Highlands County, Florida
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 12055 · population 101,136 · 1,018 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 351 records for Highlands County, Florida from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 277 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (101 records). The deadliest single record is the September 10, 2017 hurricane, filed for the forecast zone Highlands, which covers the county: 4 deaths and $518 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 37 declarations naming the county since 1977, 35 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hurricane Milton” on October 11, 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
- 351on 277 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 925 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $1.5Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 49strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 37latest 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 Highlands County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 101 since 1970. 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 | 101 | 86 | 1970-2026 | 0 | 1 | $2.0M | 58 of 67 |
| Hail | 60 | 47 | 1972-2022 | 0 | 0 | $504K | 47 of 67 |
| Tornadoes | 49 | 41 | 1964-2024 | 2 | 19 | $20M | 44 of 67 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 41 | 41 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 of 67 |
| Extreme cold | 38 | 37 | 1996-2018 | 0 | 0 | $24M | 12 of 67 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 18 | 18 | 1996-2024 | 4 | 0 | $519M | 55 of 67 |
| Lightning | 16 | 16 | 1998-2025 | 3 | 5 | $947K | 37 of 67 |
| Floods | 13 | 13 | 1997-2008 | 0 | 0 | $2.8M | 61 of 67 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 8 | 2004-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 44 of 67 |
| High wind and dust storms | 5 | 5 | 1999-2004 | 0 | 0 | $901M | 30 of 67 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 2 | 2000-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 44 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 Highlands County had?
NOAA records 49 tornadoes in Highlands County from 1964 to 2024, the strongest rated EF2, with 2 deaths and 19 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 49 tornadoes whose track touched Highlands County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 49, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 2 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983-02-02 08:20, as SPC files it | Sebring | F2 | 1 mi | 1 |
| 2012-06-24 10:23, as SPC files it | Unnamed | EF0 | 3.45 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Florida.
Every tornado record filed for Highlands County (49)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10-09 | Avon Park, Highlands County | EF0 0.57 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $47K |
| 2024-10-09 | Archbold, Highlands County | EF1 0.47 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2024-10-09 | Venus, Highlands County | EF1 0.59 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $94K |
| 2024-10-09 | Lake Placid, Highlands County | EF2 2.85 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 1 | $470K |
| 2024-10-09 | Wild Is, Highlands County | EF1 6.84 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $47K |
| 2022-03-12 | Lorida, Highlands County | EF1 0.65 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-06-26 | Brighton, Highlands County | EF0 1.1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-06-24 | Placid Lakes, Highlands County | EF1 5.31 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $77K |
| 2012-06-24 | Venus, Highlands County | EF0 3.45 mi x 150 yd | 1 | 0 | $19K |
| 2011-01-25 | Istokpoga, Highlands County | EF0 0.93 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2008-07-01 | Sebring Airport, Highlands County | EF0 0.4 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $69K |
| 2005-10-24 | Sebring, Highlands County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $8K |
| 2000-09-17 | Lake Placid, Highlands County | F0 17 mi x 5 yd | 0 | 0 | $43K |
| 1999-06-04 | Sebring, Highlands County | F0 0.3 mi x 5 yd | 0 | 0 | $177K |
| 1999-01-03 | Lorida, Highlands County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $18K |
| 1998-03-09 | Avon Park, Highlands County | F1 10.5 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $791K |
| 1998-01-23 | Avon Park, Highlands County | F0 0.3 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $18K |
| 1997-08-20 | Sebring, Highlands County | F0 0.8 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $184K |
| 1997-04-28 | Avon Park, Highlands County | F0 0.2 mi x 5 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-08-31 | Sebring, Highlands County | F0 2.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 1995-07-21 | Lake Placid, Highlands County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 1993-04-05 | Avon Park, Highlands County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $102K |
| 1990-11-09 | Highlands County | F1 5 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1990-06-03 | Highlands County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-06-18 | Highlands County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1983-06-25 | Highlands County | F1 0.4 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1983-02-02 | Highlands County | F2 1 mi x 40 yd | 1 | 6 | $250K step |
| 1982-06-17 | Highlands County | F1 0.5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1982-06-17 | Highlands County | F2 1 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 9 | $250 step |
| 1982-06-17 | Highlands County | F0 1 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1982-03-06 | Highlands County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1979-01-24 | Highlands County | 0 | 0 | $250K step | |
