NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Vero Beach, 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
84 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Vero Beach, Florida since 1851, 29 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Milton in 2024. Since 1950, 91 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 29
- Tropical storms
- 55
- Tornadoes
- 91
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
9 deaths in all
What the records show for Vero Beach
The strongest storm to pass near Vero Beach was Matthew in 2016, a Category 3 hurricane with 125 mph winds when its centre passed 43 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Nicole in 2022, whose centre crossed the city. The record near Vero Beach begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Milton in 2024, a Category 1 hurricane 53 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1950s, with 8 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 84 systems, 15 have come since 2000. Vero Beach has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 67% of the 407 Florida cities on this site. The highest rating among the 91 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on October 9, 2024, came within 4 miles. Of the 91, 12 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 44 have come since 2000. October has had the most tornadoes, 18. The most recent tornado was on October 9, 2024. Of the 407 Florida cities, 76% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Vero Beach. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 54 times since 1960, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Vero Beach has more hail reports within 10 miles than 63% of the 407 Florida cities.
Compare Vero Beach's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Vero Beach
Of the 84 tracks on the map, 30 were moving northeast as they passed Vero Beach, 23 northwest and 19 north. Matthew (2016), the strongest pass, was heading northwest; its centre passed 43 miles northeast of Vero Beach. Within 75 miles of Vero Beach, 18 of the 84 came ashore, 12 of them as hurricanes. In the last 30 seasons (1996–2025), 17 came near Vero Beach: 5.7 a decade, against 4.6 a decade from 1851 to 1995.
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | MiltonOct 10 | 53 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2022 | NicoleNov 10 | overhead | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2022 | IanSep 29 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2022 | AlexJun 4 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 2 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2016 | MatthewOct 7 | 43 mi | Category 3 (125 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | JuliaSep 13 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2014 | ArthurJul 1 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2008 | FayAug 20 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | ErnestoAug 30 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2005 | WilmaOct 24 | 50 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2005 | TammyOct 5 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | JeanneSep 26 | 26 mi | Category 3 (110 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2004 | FrancesSep 5 | 22 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2001 | GabrielleSep 15 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1999 | IreneOct 16 | 20 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1998 | MitchNov 5 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1995 | JerryAug 24 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1995 | ErinAug 2 | 5 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1994 | GordonNov 16 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1988 | KeithNov 23 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1988 | ChrisAug 28 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | BobJul 24 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1984 | IsidoreSep 27 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1983 | BarryAug 25 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1981 | DennisAug 18 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 3 | 4 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1976 | DottieAug 19 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1974 | Unnamed 1974 stormOct 7 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | DollyAug 10 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1968 | BrendaJun 19 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1968 | AbbyJun 5 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1964 | IsbellOct 15 | 47 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1964 | CleoAug 27 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | FlorenceSep 24 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | JudithOct 18 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormOct 16 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1954 | Unnamed 1954 stormJun 20 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1953 | HazelOct 9 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1953 | Unnamed 1953 stormJul 12 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1952 | Unnamed 1952 stormFeb 3 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1951 | HowOct 2 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1950 | KingOct 18 | 43 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 27 | 46 mi | Category 2 (108 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1948 | Unnamed 1948 stormSep 22 | 32 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormNov 2 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormAug 12 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormAug 21 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 4 | 34 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormJul 30 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 17 | 46 mi | Category 3 (123 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 8 | 5 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormJul 28 | 25 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1925 | Unnamed 1925 stormDec 1 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1921 | Unnamed 1921 stormOct 16 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormAug 25 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 1 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 26 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormJun 29 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormAug 2 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 21 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormOct 9 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 12 | 59 mi | Category 3 (121 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 27 | 46 mi | Category 3 (121 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormOct 25 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormOct 7 