Liberty County, Florida
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 12077 · population 6,344 · 836 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 219 records for Liberty County, Florida from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 166 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (76 records). The deadliest single record is the October 10, 2018 hurricane, filed for the forecast zone Liberty, which covers the county: 4 deaths and $705 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 41 declarations naming the county since 1985, 39 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
- 219on 166 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 60 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $712Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 19strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 41latest 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 Liberty County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 76 since 1962. 46% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1962 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.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 76 | 60 | 1962-2026 | 0 | 0 | $316K | 61 of 67 |
| Drought | 36 | 28 | 2011-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 17 of 67 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 23 | 23 | 1996-2024 | 5 | 0 | $709M | 39 of 67 |
| Hail | 22 | 14 | 1968-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 64 of 67 |
| Tornadoes | 19 | 15 | 1969-2023 | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | 62 of 67 |
| Floods | 13 | 9 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 0 | $649K | 64 of 67 |
| Heat | 8 | 8 | 2023-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 of 67 |
| Wildfires | 6 | 6 | 1998-2000 | 0 | 0 | – | 31 of 67 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 3 | 2022-2026 | 0 | 0 | $50K | 42 of 67 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 2 | 2011-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 59 of 67 |
| Lightning | 3 | 3 | 1996-2008 | 1 | 0 | $103K | 58 of 67 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 3 | 3 | 2005-2012 | 0 | 0 | $23K | 59 of 67 |
| Winter storms | 3 | 3 | 2014-2025 | 0 | 0 | $749K | 28 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 Liberty County had?
NOAA records 19 tornadoes in Liberty County from 1969 to 2023, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 0 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 19 tornadoes whose track touched Liberty County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 19, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Florida.
Every tornado record filed for Liberty County (19)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-04-27 | Hosford, Liberty County | EF2 2.5 mi x 960 yd | 0 | 0 | $484K |
| 2023-01-25 | Estiffapulga, Liberty County | EF0 0.47 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2022-12-14 | Sumatra, Liberty County | EF0 3.57 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-03-18 | Woods, Liberty County | EF0 0.01 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-04-19 | East Camp, Liberty County | EF0 8.02 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-11-17 | Bristol, Liberty County | EF0 9.33 mi x 420 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-10-13 | Sumatra, Liberty County | EF0 0.01 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-10-13 | Sumatra, Liberty County | EF0 2.07 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2014-10-13 | Central City, Liberty County | EF0 0.01 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-11-26 | Red Hill, Liberty County | EF0 4.23 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-02-13 | Hosford, Liberty County | EF1 0.25 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $21K |
| 2006-01-02 | Sumatra, Liberty County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2004-09-15 | Wilma, Liberty County | F1 10 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $156K |
| 1973-04-03 | Liberty County | F1 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1972-10-27 | Liberty County | F0 0.3 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1972-03-28 | Liberty County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1969-12-25 | Liberty County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1969-12-25 | Liberty County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1969-12-25 | Liberty County | F0 | 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 Liberty County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 23, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($5,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindRock Bluff, Liberty County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-23 | Thunderstorm WindHosford, Liberty County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-16 | Thunderstorm WindRock Bluff, Liberty County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-16 | Thunderstorm WindBristol, Liberty County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtLiberty County · forecast zone Southern Liberty County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtLiberty County · forecast zone Southern Liberty County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtLiberty County · forecast zone Northern Liberty County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtLiberty County · forecast zone Southern Liberty County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtLiberty County · forecast zone Northern Liberty County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindLewis, Liberty County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-12 | Thunderstorm WindBristol, Liberty County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtLiberty County · forecast zone Southern Liberty County | 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)Liberty County · forecast zone Liberty 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 ... | 4 | 0 | $705M | |
| 2017-09-10 | Tropical StormLiberty County · forecast zone Liberty Hurricane Irma brought numerous impacts to the Florida Big Bend, southwest Georgia and southeast Alabama including widespread downed trees and power lines, roads blocked by trees, power outages, and trees on homes. Two people died during the event - one due to a car crash (Liberty County, FL) and another that had a ... | 1 | 0 | $60K | |
| 2008-06-15 | LightningRock Bluff, Liberty County A young girl was struck and killed by lightning while sitting at a campsite picnic table at Torreya State Park. | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-10-10 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Liberty County · forecast zone Liberty | 4 | 0 | $705M | |
| 2008-08-22 | Tropical StormLiberty County · forecast zone Liberty | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | |
| 2005-07-09 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Liberty County · forecast zone Liberty | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | |
| 1998-09-28 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Liberty County · forecast zone Liberty | 0 | 0 | $679K | |
| 2023-04-27 | TornadoHosford, Liberty County | EF2 2.5 mi x 960 yd | 0 | 0 | $484K |
| 1998-03-10 | FloodLiberty County · forecast zone Liberty | 0 | 0 | $362K | |
| 2004-09-15 | TornadoWilma, Liberty County | F1 10 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $156K |
| 2017-09-10 | Tropical StormLiberty County · forecast zone Liberty | 1 | 0 | $60K |
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 $25K, in the dollars of the day) holds: December 25, 1969 (tornado, Liberty County); March 28, 1972 (tornado, Liberty County); April 3, 1973 (tornado, Liberty 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 Liberty 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 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 15 | 32 | 20 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 16 | 20 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 2 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
46% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1962 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 16 · Feb 17 · Mar 23 · Apr 19 · May 21 · Jun 34 · Jul 19 · Aug 22 · Sep 17 · Oct 11 · Nov 9 · Dec 11 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Liberty County
FEMA's register lists 41 declarations that include Liberty County: 25 major disasters, 15 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for hurricane (22) and severe storm (8).
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2008-08-24 | 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 |
| 2005-07-10 | 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 |
| 2001-06-17 | DR-1381 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Allison |
| 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 |
| 1998-06-18 | DR-1223 | Fire | Extreme Fire Hazard |
| 1998-01-06 | DR-1195 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, High Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 1994-07-10 | DR-1035 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding (Tropical Storm Alberto) |
| 1994-07-08 | EM-3114 | Flood | Tropical Storm Alberto |
| 1990-04-03 | DR-862 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
The 40 most recent of 41 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 Liberty County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 13 flood or flash flood records for Liberty County from 1998 to 2025, on 9 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Liberty County ranks 2400th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Michael | 2018-10-10 | 1 | 4 |
| Hurricane Irma | 2017-09-10 | 1 | 1 |
| Tropical Storm Fay | 2008-08-22 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Dennis | 2005-07-09 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Georges | 1998-09-28 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $132,000 on 9 claims filed in Liberty County; the most in one year was 3 in 1994. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1991: 1 · 1994: 3 · 1998: 1 · 2005: 1 · 2009: 2 · 2018: 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 Liberty County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Liberty County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $4.8 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 | $2.2M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $493K | 86 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $140K | once in about 353 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $337K | 1.5 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $399K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | $3K | once in about 83 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $79K | 6.7 modeled event-days a year |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $18K | once in about 1,175 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Liberty 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 Liberty CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Liberty County's FEMA declarations (CSV)41 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis