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The strongest hurricane to hit the state during the period was Michael, which made landfall in Florida as a Category 5 hurricane–the strongest since Andrew in 1992. Additionally, hurricanes Charley, Ivan, Jeanne, Dennis, Wilma, Irma, and Ian made landfall on or otherwise impacted the state as major hurricanes. The List of Florida hurricanes encompasses approximately 500 tropical or subtropical cyclones that affected the state of Florida. More storms hit Florida than any other U.S. state, and since 1851 only eighteen hurricane seasons passed without a known storm impacting the state. Collectively, cyclones that hit the region have resulted in over 10,000 deaths, most of which occurred prior to the start of hurricane hunter flights in 1943. Additionally, the cumulative impact from the storms has totalled over US$300 billion in damage (2018 dollars), primarily from Hurricane Andrew, Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Ian in the 1992, 2017, and 2022 seasons respectively. The most recent hurricane to make landfall in Florida was Nicole in 2022. The strongest hurricane to hit the state during the period was Hurricane Donna, which was the tenth strongest hurricane on record to strike the contiguous United States. Additionally, Hurricanes Easy, King, Betsy, and Alma hit or otherwise impacted the state as major hurricanes. In the period between 1900 and 1949, 108 tropical cyclones affected the state, which collectively resulted in about $4.5 billion (2017 dollars) in damage. Additionally, tropical cyclones in Florida were directly responsible for about 3,500 fatalities during the period, most of which were from the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane. The 1947 season was the year with the most tropical cyclones affecting the state, with a total of six systems. The 1905, 1908, 1913, 1927, 1931, 1942, and 1943 seasons were the only years during the period in which a storm did not affect the state. Tropical cyclones have affected Florida in every month of the year with the exceptions of January and March. Nearly one-third of the cyclones affected the state in September, and nearly three-fourths of the storms affected the state between August and October, which coincides with the peak of the hurricane season. Portions of the coastline have return periods, or expected time between hurricane strikes of a certain intensity or category within 86 mi (139 km) of a given location, that are the lowest in the country. Monroe County was struck by 26 hurricanes since 1926, which is the greatest total for any county in the United States.In the period between 1975 and 1999, 83 tropical or subtropical cyclones affected the state, which collectively resulted in $51.1 billion (2017 dollars) in damage, primarily from Hurricane Andrew, and 54 direct casualties. The 1985 season was the year with the most tropical cyclones affecting the state, with a total of eight systems. Every year included at least one tropical cyclone affecting the state. The strongest hurricane to hit the state during the period was Hurricane Andrew, which was one of only four Category 5 hurricanes to strike the United States. Andrew, at the time, was the costliest tropical cyclone in United States history and remains the seventh-costliest. Additionally, Hurricanes Eloise, Elena, and Opal hit or otherwise impacted the state as major hurricanes.

The period from 2000 to the present has been marked by several devastating North Atlantic hurricanes; as of 2017, 79 tropical or subtropical cyclones have affected the U.S. state of Florida. Collectively, cyclones in Florida over that period resulted in over $123 billion in damage, most of it from Hurricane Irma. Additionally, tropical cyclones in Florida were responsible for 145 direct fatalities and at least 92 indirect ones during the period. Eight cyclones affected the state in both 2004 and 2005, which were the years with the most tropical cyclones impacting the state. Every year included at least one tropical cyclone affecting the state.The strongest hurricane to hit the state during the period was the 1935 Labor Day hurricane, which is the strongest hurricane on record to strike the United States. Several other major hurricanes struck the state during the period, including the 1926 Miami hurricane, the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane, and several Category 4 hurricanes in the period 1945–50.

In the period between 1950 and 1974, 85 tropical or subtropical cyclones impacted the state, which collectively resulted in about $7 billion (2017 dollars) in damage, primarily from Hurricanes Donna and Dora. Additionally, the storms were directly responsible for 93 fatalities and indirectly for 23 more deaths. Several tropical cyclones produced over 20 inches (500 mm) of rainfall in the state, including Hurricane Easy, which is the highest total during the period. The 1969 season was the year with the most tropical cyclones affecting the state, with a total of eight systems. The 1954 and 1967 seasons were the only years during the period in which a storm did not affect the state.