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormOct 6 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 24 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 8 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 24 | 20 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormAug 29 | 35 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 22 | 74 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormJul 2 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormOct 20 | 2 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormOct 7 | 17 mi | Category 2 (96 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 25 | 2 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 17 | 27 mi | Category 2 (100 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1870 | Unnamed 1870 stormOct 21 | 19 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1865 | Unnamed 1865 stormOct 23 | 58 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 17 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 1 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormOct 28 | 65 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormOct 17 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormSep 12 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Vero Beach: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Check hail and hurricane history for any address
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Vero Beach
By decade
- 2020s16(1 EF3+)
- 2010s15
- 2000s13
- 1990s11
- 1980s8
- 1970s12
- 1960s10
- 1950s6(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 9, 2024 | EF3 | 4 mi | 21.24 mi | 6 / 0 |
| Sep 18, 1954 | F3 | 17 mi | 0.1 mi | 2 / 2 |
| Apr 15, 1958 | F3 | 12 mi | 14.8 mi | 0 / 20 |
| Nov 15, 1994 | F2 | 17 mi | 2.5 mi | 1 / 40 |
| Oct 9, 2024 | EF2 | 18 mi | 65.49 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 6, 2017 | EF2 | 21 mi | 4.12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 3, 1970 | F2 | 12 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 15, 1970 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Aug 1, 1967 | F2 | 15 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 10, 1963 | F2 | 7 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 9, 2024 | EF1 | 7 mi | 6.75 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 9, 2024 | EF1 | 2 mi | 3.44 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 91, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Vero Beach
The Storm Prediction Center has 54 hail reports within 10 miles of Vero Beach since 1960, made on 43 separate days. Of these, 21 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on February 13, 1995. The most recent report is from May 24, 2025. March and May have the most reports, 12 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Vero Beach
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Vero Beach 4SE, FL, 2 miles east of Vero Beach at 20 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 76°F; January is the coolest, at 73°F and 54°F. August and September are the wettest at 7.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 56.4 inches over 84 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 66% of the year's precipitation (37.5 of 56.4 inches); the other six months are drier. October has brought the most of the 84 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (25); a normal October there has highs of 85°F and 6.1 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 57 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 2 nights a year. That 56.4 inches is more than at 82 of the 125 Florida stations used on this site (66%). Fort Pierce, 14 miles south, has its own station (Fort Pierce, FL): 55.8 inches a year, 0.6 less than here, and an August average high of 89°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 73 | 54 | 2.7 | 5 |
| Feb | 75 | 56 | 2.5 | 4 |
| Mar | 78 | 59 | 3.7 | 5 |
| Apr | 82 | 64 | 2.9 | 5 |
| May | 86 | 69 | 4.3 | 6 |
| Jun | 89 | 74 | 6.8 | 10 |
| Jul | 91 | 75 | 6.2 | 9 |
| Aug | 90 | 76 | 7.6 | 10 |
| Sep | 89 | 75 | 7.6 | 11 |
| Oct | 85 | 70 | 6.1 | 8 |
| Nov | 80 | 63 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Dec | 75 | 58 | 2.8 | 5 |
| Year | 83 | 66 | 56.4 | 84 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Vero Beach 4SE, 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.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Vero Beach
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 42 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Vero Beach: 28 thunderstorm wind reports, 5 floods, 4 heavy rain events, 3 lightning strikes and 2 flash floods. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $1.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on March 23, 2017.
June 23, 2008: lightning strike 4 miles from the centre of Vero Beach — 1 injured.
NWS: “A fisherman was struck and injured while standing on the beach at Indian River Shores. He was transported to a local hospital.”
August 27, 2012: flood 8 miles from the centre of Vero Beach — $856,000 damage.
June 30, 2008: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Vero Beach — $212,000 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 Vero Beach's 6 ZIP codes have filed 3,044 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $61.2 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Frances in 2004: 1,141 claims (37% of all) and $31.5 million, then Hurricane Jeanne in 2004 with 833 and Hurricane Irma in 2017 with 110. 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, 303 have fewer than Vero Beach.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Frances2004 | 1,141 | $31.5 million |
| Hurricane Jeanne2004 | 833 | $13.7 million |
| Hurricane Irma2017 | 110 | $3.8 million |
| Tropical Storm Fay2008 | 100 | $289,000 |
| Hurricane Irene1999 | 78 | $607,000 |
| Hurricane Milton2024 | 67 | $4.2 million |
Indian River County, which includes Vero Beach, has been named in 35 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 22 hurricanes, 5 fires, 2 biological emergencies, 1 severe storm). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Milton, on October 11, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Indian River County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for hurricanes; Relatively High for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding and coastal flooding; Relatively Low for heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $163.1 million a year, the 18th highest of 67 Florida counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $132.1 million (81%), 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 Vero Beach
- Sebastian, FL10 mi
- Fellsmere, FL12 mi
- Fort Pierce, FL14 mi
- Barefoot Bay, FL17 mi
- Grant, FL20 mi
- Malabar, FL24 mi
- Port St Lucie, FL25 mi
- Melbourne Beach, FL26 mi
- Palm Bay, FL27 mi
- Jensen Beach, FL30 mi
- Indialantic, FL33 mi
- Palm City, FL34 mi
All Florida cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Vero Beach with another place →