Hurricane season begins June 1 and lasts until the end of November, with August through October being the most active months.
No direct hits from the east, but plenty of storms
Volusia and Flagler counties have never suffered a direct hit from the east but have been buffeted by a lot of hurricanes over the decades. The worst was probably Hurricane Donna which brought winds of 99 mph in September 1960. Hurricane Milton in 2024 brought gusts of 87 mph. And during the 2004 Year of the Hurricanes, Hurricane Charley registered gusts of 84 mph at the airport.
Earlier serious hurricanes include Hurricane David in 1979, marking the first time an evacuation was called for the beachside, and Hurricane Dora, which made landfall near St. Augustine in 1964.
Hurricane King passed west of Volusia County in 1950 but still caused extensive beach erosion and damage. The Havana-Florida hurricane of 1944 caused widespread power failures and damage, as did hurricanes in August 1926 and September 1921. (Hurricanes were not given official names before 1950.)
Because this area has not been as hard hit as the Panhandle and South Florida, it’s easy for some — especially those who have not been here long — to feel exempt from hurricane season anxiety. But it only takes one bad storm to change that.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Hurricane season returns to Volusia and Flagler. Here’s a look back
Reporting by Mark Lane, Special to The News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
