Landfall

Hurricane history · Florida

Hurricanes near Lake Wales, FL

Hurricanes

11

2 major (Category 3+)

Tropical storms

17

within 60 miles since 1950

Close calls

8

hurricanes within 30 miles

Since 1950, 11 hurricanes and 17 tropical storms have passed within 60 miles of Lake Wales. That's a hurricane about once every 7 years. The most recent hurricane was Milton in 2024. The strongest was Charley in 2004, with winds near 127 mph as it went by. Most came in September.

Check your address for the next storm

Every storm since 1950

YearStormStrength nearbyWinds, mphClosest, mi
2024Milton OctCategory 21097
2022Nicole NovTropical storm695
2022Ian SepCategory 312132
2017Irma SepCategory 18630
2017Emily JulTropical storm5229
2016Julia SepTropical storm4653
2008Fay AugTropical storm6951
2006Ernesto AugTropical storm4053
2004Frances SepCategory 18610
2004Jeanne SepCategory 210411
2004Charley AugCategory 31275
2001Gabrielle SepTropical storm6313
1995Erin AugCategory 17514
1995Jerry AugTropical storm4013
1994Gordon NovTropical storm5853
1988Keith NovTropical storm5810
1984Isidore SepTropical storm522
1981Dennis AugTropical storm4040
1968Abby JunTropical storm5818
1968Brenda JunTropical storm4026
1964Cleo AugTropical storm5251
1960Donna SepCategory 210411
1960Florence SepTropical storm5217
1959Unnamed JunTropical storm4639
1956Unnamed OctTropical storm5855
1953Hazel OctCategory 17554
1950King OctCategory 19220
1950Easy SepCategory 18136

By decade

DecadeHurricanesTropical storms
1950s32
1960s14
1970s00
1980s03
1990s12
2000s33
2010s12
2020s21

From the National Hurricane Center's best-track archive (HURDAT2), Atlantic and eastern Pacific, through 2025. A storm counts when its center came within 60 miles of the middle of Lake Wales at tropical-storm strength or more. "Winds" is the strongest it was while that close, over open water; inland it is usually less.

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