Fortunately, hurricanes don’t hit the Space Coast too often. Due to a quirk of FL’s coastal geology, storms tend to either slam the southern half of the state where, or get by the Gulf Stream up along the Continental Shelf (which veers away from the coast just north of West Palm Beach) building up power until they hit the Atlantic Coast somewhere north of Jacksonville. The natural storm protection of the Shelf, while still retaining southern coastal access and year-round mild climate, was part of the reason for choosing Cape Canaveral as the site for America’s first space port.

Of course, “usually” is not a guarantee, when it comes to nature and the weather. KSC suffered significant damage due to hurricane Frances in 2004. A few other hurricanes have threatened or damaged the property over the decades, but most years the site is free of tropical storms.