Pensacola, 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. (since 1871)

Pensacola most likely to be hit by a hurricane between August 31st and September 6th

Years within or near core

1871tsbr
1875tsbr
1877
1879ts
1880ts
1881ts
1882m
1885tsbr
1885bdts
1887
1887bdts
1889ts
1893br
1894ts
1894br
1896
1898tsbr
1901bdtsbr
1901tsbr
1902ts
1903bdtsbr
1904tsbr
1906br
1907tsbr
1911
1912br
1914bdts
1916br
1916m
1917m
1919ts
1923tsbr
1924tsbr
1926m
1932
1934tsbr
1936
1939bdts
1947tsbr
1948tsbr
1950
1953br
1956
1957ts
1959ts
1960tsbr
1964xtropstbd
1975m
1979m
1985m
1985ts
1994ts
1995
1995m
1997ts
2000ts
2001tsbr
2002tsbr
2004m
2005ts
2005m
2009ts
2017tsbr
2017br
2018tsbr
2018mbr
2020tsbr
2020
2020br
2021ts

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

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

Baker
Florence
Flossy
Debbie
Irene
Hilda
Ethel
Eloise
Frederic
Elena
Juan
Alberto
Erin
Opal
Danny
Helene
Barry
Hanna
Ivan
Arlene
Dennis
Ida
Cindy
Nate
Gordon
Michael
Cristobal
Sally
Zeta
Claudette

Tropical Storm to Hurricane ratio

TS = 41, 58.57%
H = 29, 41.43%

only 16.67% of all tropical systems affecting Pensacola are major hurricanes this includes brushes

Longest gap between storms

10 years 1965-1974

How often this area gets affected?

Brushed or hit every 2.19 years

Average years between direct hurricane hits. (hurricane force winds for a few hours)

Once every 7.65 years. (20 hits) State stats

Average years between direct major hurricane hits. (major hurricane in advisory upon passage)

Once every 15.3 years. (10 hits)

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

104 mph

Statistically when this area should be affected next

2 years overdue

Last affected by

2021 June 19th Tropical Storm Claudette passes to North by 108 miles with 40 mph winds while moving northeast.

This area's hurricane history

1877, 80 mph September 19th from the west
1882 September 9th, 13 million dollars damage many lives taken 125 mph from the southwest. Hit map
1887 July 27th, 85 mph from the south just east
1896 July 7th, 95 mph from the south Just east while turning northeast.
1911, 80 mph August 11 from the east-southeast passes just south,
1916 October 18th a similar path to Opal 1995, 115 mph winds at landfall from the south-southwest
1917 September 29th, 115 mph, pressure 28.50 inHg, just east.
1926 September 20th, tides of 9.5ft with a category 3, 125 mph winds from the east-southeast with 100 mph winds for over 24 hrs pressure 28.56almost every pier & boat destroyed. Newspaper headline
1932 August 31st, 80 mph just south from the southeast
1936, 90 mph July 31 from the southeast
1950 August 31st, Baker a 5.5 foot storm surge with a category 1, 80 mph gusts to 100 mph from the south.
1956 Hurricane Flossy September 24th 30 miles to south from the west-southwest with 100 mph winds (HURDAT) causing minor damage here.Pensacola Naval air station 64 mph sustained gusts to 88 mph pressure 28.93.
1975 Hurricane Eloise September 23rd, passes to the east with 125 mph winds from the south-southwest. NWS report
1979 Hurricane Frederic September 12th just west of here with 130 mph winds 95 mph winds here causes suprising damage to coastal structures by a 8 ft storm surge 515 homes left uninhabitable. Newspaper headline
1985 Hurricane Elena September 2nd 120 mph, over 40 miles to the south from the east-southeast causes gusts of 92 mph here. Police station 70 ft high 123 mph
1995 August 3rd Erin 85 mph, pressure 28.76 inHg, moderate danage with some coastal homes having roofs blown off from the east-southeast. Newspaper headline
1995 October 4th 2nd hurricane to affect this area this season Opal hits just east of here with 125 mph winds after earlier having winds of 150 mph barometer 27.86 at landfall at least half of the homes destroyed on Pensacola Beach, all hotels damaged. Newspaper headline | Newspaper headline2 | Average model error | more on Hurricane Opal here | Surge animation | FEMA declaration map
2004, September 16th very early morning, Hurricane Ivan passes approximately 20 miles to the west with 130 mph winds moving north-northeast over Eastern Alabama with Ivan having a wind field approximately 85 miles out.Heavy beach damage, heavy flooding all around Pensacola. 54 dead with 29 as a direct result, damage over 14 billion in the U.S. In Santa rosa county 1,064 homes destroyed.In Escambia county over 6,000 lost.Seven oil platforms offshore destryed.108 mph at the Pensacola Naval Air Station, In the 200,000-acre Blackwater Forest, just east of Pensacola in the western Florida panhandle, more than 1.5 million board feet of timber were downed across 185,000 acres. Models 6 days before hitting | Hurricane Ivan newspaper headline 1 | Hurricane Ivan newspaper headline 2 Hurricane Ivan newspaper headline 3 | Newspaper headline 2 | Ivan article#1 | Ivan article #2 | Ivan radar at landfall | Ivan wind swath map Average model error | HurricaneCity live coverage at landfall, part 1 | HurricaneCity live coverage at landfall, part 2 | USGS surge info | 6 months later damage report
2005 July 10th Hurricane Dennis hit with 120 mph winds but most of Pensacola feels 100 mph as worst conditions arrive in Navarre Beach. Santa Rosa County, which took a straight hit from the eye of the hurricane, has the most damage. The courthouse had its roof blown off and the Santa Rosa and the causeway at Navarre Beach flooded. Pensacola downtown did not suffer substantial damage, compared to other areas. Several homes and business were damaged at Pensacola Beach and numerous power lines were knocked down. The wind blew off the roof of Crabs We Got 'Em, a restaurant. Official highest gust in Pensacola was at tower FCMP (Florida Coastal Monitoring Program) at 93 mph. Radar animation | Dennis video | Models 3 days out
2020 September 16th Hurricane Sally comes in just west with 105 mph winds moving northeast gives area 7 foot storm surge. Radar animation(Brian McNoldy, Univ. of Miami, Rosenstiel School) | Radar shot worst conditions | Hit map | 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......