The strongest tropical cyclone to make landfall on the state was the 1935 Labor Day hurricane, which crossed the Florida Keys with a pressure of 892 mbar (hPa; 26.35 inHg); it is also the strongest hurricane on record to strike the United States. Out of the ten most intense landfalling United States hurricanes, four struck Florida at peak strength.In a Monthly Weather Review paper published in 1934, the U.S. Weather Bureau recognized Key West and Pensacola as the most hurricane-prone cities in the state; Key West experiences both storms developing from the western Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean, while Pensacola has received hurricanes crossing the state as well as storms recurving in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Officially, the earliest hurricane to affect the state was Hurricane Alma on June 9; the latest, Hurricane Kate on November 21. However, preliminary reanalysis suggests that a hurricane may have struck the state on May 28, 1863.

Information is sparse for earlier years due to limitations in tropical cyclone observation, though as coastlines became more populated, more data became available. The National Hurricane Center recognizes the uncertainty in both the death tolls and the dates of the events.The first recorded tropical cyclone to affect the area that is now the state of Florida occurred in 1523, when two ships and their crews were lost along the western coastline. A total 159 hurricanes are known to have affected the state prior to 1900, which collectively resulted in at least 6,504 fatalities and monetary damage of over $102 million (2017 dollars). Additionally, at least 109 boats or ships were either driven ashore, wrecked, or damaged due to the storms. A strong hurricane struck northwest Florida on May 28, 1863, and is the earliest landfall during the year known in the US, pending reanalysis. The following major hurricanes either made landfall on the state as a major hurricane or brought winds of Category 3 status to the state. For storms that made landfall twice or more, the maximum sustained wind speed, and hence the highest Saffir–Simpson category, at the strongest landfall is listed. Only landfalls at major hurricane intensity are listed. Storms are listed since 1851, which is the official start of the Atlantic hurricane database. Originally, hurricanes were classified by central pressure in the 20th century; however, modern practices quantify storm intensities by maximum sustained winds. United States hurricanes are still classified by central pressure from 1971 to 1979; therefore, the maximum sustained winds in the Atlantic hurricane database (HURDAT) are utilized for storms from 1971 to 1979, since this period has not been reanalyzed by the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project. There could be a few tornadoes in eastern South Carolina and southern North Carolina overnight, the hurricane center said, and also in the rest of North Carolina and Virginia on Friday.Hurricane warnings had covered Florida’s coast from Boca Raton to the county line between Flagler and Volusia counties, northeast of Orlando, before the storm’s landfall.

Krista Dowling Goodrich, who manages 130 rental homes in Daytona Beach Shores as the director of sales and marketing at Salty Dog Vacations, said she saw the beachfront disappear ahead of the storm.

Hurricane Nicole made landfall on Florida’s Atlantic coast early Thursday, leading to at least two deaths, widespread power outages, the collapse of several homes and the unearthing of what may be a Native American burial ground.

“You do have downed trees, you have power lines, you have some road washouts, combined winds and storm surge, we’ve seen beach erosion — especially in areas that had already seen erosion from Hurricane Ian, and these are places like Brevard, Volusia, Flagler and St. Johns counties,” DeSantis said. In Port Orange, the Rose Bay Dam breached Thursday, and emergency repairs are underway. Port Orange City Hall wrote on Facebook that the seawall and the bank on the north end of a drainage system were “compromised” and that tide from the bay was “pushing rising water in the area.” Residents were urged to evacuate with hundreds of homes at risk. Hurricane Ian made landfall on the opposite side of Florida, near Fort Myers on the Gulf Coast, on Sept. 28 and traveled across the state to the Atlantic. Ian was one of the most powerful hurricanes to strike the state in recorded history.

Nicole’s timing is a rarity for the region, as only two hurricanes have made landfall in the state in November since the start of record-keeping: Hurricane Yankee in 1935 and Hurricane Kate in 1985, according to The Associated Press.

The legacy of Nicole will be devastating beach erosion, especially along the northeast coastline, which Ian hammered only weeks ago, meteorologists said.In Martin County, Nicole churned up sand and unearthed what appeared to be bones on Chastain Beach on South Hutchinson Island, the sheriff’s office said. The site is believed to be a Native American burial ground, it said.

The hurricane made landfall just south of Vero Beach around 3 a.m. ET on the east coast of the Florida Peninsula on North Hutchinson Island, with sustained winds estimated at 75 mph, the National Hurricane Center said.Coastal homes collapsed in Wilbur-by-the-Sea, an unincorporated beachfront community, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said. Twenty-five homes have been declared structurally unsafe, and in Daytona Beach Shores, north of the community, 24 hotels and condominiums were declared unsafe and ordered evacuated, it said.

“This is obviously not as significant a storm as Hurricane Ian was, but coming on the heels of that, you’re seeing communities, particularly in the Volusia County area, where you have a lot of that erosion on the coastline, this has put some of those structures in jeopardy,” he said.Nicole, which struck Florida as a Category 1 hurricane about six weeks after Category 4 Hurricane Ian, weakened into a tropical storm shortly after landfall.

The storm continued to weaken Thursday, and by 10 p.m. it was a tropical depression, according to the National Hurricane Center. But it was still bringing heavy rains to parts of the southeastern U.S., the agency said.Thursday night the now-tropical depression was centered about 20 miles north of Tallahassee on Florida’s panhandle, and was moving northwest at 15 mph.

Nicole made landfall Wednesday on Grand Bahama Island, less than 100 miles east of Florida. Extensive flooding, downed trees and power and water outages were reported in the archipelago’s northwest region.We remain committed to providing proactive communication with residents, families, and staff. Ahead of and during severe weather events, we will update this page as we have new information to share. We will also send periodic updates via automated telephone calls to residents’ emergency contacts.Effective April 6, 2023: Seasonal closures are in effect at Amelia Island State Park due to shorebird nesting. The southern point of the island is closed to all vehicles. Pedestrians and anglers are allowed to pass through the point at the waterline only. Bicyclists must dismount and walk their bicycles at the waterline. Beach umbrellas, canopies, chairs or coolers are not permitted n this area.

Beach parking at Amelia Island State Park is limited to 300 people at a time with a maximum of 600 people per day. When the park reaches capacity at 300 people, the park closes to new visitors. After approximately 150 people leave, the park reopens to allow more visitors.We welcome you to visit all seven of the parks that collectively compose Talbot Islands State Parks: Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park, Little Talbot Island State Park, Fort George Island Cultural State Park, Yellow Bluff Fort Historic State Park, Big Talbot Island State Park and George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier State Park.

For those who may be wary of weather, and some who might be thinking about moving to Florida, where are the less prone areas of the state for tropical storms?

According to Nassau County’s website, “Once sustained winds reach 39 MPH, bridges will be closed for safety, so evacuation of the island must already be complete.”

Some would say Mother Nature’s been very kind to Florida during this welcomed storm-free stretch. Or call it plain good luck, and residents are thankful. But lucky streaks end.Before the 9-year hurricane lull in the Sunshine State, eight hurricanes in two years affected Florida back in the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Florida residents elsewhere in the state are all too familiar with the names Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne. Nassau County, FL residents also remember, especially those in western parts of the county that suffered plenty of downed trees and power outages that lasted as long as two weeks.Find out more about Nassau County, Florida Hurricane Evacuation Zones at the county’s website. Also see city of Fernandina Beach hurricane preparedness tips and info at city’s website.The Atlantic hurricane season officially starts June 1 and ends November 30 each year. In the event that a Category 1 hurricane is projected to be near northeast Florida, there will be a mandatory evacuation of Amelia Island. However, it’s not just near the ocean that can be inundated from storm surge. According to Nassau County’s website, “Depending on the scenario (i.e. Storm Category, Forward Speed, Direction, Ground Saturation), water depths all over Nassau County could reach from a few inches to over 25 feet; surge can cause flooding well into our river basins, not just at the coast.”

Amelia Island residents experienced a mandatory evacuation due to hurricane Floyd back in September 1999, a storm that passed by the Florida east coast (staying out to sea). While causing some damage and flooding, it was a near miss that thankfully ended well for islanders.During the year 1871, reports indicate two Category 1 hurricanes hit Nassau County, Florida plus another one was recorded in 1874. In the future, hopefully, a look back at hurricanes of the 21st century will mirror the 20th century in Fernandina Beach and northeast Florida, rather than the 19th.

Editorial note: This Amelia Island Living article originally published in 2015 was updated to include the four local hurricane evacuations since, from 2016 to 2022.

During the 20th century, only one hurricane made landfall in northeast Florida. Back in 1964, Hurricane Dora, as a Category 2, landed in St. Augustine with winds estimated at 125 MPH. America’s oldest city, St. Augustine, is about an hour’s drive south of Fernandina Beach. Reportedly, Dora caused an estimated $200-$250 million in damage at the time in northeast Florida (said to translate to around $2.5 billion in 2014 dollars). Fernandina Beach damage included losing homes to the sea along the beachfront.

Turning the clock back to the 19th century, a different, more ominous storm picture emerges in northeast Florida, an era when the region did not fare so well. There was the “hurricane of 1898” that hit northeast Florida, reportedly blasting Fernandina with 115 MPH winds. The “old train depot,” a familiar Fernandina landmark that sits at the foot of Centre Street today, was built in 1899. It replaced the original depot that was destroyed by the 1898 hurricane.

FERNANDINA BEACH: “More than 11,500 people reside in the Nassau County city, and it ranks on our list due to low combined tropical storm, hurricane, and flood scores,” according to HomeInsurance.com.

The entire state has had no hurricanes make landfall for a record length of time. Florida has been hurricane-free for nine consecutive storm seasons through 2014, a record. (This is according to data reportedly going all the way back to the year 1851).Hours earlier, the island appeared to be deserted, save for emergency vehicles and utility crews and the few residents who opted to brave the storm from the comfort of their own homes. Those who remained spent their morning driving, cycling and walking around to survey the damage left behind by Matthew.

The couple said they were impressed with the stability of the home, which was originally built in 1856. “Every time the winds whip and you hear the rain pelting the window, you can’t help but turn your head and hope that window holds,” Page recalled. “We’ve actually had an outpouring of our customers who have asked if we needed any help with it,” he said. “So that’s been encouraging, that our customers have rallied to come forward to help out if we need anything.” Simpson, who lives off the island, hopped on the road when he saw the bridge was reopening. Fasano, meanwhile, said she sat in traffic for hours waiting to get back home. She said there wasn’t much damage in the Seagroves subdivision where she lives, aside from fallen tree limbs and debris.

Other business owners decided to ride out the storm, concerned about what might happen to their livelihoods. That was the case for Chris Page and his wife, Maria, both 52, who moved to the island 13 months ago and sunk their savings into the Amelia Island Williams House, a bed and breakfast at the corner of 9th and Ash streets.Paul Kunkle, 75, was out looking in vain for an open gas station so he could refuel his generator Saturday afternoon before the bridge opened. But with his power out and the island largely deserted, he said he spent much of the day clearing debris from his yard in Golfside South neighborhood, across from the Ritz-Carlton. Crews from the city’s maintenance, police and fire departments along with Florida Public Utilities workers had their hands full Saturday morning as they scrambled to clear roads of fallen trees and other debris and restore electricity to homes, businesses and city streets. Lindy Kavanaugh, 43, of Fernandina Beach, was among the initial throng of residents and business owners to rush over the bridge once it reopened. She made a stop at her home in Oldtown, which had no damage, before going to check out how her jewelry store, Lindy’s, near the corner of Front and Centre streets by the riverfront.Whether they stayed or left, residents and merchants were relieved to find minimal damage to most homes and businesses as they surveyed the toll taken by the hurricane in Fernandina Beach and other parts of the island.Businesses elsewhere in town weren’t so fortunate. Doug Lane, 48, found out Friday morning the awning over his gym, Sandbox Athletics at the intersection of 8th and Date streets, had toppled over. It was taped off Saturday.

When Fasano and Simpson arrived at the yogurt shop, they were fortunate to find no water had leaked inside and the electricity stayed on through most of the storm, keeping the inventory of fruit and yogurt stored in refrigerators and freezers ice cold.Tropical storm-force winds spawned by Matthew toppled trees along Atlantic Avenue, downed power lines and poles, and showered homes and roadways with tree limbs, brush and other debris as they swept across the barrier island Friday. Authorities said 20 homes suffered structural damage. One potent gust knocked the gas station-style canopy off a gym near downtown Fernandina Beach. Kunkle said he and his family were living on the island the last time it was evacuated for a storm. But after spending an excruciating 20 hours in traffic trying to get to Atlanta that time, he decided to stick around for Matthew. And after surviving the ordeal with no damage to his property, he’s glad he did. By 4 p.m., the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office and Fernandina Beach Police, following an inspection by the state Department of Transportation, lifted a blockade to the Shave Bridge, one of two ways to access the island. Then waves of traffic came cruising down State Road 200 as residents who had been staged in groups on the west side the bridge, anxious about what they might find when they arrived, came home. They had a close call Friday night when a large limb fell from a cedar tree outside and crashed into their rose garden and pergola but narrowly missed their home and business. Page admitted there were times he was concerned about what they would find when they woke up. A couple of blocks down the street, George Simpson, 67, and Candace Fasano, 56, were removing sandbags, taking down tarps and pulling off duct tape they used the seal the windows at Island Time, a frozen yogurt shop Simpson runs in a building owned by Fasano and her husband.Those who stayed on the island despite orders to evacuate said they were satisfied with their decision to shelter in place, even though they lost power amid the storm.

“We’ve got two weddings come up next week, so you start thinking about your business and, ‘Are they going to cancel?’ and ‘Are they going to come to a property that’s not attractive?’ So yeah, we had a lot to worry about but we did well,” he said. When she got there, she was pleasantly surprised to find sandbags, piled at the entrance, and impact-resistant glass, installed in April, withstood the storm. She said some water trickled inside, but didn’t damage the concrete floor. After waiting in traffic, in some cases for hours, thousands of residents evacuated from Amelia Island ahead of Hurricane Matthew were allowed to return home late Saturday afternoon.

Watch NASSAU Emergency Management’s hurricane preparedness round table video. Even residents who have lived in Fernandina Beach, Yulee, and Callahan for years may learn something new.Thank you for visiting AmeliaIsland.com. Your privacy is important to us. Our privacy policy explains our online information practices and the choices you can make about the way your information is collected and used. Learn more here. The National Hurricane Center explains the “cone of uncertainty” in a video. Also learn more about hurricane season 2020 and how to prepare in Nassau County, FL. Floridians know only too well the visuals that pop up on weather maps when a storm is brewing. It’s the dreaded “cone of uncertainty” broadcast profusely by weather forecasters and other media. However, hurricane experts say the “cone of uncertainty” is often misunderstood by the public. The National Hurricane Center explains the cone in video further below.

For Florida emergency personnel and government officials at all levels, there’s the decision making process to order an evacuation, and the logistics of coordinating a safe evacuation when the situation arises. These tasks are full of challenges in evolving/changing circumstances. Nassau County Emergency Management officials, county employees and volunteers deserve kudos for last year’s hurricane preparation activities in advance, during, and after Hurricane Dorian.

Interestingly, NOAA cites “several climate factors that are conducive to increased hurricane activity,” including one that has been in effect for the past 24 years, since 1995 (watch NOAA video explanation below).The latest Atlantic basin outlook issued May 21, 2020 by NOAA indicated “a 60% chance that the 2020 season will be above normal, a 30% chance being near normal, and only a 10% chance of it being below normal.” Note this outlook is for activity, but is not a landfall forecast. Also, NOAA will be updating the hurricane season outlook again in early August 2020.If directed to evacuate an area, those without family within a few hours drive often discover challenges to secure overnight lodging. Potentially “safer” destinations can also fluctuate as a hurricane nears, requiring cancelling hotel bookings in one town/city and re-booking in a different place. That is, if one can find an available room to book.

Transplants from other states, some without any former experience with hurricanes, need to learn about hurricane season preparation. The city of Jacksonville in northeast Florida has the biggest city population in the state. It’s also the largest city by land area in America’s lower 48 states.This is why it’s important to know your Nassau County, FL evacuation zone. See more info about tidal surge and local evacuation zones, look up your address on map. Follow local storm updates via the Nassau County Emergency Management Facebook page.In the event that a Category 1 hurricane is projected to be near northeast Florida, there will be a mandatory evacuation of Amelia Island. However, it’s not just near the ocean that can be inundated from storm surge. According to Nassau County’s website, “Depending on the scenario (i.e. Storm Category, Forward Speed, Direction, Ground Saturation), water depths all over the county could reach from a few inches to over 25 feet; surge can cause flooding well into our river basins, not just at the coast.”

Nassau County also sent a text message alert to mobile phones on July 29th stating they are “Recruiting medical professionals to assist in public health emergencies and evacuation shelters.”

Locally, a Facebook post this week by Nassau County’s Emergency Management stated “We are especially concerned about infectious disease transmission this year due to our pandemic, so staying in a public shelter should only be your last option.” (Note that most Nassau County’s citizens do not seek local shelters, but instead make their own plans). When a storm is threatening, Nassau residents can find out about shelter openings by calling 904-548-0900.Amelia Island has gone through three mandatory evacuations during the past four hurricane seasons — Matthew (2016), Irma (2017), and Dorian (2019). With Isaias brewing this weekend, Nassau County Emergency Management indicated on Friday, July 31, 2020 that “no evacuations are planned, but a special needs shelter will be on stand-by in case of extended county power outages.”

Florida’s beaches, boating, golf, no snow and no state income tax lures relocations to the Sunshine State. In recent times, Florida’s net new residents is at a pace of around 330,000 per year. Growth makes emergency situations like hurricanes even more challenging, the task of evacuating a larger population (not to mention visiting tourists), during hurricane season.

Hurricane Ian has ripped through southwestern Florida, causing mass flooding, destroying thousands of homes and leaving an estimated two million people without power.Here is a time-lapse of the #StormSurge coming in on Sanibel Island, #Florida caught on a live traffic cam. This was only 30mins condensed down, it deteriorated quickly. 😬 #HurricaneIan #Hurricane #Ian pic.twitter.com/JKuNROvMm4

The storm is one of the strongest hurricanes to hit the United States, with sustained winds at almost 150mph, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

It was captured early yesterday afternoon by a traffic camera located on the island’s Periwinkle Way. Within 30 minutes, the street was engulfed by rising floodwaters, despite being nearly a mile inland.If you use Internet Explorer, you may find that our website does not work correctly. For a secure and optimal experience, please take a minute to download a modern alternative for free:

“When you look at Fort Myers Beach in particular, there’s no words to describe it,” Sheriff Carmine Marceno of Lee County, Fla., said in a press conference Thursday afternoon.The storm also destroyed sections of at least two bridges in Florida’s southwest coast, the Sanibel Causeway and Pine Island Bridge, which connect the mainland to two barrier islands near Fort Myers. Gov. Ron DeSantis said that both bridges would require “structural rebuilds.” A spokesperson for the Coast Guard confirmed that crews flew over Sanibel Island on Thursday to airlift some people to safety.

Nassau County has lived to tell the tale of Tropical Storm Nicole, which brought with it high tides, flooding, evacuations, local State of Emergencies and winds speeds over 50 mph. First responders kept an eye out, ready to respond when called upon. Nassau County Emergency Management kept residents up-to-date on its website, onenassau.com, where it posts all updates and warnings concerning local emergencies.

Last week Hurricane Nicole became the first hurricane in 40 years to hit the United States in the month of November. The storm made landfall along Florida’s eastern shore, knocking out power to thousands, damaging buildings and flooding the coast. Some of the affected areas are still recovering from Hurricane Ian’s impact in September. Nicole weakened to a tropical storm as it moved toward the state’s west coast and then north into Georgia and the Carolinas.

This is enough to incur damage on well-built homes and remove roofs. Many trees will be snapped or uprooted in a major hurricane, causing road blocks. Electricity and water will typically be unavailable for days to weeks after the hurricane passes.Fact: Hurricane storm surge is very strong and the activity churns the water and brings cold water up from below. The cooler water helps the power of the hurricane to weaken and even die out. The title of ‘Hurricane Capital of the Caribbean’ goes to the island of Abaco in the Bahamas, where 42 severe hurricanes have occurred since 1951. Twenty of those were major hurricanes. A severe hurricane (also called a major hurricane) is defined as having winds of at least 111 miles per hour. The western coast of Mexico is also subject to hurricanes and is just as closely monitored by weather experts and cruise line operators. Cruise ports such as Acapulco and Puntarenas have suffered serious hurricane damage in the past.In the tropics, where hurricanes form, easterly winds called the trade winds will steer hurricanes toward the west. Hurricanes do not form too far from the equator (no farther than 5 degrees latitude) because they require the spin of the Earth and the resulting Corioles force to form. Many travelers overlook the Eastern Pacific hurricane season primarily because more people travel in and encounter the hurricanes of the Caribbean instead. Warm ocean water provides the energy a hurricane needs to grow in strength. Light wind over the ocean surface lets the hurricane grow as the wind is forced upward through the center of the storm clouds.

About five hurricanes strike the US coastline every three years. Of these two are typically major hurricanes with winds greater than 110 miles per hour. Hurricanes kill approximately 50-100 people every year.On average, 10 tropical storms occur each year in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico. Many of these storms remain over the ocean and do not reach land. About six of those storms develop into hurricane-level strength.Hurricane-force winds can extend outward from the hurricane about 25 miles for a small hurricane all the way to 150 miles for a large one. The strong winds can cause a wide swath of damage a good distance from the center of the storm. Even worse, these winds can cause other weather patterns, including tornadoes, that can increase the overall damage.According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Administration, the top ten countries with the most hurricanes since 1970 are the following:

Damian Tysdal is the founder of CoverTrip, and is a licensed agent for travel insurance (MA 1883287). He believes travel insurance should be easier to understand, and started the first travel insurance blog in 2006.Hurricanes can strike the US coastline anywhere from Texas all the way north to Maine. The typical hurricane is about 300 miles wide, but they can vary in size considerably. The eye of the hurricane is relatively calm and is typically 20-40 miles across.

The Atlantic Coast, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Hawaiian islands are the most vulnerable to hurricanes. The top 10 most hurricane-prone cities in the US are the following:

Despite the devastation caused by hurricanes in recent years, the Atlantic hurricane zone lures travelers with low airfares and cheap hotel rates. The US hurricane zone includes popular travel areas like the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the beaches along the Atlantic Coast during summer and fall.Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii also get their share of tropical cyclones each year. The southern hemisphere’s seasons are the opposite of those in the northern, of course, and their hurricane season peaks in March and April.

This was long believed to be a photograph of the surf during Hurricane Dora. An article published by the Fernandina Observer makes a very convincing argument otherwise. The photo is a compositie. Please see the attached article.