Hurricane History Map

Hurricanes that hit Alaska: hurricane history

15 storms have passed within 50 km of Alaska from 1949 to 1997, drawn on the map and coloured by intensity.

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Years1842 to 2026
Ocean basin

Choosing a minimum category hides storms with no wind speed in the record. To see which storms have passed near you, search a town or ZIP code, or tap the map.

Key
  • Tropical depression Winds below 34 knots (39 mph)
  • Tropical storm 34 to 63 knots (39 to 73 mph)
  • Category 1 64 to 82 knots (74 to 95 mph)
  • Category 2 83 to 95 knots (96 to 110 mph)
  • Category 3 96 to 112 knots (111 to 129 mph), major
  • Category 4 113 to 136 knots (130 to 156 mph), major
  • Category 5 137 knots (157 mph) or more, major
  • Unknown intensity No wind speed in the record
  • Post-tropical Storm has become post-tropical (dashed line)

How to read the lines. Each line is the track of one storm, drawn through its six-hourly positions and coloured by its intensity at each point (the Saffir-Simpson scale), so a line changes colour as the storm strengthens or weakens. Tap a line for its details, or tap anywhere else to see which storms have passed nearby. Weaker storms appear as you zoom in. Hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones are the same kind of storm with different names in different oceans.

Storms near Alaska

The record holds 15 tropical cyclones whose tracks passed within 50 km of Alaska between 1949 and 1997. The busiest month is October, with 6 of them. The strongest, measured where each came closest to the place, reached category 1 strength. 3 of the storms have no wind speed in the record.

  • 15storms within 50 km
  • 0major (category 3 to 5) near here
  • 1at category 1 strength or more

A storm counts once, however many times it came close. The category is the storm's strongest point within 50 km, which can be weaker than its peak elsewhere.

How strong were the storms near Alaska?

Category near hereStormsShare
Tropical depression00%
Tropical storm1173%
Category 117%
Category 200%
Category 300%
Category 400%
Category 500%
Unknown intensity320%

The agency behind most of the intensity figures here is the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center (western Pacific).

Alaska storms over time

Storms by decade
Bar chart of storms by period. The most is 7 in 1960s.1940s11950s11960s71970s51990s1

The 1990s only run to 1997, so that bar is for a shorter period. This place's record starts in 1949, and records before the satellite era (about the 1960s) are far less complete.

Show the numbers
PeriodCount
1940s1
1950s1
1960s7
1970s5
1990s1

Earlier decades hold fewer storms partly because they were harder to see. Before weather satellites (about the 1960s) many storms that stayed at sea went unrecorded, so compare decades with care.

Storms by month
Bar chart of storms by period. The most is 6 in Oct.Jan0Feb0Mar0Apr0May0Jun0Jul2Aug2Sep4Oct6Nov1Dec0
Show the numbers
PeriodCount
Jan0
Feb0
Mar0
Apr0
May0
Jun0
Jul2
Aug2
Sep4
Oct6
Nov1
Dec0

Strongest storms near Alaska

  • Carmen (1965)1 October 1965 to 11 October 1965, Category 1 (75 kt) near here, peak Category 5 (150 kt), 914 hPa
  • Nina (1960)20 October 1960 to 29 October 1960, Tropical storm (60 kt) near here, peak Category 3 (110 kt), 950 hPa
  • Emma (1962)28 September 1962 to 13 October 1962, Tropical storm (60 kt) near here, peak Category 5 (140 kt), 890 hPa
  • June (1969)26 October 1969 to 7 November 1969, Tropical storm (60 kt) near here, peak Category 3 (105 kt), 940 hPa
  • June (1966)18 September 1966 to 30 September 1966, Tropical storm (55 kt) near here, peak Category 2 (95 kt), 976 hPa
  • Kim (1974)22 July 1974 to 28 July 1974, Tropical storm (55 kt) near here, peak Category 1 (65 kt), 990 hPa

Most recent storms near Alaska

  • David (1997)9 September 1997 to 22 September 1997, Tropical storm (50 kt) near here, peak Category 2 (95 kt), 945 hPa
  • Cora (1975)29 September 1975 to 10 October 1975, Tropical storm (40 kt) near here, peak Category 3 (105 kt), 945 hPa
  • Kim (1974)22 July 1974 to 28 July 1974, Tropical storm (55 kt) near here, peak Category 1 (65 kt), 990 hPa
  • Kathy (1972)27 September 1972 to 9 October 1972, peak Tropical storm (60 kt), 980 hPa
  • Phyllis (1972)4 July 1972 to 22 July 1972, Tropical storm (35 kt) near here, peak Category 4 (120 kt), 945 hPa

Many of these storms killed people and destroyed homes. The figures are the official record's, and this page says nothing about their human cost.

Notable storms near Alaska with their own pages

  • Carmen (1965)1 October 1965 to 11 October 1965, peak Category 5 (150 kt), 914 hPa
  • Nina (1960)20 October 1960 to 29 October 1960, peak Category 3 (110 kt), 950 hPa
  • Emma (1962)28 September 1962 to 13 October 1962, peak Category 5 (140 kt), 890 hPa
  • June (1969)26 October 1969 to 7 November 1969, peak Category 3 (105 kt), 940 hPa
  • Ruth (1962)12 August 1962 to 25 August 1962, peak Category 5 (160 kt), 915 hPa
  • Wilda (1964)16 September 1964 to 27 September 1964, peak Category 5 (150 kt), 895 hPa
  • Cora (1975)29 September 1975 to 10 October 1975, peak Category 3 (105 kt), 945 hPa
  • Phyllis (1972)4 July 1972 to 22 July 1972, peak Category 4 (120 kt), 945 hPa

Alaska counties

Every county that a storm has come near is listed, most storms first. 1 of them have at least 3 storms and their own page.

CountyStormsStrongest near the county
Aleutians West Census Area15Category 1

Other states

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