The Atlantic hurricane season runs until November 30, but a hurricane making landfall in the United States this late is rare. NOAA’s best-track records, which go back to 1851, list only four November hurricane landfalls on the US mainland.
The four November hurricanes
| Date | Storm | Landfall | Top winds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2, 1861 | Unnamed | Outer Banks, North Carolina | 80 mph |
| Nov 4, 1935 | Unnamed (“Yankee” hurricane) | Miami area, Florida | 100 mph |
| Nov 21, 1985 | Kate | Florida Panhandle near Mexico Beach | 100 mph |
| Nov 10, 2022 | Nicole | Near Vero Beach, Florida | 75 mph |
Nicole was the first November hurricane to strike Florida’s east coast since 1935. It caused severe beach erosion in Volusia County and washed several homes and condominiums into unsafe condition.
Tropical storms are more common
Tropical storms have reached the US in November more often. The records show landfalls by Keith (1988), Gordon (1994), Mitch (1998) and Eta (2020), plus unnamed storms in 1904 and 1946. Eta crossed the Florida Keys on November 9, 2020, then came ashore again near Cedar Key on November 12. In December, only one storm has ever made US landfall as a tropical storm, an unnamed storm in 1925.
Why so few
By November, water in the Gulf of Mexico and along the East Coast cools, and strong west winds high in the atmosphere tear storms apart. Most late-season storms form in the western Caribbean and turn north toward Florida, which is why Florida has every November hurricane landfall since 1935.
Your county’s hurricane record
Every Hazard Compass county page now shows the hurricanes and tropical storms that passed within 65 miles since records began, with the strongest and most recent storms. Miami-Dade County, for example, has had 35 hurricanes, including Andrew in 1992. Find yours from the hurricane risk map or read our hurricane season guide.
Questions people ask
When does hurricane season end? November 30 in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. The eastern Pacific season also ends November 30.
Should I keep my hurricane kit after November? Yes. The same supplies help in winter storms, floods and power outages. See our emergency kit checklist.
Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 Atlantic best-track data, 1851 to 2025, landfall records. Wind speeds converted from knots and rounded.