Current weather
Marathon,Florida's 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.
Marathon most likely to be hit by a hurricane between september 28th and October 4th
Years near or within core winds
1871ts,1876tsbr,1876,1878ts,1878,1889ts,1891tsbr,1891ts,1894br,1895ts,1897ts,1898tsbr,1904tsbr,1906,1906m,1909m,1910brm,1916,1919m,1924br,1926brm,1926m,1928ts,1929,1932tsbr,
1933brm,1933,1935m,1935brm,1935bdbr,1936tsbr,1941brm,1945brm,1947brm,1947,1948m,1948,1950br,1952ts,1960m,1964m,1965m,1966,1981ts,1987,1991tsbr,1992brm,1994tsbr,1998,1999,
2005bdbr,2005brm,2006tsbr,2008ts,2012ts,2017m,2018tsbr,2020ts,2022mbr,(2024br not in stats)
59 times in 152 yrs end of 2023






Names from list above
King,Donna,Isbell,Betsy,Inez,Greta,Dennis,Floyd,Fabian,Andrew,Gordon,Georges,Irene,Katrina,Rita,Wilma,Ernesto,Fay,Isaac,Irma,Gordon,Eta,Ian,Helene,

Tropical Storm to Hurricane ratio
TS=22, 37.29% H=37, 62.71%
33.89% of all tropical systems affecting Marathon are major hurricanes this includes brushes

Longest gap between storms
14 years 1967-1980

How often this area gets affected?
Marathon brushed or hit every 2.58 years

Average years between direct hurricane hits in Marathon.(hurricane force winds for at least a few hours)
(22h)once every 6.91 years state stats

Average years between major hurricane hits in Marathon.(10)
once every 15.2 years

Average MPH of hurricane hits in Marathon. (based on advisories sustained winds, not gusts)
108 mph

Statistically when Marathon should be affected next
Impacted in 2024

Last affected by
2024 Sept 26th hurricane Helene brushes well to the WNW with 110mph winds while moving north.

Marathon's hurricane past
1876 Oct 19th,105mph from the South passes just west
1878 Oct 21st 80mph from the SSW passes just east.
1906 June 17th ,80mph from the S.W
1906 Oct 18th, 120mph press 28.55 hundreds of laborers killed while working on railroad windscoming from the SSW
1909 Oct 11th,120mph from the WSW bar 28.36 hundreds of buildings destroyed.
1916 Nov 15th,75mph from the WSW
1919 Sept 9th, 130mph just south from the ESE
1926 Oct 20th,125mph from the S.W passes just east (hurdat2)
1929 Sept 28th, 95mph from the ESE passes just north
1933 Oct 5th from the S.W with 110mph winds.
1935 Sept 3rd Labor day hurricane one of strongest ever to hit u.s bar 26.35 area leveled 185mph sustained winds some gusts to 230mph, hundreds killed sept 3rd,eye was reported at only 8 miles across.252 veterans missing or presumed dead,106 injured, 164 civilians dead or missing.35 miles of railroad washed away. monument | monument close | video aftermath
1947 Oct 11th 90mph while moving NNE just west of here
1948 Sept 21st 120mph winds just west while moving NNE
1948 oct 5th 105mph (hurdat) moving fast from the S.W over entire keys.
1960 Sept 10th Donna hits with 140mph winds from the S.E with gusts to 180mph moving slow at 8mph storm surge 13 ft press 27.40 9 ft storm surge total devestation miraculously only 4 people killed in the keys,sustained winds here 120mph+. Over 12 inches of rain,tides 6 ft over US1,eye just north of city.more here | Gordon Dunn talks about forecasting Donna | Weather service post sketch | NHC Wallet

1964 Oct 14th,125mph winds from Hurricane Isbell passing just north from the S.W . NHC Wallet
1965 sept 8th hurricane Betsy just north with 120mph from the east sustained winds causes heavy damage here,gusts to 165mph. NHC Wallet
1966 oct 4th hurricane Inez hits with 100mph winds from the ENE extremely high unconfirmed reports of 150mph gusts. NHC Wallet
1987 oct 12th hurricane Floyd hits with 75mph winds gusts to 95 causes minor damage bar 29.32 minor damage. NHC Wallet
1998 Sept 25th hurricane georges passes 45 miles to the s.w of here with 105mph winds causing minor damage here,a few tornados. | USGS surge info
1999 Oct 15th Hurricane Irene passes just west of here while moving NNE with 75mph winds. NHC Report | News coverage | Jim Leonard in Marathon
2005,Oct 24th, Hurricane Wilma passes approx 80 miles north of Marathon while moving NE with 120mph winds as a very large hurricane .Intense winds remained approx 15 miles north of lower keys considered a brush but a surge ranging from 5 to 8 ft inundated many homes in the lower keys.2005 Oct 24th,Hurricane Wilma passes 73 miles to the north while moving N.E with 110mph winds carrying a very large wind field expanding to Key Largo while passing. Radar animation
2017 Sept 10th Hurricane Irma passes just west while moving north with 130mph winds . Marathon suffers heavy damage 3.7 ft inundation,estimates from FEMA indicate that 25% of buildings were destroyed, 65% were significantly damaged, and 90% of houses sustained some damage. Approximately 75% of the residents in the Keys evacuated before Irma.. Power outage photos before & after | Best performing models 5 days before hit | EURO model 3 days out | Long range GEFS many days out | UKMET model 2 days out | Jim Williams predicts a hit on Marathon before season starts | Typical damage shot in Marathon | Relief concert 5 former presidents attend | Best track data | USGS surge info | NWS Key West map info | Radar animation (Brian McNoldy) | Our live coverage | Aftermath video tour

Early Alert inc Hurricane information for the private sector

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Stat sources: NHC Track maps/hurdat2/cyclone reports Hurricane research division
Text Sources:(alp)....Divine Wind Kerry Emanuel.....Florida Hurricanes & Tropical Storms John M. Williams & Iver W.Duedall.....Florida's Hurricane History Jay Barnes.....Hurricane Almanac Bryan Norcross.....hurricanecity.com (calculations) Jim Williams.....Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States Rick Schwartz.....Hurricane Watch Dr. Bob Sheets & Jack Williams.....Inside the Hurricane Pete Davies..... Isaac's Storm Erik Larson..... Killer Cane Robert Mykle.....Lunatic Wind William Price Fox....Miami Herald newspaper(microfilm).....Path of destruction John McQuaid & Mark Schleifstein.....Sun sentinel newspaper(microfilm).....The Major Hurricanes to affect the Bahamas Wayne Neely.....The Ship & the Storm Jim Carrier.....plus many more.............
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