Martin County, Florida

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 12085 · population 158,246 · 544 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 270 records for Martin County, Florida from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 197 days; the most frequent are hail reports (64 records). The deadliest single record is the June 20, 2024 rip current, filed for the forecast zone Coastal Martin, which covers the county: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 41 declarations naming the county since 1965, 39 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
270on 197 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
1321 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$1.7Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
42strongest F3
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 Martin County most?

The most frequent records are hail reports: 64 since 1974. 69% of its hail reports since 1974 fell in April and May. 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.

Martin County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Hail 64 46 1974-2025 0 2 $10K 24 of 67
Severe thunderstorm wind 63 47 1960-2023 1 0 $1.6M 56 of 67
Tornadoes 42 36 1956-2024 0 4 $23M 26 of 67
Hurricanes and tropical storms 29 21 1998-2024 1 1 $1.7B 24 of 67
Floods 19 19 1998-2022 1 0 $12M 34 of 67
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds 18 17 1996-2024 0 0 – 28 of 67
Rip currents and high surf 12 12 1996-2024 8 1 – 16 of 67
Lightning 10 10 1997-2020 2 10 $719K 32 of 67
Heavy rain 7 7 2005-2021 0 0 – 28 of 67
Extreme cold 4 4 2009-2010 0 0 $7.8M 25 of 67
Heat 1 1 2017-2017 0 3 – 28 of 67
High wind and dust storms 1 1 2016-2016 0 0 – 46 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 Martin County had?

NOAA records 42 tornadoes in Martin County from 1956 to 2024, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 4 injuries recorded in the county. That is 26th of 67 Florida counties and 233rd of 3,080 U.S. counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 43 tornadoes whose track touched Martin County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 42: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person, 0 of them in Martin County.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Martin County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
1958-10-19 07:35, as SPC files itPahokee to IndiantownF320.2 mi1
2024-10-09 14:43, as SPC files itWellington to Palm Beach GardensEF332.89 mi0
1979-01-24 04:55, as SPC files itIndiantownF39.6 mi0

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Florida.

Every tornado record filed for Martin County (42)
Every tornado recorded in Martin County, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2024-10-09 Hobe Sound, Martin County EF0 3.95 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $94K
2024-10-09 Salerno, Martin County EF1 3 mi x 250 yd 0 1 $1.9M
2024-10-09 Indiantown Crl T Arp, Martin County EF0 5.57 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $94K
2024-10-09 Indiantown Crl T Arp, Martin County EF2 31.6 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $1.4M
2024-10-09 Gomez, Martin County EF2 5.71 mi x 400 yd 0 0 $10M
2024-06-12 Hobe Sound, Martin County EF1 1.74 mi x 500 yd 0 0 –
2024-01-15 Palm City, Martin County EF0 8.22 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2022-03-11 Rio St Lucie, Martin County EF0 0.12 mi x 40 yd 0 0 $1K
2019-11-05 Waveland, Martin County EF0 0.26 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
2018-05-27 Salerno, Martin County EF0 0.05 mi x 10 yd 0 0 $235
2018-05-14 Marcy, Martin County EF0 0.13 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $9K
2016-01-17 Gomez, Martin County EF1 0.8 mi x 75 yd 0 0 $123K
2011-10-29 Gomez, Martin County EF0 0.39 mi x 40 yd 0 0 –
2011-10-29 Gomez, Martin County EF0 0.28 mi x 25 yd 0 0 $262K
2011-10-18 Indiantown, Martin County EF0 0.26 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $272K
2008-08-19 Salerno, Martin County EF0 0.02 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $27K
2006-08-24 Stuart, Martin County F0 0.3 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $29K
2004-03-16 Hobe Sound, Martin County F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $16K
2004-03-16 Hobe Sound, Martin County F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $31K
1993-04-05 Stuart, Martin County F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $102K
1991-03-03 Martin County F0 0.3 mi x 20 yd 0 0 $250 step
1989-08-09 Martin County F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd 0 0 $25K step
1986-08-28 Martin County F0 1 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $25K step
1983-02-02 Martin County F2 2 mi x 50 yd 0 1 $250K step
1982-06-25 Martin County F0 0.2 mi x 7 yd 0 0 $25K step
1981-02-02 Martin County F1 0.3 mi x 10 yd 0 0 $3K step
1979-05-24 Martin County F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd 0 0 $25K step
1979-05-08 Martin County F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $3K step
1979-01-24 Martin County 0 0 $250K step
1978-01-19 Martin County F0 3.6 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $25K step
1977-07-06 Martin County F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 $3K step
1974-07-22 Martin County F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 $25K step
1974-05-15 Martin County F1 1 mi x 333 yd 0 1 $250K step
1973-02-09 Martin County F2 2 mi x 30 yd 0 1 $250K step
1972-10-01 Martin County F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $250 step
1970-06-28 Martin County F1 0 0 $25K step
1968-07-11 Martin County 0 0 $30 step
1964-10-14 Martin County F2 0 0 $3K step
1963-08-01 Martin County 0 0 $250 step
1959-10-17 Martin County 0 0 –
1958-10-19 Martin County F3 7.8 mi x 440 yd 0 0 $250K step
1956-08-27 Martin 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 Martin County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the October 9, 2024 tornado ($94,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).

