Fort Myers is beautiful. But if you live here, or you're thinking about moving to the City of Palms, you know the deal. The Gulf of Mexico is a moody neighbor. Honestly, tracking the list of hurricanes that hit Fort Myers is less about morbid curiosity and more about survival.
People always talk about "the big one." For a long time, that was Donna in 1960. Then it was Charley in 2004. Now? It’s Ian. The 2022 monster changed the conversation forever. But the history of Southwest Florida is littered with these things. They aren’t just names on a map; they’re markers of time for anyone who’s ever had to board up a window on a Tuesday.
The 19th Century: When Fort Myers Was Barely a Dot
Back in the 1800s, there weren't satellites. No Jim Cantore standing on the pier. You just saw the birds fly away and the sky turn a weird shade of bruised purple.
An unnamed Category 3 storm screamed across Captiva Island on October 7, 1873. It basically leveled the young settlement of Fort Myers. Water everywhere. It’s hard to imagine, but there were only a handful of buildings back then. Most of them didn't stand a chance. Another major strike happened in 1894. These early storms shaped how the city was eventually built, moving the "downtown" area slightly further from the immediate shoreline.
The Sanibel Island Hurricane of 1944
This is the one your grandparents—or great-grandparents—talked about. It’s officially known as the 1944 Cuba–Florida hurricane. It made landfall as a Category 4.
The storm surge was legendary. It washed right over Sanibel and hit the mainland with a vengeance. We're talking 120 mph winds. Back then, the citrus industry was the lifeblood of Lee County. This storm didn't just break houses; it broke the economy for years. It’s often called the "Pinar del Rio" hurricane, but locals just remember it as the year the trees died.
Hurricane Donna (1960): The 42-Year Gap Ends
After 1944, things got quiet. Too quiet. People got complacent. Then came September 10, 1960.
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Donna was a nightmare. It didn't just hit Fort Myers; it stayed for dinner. It produced hurricane-force winds in every single Florida county. That’s a stat that still feels impossible. In Fort Myers Beach, the surge was 4 to 7 feet. Winds gusted up to 121 mph.
What most people get wrong about Donna is thinking it was a quick hit. It wasn't. It was a slow, grinding destruction. It’s the reason why so many older homes in the area are built on stilts now.
The 2004 Season: The Year of the "Charlie" Scare
August 13, 2004. Friday the 13th.
Everyone in Fort Myers was looking at Tampa. The forecasts said Tampa. The news said Tampa. Then, Hurricane Charley took a hard right turn. It slammed into Cayo Costa as a Category 4. It was small, tight, and incredibly fast. It felt like a 10-mile-wide tornado.
Because it was so fast, the storm surge wasn't as bad as it could have been. But the wind? It shredded the canopy of the city. If you drive through certain neighborhoods today, you can still see where the trees are "younger" because Charley took out the old oaks.
The 2004 season didn't stop there.
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- Frances (September) brought tropical storm winds.
- Ivan (September) gave us a scare.
- Jeanne (September) crossed the state and soaked us.
Basically, we were all living in a permanent state of anxiety for two months straight.
Hurricane Irma (2017): The Great Evacuation
Irma was weird. It was huge—the size of Texas—and the entire state of Florida tried to leave at once. I remember the gas stations running out of fuel. The I-75 was a parking lot.
It made landfall at Marco Island as a Category 3. For Fort Myers, it was more of a wind and rain event than a catastrophic surge event. But the flooding was real. The Caloosahatchee River rose dangerously high. We saw more than 20 inches of rain in some spots over just a couple of weeks because of Irma and the storms that preceded it.
Hurricane Ian (2022): The Day the Ocean Came Inland
If you want to understand the list of hurricanes that hit Fort Myers, you have to understand Ian. It changed everything.
On September 28, 2022, Ian hit Cayo Costa with 150 mph winds. That’s a hair away from a Category 5. The surge wasn't just "high water." It was a wall. In Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel, the surge reached 12 to 18 feet. It wiped out the Sanibel Causeway. It turned the Fort Myers River District into a lake.
158 people died. $110 billion in damage.
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It was a "sobering" moment for the real estate market. While prices didn't crash everywhere, the vulnerability of the coast became impossible to ignore. Structures like the Margaritaville resort on the beach survived because they were built to the newest, strictest codes. The older cottages? They’re gone. Just sand and memory now.
The 2024 Double Punch: Helene and Milton
Just when people were finishing their Ian repairs, 2024 happened.
- Hurricane Helene (September 2024) stayed offshore, but the "tail" pushed a massive surge into Fort Myers Beach.
- Hurricane Milton (October 2024) made landfall in Siesta Key, but the southern eyewall battered Fort Myers with wind and even more flooding.
It felt unfair. But that’s the reality of living on a peninsula.
Notable Tropical Storms and "Near Misses"
Sometimes it’s not a "Hurricane" that ruins your week.
- Tropical Storm Gabrielle (2001): Caused massive river flooding.
- Hurricane Wilma (2005): Hit south of us but knocked out power for a week.
- Hurricane Elsa (2021): A messy summer storm that flooded streets.
Why This History Matters for You
If you’re looking at this list and feeling a bit spooked, that’s actually healthy. You should be. Fort Myers is a tropical paradise, but it’s a paradise with a price.
The Actionable Reality:
- Flood Insurance is Non-Negotiable: Even if you aren't in a "high-risk" zone, Ian proved that the maps are just suggestions when the Gulf gets angry.
- Impact Windows vs. Shutters: If you're buying a home here, check the windows. Modern impact glass doesn't just stop debris; it keeps the pressure from blowing your roof off.
- The "Right Turn" Rule: Never trust a forecast until the storm is past your latitude. Charley and Ian both shifted late.
Southwest Florida is resilient. We rebuild. We buy more generators. We check the NHC website ten times a day in September. But knowing the list of hurricanes that hit Fort Myers isn't just about looking at the past—it's about building a smarter future.
Take a look at your own evacuation zone today. Don't wait for a cone to appear on the TV. Know where you're going before the wind starts to pick up.