The last time a hurricane struck the United States during the month of June, Ronald Reagan was president and the world was still several years removed from the fall of the Berlin Wall. Needless to say, it’s been a while.
June hurricane landfalls in the U.S. aren’t unheard of, but they are uncommon. Fewer than 20 hurricanes have struck the U.S. in June over the 172-year period of record – on average about once every decade. The current stretch of 36 years between June U.S. hurricane strikes is the longest such stretch on record –doubling the previous record of 18 years between 1888 and 1906.
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For South Florida, June hurricanes are quite rare. Only one hurricane on record has hit the area in June – a Category 1 hurricane that struck from the southwest at the turn of the 20th century on June 17, 1906.
And while Florida as a whole has seen its fair share of June hurricanes – about one in every three June hurricanes – another state leads the pack when it comes to early season hurricane hits. More hurricanes have struck Texas than any other state in June, including Hurricane Bonnie, the first hurricane of 1986 and the last June hurricane to strike the U.S.
Although the odds of a June hurricane landfall in any given year are low relative to the busier months of the hurricane season, when they occur, they can still pack quite a punch. Infamous names like Audrey in 1957 – the only Category 3 June hurricane landfall on record – Alma in 1966, and Agnes in 1972 together killed hundreds, not just at the coast but well inland, across the United States.
Thankfully, for the time being the 36-year drought of June hurricane landfalls looks to continue. The tropics will stay characteristically quiet for early June through the weekend, with no development anticipated into the early part of next week.
