NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Wellington, 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 Wellington, Florida since 1851, 38 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Nicole in 2022. Since 1950, 171 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 38
- Tropical storms
- 46
- Tornadoes
- 171
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Wellington
The strongest storm to pass near Wellington was an unnamed storm in 1928, a Category 4 hurricane with 139 mph winds when its centre passed 10 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1949, whose centre came within 3 miles. The record near Wellington begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Nicole in 2022, a Category 1 hurricane 53 miles away. Of the 84 systems, 11 have come since 2000. Wellington has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 88% of the 407 Florida cities on this site. The strongest of the 171 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF3 on October 9, 2024; its path came within 3 miles. Of the 171, 9 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 69 have come since 2000. August has had the most tornadoes, 26. The most recent tornado was on May 12, 2025. Wellington has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 73% of the 407 Florida cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 50 times since 1972, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Wellington has more hail reports within 10 miles than 60% of the 407 Florida cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Wellington
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | NicoleNov 10 | 53 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2022 | AlexJun 4 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 2 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2016 | MatthewOct 7 | 67 mi | Category 4 (130 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2008 | FayAug 19 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | ErnestoAug 30 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2005 | WilmaOct 24 | 9 mi | Category 3 (113 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2005 | TammyOct 5 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 25 | 45 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2004 | JeanneSep 26 | 38 mi | Category 3 (121 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2004 | FrancesSep 5 | 38 mi | Category 2 (105 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1999 | IreneOct 16 | 6 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1999 | HarveySep 21 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | MitchNov 5 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1995 | JerryAug 23 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1995 | ErinAug 2 | 56 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1994 | GordonNov 16 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | BobJul 23 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1984 | IsidoreSep 27 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1981 | DennisAug 18 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 3 | 22 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1976 | DottieAug 19 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1974 | Unnamed 1974 stormOct 6 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | IsbellOct 15 | 6 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1964 | CleoAug 27 | 4 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | FlorenceSep 24 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | JudithOct 18 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormOct 16 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1953 | HazelOct 9 | 66 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1953 | Unnamed 1953 stormOct 5 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1953 | Unnamed 1953 stormJul 12 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1952 | Unnamed 1952 stormFeb 3 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1951 | HowOct 2 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1950 | KingOct 18 | 27 mi | Category 3 (113 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 27 | 3 mi | Category 3 (129 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1948 | Unnamed 1948 stormOct 6 | 41 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1948 | Unnamed 1948 stormSep 22 | 21 mi | Category 2 (96 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormOct 12 | 33 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 17 | 38 mi | Category 3 (127 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormNov 1 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 16 | 63 mi | Category 3 (110 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 6 | 73 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormAug 11 | 34 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJun 15 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormNov 4 | 52 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 4 | 20 mi | Category 3 (127 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormJul 30 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 17 | 10 mi | Category 4 (139 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 8 | 32 mi | Category 2 (102 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormSep 18 | 66 mi | Category 4 (130 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormJul 27 | 49 mi | Category 2 (108 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1925 | Unnamed 1925 stormDec 1 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormOct 21 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormNov 16 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormAug 25 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 14 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 26 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormAug 29 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormJun 28 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormOct 18 | 38 mi | Category 3 (112 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormJun 17 | 48 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormOct 17 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 12 | 28 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormAug 10 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormAug 2 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormOct 9 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormJun 11 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormOct 7 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormOct 6 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 23 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 8 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 16 | 47 mi | Category 2 (108 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 24 | 29 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 22 | 42 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormJul 2 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormOct 20 | 39 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 16 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 25 | 31 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 17 | 26 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1870 | Unnamed 1870 stormOct 21 | 39 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1865 | Unnamed 1865 stormOct 23 | 8 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 16 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 1 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormOct 17 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Wellington: 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 Wellington
