Washington County, Florida
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 12133 · population 25,288 · 585 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 433 records for Washington County, Florida from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 262 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (203 records). The deadliest single record is the October 10, 2018 hurricane, filed for the forecast zone Washington, which covers the county: 4 deaths and $470 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 40 declarations naming the county since 1975, 38 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
- 433on 262 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 738 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $576Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 33strongest EF3
- 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 Washington County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 203 since 1963. 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 | 203 | 125 | 1963-2026 | 0 | 1 | $856K | 32 of 67 |
| Floods | 88 | 36 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $89M | 16 of 67 |
| Drought | 38 | 38 | 2010-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 of 67 |
| Tornadoes | 33 | 28 | 1971-2026 | 3 | 37 | $10M | 38 of 67 |
| Hail | 23 | 20 | 1990-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 56 of 67 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 19 | 19 | 1998-2024 | 4 | 0 | $475M | 36 of 67 |
| Heat | 11 | 11 | 2023-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 of 67 |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 5 | 2010-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 40 of 67 |
| Lightning | 5 | 5 | 1999-2019 | 0 | 0 | $148K | 42 of 67 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 3 | 2022-2026 | 0 | 0 | $50K | 35 of 67 |
| Winter storms | 3 | 3 | 2014-2025 | 0 | 0 | $749K | 11 of 67 |
| High wind and dust storms | 1 | 1 | 2013-2013 | 0 | 0 | $1K | 50 of 67 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2007-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 62 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 Washington County had?
NOAA records 33 tornadoes in Washington County from 1971 to 2026, the strongest rated EF3, with 3 deaths and 37 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 34 tornadoes whose track touched Washington County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 33: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 3 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-03-31 03:09, as SPC files it | Alford | EF3 | 12.14 mi | 2 |
| 2001-03-15 03:30, as SPC files it | Alford | F2 | 10 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Florida.
Every tornado record filed for Washington County (33)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-18 | Millers Ferry, Washington County | EF0 1.84 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-01-09 | Gilberts Mill, Washington County | EF0 0.89 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-03-31 | Gilberts Mill, Washington County | EF3 5.87 mi x 200 yd | 2 | 1 | $504K |
| 2022-03-09 | Bahoma, Washington County | EF1 0.19 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $101K |
| 2022-03-09 | Bahoma, Washington County | EF0 1.4 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $76K |
| 2021-03-18 | Red Head, Washington County | EF0 1.56 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-02-15 | Gilberts Mill, Washington County | EF0 0.71 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $27K |
| 2020-04-23 | Brock Crossroad, Washington County | EF2 9.35 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $285K |
| 2019-03-03 | Sunny Hills, Washington County | EF1 2.94 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $115K |
| 2015-11-02 | Spring Hollow, Washington County | EF1 6.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $93K |
| 2004-09-15 | Gilberts Mill, Washington County | F0 12 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $78K |
| 2003-02-16 | Vernon, Washington County | F0 0.2 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $160K |
| 2001-10-13 | Wausau, Washington County | F1 2.7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $500K |
| 2001-03-15 | Wausau, Washington County | F2 7 mi x 350 yd | 1 | 21 | $2.5M |
| 2000-02-13 | Greenhead, Washington County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $514K |
| 2000-02-13 | Greenhead, Washington County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.3M |
| 1997-10-26 | Vernon, Washington County | F1 1.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $460K |
| 1997-10-26 | Greenhead, Washington County | F1 1 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $643K |
| 1997-01-15 | Vernon, Washington County | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $92K |
| 1997-01-15 | Hinsons Xrds, Washington County | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 3 | $55K |
| 1995-11-11 | Chipley, Washington County | F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $39K |
| 1994-06-25 | Chipley, Washington County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 1993-04-26 | Wausau, Washington County | F1 5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 1992-01-23 | Washington County | F0 0.7 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1989-12-12 | Washington County | F1 6 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1989-11-08 | Washington County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1987-11-17 | Washington County | F1 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1985-10-31 | Washington County | F0 3 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1976-03-21 | Washington County | F0 6.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1975-09-23 | Washington County | F1 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1975-01-12 | Washington County | F1 32.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 12 | $3K step |
| 1975-01-12 | Washington County | F1 20.6 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1971-01-15 | Washington County | F0 0.3 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 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 Washington County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 19, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindSpring Hollow, Washington County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-19 | Thunderstorm WindHolmes Valley, Washington County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-19 | Thunderstorm WindCrow, Washington County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-19 | Thunderstorm WindChipley, Washington County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindRiverside, Washington County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-18 | TornadoMillers Ferry, Washington County | EF0 1.84 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindHulaw, Washington County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindChipley, Washington County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-07 | Thunderstorm WindWausau, Washington County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-05-07 | Thunderstorm WindVernon, Washington County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-05-07 | Thunderstorm WindVernon, Washington County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtWashington County · forecast zone Washington | 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)Washington County · forecast zone Washington 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 | $470M | |
| 2022-03-31 | TornadoGilberts Mill, Washington County An EF-3 tornado tracked through Washington County into Jackson County Florida during the early morning hours of Thursday, March 31, 2022. The tornado began near Roland Rd and Ovid Ln in Washington County where it snapped tree trunks as it moved northeastward. The tornado crossed Orange Hill Rd and continued on to ... | EF3 5.87 mi x 200 yd | 2 | 1 | $504K |
| 2001-03-15 | TornadoWausau, Washington County An F2 tornado touched down in the Sunny Hills subdivision near Gin Lake in southeast Washington County, and raced northeast into southwest Jackson County. The tornado struck the Country Oaks, Buckhorn Creek, and Highview Acres communities. The hardest hit area was Highview Acres where 20 homes were damaged or ... | F2 7 mi x 350 yd | 1 | 21 | $2.5M |
| 1975-01-12 | TornadoWashington County | F1 32.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 12 | $3K step |
| 1997-01-15 | TornadoHinsons Xrds, Washington County A tornado destroyed a mobile home injuring 3 people. | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 3 | $55K |
| 2024-05-17 | Thunderstorm WindBahoma, Washington County A tree fell on a house with one injury reported. | 50 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $47K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-10-10 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Washington County · forecast zone Washington | 4 | 0 | $470M | |
| 2013-07-04 | FloodCaryville, Washington County | 0 | 0 | $24M | |
| 2020-09-16 | Flash FloodEbro, Washington County | 0 | 0 | $21M | |
| 1998-03-10 | FloodWashington County · forecast zone Washington | 0 | 0 | $18M | |
| 2021-08-16 | FloodBahoma, Washington County | 0 | 0 | $13M | |
| 2013-08-18 | Flash FloodWhitehead Crossroads, Washington County | 0 | 0 | $6.3M | |
| 2014-04-30 | FloodEbro, Washington County | 0 | 0 | $2.7M | |
| 2001-03-15 | TornadoWausau, Washington County | F2 7 mi x 350 yd | 1 | 21 | $2.5M |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: December 12, 1989 (tornado, Washington County); January 23, 1992 (tornado, Washington 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 Washington 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 | 10 | 21 | 73 | 89 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 3 | 5 | 37 | 43 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 23 | 15 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 8 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 2 | 3 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 9 | 5 | 3 |
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 Washington County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 56 · Feb 30 · Mar 35 · Apr 45 · May 28 · Jun 42 · Jul 44 · Aug 53 · Sep 39 · Oct 17 · Nov 24 · Dec 20 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Washington County
FEMA's register lists 40 declarations that include Washington County: 24 major disasters, 14 emergencies and 2 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (20) and severe storm (7).
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2014-05-06 | DR-4177 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2013-08-02 | DR-4138 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2001-05-15 | FM-2360 | Fire | Fl - Chipola River Fire Complex - 05/15/01 |
| 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 |
| 1995-10-04 | DR-1069 | Hurricane | Hurricane Opal |
| 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 |
| 1975-09-26 | DR-484 | Flood | High Winds, Heavy Rains & Flooding |
| 1975-08-22 | DR-479 | Flood | 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 Washington County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 88 flood or flash flood records for Washington County from 1997 to 2025, on 36 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Washington County ranks 987th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Michael | 2018-10-10 | 1 | 4 |
| Tropical Storm Fred | 2021-08-16 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Sally | 2020-09-16 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Dennis | 2005-07-09 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Frances | 2004-09-15 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Georges | 1998-09-28 | 2 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $4.6 million on 184 claims filed in Washington County; the most in one year was 57 in 1994. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 4 · 1990: 9 · 1991: 2 · 1994: 57 · 1998: 50 · 2002: 4 · 2004: 1 · 2005: 2 · 2009: 6 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 8 · 2014: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2018: 4 · 2019: 7 · 2020: 16 · 2021: 10 · 2022: 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 Washington County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Washington County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $18.5 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 | $11M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $2.1M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $371K | 82 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $325K | 6.3 modeled event-days a year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $518K | 1.9 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $40K | 22 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $3.7M | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $155K | 1.5 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Washington 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 Washington CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Washington County's FEMA declarations (CSV)40 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis