Gulf County, Florida
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 12045 · population 14,176 · 553 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 317 records for Gulf County, Florida from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 224 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (79 records). The deadliest day on its record was October 10, 2018: hurricane (typhoon) and storm surge/tide records filed for Gulf County that day count 4 deaths across 2 records. FEMA has issued 47 declarations naming the county since 1975, 45 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hurricane Helene” on September 28, 2024.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 317on 224 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 125 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $823Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 28strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 47latest 2024
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Gulf County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 79 since 1960. 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.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 79 | 69 | 1960-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | 49 of 67 |
| Drought | 51 | 29 | 2011-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 67 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 51 | 33 | 1996-2024 | 4 | 0 | $617M | 6 of 67 |
| Tornadoes | 28 | 26 | 1954-2015 | 0 | 3 | $5.6M | 40 of 67 |
| Floods | 27 | 22 | 1998-2024 | 0 | 0 | $198M | 31 of 67 |
| Hail | 26 | 19 | 1976-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 55 of 67 |
| Heat | 22 | 11 | 2023-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 of 67 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 8 | 8 | 2003-2025 | 6 | 2 | $8K | 19 of 67 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 3 | 2022-2026 | 0 | 0 | $101K | 31 of 67 |
| Wildfires | 5 | 5 | 1998-2000 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 of 67 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 4 | 2009-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 46 of 67 |
| Winter storms | 4 | 2 | 2014-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | 27 of 67 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 3 | 3 | 2000-2001 | 0 | 0 | – | 56 of 67 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 2010-2025 | 2 | 0 | – | 57 of 67 |
| High wind and dust storms | 1 | 1 | 2024-2024 | 0 | 0 | $5K | 47 of 67 |
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 Gulf County had?
NOAA records 28 tornadoes in Gulf County from 1954 to 2015, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 3 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 29 tornadoes whose track touched Gulf County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 28: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Florida.
Every tornado record filed for Gulf County (28)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-08-08 | Indian Pass, Gulf County | EF0 0.45 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-11-26 | Wewahitchka, Gulf County | EF1 2.92 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $253K |
| 2005-03-07 | Wewahitchka, Gulf County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $113K |
| 2005-03-07 | Port St Joe, Gulf County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $227K |
| 2004-09-15 | Beacon Hill, Gulf County | F0 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $39K |
| 2003-04-25 | Indian Pass, Gulf County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $401K |
| 2003-02-16 | Port St Joe, Gulf County | F0 0.2 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $401K |
| 2000-03-16 | Port St Joe, Gulf County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $257K |
| 1999-01-02 | Wewahitchka, Gulf County | F0 1 mi x 35 yd | 0 | 0 | $53K |
| 1998-03-08 | Beacon Hill, Gulf County | F0 0.5 mi x 0 yd | 0 | 0 | $45K |
| 1998-03-07 | Port St Joe, Gulf County | F0 0.7 mi x 0 yd | 0 | 0 | $63K |
| 1997-11-13 | Highland View, Gulf County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 1996-03-07 | Wewahitchka, Gulf County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 1995-02-17 | Wewahitchka, Gulf County | F0 2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1993-01-24 | Port St. Joe, Gulf County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 2 | $102K |
| 1992-02-17 | Gulf County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1992-02-17 | Gulf County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1989-07-12 | Gulf County | F1 2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1980-01-23 | Gulf County | F0 0.3 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1978-12-24 | Gulf County | F1 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1976-03-09 | Gulf County | F0 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1972-10-27 | Gulf County | F2 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1972-03-02 | Gulf County | F1 1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1970-07-10 | Gulf County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1967-12-10 | Gulf County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1960-09-15 | Gulf County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1956-09-24 | Gulf County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1954-04-16 | Gulf County | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
