Draft:Tornadoes in Florida
 A weak waterspout in Punta Gorda, Florida | |
| Tornadoes statewide | ~3,939 |
|---|---|
| Location of max. windspeeds | 207–260 mph (333–418 km/h)
|
| Fatalities | >214 |
| Injuries | >3,891 |
| Most active year | 1998 (115 tornadoes) |
Tornadoes in Florida are tornadoes in Florida.[Joke]
Climatology
[edit]Florida has a higher frequency of tornadoes per 10,000 square miles than any other state, including some in Tornado Alley, and also sees more than any other state in the Southeastern United States. Tornadoes can occur at any time of the year, though they tend to be less common in November, and tend to happen the most in June. EF4+ tornadoes are very rare in Florida, though EF3 tornadoes have occurred in nearly every month of the year. The state can experience deadly tornado outbreaks, some from squall lines, from isolated local summer thunderstorms, or from tropical cyclones.[1] Florida experiences 60 tornadoes per year on average.[2]
Intense tornadoes
[edit]| F# | Date | Deaths | Injuries | Location | County | Path length | Max width |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F3 | April 5, 1925 | 5 | 35 | Virginia Gardens to Biscayne Park | Miami-Dade | 12 mi (19 km) | 100 yd (91 m) |
| F3 | January 18, 1936 | 7 | 25 | E of Vernon | Washington | 14.5 mi (23.3 km) | 100 yd (91 m) |
| F3 | April 22, 1945 | 0 | 8 | Goulding | Escambia | 0.6 mi (0.97 km) | 100 yd (91 m) |
| F3 | October 22, 1945 | 1 | 4 | Belair to S of Miccosukee | Leon | 19 mi (31 km) | 150 yd (140 m) |
| F3 | September 18, 1947 | 2 | 100 | Apalachicola | Franklin | 2.7 mi (4.3 km) | 70 yd (64 m) |
| F3 | September 17, 1954 | 2 | 2 | S of Fort Pierce | St. Lucie | 0.1 mi (0.16 km) | 10 yd (9.1 m) |
| F3 | April 10, 1956 | 0 | 20 | S of Fort Lauderdale | Broward | 7.8 mi (12.6 km) | 200 yd (180 m) |
| F3 | May 5, 1956 | 0 | 1 | Pensacola | Escambia | 1 mi (1.6 km) | 50 yd (46 m) |
| F3 | April 15, 1958 | 0 | 9 | N of St. Augustine Beach | St. Johns | 3.6 mi (5.8 km) | 73 yd (67 m) |
| F3 | 0 | 20 | Fort Pierce | St. Lucie | 14.8 mi (23.8 km) | 10 yd (9.1 m) | |
| F3 | October 19, 1958 | 1 | 24 | Pahokee to Indiantown | Palm Beach, Martin | 20.2 mi (32.5 km) | 440 yd (400 m) |
| F3 | October 31, 1958 | 0 | 4 | NW of Bradenton | Manatee | 3.6 mi (5.8 km) | 200 yd (180 m) |
| F3 | June 17, 1959 | 0 | 77 | Coral Gables to Miami to Little Haiti | Miami-Dade | 22.2 mi (35.7 km) | 333 yd (304 m) |
| F3 | February 24, 1960 | 0 | 0 | Lake City | Columbia | 0.8 mi (1.3 km) | 100 yd (91 m) |
| F3 | March 31, 1962 | 17 | 100 | W to N of Milton | Santa Rosa | 6.9 mi (11.1 km) | 440 yd (400 m) |
| F3 | December 24, 1964 | 0 | 4 | Fort Walton Beach metropolitan area | Okaloosa | 12.8 mi (20.6 km) | 67 yd (61 m) |
| F3 | February 23, 1965 | 0 | 6 | Fort Lauderdale | Broward | 5.7 mi (9.2 km) | 60 yd (55 m) |
| F4 | April 4, 1966 | 11 | 530 | Tampa to Kissimmee to Cocoa | Pinellas, Hillsborough, Polk, Osceola, Orange, Brevard | 135.8 mi (218.5 km) | 300 yd (270 m) |
| F3 | October 30, 1967 | 0 | 44 | West Pensacola | Escambia | 0.1 mi (0.16 km) | 10 yd (9.1 m) |
| F3 | December 9, 1967 | 0 | 0 | N of Freeport | Walton | 0.1 mi (0.16 km) | 10 yd (9.1 m) |
| F3 | December 10, 1967 | 1 | 50 | E of Panama City | Bay | 7.1 mi (11.4 km) | 250 yd (230 m) |
| F3 | March 5, 1960 | 0 | 7 | Titusville | Brevard | 1.9 mi (3.1 km) | 333 yd (304 m) |
| F3 | February 6, 1971 | 0 | 112 | S of Pensacola | Escambia | 1 mi (1.6 km) | 100 yd (91 m) |
| F3 | February 7, 1971 | 0 | 0 | NW of St. Augustine | St. Johns | 13.1 mi (21.1 km) | 200 yd (180 m) |
| F3 | June 18, 1972 | 0 | 0 | W of Cocoa | Brevard | 4.9 mi (7.9 km) | 100 yd (91 m) |
| F3 | December 31, 1975 | 1 | 26 | S of Ocala | Marion | 2 mi (3.2 km) | 200 yd (180 m) |
| F3 | May 4, 1978 | 3 | 94 | Highpoint | Pinellas | 1.5 mi (2.4 km) | 200 yd (180 m) |
| F3 | January 23, 1979 | 0 | 0 | W of South Bradenton | Manatee | 7 mi (11 km) | 20 yd (18 m) |
| F3 | 0 | 0 | S of Indiantown | Martin | 9.6 mi (15.4 km) | 20 yd (18 m) | |
| F3 | March 1, 1980 | 1 | 33 | Pompano Beach | Broward | 7.8 mi (12.6 km) | 500 yd (460 m) |
| F3 | March 18, 1981 | 0 | 1 | Downtown Orlando | Orange | 8 mi (13 km) | 100 yd (91 m) |
| F3 | February 22, 1998 | 25 | 150+ | Kissimmee | Osceola, Orange, Brevard | 28 mi (45 km) | 250 yd (230 m) |
| EF3 | February 2, 2007 | 0 | 15 | NE of Royal to Wildwood | Sumter | 5.67 mi (9.12 km) | 335 yd (306 m) |
| EF3 | 13 | 9 | NE of Turpentine to Crows Bluff | Lake | 12.74 mi (20.50 km) | 400 yd (370 m) | |
| EF3 | February 15, 2016 | 0 | 3 | SW of McDavid to Bluff Springs to Century | Escambia | 11.6 mi (18.7 km) | 300 yd (270 m) |
| EF3 | February 23, 2016 | 0 | 3 | Ferry Pass to SE of Harp | Escambia, Santa Rosa | 8.04 mi (12.94 km) | 300 yd (270 m) |
| EF3 | March 3, 2019 | 0 | 2 | E of Tallahassee to N of Lloyd | Leon, Jefferson | 6.5 mi (10.5 km) | 700 yd (640 m) |
| EF3 | March 31, 2022 | 2 | 2 | Gilberts Mill to Steele City | Washington, Jackson | 12.16 mi (19.57 km) | 200 yd (180 m) |
| EF3 | January 9, 2024 | 0 | 0 | Lower Grand Lagoon to Panama City | Bay | 5.22 mi (8.40 km) | 550 yd (500 m) |
| EF3 | October 9, 2024 | 6 | 0 | Florida Ridge | St. Lucie, Indian River | 21.17 mi (34.07 km) | 500 yd (460 m) |
| EF3 | 0 | 3 | Western Lake Okeechobee | Glades | 15.25 mi (24.54 km) | 250 yd (230 m) | |
| EF3 | 0 | 7 | Wellington to Jupiter Farms | Palm Beach, Martin | 29.14 mi (46.90 km) | 457 yd (418 m) |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Tornadoes - Florida Climate Center". climatecenter.fsu.edu. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
- ^ Donegan, Brian (2022-03-21). "Where are tornadoes most common?". FOX Weather. Retrieved 2025-05-12.