| 1978-05-04 | Highlands County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1978-05-04 | Highlands County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.5M step |
| 1978-03-03 | Highlands County | F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1977-06-06 | Highlands County | F0 0.1 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1977-05-24 | Highlands County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1976-04-08 | Highlands County | F0 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1975-06-01 | Highlands County | F1 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-03-08 | Highlands County | F1 0.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1972-06-18 | Highlands County | F0 1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1971-06-18 | Highlands County | F2 1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1971-06-11 | Highlands County | F1 0.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1970-02-03 | Highlands County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1970-01-06 | Highlands County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1969-08-13 | Highlands County | F1 3.6 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1967-05-30 | Highlands County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1967-05-17 | Highlands County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1964-02-18 | Highlands County | 0 | 0 | – |
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 Highlands County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 19, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($50,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-19 | Thunderstorm WindLake Placid, Highlands County | 48 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2026-06-02 | Thunderstorm WindLake Jackson, Highlands County | 48 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $30K |
| 2025-09-22 | LightningBrighton, Highlands County | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-05-29 | Thunderstorm WindAvon Park, Highlands County | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2024-10-09 | TornadoAvon Park, Highlands County | EF0 0.57 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $47K |
| 2024-10-09 | TornadoArchbold, Highlands County | EF1 0.47 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2024-10-09 | TornadoVenus, Highlands County | EF1 0.59 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $94K |
| 2024-10-09 | TornadoLake Placid, Highlands County | EF2 2.85 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 1 | $470K |
| 2024-10-09 | TornadoWild Is, Highlands County | EF1 6.84 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $47K |
| 2022-04-04 | HailSebring Shores, Highlands County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $504K |
| 2022-03-12 | TornadoLorida, Highlands County | EF1 0.65 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-09-10 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Highlands County · forecast zone Highlands | 4 | 0 | $518M |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-09-10 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Highlands County · forecast zone Highlands In Highlands County, the highest wind reported from Hurricane Irma was a (3 second average) gust to 85 knots at Archbold Bio Station during the evening on the 10th. Elsewhere, the AWOS in Sebring registered a 5 second average gust to 75 knots. Rainfall was generally around 5 inches or greater, with the highest rain ... | 4 | 0 | $518M | |
| 2025-09-22 | LightningBrighton, Highlands County Highlands County Sheriff and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers discovered the vehicle and bodies of two men and their hunting dogs on a levee along a canal near Rucks Dairy Road southeast of Brighton in Highlands County. The men had reportedly gone hunting but had not returned, and were ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 1983-02-02 | TornadoHighlands County | F2 1 mi x 40 yd | 1 | 6 | $250K step |
| 2009-06-11 | LightningSebring Airport, Highlands County A 32-year-old male was struck by a bolt from the blue while golfing on the 18th hole at the Spring Lake Golf Resort. The Lorida Fire Department put out a small fire in a nearby tree. It was not raining at the time of the lightning strike. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2012-06-24 | TornadoVenus, Highlands County A 32-year-old woman in Venus died from injuries after a tornado threw her 200 feet away from her home. She was found cradling her 3-year-old daughter in her arms who survived. | EF0 3.45 mi x 150 yd | 1 | 0 | $19K |
| 1982-06-17 | TornadoHighlands County | F2 1 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 9 | $250 step |
| 1978-05-04 | TornadoHighlands County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.5M step |
| 2024-10-09 | TornadoLake Placid, Highlands County Tornado estimated to have begun near the southeastern shore of Lake Clay before moving north-northwest across the lake and entering the Tropical Harbor Mobile Home community situated along the northern shore of the lake. Approximately 20 to 30 units suffered damage, primarily consisting of carports being peeled off or ... | EF2 2.85 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 1 | $470K |
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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-09-25 | High WindHighlands County · forecast zone Highlands | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $706M |
| 2017-09-10 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Highlands County · forecast zone Highlands | 4 | 0 | $518M | |
| 2004-08-13 | High WindHighlands County · forecast zone Highlands | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $161M |
| 2004-09-05 | High WindHighlands County · forecast zone Highlands | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $34M |
| 2010-01-11 | Frost/FreezeHighlands County · forecast zone Highlands | 0 | 0 | $13M | |
| 2010-12-15 | Frost/FreezeHighlands County · forecast zone Highlands | 0 | 0 | $8.3M | |
| 2010-02-26 | Frost/FreezeHighlands County · forecast zone Highlands | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | |
| 1998-03-21 | FloodSebring, Highlands County | 0 | 0 | $1.5M |
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 $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 4, 1978 (tornado, Highlands 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 Highlands 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 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 43 | 14 | 21 | 6 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 27 | 15 | 9 | 3 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 4 | 14 | 7 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 31 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 4 | 25 | 9 | 0 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
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 Highlands County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 43 · Feb 33 · Mar 22 · Apr 28 · May 44 · Jun 45 · Jul 35 · Aug 35 · Sep 21 · Oct 13 · Nov 15 · Dec 17 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Highlands County
FEMA's register lists 37 declarations that include Highlands County: 21 major disasters, 13 emergencies and 3 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (19) and fire (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10-11 | DR-4834 | Hurricane | Hurricane Milton |
| 2024-10-07 | EM-3622 | Hurricane | Hurricane Milton |
| 2024-08-10 | DR-4806 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Debby |
| 2024-08-03 | EM-3605 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Debby |
| 2022-12-13 | DR-4680 | Hurricane | Hurricane Nicole |
| 2022-11-08 | EM-3587 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Nicole |
| 2022-09-29 | DR-4673 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ian |
| 2022-09-24 | EM-3584 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Ian |
| 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 |
| 2017-09-10 | DR-4337 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2017-09-05 | EM-3385 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2016-10-06 | EM-3377 | Hurricane | Hurricane Matthew |
| 2012-07-03 | DR-4068 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Debby |
| 2008-08-24 | DR-1785 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Fay |
| 2008-08-21 | EM-3288 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Fay |
| 2007-06-27 | FM-2696 | Fire | Okeechobee Fire Complex |
| 2005-10-24 | DR-1609 | Hurricane | Hurricane Wilma |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3220 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-09-26 | DR-1561 | Hurricane | Hurricane Jeanne |
| 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 |
| 2001-09-28 | DR-1393 | Coastal Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding Associated With Tropical Storm Gabrielle |
| 2001-02-19 | FM-2354 | Fire | Fl - Okeechobee Complex Fire |
| 2001-02-05 | DR-1359 | Freezing | Severe Freeze |
| 1999-10-20 | DR-1306 | Hurricane | Fl-Hurricane Irene-Dr-Req |
| 1999-10-15 | EM-3150 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Irene - Florida |
| 1999-09-22 | DR-1300 | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations |
| 1999-04-27 | EM-3139 | Fire | Fl-Fires 04/15/99 |
| 1999-04-15 | FM-2251 | Fire | Okeechobee Fire Complex |
| 1998-09-25 | EM-3131 | Hurricane | Hurricane Grorges |
| 1998-06-18 | DR-1223 | Fire | Extreme Fire Hazard |
| 1998-01-06 | DR-1195 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, High Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 1990-01-15 | DR-851 | Freezing | Severe Freeze |
| 1977-01-31 | DR-526 | Freezing | Severe Winter Weather |
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 Highlands County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 13 flood or flash flood records for Highlands County from 1997 to 2008, on 13 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Highlands County ranks 938th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Irma | 2017-09-10 | 1 | 4 |
| Tropical Storm Fay | 2008-08-20 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Wilma | 2005-10-24 | 1 | 0 |
| Tropical Storm Gabrielle | 2001-09-14 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Floyd | 1999-09-11 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.6 million on 202 claims filed in Highlands County; the most in one year was 69 in 2017. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1980: 1 · 1983: 1 · 1988: 1 · 1992: 1 · 1995: 1 · 1998: 7 · 1999: 2 · 2001: 4 · 2002: 2 · 2003: 1 · 2004: 43 · 2005: 11 · 2008: 7 · 2011: 1 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 3 · 2014: 2 · 2017: 69 · 2018: 3 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 33 · 2023: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2025: 1; 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 Highlands County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Highlands County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $46.7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Very High | $13M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | $16M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $1.1M | 97 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | $1.3M | once in about 130 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $2.6M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $11M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.6M | 3.7 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $365K | 19 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Highlands 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 Highlands CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Highlands County's FEMA declarations (CSV)37 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis