NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Zellwood, 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
79 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Zellwood, Florida since 1851, 19 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Milton in 2024. Since 1950, 154 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 19
- Tropical storms
- 60
- Tornadoes
- 154
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
40 deaths in all
What the records show for Zellwood
The strongest storm to pass near Zellwood was an unnamed storm in 1893, a Category 3 hurricane with 121 mph winds when its centre passed 71 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was King in 1950, whose centre crossed the city. The record near Zellwood begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Milton in 2024, a Category 1 hurricane 45 miles away. The busiest decade was the 2000s, with 8 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 79 systems, 13 have come since 2000. Of the 407 Florida cities on this site, 78% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Zellwood. The highest rating among the 154 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 5 times; the most recent, on February 2, 2007, came within 19 miles. The deadliest, an EF3 on February 2, 2007, killed 13 people. Of the 154, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 39 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 25. The most recent tornado was on May 12, 2025. Zellwood has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 68% of the 407 Florida cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 54 times since 1977, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Zellwood has more hail reports within 10 miles than 63% of the 407 Florida cities.
Compare Zellwood's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Zellwood
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | MiltonOct 10 | 45 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2022 | NicoleNov 10 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2022 | IanSep 29 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2017 | IrmaSep 11 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | JuliaSep 13 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | FayAug 22 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | ErnestoAug 31 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2005 | TammyOct 5 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | JeanneSep 26 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2004 | FrancesSep 5 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 14 | 13 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2002 | EdouardSep 5 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2001 | GabrielleSep 15 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1995 | JerryAug 24 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1995 | ErinAug 2 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1988 | KeithNov 23 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | BobJul 24 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1984 | IsidoreSep 28 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1982 | Unnamed 1982 stormJun 18 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1981 | DennisAug 18 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 4 | 52 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1968 | GladysOct 19 | 42 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1968 | DollyAug 10 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1968 | BrendaJun 19 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1968 | AbbyJun 5 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormOct 18 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | CleoAug 28 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 11 | 5 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | Unnamed 1959 stormJun 18 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormOct 16 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1953 | Unnamed 1953 stormSep 20 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1950 | KingOct 18 | overhead | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1950 | EasySep 6 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 27 | 51 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 23 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 8 | 54 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 16 | 5 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormJun 24 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 19 | 26 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormAug 12 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormAug 30 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormJul 30 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormAug 21 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 4 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1930 | Unnamed 1930 stormSep 10 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 17 | 35 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 9 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormJul 28 | 44 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1921 | Unnamed 1921 stormOct 26 | 3 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1921 | Unnamed 1921 stormOct 16 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 30 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 15 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 1 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 18 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormJun 29 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormOct 21 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 5 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 21 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 26 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 71 mi | Category 3 (121 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormOct 24 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormJun 17 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 8 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 30 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 19 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 24 | 68 mi | Category 2 (99 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormOct 8 | 53 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormAug 30 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormOct 27 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 10 | 41 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 27 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormSep 23 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 23 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 25 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 17 | 20 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 1 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormOct 28 | 32 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1858 | Unnamed 1858 stormSep 14 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormSep 12 | 35 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 Zellwood: 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 Zellwood
By decade
- 2020s14
- 2010s11
- 2000s14(2 EF3+)
- 1990s18(2 EF3+)
- 1980s33(1 EF3+)
- 1970s43
- 1960s15
- 1950s6
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2, 2007 | EF3 | 17 mi | 26.03 mi | 13 / 51 |
| Feb 22, 1998 | F3 | 14 mi | 16 mi | 13 / 36 |
| Feb 2, 2007 | EF3 | 19 mi | 10.5 mi | 8 / 10 |
| Feb 22, 1998 | F3 | 9 mi | 18 mi | 3 / 70 |
| Mar 19, 1981 | F3 | 18 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Mar 12, 1993 | F2 | 3 mi | 30 mi | 1 / 60 |
| Apr 15, 1987 | F2 | 7 mi | 3 mi | 1 / 7 |
| Apr 2, 1959 | F2 | 21 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 9 |
| Mar 10, 2025 | EF2 | 10 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 1987 | F2 | 19 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 31, 1985 | F2 | 19 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 2, 1983 | F2 | 17 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 9 |
The strongest 12 of 154, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Zellwood
The Storm Prediction Center has 54 hail reports within 10 miles of Zellwood since 1977, made on 46 separate days. Of these, 28 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 7 days, most recently July 9, 1999. The most recent report is from May 11, 2023. May has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Zellwood
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Mt Plymouth 1SSW, FL, 6 miles north of Zellwood at 90 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 93°F and low of 73°F; January is the coolest, at 71°F and 44°F. August is the wettest at 8.5 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 2.0 inches; the year adds up to 54.2 inches. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 67% of the year's precipitation (36.1 of 54.2 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 79 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (25); a normal September there has highs of 90°F and 6.3 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 120 days a year, almost all from April to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 13 nights a year. That 54.2 inches is more than at 63 of the 125 Florida stations used on this site (50%). Astatula, 10 miles west, has its own station (Leesburg Municipal Airport, FL): 43.8 inches a year, 10.4 less than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 93°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 71 | 44 | 2.8 |
| Feb | 74 | 47 | 2.5 |
| Mar | 79 | 50 | 3.2 |
| Apr | 83 | 56 | 2.7 |
| May | 89 | 64 | 4.4 |
| Jun | 91 | 71 | 8.3 |
| Jul | 93 | 73 | 7.3 |
| Aug | 92 | 73 | 8.5 |
| Sep | 90 | 70 | 6.3 |
| Oct | 84 | 63 | 3.7 |
| Nov | 78 | 55 | 2.0 |
| Dec | 73 | 49 | 2.5 |
| Year | 83 | 59 | 54.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Mt Plymouth 1SSW, FL (90 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 Zellwood
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 57 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Zellwood: 47 thunderstorm wind reports, 5 lightning strikes, 2 floods, 2 heavy rain events and 1 flash flood. They killed 1 person and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $1.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on April 30, 2013.
September 10, 2020: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Zellwood — 1 killed.
September 10, 2010: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Zellwood — 2 injured.
June 15, 2010: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Zellwood — $500,000 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
Orange County, which includes Zellwood, has been named in 39 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 21 of them major disasters (by incident: 19 hurricanes, 5 fires, 4 tropical storms, 3 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Milton, on October 11, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Orange County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively High for hurricanes, hail and inland flooding; Relatively Moderate for heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $417.7 million a year, the 6th highest of 67 Florida counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $181.8 million (44%), 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.