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Here’s how many times a hurricane hit Florida in November

Here’s how many times a hurricane hit Florida in November

ORLANDO, Fla. – By November, tropical activity is usually on the wane. After all, hurricane season ends on November 30th.

But that doesn’t mean Florida is in the clear just yet.

Since the late 1800s, there have only been three hurricanes that have made landfall in the Sunshine State in the month of November.

November hurricanes in Florida

Tropical systems become less common in November as atmospheric conditions usually become less favorable.

It’s harder for storms like do is developing to reach the US as cold fronts become more frequent. These fronts help push them away from the east coast or keep them confined to the Caribbean.

The most common track for November storms is a northeast track that originates from the western Caribbean to the Bahamas.

As for the three November Florida hurricanes has seen so far, they are as follows:


HURRICANE NICOLE — 2022

Hurricane Nicole (NOAA)

The most recent hurricane in November, of course, was Hurricane Nicole.

Nicole made landfall as a Category 1 storm near Vero Beach nearly two years ago on Nov. 10, devastating the state’s east coast.

While it may not be as powerful as other major hurricanes (though rest assured, Category 1 is still quite strong), Nicole hot on the heels of Hurricane Ian, which devastated much of the state earlier in the season.

Erosion from Hurricane Ian and Nicole cut sections of A1A along Florida’s east coast.

Nicole weakened into a tropical storm within about an hour of landfall, but still caused a lot of damage. In total, NWS says Nicole has caused over $1 billion in damages and directly he killed five people. Four of those victims were in Orange County.

Before Nicole, you have to go back more than 30 years to find a November hurricane in Florida.


HURRICANE KATE — 1985

Hurricane Kate at maximum intensity in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico at 8:31 PM on November 20, 1985 (Satellite Data Services, NOAA)

Hurricane Kate made landfall near Mexico Beach on November 19 as a Category 2 storm.

The storm had maximum sustained winds of 100 mph and sustained winds of 120 mph – Category 3 – over the Gulf of Mexico.

Chart by the National Hurricane Center showing the path of Hurricane Kate (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

While Kate initially traveled to southern Florida, over Cuba, her path eventually curved, causing her to crash directly into the panhandle. Weather officials said rainfall totals averaged 4 to 6 inches in the worst-hit areas of northern Florida and southwest Georgia.

Homes in Mexico Beach threatened by dune erosion after Hurricane Kate (1985) (Florida Department of Environmental Protection)

According to state officialsfour deaths in Florida have been attributed to Kate.

In the Keys, an elderly man and woman drowned when their small boat capsized, and another man was electrocuted after stepping on a downed power line. Meanwhile, a 38-year-old man was killed when a tree fell on his truck in northern Florida.

Tree downed on a truck along Lanier Road in Gadsden County following Hurricane Kate (1985) (Florida Department of Environmental Protection)

In all, state officials said Kate racked up an estimated $300 million in damages in the U.S.

But 50 years have separated Kate from the first hurricane to hit the Sunshine State in November.


“YANKEE HURRICANE” — 1935

An unnamed hurricane — also known as the “Yankee Hurricane” — made landfall north of Miami Beach on Nov. 4 with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph.

This was a freak storm originating near Bermuda and moving west towards the US. The hurricane was forced south along the eastern seaboard, eventually making landfall in Florida.

The Yankee Hurricane of 1935

The NOAA reports that Hurricane Yankee (nicknamed because it came in from the north, as many “snowbirds” did at that time of year) flooded the Miami Beach area with about 3 feet of storm surge and 98 mph winds tore out the glass windows of to the shopping district and other houses nearby.

However, building standards were raised in the area after the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926, which was one of the strongest hurricanes in the state’s history.

And thanks to extensive warnings before landfall, NOAA said fatalities were reduced to just five deaths by the time Hurricane Yankee passed.

10. The Great Miami Hurricane (1926) — This Category 4 storm killed an estimated 372 people in Miami, the Florida Panhandle, and Alabama.

Hurricane Yankee crossed the peninsula in about eight hours, and the storm dissipated in the eastern Gulf of Mexico over the next two days.


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