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Subject: E24) How long has it been since a hurricane or a major
hurricane hit a given community in the United States?
Contributed by Chris Landsea
This table summarizes the occurrence of the last hurricane and major
hurricane to directly hit the most populated coastal communities from
Brownsville, Texas to Eastport, Maine. In addition, if a hurricane
indirectly affected a community after the last direct hit, it is listed
in the last column of the table. To obtain histories of hurricane strikes
by coastal counties, the reader is referred to the
NOAA
Coastal Services Center web site. There are many illustrative examples
of the uncertainty of when a hurricane might strike a given locality.
After nearly 70 years without a direct hit, Pensacola, Florida was
hit directly by Hurricane Erin in 1995 and major Hurricane Ivan
in 2004 within 10 years. Miami, which expects a major hurricane
every nine years, on average, has been struck only once since 1950
(in 1992). Tampa has not experienced a major hurricane for 84 years.
Many locations along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts have not experienced
a major hurricane during the period 1851-2004 (from Blake et al. 2005).
Last direct or indirect hit by any hurricane or a major hurricane at certain populated coastal communities. through 2004
State | City |
Last Direct Major Hurricane Hit |
Last Direct Hurricane Hit |
Last Indirect Hurricane Hit |
Texas | Brownsville | 1980 | Cat3 | Allen | 1980 | Cat3 | Allen |
| Corpus Christi | 1970 | Cat3 | Celia | 1971 | Cat1 | Fern | 1980 | Cat3 | Allen |
| Port Aransas | 1970 | Cat3 | Celia | 1971 | Cat1 | Fern | 1980 | Cat3 | Allen |
| Matagorda | 1961 | Cat4 | Carla | 2003 | Cat1 | Claudette | | |
| Freeport | 1983 | Cat3 | Alicia | 1983 | Cat3 | Alicia | 2003 | Cat1 | Claudette |
| Galveston | 1983 | Cat3 | Alicia | 1989 | Cat1 | Jerry |
| Houston | 1941 | Cat3 | | 2005 | Cat3 | Rita |
| Beaumont | 2005 | Cat3 | Rita | 2005 | Cat3 | Rita | 1986 | Cat1 | Bonnie |
Louisiana | Cameron | 1957 | Cat4 | Audrey | 1985 | Cat1 | Danny | 2005 | Cat3 | Rita |
| Morgan City | 1992 | Cat3 | Andrew | 1992 | Cat3 | Andrew | 2002 | Cat1 | Lili |
| Houma | 1974 | Cat3 | Carmen | 1985 | Cat1 | Juan | 1992 | Cat3 | Andrew |
| New Orleans | 2005 | Cat3 | Katrina | 2005 | Cat3 | Katrina | 1969 | Cat5 | Camille |
Mississippi | Bay St. Louis | 2005 | Cat3 | Katrina | 1985 | Cat3 | Elena |
| Biloxi | 1985 | Cat3 | Elena | 2005 | Cat2 | Katrina |
| Pascagoula | 1985 | Cat3 | Elena | 2005 | Cat1 | Katrina |
Alabama | Mobile | 1985 | Cat3 | Elena | 2005 | Cat1 | Katrina | 2005 | Cat1 | Dennis |
Florida | Pensacola | 2004 | Cat3 | Ivan | 2005 | Cat3 | Dennis | 2005 | Cat3 | Katrina |
| Panama City | 1995 | Cat3 | Opal | 2005 | Cat1 | Dennis |
| Apalachicola | 1985 | Cat3 | Elena | 1998 | Cat2 | Earl | 2005 | Cat1 | Dennis |
| Homosassa | 1950 | Cat3 | Easy | 1968 | Cat2 | Gladys |
| St. Petersburg | 1921 | Cat3 | | 1946 | Cat1 | | 1968 | Cat2 | Gladys |