By decade
- 2020s16(1 EF3+)
- 2010s27
- 2000s26
- 1990s25
- 1980s23
- 1970s23
- 1960s20
- 1950s11
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 9, 2024 | EF3 | 3 mi | 32.89 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Oct 9, 2024 | EF2 | 12 mi | 65.49 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 29, 2023 | EF2 | 16 mi | 2.61 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 27, 2022 | EF2 | 14 mi | 6.98 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Aug 18, 2008 | EF2 | in town | 2.72 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 8, 1983 | F2 | 10 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jan 13, 1979 | F2 | 13 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 22, 1970 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 26, 1970 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 14, 1965 | F2 | 11 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 14, 1964 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 22 |
| Jun 17, 1959 | F2 | 19 mi | 8.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 171, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Wellington
The Storm Prediction Center has 50 hail reports within 10 miles of Wellington since 1972, made on 37 separate days. Of these, 26 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 February 24, 2010. The most recent report is from May 23, 2025. May has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Wellington
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is West Palm Beach International Airport, FL, 10 miles east of Wellington at 19 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 77°F; January is the coolest, at 75°F and 58°F. August is the wettest at 8.7 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 61.8 inches over 86 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 65% of the year's precipitation (40.3 of 61.8 inches); the other six months are drier. October has brought the most of the 84 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (26); a normal October there has highs of 85°F and 5.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 74 days a year, almost all from April to October. A night below freezing comes less than once a year on average. That 61.8 inches is more than at 100 of the 125 Florida stations used on this site (80%). Loxahatchee, 8 miles northwest, has its own station (Palm Beach Gardens, FL): 66.2 inches a year, 4.4 more than here, and an August average high of 89°F against 90°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Lake Worth Pier, Atlantic Ocean, FL, 14 miles east, averaged 86°F in August and 75°F in January over 2021–2025. It averaged 80°F or warmer from May to October. Sea level at the Lake Worth Pier tide gauge, 14 miles from Wellington, has risen 1.62 ± 0.10 inches per decade from 1970 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 16.2 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 99 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 75 | 58 | 3.5 | 5 | 75 |
| Feb | 77 | 60 | 2.6 | 4 | 75 |
| Mar | 79 | 63 | 3.3 | 4 | 76 |
| Apr | 82 | 68 | 3.7 | 5 | 78 |
| May | 86 | 72 | 4.9 | 7 | 81 |
| Jun | 88 | 75 | 8.5 | 11 | 83 |
| Jul | 90 | 76 | 5.6 | 10 | 86 |
| Aug | 90 | 77 | 8.7 | 12 | 86 |
| Sep | 88 | 76 | 8.0 | 11 | 86 |
| Oct | 85 | 73 | 5.9 | 7 | 82 |
| Nov | 80 | 66 | 3.6 | 5 | 80 |
| Dec | 77 | 62 | 3.5 | 5 | 78 |
| Year | 83 | 69 | 61.8 | 86 | 81 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at West Palm Beach International Airport, FL (19 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Lake Worth Pier, Atlantic Ocean, 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 Wellington
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 85 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Wellington: 63 thunderstorm wind reports, 11 lightning strikes, 6 floods, 4 flash floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 8, and the NWS estimated $409,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on April 25, 1999.
July 30, 2019: lightning strike 1 mile from the centre of Wellington — 1 killed, 5 injured.
NWS: “Palm Beach Post reported 6 people, a woman and 5 men, were struck by lightning at the Shakerwood development off of Wellington Trace. This is west of the Mall at Wellington Green.”
June 23, 2009: lightning strike 4 miles from the centre of Wellington — 1 injured.
NWS: “Lightning struck the roof of a house and ignited a fire, injuring a resident of the home.”
August 2, 2010: lightning strike 4 miles from the centre of Wellington — 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 Wellington's 2 ZIP codes have filed 277 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1981, and were paid $861,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Isaac in 2012: 50 claims (18% of all) and $124,000, then Hurricane Frances in 2004 with 39 and Hurricane Irene in 1999 with 26. The year with the most claims was 2004, with 61. 67% 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, 170 have fewer than Wellington.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Isaac2012 | 50 | $124,000 |
| Hurricane Frances2004 | 39 | $162,000 |
| Hurricane Irene1999 | 26 | $130,000 |
| Hurricane Wilma2005 | 24 | $87,000 |
| Hurricane Jeanne2004 | 19 | $51,000 |
| Hurricane Irma2017 | 12 | $19,000 |
Palm Beach County, which includes Wellington, has been named in 41 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 25 of them major disasters (by incident: 25 hurricanes, 3 fires, 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Milton, on October 11, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Palm Beach 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, strong wind and heat waves; Relatively Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $518.6 million a year, the 3rd highest of 67 Florida counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $286.9 million (55%), 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).
Wellington in the notable storm records: Hurricane Matthew (2016)
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Wellington
- Royal Palm Beach, FL5 mi
- Greenacres, FL7 mi
- Lake Worth, FL8 mi
- Loxahatchee, FL8 mi
- West Palm Beach, FL10 mi
- Palm Springs, FL10 mi
- Boynton Beach, FL12 mi
- Atlantis, FL12 mi
- Palm Beach, FL14 mi
- Riviera Beach, FL15 mi
- Delray Beach, FL15 mi
- Palm Beach Gardens, FL16 mi
All Florida cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Wellington with another place →