Lafayette County, Florida
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 12067 · population 8,205 · 543 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 199 records for Lafayette County, Florida from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 160 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (94 records). The most damaging was the August 5, 2024 hurricane ($51.7 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 35 declarations naming the county since 1973, 33 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
- 199on 160 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 035 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $1.2Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 10strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 35latest 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 Lafayette County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 94 since 1971. 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 | 94 | 68 | 1971-2026 | 0 | 0 | $176K | 48 of 67 |
| Drought | 24 | 24 | 2010-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 of 67 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 23 | 22 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | $1.1B | 20 of 67 |
| Floods | 17 | 14 | 1998-2023 | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | 44 of 67 |
| Tornadoes | 10 | 10 | 1965-2007 | 0 | 5 | $15M | 61 of 67 |
| Hail | 7 | 7 | 1980-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 66 of 67 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 2 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 53 of 67 |
| Heat | 6 | 6 | 2023-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 of 67 |
| Wildfires | 5 | 5 | 1998-2001 | 0 | 0 | $428K | 23 of 67 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 2 | 2022-2026 | 0 | 0 | $50K | 41 of 67 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2008-2022 | 0 | 30 | – | 58 of 67 |
| Winter storms | 2 | 2 | 2014-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 26 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 Lafayette County had?
NOAA records 10 tornadoes in Lafayette County from 1965 to 2007, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 5 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 10 tornadoes whose track touched Lafayette County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 10, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984-02-27 07:35, as SPC files it | Mayo | F3 | 7 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Florida.
Every tornado record filed for Lafayette County (10)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-09-20 | Mayo, Lafayette County | EF1 0.25 mi x 35 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2005-04-23 | Midway, Lafayette County | F0 0.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $189K |
| 2001-06-18 | Day, Lafayette County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $125K |
| 1984-02-27 | Lafayette County | F3 7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1980-02-25 | Lafayette County | F0 0.5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1979-08-12 | Lafayette County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1975-02-06 | Lafayette County | F2 10.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 4 | $2.5M step |
| 1970-08-25 | Lafayette County | F2 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1969-08-27 | Lafayette County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1965-06-15 | Lafayette County | F1 0.5 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 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 Lafayette County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 16, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-20 | Thunderstorm WindBuckville, Lafayette County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtLafayette County · forecast zone Lafayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtLafayette County · forecast zone Lafayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtLafayette County · forecast zone Lafayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindAlton, Lafayette County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtLafayette County · forecast zone Lafayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-15 | Thunderstorm WindMidway, Lafayette County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtLafayette County · forecast zone Lafayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillLafayette County · forecast zone Lafayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-01 | DroughtLafayette County · forecast zone Lafayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-01 | DroughtLafayette County · forecast zone Lafayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-01 | DroughtLafayette County · forecast zone Lafayette | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-02-25 | Dense FogLafayette County · forecast zone Lafayette A multi-vehicle crash occurred in dense fog in Lafayette county around 6:45 am. There were 30 injuries and 250 gallons of diesel fuel spilled. The crash occurred at the intersection of SR-51 and CR-354. | 0 | 30 | – | |
| 1975-02-06 | TornadoLafayette County | F2 10.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 4 | $2.5M step |
| 1984-02-27 | TornadoLafayette County | F3 7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K 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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-08-05 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Lafayette County · forecast zone Lafayette | 0 | 0 | $52M | |
| 2017-09-10 | Tropical StormLafayette County · forecast zone Lafayette | 0 | 0 | $3.6M | |
| 2014-04-30 | FloodDay, Lafayette County | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | |
| 2000-03-01 | WildfireSouthwest Portion, Lafayette County | 0 | 0 | $428K | |
| 1998-03-10 | FloodLafayette County · forecast zone Lafayette | 0 | 0 | $272K | |
| 2005-04-23 | TornadoMidway, Lafayette County | F0 0.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $189K |
| 2001-06-18 | TornadoDay, Lafayette County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $125K |
| 2017-02-07 | Thunderstorm WindGrady, Lafayette County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $12K |
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: February 6, 1975 (tornado, Lafayette 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 Lafayette 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 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 10 | 40 | 27 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 12 | 12 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 10 | 4 | 6 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 3 | 11 | 2 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
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 Lafayette County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 10 · Feb 16 · Mar 15 · Apr 22 · May 21 · Jun 28 · Jul 25 · Aug 33 · Sep 14 · Oct 5 · Nov 3 · Dec 7 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Lafayette County
FEMA's register lists 35 declarations that include Lafayette County: 20 major disasters, 13 emergencies and 2 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (17) and severe storm (6).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10-11 | DR-4834 | Hurricane | Hurricane Milton |
| 2024-10-07 | EM-3622 | Hurricane | Hurricane Milton |
| 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 |
| 2024-06-17 | DR-4794 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 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 |
| 2021-07-04 | EM-3561 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Elsa |
| 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 |
| 2018-10-09 | EM-3405 | Hurricane | Hurricane Michael |
| 2017-09-10 | DR-4337 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2017-09-05 | EM-3385 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2016-09-28 | DR-4280 | Hurricane | Hurricane Hermine |
| 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 |
| 2008-08-21 | EM-3288 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Fay |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3220 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-09-26 | DR-1561 | Hurricane | Hurricane Jeanne |
| 2004-09-04 | DR-1545 | Hurricane | Hurricane Frances |
| 2004-08-13 | DR-1539 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley |
| 2001-05-23 | FM-2363 | Fire | Perry Fire Complex |
| 2001-02-05 | DR-1359 | Freezing | Severe Freeze |
| 2000-06-09 | FM-2307 | Fire | Fl, Perry Fire Complex |
| 1998-06-18 | DR-1223 | Fire | Extreme Fire Hazard |
| 1998-01-06 | DR-1195 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, High Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 1993-03-13 | DR-982 | Tornado | Tornadoes, Flooding, High Winds & Tides, Freezing |
| 1973-05-26 | DR-387 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
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 Lafayette County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 17 flood or flash flood records for Lafayette County from 1998 to 2023, on 14 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Lafayette County ranks 922nd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Helene | 2024-09-26 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Debby | 2024-08-05 | 1 | 0 |
| Tropical Storm Idalia | 2023-08-30 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Irma | 2017-09-10 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Dennis | 2005-07-09 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.5 million on 207 claims filed in Lafayette County; the most in one year was 49 in 1998. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1983: 1 · 1984: 22 · 1986: 31 · 1987: 3 · 1988: 1 · 1991: 21 · 1992: 1 · 1993: 2 · 1994: 2 · 1995: 1 · 1998: 49 · 2000: 1 · 2003: 8 · 2004: 11 · 2005: 12 · 2009: 32 · 2014: 6 · 2016: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 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 Lafayette County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lafayette County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $5.6 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 Moderate | $3.1M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $127K | 83 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $300K | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $74K | once in about 559 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $92K | 4.8 modeled event-days a year |
| Drought | Very Low | $9K | 16 modeled event-days a year |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $32K | once in about 1,124 years (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | $684 | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Lafayette 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 Lafayette CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Lafayette County's FEMA declarations (CSV)35 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis