Nassau County, Florida
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 12089 · population 90,123 · 649 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 587 records for Nassau County, Florida from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 412 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (267 records). The deadliest single record is the September 13, 2023 rip current, filed for the forecast zone Coastal Nassau, which covers the county: 1 death and 2 injuries. FEMA has issued 40 declarations naming the county since 1973, 38 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
- 587on 412 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1115 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $26Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 31strongest EF1
- FEMA declarations
- 40latest 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 Nassau County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 267 since 1961. 51% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1961 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 | 267 | 194 | 1961-2026 | 0 | 0 | $486K | 13 of 67 |
| Hail | 96 | 71 | 1971-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 16 of 67 |
| Heavy rain | 47 | 32 | 2004-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 10 of 67 |
| Floods | 43 | 36 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $3.8M | 19 of 67 |
| Tornadoes | 31 | 26 | 1961-2024 | 0 | 5 | $3.8M | 45 of 67 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 26 | 26 | 1998-2023 | 10 | 5 | – | 11 of 67 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 24 | 23 | 1999-2024 | 1 | 0 | $17M | 31 of 67 |
| Wildfires | 17 | 16 | 1998-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 67 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 12 | 11 | 1996-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 41 of 67 |
| Drought | 10 | 6 | 2006-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 of 67 |
| Lightning | 8 | 7 | 2001-2018 | 0 | 4 | $499K | 40 of 67 |
| Winter storms | 5 | 4 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 1 | $422K | 7 of 67 |
| High wind and dust storms | 1 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | $4K | 53 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 Nassau County had?
NOAA records 31 tornadoes in Nassau County from 1961 to 2024, the strongest rated EF1, 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 33 tornadoes whose track touched Nassau County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 31: 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 Nassau County (31)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-03 | Fernandina Beach, Nassau County | EF0 0.08 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-04-07 | Boulogne, Nassau County | EF1 3.22 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-09-11 | Fernandina Beach Arp, Nassau County | EF0 5.95 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-09-11 | Fernandina Beach, Nassau County | EF0 10.69 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-08-04 | Hedges, Nassau County | EF1 3.67 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2010-01-21 | Callahan, Nassau County | EF0 0.14 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-01-21 | Kent, Nassau County | EF0 0.15 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-03-07 | Kent, Nassau County | EF0 0.01 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-03-02 | Callahan, Nassau County | EF0 1.19 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $43K |
| 2001-09-13 | Fernandina Beach, Nassau County | F0 0.1 mi x 5 yd | 0 | 0 | $833 |
| 2001-03-13 | Yulee, Nassau County | F0 0.1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $17K |
| 2000-03-30 | Amelia City, Nassau County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 1995-08-02 | Amelia Island, Nassau County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 1995-06-05 | Camden Co Ga, Nassau County | F1 4 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.5M |
| 1992-02-25 | Nassau County | F1 0.5 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 4 | $250K step |
| 1989-09-18 | Nassau County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1988-05-24 | Nassau County | F0 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1986-06-07 | Nassau County | F0 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1985-10-30 | Nassau County | F1 3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1984-02-27 | Nassau County | F1 1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1979-09-29 | Nassau County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1979-09-04 | Nassau County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1978-04-18 | Nassau County | F1 0.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1977-06-22 | Nassau County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1976-09-07 | Nassau County | F0 0.5 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1976-05-13 | Nassau County | F0 0.3 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1970-07-09 | Nassau County | 0 | 0 | $30 step | |
| 1970-07-09 | Nassau County | 0 | 0 | $30 step | |
| 1970-07-09 | Nassau County | 0 | 0 | $30 step | |
| 1970-07-09 | Nassau County | 0 | 0 | $30 step | |
| 1961-03-31 | Nassau County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $3K 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 Nassau County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 8, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindKings Ferry, Nassau County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-23 | Thunderstorm WindCallahan, Nassau County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-21 | Thunderstorm WindCrawford, Nassau County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-19 | Thunderstorm WindFernandina Beach Arp, Nassau County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-19 | Thunderstorm WindHedges, Nassau County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtNassau County · forecast zone Inland Nassau | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-29 | Heavy RainVerdie, Nassau County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-08 | Thunderstorm WindCallahan, Nassau County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-05-08 | HailCallahan, Nassau County | 0.88 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtNassau County · forecast zone Coastal Nassau | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtNassau County · forecast zone Inland Nassau | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtNassau County · forecast zone Inland Nassau | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-09-13 | Rip CurrentNassau County · forecast zone Coastal Nassau The body of a missing 14-year-old male was recovered on 9/14 after being overtaken by a rip current on 9/13. An adult and another teenager were also caught in the rip current, but they were rescued and transported to a local hospital in stable condition. | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2007-05-25 | Rip CurrentNassau County · forecast zone Nassau Fernandina Beach, Florida...a Stone Mountain, Georgia man visiting the area drowned when attempting to rescue his seven year old son from high surf and rip currents. A northeast flow of 20 to 30 mph had generated high surf and his son was swept offshore. The gentleman and two others attempted to rescue him, but were ... | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2017-09-24 | Rip CurrentNassau County · forecast zone Coastal Nassau A male drowned in rough surf conditions about 1 mile east of Fernandina Beach. His 20 year old son was rescued and treated for injuries. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2021-05-24 | Rip CurrentNassau County · forecast zone Coastal Nassau A male went into cardiac arrest and died as a result of being caught in a rip current. Many people tried to help the victim return to shore before rescuers arrived, but they, too, were caught in the rip current. Lifeguards rescued the victim, but he was later pronouced dead at the hospital. Others at the incident were ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2013-05-30 | Rip CurrentNassau County · forecast zone Nassau The media reported a drowning about 1 mile or less from the St. Mary River inlet. The cause of drowning death was either due to tidal currents or rip currents. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2012-03-23 | Rip CurrentNassau County · forecast zone Nassau A 16-year old male drowned due to rip current at Fernandina Beach. The time of death was approximated; a specific time during Friday afternoon was not given in the media report. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2008-08-21 | Tropical StormNassau County · forecast zone Nassau Tropical Storm Fay moved slowly north out of Caribbean Sea, then cut across south and central Florida into the Atlantic Ocean. Fay then slowly curved west and made landfall in the vicinity for Flagler Beach and Daytona Beach on Aug 21st. As the storm made landfall sustained winds along the coast were between 40 and 50 ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2004-07-30 | Rip CurrentFernandina Beach, Nassau County | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-10-06 | Tropical StormNassau County · forecast zone Coastal Nassau | 0 | 0 | $12M | |
| 1999-09-15 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Nassau County · forecast zone Nassau | 0 | 0 | $4.4M | |
| 1998-03-01 | FloodNassau County · forecast zone Nassau | 0 | 0 | $3.1M | |
| 1995-06-05 | TornadoCamden Co Ga, Nassau County | F1 4 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.5M |
| 1996-10-06 | Flash FloodFernandina Beach, Nassau County | 0 | 0 | $470K | |
| 1996-03-10 | Winter StormNassau County · forecast zone Nassau | 0 | 0 | $376K | |
| 2002-05-17 | LightningYulee, Nassau County | 0 | 0 | $328K | |
| 2007-03-02 | TornadoCallahan, Nassau County | EF0 1.19 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $43K |
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 25, 1992 (tornado, Nassau County); February 27, 1984 (tornado, Nassau County); October 30, 1985 (tornado, Nassau 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 Nassau 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 | 1 | 8 | 45 | 82 | 87 | 43 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 54 | 12 | 11 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 0 | 6 | 7 | 34 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 9 | 10 | 17 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| Rip currents and high surf | – | – | – | – | 1 | 11 | 8 | 6 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
51% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1961 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 11 · Feb 20 · Mar 38 · Apr 68 · May 70 · Jun 120 · Jul 91 · Aug 64 · Sep 53 · Oct 29 · Nov 12 · Dec 11 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Nassau County
FEMA's register lists 40 declarations that include Nassau County: 23 major disasters, 15 emergencies and 2 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (20) and severe storm (7).
| 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 |
| 2024-08-10 | 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 |
| 2022-11-08 | EM-3587 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Nicole |
| 2022-09-29 | DR-4673 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ian |
| 2022-09-24 | EM-3584 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Ian |
| 2021-07-04 | EM-3561 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Elsa |
| 2020-08-01 | EM-3533 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isaias |
| 2020-03-25 | DR-4486 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3432 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-10-21 | DR-4468 | Hurricane | Hurricane Dorian |
| 2019-08-30 | EM-3419 | Hurricane | Hurricane Dorian |
| 2017-09-10 | DR-4337 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2017-09-05 | EM-3385 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2016-10-08 | DR-4283 | Hurricane | Hurricane Matthew |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2001-02-05 | DR-1359 | Freezing | Severe Freeze |
| 2000-06-02 | FM-2305 | Fire | Fl, Jacksonville Fire Complex |
| 1999-09-22 | DR-1300 | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations |
| 1999-09-14 | EM-3143 | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd Emergency Declarations |
| 1999-05-14 | FM-2262 | Fire | Jacksonville District Fire |
| 1999-04-27 | EM-3139 | Fire | Fl-Fires 04/15/99 |
| 1998-06-18 | DR-1223 | Fire | Extreme Fire Hazard |
| 1998-01-06 | DR-1195 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, High Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 1996-10-15 | DR-1141 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Josephine |
| 1993-03-13 | DR-982 | Tornado | Tornadoes, Flooding, High Winds & Tides, Freezing |
| 1992-10-08 | DR-966 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 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 Nassau County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 43 flood or flash flood records for Nassau County from 1996 to 2025, on 36 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Nassau County ranks 363rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Irma | 2017-09-24 | 1 | 1 |
| Tropical Storm Fay | 2008-08-21 | 1 | 1 |
| Hurricane Matthew | 2016-10-06 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Floyd | 1999-09-15 | 1 | 0 |
| Tropical Storm Josephine | 1996-10-06 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $12.7 million on 845 claims filed in Nassau County; the most in one year was 178 in 2017. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 4 · 1979: 17 · 1980: 3 · 1982: 2 · 1984: 20 · 1985: 13 · 1986: 1 · 1988: 1 · 1989: 4 · 1991: 7 · 1992: 90 · 1993: 1 · 1994: 6 · 1995: 54 · 1996: 25 · 1997: 2 · 1998: 4 · 1999: 92 · 2000: 5 · 2001: 3 · 2002: 5 · 2003: 3 · 2004: 22 · 2005: 3 · 2006: 1 · 2007: 3 · 2008: 37 · 2009: 3 · 2010: 1 · 2011: 5 · 2012: 44 · 2013: 2 · 2014: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2016: 101 · 2017: 178 · 2020: 5 · 2021: 7 · 2022: 17 · 2023: 4 · 2024: 44 · 2025: 3; 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 Nassau County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Nassau County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $24.5 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 | $6.8M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $2.0M | 3.5 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $615K | 73 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $968K | once in about 375 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $1.2M | 4.2 modeled event-days a year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $626K | once in about 849 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $10M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.6M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Nassau 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 Nassau CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Nassau County's FEMA declarations (CSV)40 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis