Hurricane Season in Florida

Hurricane season in Florida lasts from June 1st to November 30th. You may also hear this referred to as the “North Atlantic” Hurricane Season. Hurricanes can occur before or after this window, as well.

What month has the most hurricanes in Florida?

August, September and October are the months with the most hurricanes in Florida. Of those months, September is by far the most active month for hurricanes in Florida.

September has the most hurricanes because of many factors, including warm sea temperatures around Florida, low levels of atmospheric wind shear and other meteorological conditions.

Which part of Florida gets the most hurricanes?

South Florida gets the most hurricanes because it’s exposed to coastline on three sides – east, west and south. But, all of Florida is at risk for hurricanes. 

There are some observable patterns to Florida’s historical hurricane tracks:

• Early-season storms seem to approach from the east and southeast
• Late-season storms seem to approach from the southwest

It’s crucial to note that every storm is different, and these patterns are only visible on long-term time scales.

Individual storms don’t follow any rules – they go where they “want”. Storm tracks and landfall depend on local weather conditions, which change constantly.

Even with modern technology, our ability to predict a storm’s path and area of landfall is very limited and the “Cone of uncertainty” must always be treated with serious respect.

Which part of Florida gets the fewest hurricanes?

The entire state of Florida is vulnerable to hurricane and tropical storm impacts. We have historical hurricane records since the mid-1800s – history shows that every part of Florida has been impacted by hurricanes.

Even inland areas in central Florida get heavy rain, strong winds, inland flooding, tornados, loss of power and other hurricane hazards.

Hurricanes in Florida can cause dangerous conditions far from the storm’s direct area of impact. 

For example, a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico can cause high winds, heavy rain, flooding, storm surge, tornados and other dangerous weather conditions on the Atlantic coast, and vice versa.

Why does Florida get hit by so many hurricanes?

Florida gets hit by many hurricanes because of its location, geography, meteorological conditions, and other factors.

Florida’s location makes it very vulnerable to hurricanes and tropical storms. The entire peninsula is surrounded by warm water which can fuel powerful storms. 

Florida’s shape as a large peninsula, with long north and south coastlines, also gives it a lot of shoreline compared to other coastal states. The long shorelines provide a big target area for hurricanes to make landfall.

There are other factors, too:

• The area over and around Florida tends to have favorable atmospheric conditions to support hurricanes. 
• There tends to be high levels of heat and humidity and low levels of wind shear. These factors, and others, allow hurricanes in Florida to intensify.
• The earth’s easterly trade winds and coriolis effect also tend to steer hurricanes right towards Florida.

Cover photo courtesy of Wren Meinburg