Baker County, Florida

What hazards hit Baker County most?

The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 147 since 1961. 44% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1961 fell in June and July. The rank column places the county among Florida's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.

How many tornadoes has Baker County had?

NOAA records 12 tornadoes in Baker County from 1973 to 2025, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 2 injuries recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.

Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 12 tornadoes whose track touched Baker County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 12, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Florida.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.

When was the last damaging storm in Baker County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 1, 2026 wildfire ($400,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).

The Sargent wildfire developed in northwest Baker county, northern Osceola National Forest on April 2, 2026 around 350 PM EDT and grew to 2,523 acres by the end of April. In the beginning of May, about 1.96 inches of rain fell over the Sargent Fire. Although rain was received, there was still a lot of heat in the swamp, and the fire continued to creep and smolder. Lots of reburn occurred in varied areas. Vegetative fuels remained extremely dry, allowing for reburn to take place. On May 5th, the Sargent fire was 2,523 acres and 81% contained per the Florida Forest Service Suwannee Forestry Center. On May 12th, the fire was at 90% contained, per Florida Forest Service.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1331213)

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.

The deadliest and costliest records

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.

Is it getting more frequent?

Records per decade for Baker County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).

What time of year?

44% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1961 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for Baker County

FEMA's register lists 39 declarations that include Baker County: 23 major disasters, 13 emergencies and 3 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (17) and severe storm (9).

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.

How many floods has Baker County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 19 flood or flash flood records for Baker County from 1996 to 2023, on 17 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Baker County ranks 1329th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.9 million on 95 claims filed in Baker County; the most in one year was 24 in 2012. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.

FEMA's modeled risk for Baker County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Baker County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $6.3 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.

Counties that share a border with Baker County

1. Duval County 1,985
2. Clay County 664
3. Nassau County 587
4. Columbia County 468
5. Ware County, GA 357
6. Baker County 309
7. Clinch County, GA 281
8. Charlton County, GA 261
9. Bradford County 254
10. Union County 164

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.

Next

• Tornadoes in FloridaEvery Florida tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
• Severe thunderstorm wind in FloridaThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
• The Florida recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
• FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Baker CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
• Download Baker County's FEMA declarations (CSV)39 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis