Florida: Record Nine Years Have Passed Without A Hurricane Landfall, But That Streak Will End ... Eventually

Friday, October 24 marks nine years since Hurricane Wilma made landfall in southwest Florida, a record hurricane-free streak for the Sunshine State.

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This is the longest stretch on record dating to 1851 that no hurricanes have made landfall in the state. The longest hurricane-free streak prior to this one was five consecutive seasons from 1980 to 1984.

This is impressive, considering the coastline of Florida spans more than 1,260 miles from the Gulf Coast to the Atlantic Ocean, and an average of 8 hurricanes have formed each year since 2005.

Equally impressive is the barrage of storms that pummeled the state before the hurricane drought.

NOAA

Hurricane Wilma (2005)

Wilma made landfall just south of Naples, Florida, as a Category 3 hurricane, producing widespread wind damage in southern Florida.

Charley, Frances, Jeanne and Ivan pounded Florida in 2004, followed by Dennis, Katrina andWilma in the historic 2005 hurricane season. Ritapassed south of the Florida Keys that year, but did produce significant storm surge flooding in Key West.

http://www.weather.com/news/weather-hurricanes/florida-hurricane-free-streak-luck-run-out-20140801