Pummeled by hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024 — as well as Tropical Storm Debby — Sarasota County ranks among the 10 most hurricane-vulnerable counties in the nation, according to a new analysis released as Florida approaches the traditional peak of hurricane season.
The Aug. 11 ranking places Sarasota County at No. 10 nationwide, one of six Florida counties to crack the top 10. Neighboring Manatee County ranked just behind Sarasota at No. 11, while Charlotte County ranked fifth.
Other Florida counties in the top 10 are third place Bay County, seventh place Collier County, eighth place Polk County.
The analysis by LawnStarter used federal data to compare counties based on overall hurricane risk, recent hurricane history, potential financial
impacts and disaster cleanup.
Counties were ranked by Lawn Starter on a scale of 1 to 100 with points given for overall hurricane risk, hurricane history in the past 10 years, financial impact and disaster cleanup. Each metric was then weighted based on its impact. The metrics were gathered from FEMA, NOAA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Only counties rated by FEMA as having a “relatively moderate” to “very high” for hurricane risk were included in the report.
Lee County, which suffered a direct hit from Category 4 Hurricane Ian in 2022 and impacts from 2024’s Helene, had a total score of 67.74. That’s ahead of runner-up Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, which scored 62.96.
Only two Florida counties — Baker and Union — didn’t make the hurricane ranking list because they are categorized as having “relatively low” risk.
Other high-ranking Florida counties on the national list include:
- #11, Manatee County
- #12, Hillsborough County
- #13, Monroe County
- #15, Brevard County
- # 20, Miami-Dade County
- #25, Palm Beach County
- #26, Taylor County
- #27, Broward County
- #28, Osceola County
- #34, Escambia County
Florida counties that ranked low on the list include:
- #431, Liberty County
- #356, Gilchrist County
- #348, Wakulla County
- #324, Dixie County
- #315, Glades County
According to Colorado State University, Florida has more run-ins with tropical cyclones than any other state in the U.S., with a historic 274 named storms coming within 50 miles of its borders.
It also has some of the highest named storm encounters by county with Monroe’s trailing string of islands in the Keys contributing to it ranking highest out of the nation’s coastal counties for blustery drive-bys or devastating landfalls with 103 in the CSU data.
Miami-Dade, Brevard, Palm Beach, Collier and Broward are all in the top 20 most storm-prone counties in the country based on CSU data.
Kimberly Miller is a journalist for the USA TODAY NETWORK FLORIDA. She covers weather, the environment and critters as the Embracing Florida reporter. If you have news tips, please send them to kmiller@pbpost.com. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at palmbeachpost.com/newsletters.
Wade Tatangelo is the executive editor of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and Florida dining and entertainment editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and X. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota ranks among 10 most hurricane-vulnerable counties in U.S.