Using a combination of reports from Martin County Emergency Management and radar dual polarimetric data, the National Weather Service in Melbourne can confirm that a tornado moved northward out of Jupiter (Palm Beach County) and into far southern Martin County. This is associated with the Palm Beach Gardens tornado that was recorded by the National Weather Service Miami Office. Radar data suggests the circulation was weakening as it moved into Martin County before crossing I-95 around Mile Marker 91. A report from Florida Highway Patrol indicated the tornado produced tree damage and flipped a tractor trailer at this location. The tornado subsequently moved into Jonathan Dickinson State Park where it believed to have lifted.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1220142)
The 12 most recent records kept for Martin County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2025-05-23 HailIndiantown, Martin County 2.00 in hail 0 0 –
2024-10-09 TornadoHobe Sound, Martin County EF0 3.95 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $94K
2024-10-09 TornadoSalerno, Martin County EF1 3 mi x 250 yd 0 1 $1.9M
2024-10-09 TornadoIndiantown Crl T Arp, Martin County EF0 5.57 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $94K
2024-10-09 TornadoIndiantown Crl T Arp, Martin County EF2 31.6 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $1.4M
2024-10-09 TornadoGomez, Martin County EF2 5.71 mi x 400 yd 0 0 $10M
2024-06-20 Rip CurrentMartin County · forecast zone Coastal Martin 2 0 –
2024-06-12 TornadoHobe Sound, Martin County EF1 1.74 mi x 500 yd 0 0 –
2024-01-15 TornadoPalm City, Martin County EF0 8.22 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2023-11-06 Rip CurrentMartin County · forecast zone Coastal Martin 1 0 –
2023-04-26 Thunderstorm WindWaveland, Martin County 74 kt wind 0 0 –
2022-09-28 Tropical StormMartin County · forecast zone Inland Martin 1 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

Records with deaths or injuries in Martin County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2024-06-20 Rip CurrentMartin County · forecast zone Coastal Martin A 48-year-old female and 51-year-old male were pulled from the rough surf in an unguarded portion of Stuart Beach, FL near the intersection of SE Macarthur Blvd. and NE Tradewind Ln. Martin County Ocean Rescue Lifeguards performed CPR on the victims before the two were transported to Martin North Hospital where they ... 2 0 –
2011-11-09 Rip CurrentMartin County · forecast zone Martin A 34 year old female tourist was caught in a rip current and pulled underneath the water during rough surf, causing her to drown. One other woman was also caught in a rip current while swimming, but she was pulled from the water and survived. 1 1 –
2023-11-06 Rip CurrentMartin County · forecast zone Coastal Martin A 17 year-old boy from St Lucie County died when he drowned in a rip current swimming at Sea Turtle Beach in Jensen Beach. 1 0 –
2022-09-28 Tropical StormMartin County · forecast zone Inland Martin Hurricane Ian's slow movement and large wind field led to a long period of tropical storm force winds across Martin County. Surface observations indicated peak winds between 50 and 60 mph throughout the county. Emergency management officials indicated minimal damage to residential and business structures. 1 0 –
2022-09-27 FloodPalm City, Martin County Heavy rain embedded within the outer bands ahead of Hurricane Ian produced widespread rainfall totals of 4 to 8 inches across Martin County, resulting in sporadic reports of street, urban, and poor drainage flooding. Several roadways were impacted by significant levels of standing water and many retention ponds ... 1 0 –
2020-12-30 Rip CurrentMartin County · forecast zone Martin A man in his mid 50s was pulled from the surf near Stuart Beach and was not able to be revived. The drowning was attributed to a rip current, however there was also rough surf conditions occurring. 1 0 –
2019-04-07 Rip CurrentMartin County · forecast zone Martin At 1815 LST, a 14-year-old male was unresponsive when he was pulled from the surf, along with two other teenagers, by Martin County Sheriff Deputies at Bathtub Beach. The unresponsive teen was administered CPR and taken to a local hospital in critical conditions, where he later died from his injuries. 1 0 –
2017-05-17 LightningJensen Beach, Martin County A weak developing thunderstorm over the nearshore waters off Martin County moved westward over Jensen Beach during the late afternoon. A 47-year-old construction worker was seriously injured when he was struck by lightning while working on a pool and club house at Ocean Breeze Park. Other co-workers on the site ... 1 0 –
The costliest records in Martin County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2004-09-04 Hurricane (Typhoon)Martin County · forecast zone Martin 0 0 $1.6B
2005-10-24 Tropical StormMartin County · forecast zone Martin 0 0 $39M
1999-10-15 Hurricane (Typhoon)Martin County · forecast zone Martin 0 0 $14M
2024-10-09 TornadoGomez, Martin County EF2 5.71 mi x 400 yd 0 0 $10M
2012-10-26 Coastal FloodMartin County · forecast zone Martin 0 0 $8.1M
2017-09-10 Tropical StormMartin County · forecast zone Martin 0 0 $5.2M
2010-12-27 Frost/FreezeMartin County · forecast zone Martin 0 0 $4.4M
2010-01-02 Frost/FreezeMartin County · forecast zone Martin 0 0 $3.4M

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: February 9, 1973 (tornado, Martin County); May 15, 1974 (tornado, Martin County); February 2, 1983 (tornado, Martin 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 Martin 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).

Martin County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Hail00211221199
Severe thunderstorm wind03431181915
Tornadoes331052478
Hurricanes and tropical storms––––26813
Floods––––1459
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds––––4581

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

What time of year?

69% of its hail reports since 1974 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 9 · Feb 13 · Mar 20 · Apr 34 · May 56 · Jun 27 · Jul 18 · Aug 24 · Sep 27 · Oct 24 · Nov 13 · Dec 5 (records).

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

Federal disaster declarations for Martin County

FEMA's register lists 41 declarations that include Martin County: 23 major disasters, 14 emergencies and 4 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (25) and fire (6).

