When is hurricane season in Orlando and what is the real risk?

Summer vacation, Labor Day weekend and many fall breaks all land inside hurricane season. That does not make those trips a bad idea. It means you should know when the risk is highest, what a storm usually does this far inland, and where to get the official forecast.

When is hurricane season in Orlando?

Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. Those are the official dates used by the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Storms sometimes form outside that window.

The risk is not spread evenly. The climatological peak is September 10, and most activity happens between mid August and mid October. Based on 1991 to 2020, an average season produces 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher). Those numbers cover the entire Atlantic basin, including the Caribbean and the Gulf, not just Florida.

Timing	What the NHC sees on average
June 1	Season officially begins
Mid to late June	First named storm forms
Early to mid August	First hurricane forms
Late August or early September	First major hurricane forms
Mid August to mid October	Most active stretch of the season
September 10	Climatological peak
November 30	Season officially ends

Source: National Hurricane Center (NOAA), Atlantic climatology, 1991 to 2020.

A July trip is inside the season but ahead of the busiest stretch. A September or early October trip is right in the peak. Month by month details are in what Orlando is like in September and what Orlando is like in October.

Is Kissimmee safe from hurricanes?

Kissimmee and Orlando are not immune, but their risk looks different from the coast. Orlando, Kissimmee and Davenport sit in the interior of the Florida peninsula. Storm surge, the rise in seawater pushed ashore by a storm, is a coastal hazard according to the NHC, so it is not the threat here.

Inland, water from the sky is the bigger concern. The NHC says flooding is the major threat from tropical cyclones for people who live inland. These systems often bring more than 6 inches (150 mm) of rain, and the total depends more on a storm’s size and speed than on its category.

Wind reaches inland too. The NHC notes that winds can stay at hurricane strength well inland, and points to Hurricane Charley in 2004, which came ashore on the southwest coast and caused major damage across central Florida with gusts over 100 mph (160 km/h). Tropical systems can also spin up tornadoes in their outer rain bands, far from the center.

There is no reliable “chance of a hurricane in Orlando” number that applies to your specific week. What you have is climatology, which tells you when the odds rise, and the forecast, which tells you whether something is actually coming. For typical heat and rain by month, see Orlando weather by month.

How did Hurricanes Ian and Milton affect Orlando?

Two recent hurricanes that hit the area hard both came ashore on the Gulf coast and crossed central Florida. Each brought rain, wind and damage to Orlando and Kissimmee, in different ways.

Ian (September 2022). Ian made landfall on Cayo Costa in southwest Florida on September 28, 2022, as a Category 4 hurricane. The NHC report describes historic freshwater flooding across much of central and northern Florida. At Orlando International Airport, the National Weather Service (NWS) in Melbourne recorded 13.2 inches (335 mm) of rain from September 27 to 30. In Osceola County, home to Kissimmee, the preliminary NWS report lists about 3,200 homes and 900 businesses affected or damaged, mostly by flooding.

Milton (October 2024). Milton made landfall near Siesta Key on October 9, 2024, as a Category 3 hurricane. NWS Melbourne says its wind field expanded as it approached, spreading impacts far from the center. East central Florida had 19 confirmed tornadoes, hurricane force gusts and 10 to 15 inches of rain on the storm’s north side. Orlando International Airport ceased commercial operations at 8 a.m. on October 9, and 806 passenger flights were affected that day.

	Ian (2022)	Milton (2024)
Landfall	Cayo Costa, Category 4	Siesta Key, Category 3
Peak gust, Orlando International Airport	74 mph (119 km/h)	87 mph (141 km/h)
Peak gust, Kissimmee Gateway Airport	55 mph (89 km/h)	68 mph (109 km/h)
Rain at Orlando International Airport	13.2 in (335 mm)	4.3 in (109 mm)

Source: NWS Melbourne post tropical cyclone reports. Ian data are preliminary. Gusts converted from knots.

The comparison shows why category alone does not tell the story. Ian brought less wind to Orlando and far more rain. Milton brought stronger gusts and tornadoes.

Do Disney and Universal close for hurricanes?

They can close or change hours when a storm threatens the area. Disney keeps an official weather updates page where it posts how tropical storms and hurricanes affect the resort, and it says some experiences can be delayed, rescheduled or canceled. Universal Orlando’s official guide says parks, attractions and entertainment may close because of weather.

Disney also publishes a hurricane policy. If the NHC issues a hurricane warning for the Orlando area, or for your place of residence, within 7 days of your arrival, Disney packages and most room only reservations booked directly with Disney can be rescheduled or canceled without Disney fees. It does not apply to certain special events and dining experiences. Airlines, rental car companies, insurers and other suppliers keep their own rules.

If you are staying in a vacation home, keep this in mind: Disney’s policy covers what you bought from Disney. It does not change your flight or your rental. If you bought Universal tickets or a Universal package, check Universal’s own weather policy on its official site.

What happens to a vacation rental booking if a hurricane hits?

It depends on the cancellation policy of the home you booked. Each home has its own, and it is shown before you pay. Whatever applies in a hurricane is written in that policy.

We explain how cancellations work, hurricanes included, in how vacation rental cancellations work in Orlando. If you are booking for August, September or October, read that policy as carefully as you compare prices.

In practice: for a trip between mid August and mid October, know the cancellation terms for your home, your flight and your tickets before you book, keep the contact numbers handy, and start checking the NHC site about a week before you leave. If you are driving down from Georgia or the Carolinas, you have one advantage: you can shift your departure day without a change fee from an airline.

Is travel insurance worth it during hurricane season?

It is worth a look, especially for trips from August to October. Not every policy covers canceling or cutting short a trip because of weather.

Before you buy, ask the insurer:

• whether the plan includes trip cancellation and trip interruption;
• which weather situations count as a covered reason;
• whether coverage is excluded for a storm that already had a name when you bought the plan.

Every policy has its own terms. Read the full certificate, not just the sales summary.

How do you follow the hurricane forecast before and during your trip?

Stick to official sources. They are free and update often.

• National Hurricane Center (nhc.noaa.gov). The Tropical Weather Outlook shows areas that could develop over the next 2 and 7 days. Once a storm exists, the NHC publishes the forecast cone, the probable track of the center out to 5 days. The cone shows where the center may go, not how far the impacts reach. Milton’s wind and rain spread well beyond its center.
• Watches and warnings. A hurricane watch is issued about 48 hours before tropical storm force winds are expected. A hurricane warning comes about 36 hours ahead. A warning means preparations should be finished.
• National Weather Service. The Melbourne office (weather.gov/mlb) covers Orlando and Kissimmee. Davenport is in Polk County, covered by the Tampa Bay office (weather.gov/tbw).
• County alerts. Orange County, where Orlando is, runs the free OCAlert system. Osceola County, home to Kissimmee, runs Alert Osceola; you can sign up by texting AlertOsceola to 888777.
• Your airline. Check flight status directly with the airline, because the airport can stop commercial flights before a storm arrives.

If a storm passes during your stay, follow local officials and stay indoors while the strong wind lasts. For rainy days without any danger, we have ideas in things to do in Orlando on a rainy day.