Azores' History with Tropical Systems

(br) = Brush (ts) = Tropical Storm (bd) = Back Door, meaning coming from over land from opposite coast. Not all names are noted. Also, storms before 1950 were not named. Not every stat on every storm description is given. (since 1871)

Azores most likely to be hit by a hurricane between September 14th and September 20th

Years within or near core

1889ts
1893
1899
1901br
1906ts
1926
1932xts
1940
1946xtrh
1950ts
1957
1959xts
1959
1961
1965br
1966br
1969ts
1970ts
1971xts
1972br
1973
1976
1976ts
1978ts
1980br
1985ts
1987ts
1990ts
1991ts
1992-2ts
1995ts
1996br
1997ts
1998br
1998xts
2005subts
2006
2009ts
2012
2012tsbr
2016-2ts
2017brm
2018tsbr
2019
2019ts
2022ts
2024ts
2025pts not in stats below

49 times in 153 years (as of end of 2024)

Names from list above (C storms most likely to impact the area)

Carrie
Flora
Hanna
Debbie
Carol
Chloe
Kristy
Betty
Fran
Anna
Emmy
Frances
Irma
Karl
Claudette
Cindy
Edouard
Erika
Bonnie
Charley
Tanya
Lili
Erika
Jeanne
Ivan
Gordon
Grace
Gordon
Nadine
Alex
Gaston
Ophelia
Helene
Lorenzo
Sebastien
Gaston
Patty
Gabrielle

Tropical Storm to Hurricane ratio

TS = 28, 57.14%
H = 21, 42.86%

only 2.27% of all tropical systems in the Azores are major hurricanes

Longest gap between storms

19 years 1907-1925

How often this area gets affected?

Brushed or hit every 3.12 years

Average years between direct hurricane hits.

Once every 11.77 years. (13 hits)

Average MPH of hurricane hits. (based on sustained winds from advisories, not gusts)

83 mph

Statistically when this area should be affected next

Impacted in 2025

This is just a statistical average & does not mean the area will be affected by that year.

Last affected by

2025 Sept 26th Post tropical storm Gabrielle hits the central islands from the WSW with 65mph winds.

This area's hurricane history

1893 August 28th, 85 mph from the southwest hits northwest islands.
1899 September 3rd, 80 mph from the southwest.
1926 September 26th, 105 mph hurricane from southwest hits east Islands loops turns back south hits west islands with 80 mph winds on the 28th.
1940 September 25th, 75 mph hurricane from west-southwest hits turns back east over all islands.
1946 October 5th, 80 mph extratropical hits western islands.
1957 September 22nd, 80 mph Hurricane Carrie from the southwest hits western Islands.
1959 October 7th, 95 mph Hurricane Hanna from the southwest hits eastern islands.
1961 September 14th, 80 mph Hurricane Debbie from the west-southwest hits central islands.
1973 October 11th, 80 mph Hurricane Fran from the southwest hits western islands. NHC Wallet
1976 September 3rd, 80 mph Hurricane Emmy from the south-southwest hits central islands. NHC Wallet
2006 September 20th, 75 mph Hurricane Gordon hits east islands from the west. NHC Report
2012 August 20th, 75 mph Hurricane Gordon hits east islands from the southwest. NHC Report
2019, October 2nd Hurricane Lorenzo passes just northwest of the western most Azores with 95 mph winds while moving very fast to the northeast. Corvo Island reported sustained 74 mph gusts to 101 mph moderate damage. Hit map | Sinking of ship to northwest | NHC report

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Stat sources:

Text Sources:

"Divine Wind" by Kerry Emanuel
"Florida Hurricanes and Tropical Storms" by John M. Williams and Iver W. Duedall
"Florida's Hurricane History" by Jay Barnes
"Hurricane Almanac" by Bryan Norcross
HurricaneCity.com calculations by Jim Williams
"Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States" by Rick Schwartz
"Hurricane Watch" by Dr. Bob Sheets and Jack Williams
"Inside the Hurricane" by Pete Davies
"Isaac's Storm" by Erik Larson
"Killer 'Cane" by Robert Mykle
"Lunatic Wind" by William Price Fox
Miami Herald newspaper (microfilm)
"Path of Destruction" by John McQuaid and Mark Schleifstein
Sun Sentinel newspaper (microfilm)
"The Major Hurricanes To Affect The Bahamas" by Wayne Neely
"The Ship and the Storm" by Jim Carrier
Plus many more......