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Sarasota with another place →