Declarations including Martin County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2024-10-11DR-4834HurricaneHurricane Milton
2024-10-07EM-3622HurricaneHurricane Milton
2022-12-13DR-4680HurricaneHurricane Nicole
2022-11-08EM-3587Tropical StormTropical Storm Nicole
2022-09-29DR-4673HurricaneHurricane Ian
2022-09-24EM-3584HurricaneTropical Storm Ian
2020-08-01EM-3533HurricaneHurricane Isaias
2020-03-25DR-4486BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3432BiologicalCovid-19
2019-10-21DR-4468HurricaneHurricane Dorian
2019-08-30EM-3419HurricaneHurricane Dorian
2017-09-10DR-4337HurricaneHurricane Irma
2017-09-05EM-3385HurricaneHurricane Irma
2016-10-08DR-4283HurricaneHurricane Matthew
2016-10-06EM-3377HurricaneHurricane Matthew
2012-10-18DR-4084HurricaneHurricane Isaac
2009-05-12FM-2819FireMartin County Fire Complex
2008-08-24DR-1785Severe StormTropical Storm Fay
2008-08-21EM-3288Severe StormTropical Storm Fay
2007-06-27FM-2696FireOkeechobee Fire Complex
2005-10-24DR-1609HurricaneHurricane Wilma
2005-09-05EM-3220HurricaneHurricane Katrina Evacuation
2004-09-26DR-1561HurricaneHurricane Jeanne
2004-09-16DR-1551HurricaneHurricane Ivan
2004-09-04DR-1545HurricaneHurricane Frances
2004-08-13DR-1539HurricaneTropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley
2001-02-19FM-2354FireFl - Okeechobee Complex Fire
2001-02-05DR-1359FreezingSevere Freeze
1999-10-20DR-1306HurricaneFl-Hurricane Irene-Dr-Req
1999-10-15EM-3150HurricaneTropical Storm Irene - Florida
1999-09-22DR-1300HurricaneHurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations
1999-09-14EM-3143HurricaneHurricane Floyd Emergency Declarations
1999-04-27EM-3139FireFl-Fires 04/15/99
1999-04-15FM-2251FireOkeechobee Fire Complex
1998-09-25EM-3131HurricaneHurricane Grorges
1998-06-18DR-1223FireExtreme Fire Hazard
1995-10-27DR-1074FloodSevere Flooding
1993-03-13DR-982TornadoTornadoes, Flooding, High Winds & Tides, Freezing
1990-01-15DR-851FreezingSevere Freeze
1977-01-31DR-526FreezingSevere Winter Weather

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 Martin County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 19 flood or flash flood records for Martin County from 1998 to 2022, on 19 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Martin County ranks 151st of 2,942 U.S. counties.

Named storms on Martin County's flood and tropical record
StormBeganRecordsDeaths in the county
Tropical Storm Ian2022-09-2722
Hurricane Irma2017-09-1010
Hurricane Matthew2016-10-0610
Hurricane Wilma2005-10-2410
Hurricane Frances2004-09-0410
Hurricane Irene1999-10-1510

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $40.0 million on 2,631 claims filed in Martin County; the most in one year was 1,069 in 2004. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1978: 6 · 1979: 46 · 1980: 1 · 1981: 3 · 1982: 29 · 1983: 5 · 1984: 78 · 1985: 4 · 1986: 1 · 1987: 3 · 1988: 3 · 1989: 1 · 1990: 6 · 1991: 36 · 1992: 15 · 1993: 12 · 1994: 43 · 1995: 278 · 1996: 9 · 1997: 2 · 1998: 13 · 1999: 155 · 2000: 5 · 2001: 186 · 2002: 2 · 2003: 4 · 2004: 1,069 · 2005: 147 · 2006: 1 · 2007: 16 · 2008: 60 · 2009: 6 · 2010: 5 · 2011: 14 · 2012: 39 · 2013: 7 · 2014: 36 · 2015: 21 · 2016: 39 · 2017: 53 · 2018: 21 · 2019: 10 · 2020: 60 · 2021: 7 · 2022: 53 · 2023: 6 · 2024: 8 · 2025: 6 · 2026: 1.

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 Martin County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Martin County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $119 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.

National Risk Index ratings for Martin County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
HurricaneVery High$92Monce in about 3 years (modeled)
LightningRelatively High$1.7M90 a year (modeled)
Strong WindRelatively High$1.4Mabout once a year (modeled)
WildfireRelatively Moderate$1.2Monce in about 163 years (modeled)
Riverine FloodingRelatively Moderate$18Monce in about 2 years (modeled)
TornadoRelatively Moderate$2.5Monce in about 2 years (modeled)
Coastal FloodingRelatively Moderate$1.1M1.1 a year (modeled)
Heat WaveRelatively Low$656K2.3 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 Martin County

  1. Palm Beach County 1,499
  2. St. Lucie County 300
  3. Martin County 270
  4. Hendry County 255
  5. Glades County 240
  6. Okeechobee County 158

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

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