Historic Hurricanes of Florida: Did You Know?
Florida is no stranger to powerful hurricanes. One of the most intense hurricanes to ever make landfall in the continental U.S. was the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 that struck the Florida Keys. The central pressure of the storm was measured at 892 millibars by J.E. Duane, a weather observer working for the U.S. Weather Bureau (now National Weather Service). The storm surge was estimated over 20 ft. and the winds were calculated from the damage to be around 185 mph, with higher gusts.
Some of the most notable hurricanes to make landfall in the state are:
- Great Miami Hurricane 1926
- Lake Okeechobee Hurricane 1928
- Labor Day Hurricane 1935
- Hurricane Betsy 1965
- Hurricane Andrew 1992
- Hurricane Opal 1995
- Hurricane Charlie 2014
To explore more historic hurricanes, visit the NOAA Coastal Service Center’s Hurricane Tracks Map.