| Tampa | 1921 | Cat3 | | 1946 | Cat1 | | 1968 | Cat2 | Gladys |
| Sarasota | 1944 | Cat3 | | 1946 | Cat1 | | 1966 | Cat2 | Alma |
| Fort Myers | 1960 | Cat3 | Donna | 1960 | Cat3 | Donna | 2005 | Cat3 | Wilma |
| Naples | 2005 | Cat3 | Wilma | 1964 | Cat2 | Isbell | 1992 | Cat3 | Andrew |
| Key West | 1948 | Cat3 | | 1999 | Cat1 | Irene | 2005 | Cat3 | Wilma |
| Miami | 1992 | Cat5 | Andrew | 1999 | Cat1 | Irene | 2005 | Cat1 | Wilma |
| Fort Lauderdale | 1950 | Cat3 | King | 1999 | Cat1 | Irene | 2005 | Cat1 | Wilma |
| W. Palm Beach | 1949 | Cat3 | | 2005 | Cat1 | Wilma | 2004 | Cat3 | Jeanne |
| Stuart | 2004 | Cat3 | Jeanne | 2004 | Cat3 | Jeanne | 2005 | Cat1 | Wilma |
| Fort Pierce | 2004 | Cat3 | Jeanne | 2004 | Cat3 | Jeanne | 2005 | Cat1 | Wilma |
| Vero Beach | 2004 | Cat3 | Jeanne | 2004 | Cat3 | Jeanne |
| Cocoa | <1900 | | | 1995 | Cat1 | Erin | 2004 | Cat3 | Jeanne |
| Daytona Bch | <1880 | | | 1960 | Cat2 | Donna | 1979 | Cat2 | David |
| St. Augustine | <1880 | | | 1964 | Cat2 | Dora |
| Jacksonville | <1880 | | | 1964 | Cat2 | Dora |
| Fernandina Bch | <1880 | | | 1928 | Cat2 | | 1964 | Cat2 | Dora |
Georgia | Brunswick | 1898 | Cat4 | | 1928 | Cat1 | |
| Savannah | 1854 | Cat3 | | 1979 | Cat2 | David |
S. Carolina | Hilton Head | 1959 | Cat3 | Gracie | 1979 | Cat2 | David | 1985 | Cat1 | Bob |
| Charleston | 1989 | Cat4 | Hugo | 1989 | Cat4 | Hugo |
| Myrtle Beach | 1954 | Cat4 | Hazel | 1954 | Cat4 | Hazel | 1989 | Cat4 | Hugo |
N. Carolina | Wilmington | 1996 | Cat3 | Fran | 1999 | Cat2 | Floyd | 1999 | Cat2 | Dennis |
| Morehead City | 1996 | Cat3 | Fran | 1999 | Cat2 | Floyd | 2003 | Cat2 | Isabel |
| Cape Hatteras | 1993 | Cat3 | Emily | 2003 | Cat2 | Isabel | 2005 | Cat1 | Ophelia |
Virginia | Virginia Beach | 1944 | Cat3 | | 2003 | Cat1 | Isabel |
| Norfolk | <1851 | | | 2003 | Cat1 | Isabel | 1999 | Cat1 | Floyd |
Maryland | Ocean City | <1851 | | | <1851 | | | 1985 | Cat3 | Gloria |
| Baltimore | <1851 | | | 1878 | Cat1 | | 1954 | Cat2 | Hazel |
Delaware | Rehoboth Bch | <1851 | | | <1851 | | | 1985 | Cat3 | Gloria |
| Wilmington | <1851 | | | <1851 | | | 1954 | Cat2 | Hazel |
New Jersey | Cape May | <1851 | | | 1903 | Cat1 | | 1985 | Cat3 | Gloria |
| Atlantic City | <1851 | | | 1903 | Cat1 | | 1985 | Cat3 | Gloria |
New York | New York City | <1851 | | | 1903 | Cat1 | | 1976 | Cat1 | Belle |
| Westhampton | 1985 | Cat3 | Gloria | 1985 | Cat3 | Gloria |
Connecticut | New London | 1938 | Cat3 | | 1991 | Cat2 | Bob |
| New Haven | 1938 | Cat3 | | 1985 | Cat2 | Gloria |
| Bridgeport | 1954 | Cat3 | Carol | 1985 | Cat2 | Gloria |
Rhode Island | Providence | 1954 | Cat3 | Carol | 1991 | Cat2 | Bob |
Mass. | Cape Cod | 1954 | Cat3 | Edna | 1991 | Cat2 | Bob |
| Boston | 1869 | Cat3 | | 1960 | Cat1 | Donna | 1991 | Cat1 | Bob |
N. Hampshire | Portsmouth | <1851 | | | 1985 | Cat2 | Gloria |
Maine | Portland | <1851 | | | 1985 | Cat1 | Gloria |
| Eastport | <1851 | | | 1969 | Cat1 | Gerda | 1985 | Cat1 | Gloria |
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