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 Gulf County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the February 15, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtGulf County · forecast zone Inland Gulf | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtGulf County · forecast zone Coastal Gulf | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtGulf County · forecast zone Inland Gulf | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtGulf County · forecast zone Coastal Gulf | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtGulf County · forecast zone Inland Gulf | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtGulf County · forecast zone Coastal Gulf | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtGulf County · forecast zone Inland Gulf | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtGulf County · forecast zone Coastal Gulf | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-15 | Thunderstorm WindWewahitchka, Gulf County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtGulf County · forecast zone Inland Gulf | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtGulf County · forecast zone Coastal Gulf | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillGulf County · forecast zone Inland Gulf | 0 | 0 | – |
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
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-10-10 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Gulf County · forecast zone Coastal Gulf Hurricane Michael started as typical weak October Caribbean tropical system. However, after approximately a week of slow development, the system moved into warm Gulf of Mexico waters and rapidly intensified into a major hurricane as it moved north towards the Florida Panhandle. After a 2-day long intensification ... | 3 | 0 | $118M | |
| 2010-07-12 | Rip CurrentGulf County · forecast zone Coastal Gulf Three men became trapped in a rip current off St. Joseph State Park. All three were pulled from the water. Two were transported to area hospitals and one of those was unable to be revived. | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2025-06-14 | LightningStonemill Creek, Gulf County A 43 year old male was killed by a lightning strike in a boat while fishing. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-08 | Rip CurrentGulf County · forecast zone Coastal Gulf A 47 year old male from Georgia drowned in a rip current near the 3800 block of Cape San Blas Road. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2020-07-15 | Rip CurrentGulf County · forecast zone Coastal Gulf Several swimmers were caught by a rip current at the St. Joseph Peninsula State Park and taken 150 to 200 yards from shore. One 14 year old boy drowned as a result. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2018-10-10 | Storm Surge/TideGulf County · forecast zone Coastal Gulf Hurricane Michael started as typical weak October Caribbean tropical system. However, after approximately a week of slow development, the system moved into warm Gulf of Mexico waters and rapidly intensified into a major hurricane as it moved north towards the Florida Panhandle. After a 2-day long intensification ... | 1 | 0 | $118M | |
| 2018-06-03 | Rip CurrentGulf County · forecast zone Coastal Gulf A 38 year old male went into the water to rescue his parents, who had been swept out by a rip current. His parents made it back in, but the son drowned. His body was recovered on a personal watercraft. Resuscitation by EMS and first responders was attempted with no success. Beach flags for the area were red, but there ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2013-09-16 | Rip CurrentGulf County · forecast zone Coastal Gulf A 45 year old male from Mississippi drowned off of Cape San Blas, likely due to rip currents. | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-10-10 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Gulf County · forecast zone Inland Gulf | 0 | 0 | $294M | |
| 1998-03-10 | FloodGulf County · forecast zone Gulf | 0 | 0 | $190M | |
| 2004-09-15 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Gulf County · forecast zone Gulf | 0 | 0 | $47M | |
| 2005-07-09 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Gulf County · forecast zone Gulf | 0 | 0 | $14M | |
| 2005-07-10 | Storm Surge/TideGulf County · forecast zone Gulf | 0 | 0 | $13M | |
| 2005-04-01 | FloodGulf County · forecast zone Gulf | 0 | 0 | $7.6M | |
| 2004-09-15 | Storm Surge/TideGulf County · forecast zone Gulf | 0 | 0 | $4.7M | |
| 1998-09-28 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Gulf County · forecast zone Gulf | 0 | 0 | $2.7M |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: October 27, 1972 (tornado, Gulf County); December 24, 1978 (tornado, Gulf County).
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 Gulf 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).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 19 | 29 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 29 | 22 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 25 | 16 | 7 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 6 | 3 | 17 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 10 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Gulf County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 23 · Feb 20 · Mar 34 · Apr 26 · May 25 · Jun 29 · Jul 25 · Aug 45 · Sep 40 · Oct 19 · Nov 12 · Dec 19 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Gulf County
FEMA's register lists 47 declarations that include Gulf County: 31 major disasters, 15 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for hurricane (26) and severe storm (7).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-28 | DR-4828 | Hurricane | Hurricane Helene |
| 2024-09-24 | EM-3615 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Helene |
| 2024-08-10 | DR-4806 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Debby |
| 2024-08-03 | EM-3605 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Debby |
| 2023-08-31 | DR-4734 | Hurricane | Hurricane Idalia |
| 2023-08-28 | EM-3596 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Idalia |
| 2022-12-13 | DR-4680 | Hurricane | Hurricane Nicole |
| 2022-09-29 | DR-4673 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ian |
| 2022-09-24 | EM-3584 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Ian |
| 2021-08-16 | EM-3562 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Fred |
| 2020-09-23 | DR-4564 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sally |
| 2020-09-15 | EM-3546 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sally |
| 2020-03-25 | DR-4486 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3432 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-08-30 | EM-3419 | Hurricane | Hurricane Dorian |
| 2018-10-11 | DR-4399 | Hurricane | Hurricane Michael |
| 2018-10-09 | EM-3405 | Hurricane | Hurricane Michael |
| 2017-09-10 | DR-4337 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2017-09-05 | EM-3385 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2012-10-18 | DR-4084 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isaac |
| 2012-07-03 | DR-4068 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Debby |
| 2009-04-21 | DR-1831 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2008-10-27 | DR-1806 | Hurricane | Hurricane Gustav |
| 2008-08-24 | DR-1785 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Fay |
| 2008-08-21 | EM-3288 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Fay |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3220 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-08-28 | DR-1602 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina |
| 2005-07-10 | DR-1595 | Hurricane | Hurricane Dennis |
| 2004-09-16 | DR-1551 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ivan |
| 2004-09-04 | DR-1545 | Hurricane | Hurricane Frances |
| 2004-08-13 | DR-1539 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley |
| 2000-10-03 | DR-1344 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Helene |
| 1999-04-27 | EM-3139 | Fire | Fl-Fires 04/15/99 |
| 1999-04-17 | FM-2255 | Fire | Fl-Fires 04/13/99 |
| 1998-09-28 | DR-1249 | Hurricane | Hurricane Georges |
| 1998-09-25 | EM-3131 | Hurricane | Hurricane Grorges |
| 1998-09-04 | DR-1241 | Hurricane | Hurricane Earl |
| 1998-06-18 | DR-1223 | Fire | Extreme Fire Hazard |
| 1998-01-06 | DR-1195 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, High Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 1995-10-04 | DR-1069 | Hurricane | Hurricane Opal |
The 40 most recent of 47 are listed; the CSV has every one.
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 Gulf County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 27 flood or flash flood records for Gulf County from 1998 to 2024, on 22 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Gulf County ranks 215th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Michael | 2018-10-10 | 3 | 4 |
| Tropical Storm Helene | 2024-09-26 | 1 | 0 |
| Tropical Storm Fay | 2008-09-01 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Katrina | 2005-08-28 | 2 | 0 |
| Hurricane Dennis | 2005-07-09 | 2 | 0 |
| Hurricane Ivan | 2004-09-15 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Frances | 2004-09-15 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Georges | 1998-09-28 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Earl | 1998-09-02 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $94.7 million on 1,717 claims filed in Gulf County; the most in one year was 971 in 2018. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1979: 2 · 1983: 1 · 1985: 95 · 1988: 1 · 1989: 1 · 1990: 7 · 1991: 1 · 1993: 9 · 1994: 36 · 1995: 253 · 1996: 2 · 1997: 2 · 1998: 111 · 1999: 3 · 2000: 1 · 2001: 4 · 2002: 3 · 2003: 2 · 2004: 14 · 2005: 142 · 2008: 4 · 2009: 7 · 2015: 5 · 2016: 6 · 2017: 3 · 2018: 971 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 15 · 2021: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 10; the other years: 0.
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 Gulf County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Gulf County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $17.3 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.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively High | $12M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $501K | 87 a year (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $517K | 3.8 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $202K | once in about 296 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $181K | 7 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $650K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $457K | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | $2.4M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Gulf County
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 Gulf CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Gulf County's FEMA declarations (CSV)47 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis