Florida severe thunderstorm wind
Every recorded severe thunderstorm wind event since 1955 · 67 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 15,159 severe thunderstorm wind events in Florida from 1955 through June 30, 2026, about 393 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the May 24, 2009 thunderstorm wind in Lake County: 3 deaths and 2 injuries. Florida ranks 20th of 52 states and territories by count and 27th of 51 per square mile.
Severe thunderstorm wind in Florida, 1955 to 2026
Thunderstorm wind records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996.
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1996: all 48 event types recorded from 1996
- Records
- 15,1591955 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 393average
- Deaths
- 40331 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $299Mas filed
- Busiest year
- 2023713 records
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
Are severe thunderstorm wind events common in Florida?
Florida averages about 393 severe thunderstorm wind events a year since 2000, 20th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2023 (713). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Florida records 2825 severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955, 27th of 51 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1955, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
Which counties in Florida have the most severe thunderstorm wind events?
Per square mile, Pinellas County leads Florida: 214 days with a severe thunderstorm wind event since 1955, 781.6 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Leon County has the most thunderstorm wind records (847 since 1955); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1955 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is the severe thunderstorm season in Florida?
Florida's severe thunderstorm wind events by month. The busiest month is June (3,336 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 874 · Feb 867 · Mar 1,213 · Apr 1,738 · May 1,577 · Jun 3,336 · Jul 2,466 · Aug 1,560 · Sep 640 · Oct 270 · Nov 280 · Dec 338 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1955.
What were the deadliest severe thunderstorm wind events in Florida?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-05-24 | Thunderstorm WindAstor Park, Lake County Strong thunderstorm winds estimated at 45 to 50 mph, produced 3-4 foot waves which capsized two boats and caused a third boat to tip severely. A 20 foot Sea Ray capsized with 2 adults and 5 children on board. All children were wearing life jackets, however two became trapped in the cabin and drowned when the boat ... | 43 kt wind | 3 | 2 | – |
| 1993-03-13 | Thunderstorm WindNarrowrowanja, Miami-Dade County Every thunderstorm wind record filed in the state that day (21, in 11 places; before 1996 NOAA filed no storm episodes); the totals are the day's. Strong downburst winds overturned a mobile home, killing one person and injuring another. (F36M) | 2 | 2 | $62M | |
| 2025-06-04 | Thunderstorm WindMerritt Is, Brevard County Emergency manager reported that a crane collapsed at the new Cape Canaveral hospital construction site at Borman Drive and SR-520, leading to two fatalities. Outflow winds from a thunderstorm of up to 39 to 48 knots were observed near the site around the time. | 48 kt wind | 2 | 0 | – |
| 1987-07-14 | Thunderstorm WindPalm Beach County Every thunderstorm wind record filed in the state that day (2; before 1996 NOAA filed no storm episodes); the totals are the day's. | 1 | 3 | – | |
| 2015-07-05 | Thunderstorm WindGainesville East, Alachua County A tree limb was blown down at Poe Springs park, which hit a woman on the head. Two others were injured. The woman died due to head trauma from the tree limb. | 45 kt wind | 1 | 2 | – |
| 2009-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindForest Meadows Park, Leon County One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. Afternoon thunderstorms on the 29th produced several reports of wind damage in Gadsden and Leon counties. | 60 kt wind | 1 | 2 | $62K |
| 2015-03-27 | Thunderstorm WindBiscayne Park, Miami-Dade County One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. A squall line ahead of advancing strong cold front moved across South Florida during the late afternoon and early evening. In addition to causing minor structural damage, approximately 5,000 customers lost power in Broward County and 3,000 in Miami-Dade County. | 43 kt wind | 1 | 1 | – |
| 2010-08-22 | Thunderstorm WindDe Land Municipal Airport, Volusia County Weather likely played an indirect role in a vehicle-related fatality in DeLand. Saturated ground existed across the area due to several previous days of localized heavy rainfall. Between 1400 and 1500 LST, a thunderstorm moved southwest across DeLand, resulting in a quick two inches of additional rain and wind gusts ... | 26 kt wind | 1 | 1 | – |
| 2024-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindKillarney, Orange County A tree fell onto a car traveling southbound on Reams Road near Summerlake Park Boulevard in Winter Garden. A 14 year old female who was in the back seat at the time was extricated from the back seat and transported to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Two other passengers in the car were uninjured. | 40 kt wind | 1 | 1 | – |
| 2022-09-01 | Thunderstorm WindOrlando Exec Ar, Orange County The ASOS at Orlando Executive Airport, KORL, measured a peak wind gust of 62 mph from a severe thunderstorm. These winds flipped over two small planes at the airport. One plane was unoccupied when it was flipped near a hanger on the airport. A second plane that had two people onboard was flipped as it was taxiing on ... | 54 kt wind | 1 | 1 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.
The costliest severe thunderstorm wind events in Florida
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-03-13 | Thunderstorm WindNarrowrowanja, Miami-Dade County Every thunderstorm wind record filed in the state that day (21, in 11 places; before 1996 NOAA filed no storm episodes); the totals are the day's. | 2 | 2 | $62M | |
| 2008-08-13 | Thunderstorm WindEggleston Hgts, Duval County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $16M |
| 1993-04-05 | Thunderstorm WindFort Myers Beach, Lee County Every thunderstorm wind record filed in the state that day (3, in 2 places; before 1996 NOAA filed no storm episodes); the totals are the day's. | 0 | 2 | $11M | |
| 2006-05-08 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Bay County One storm episode: 2 records; the totals are the episode's. | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $11M |
| 1994-02-23 | Thunderstorm WindMadison County | 0 | 0 | $10.0M | |
| 1995-02-13 | Thunderstorm WindMiami-Dade County | 0 | 0 | $9.7M | |
| 1998-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Okaloosa County | 0 | 0 | $7.2M | |
| 1995-04-06 | Thunderstorm WindOrlando, Orange County | 0 | 0 | $4.8M |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are severe thunderstorm wind events becoming more frequent in Florida?
Florida's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | Florida | United States | Florida's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955-59 | 57 | 3,482 | 1.6% |
| 1960s | 310 | 10,124 | 3.1% |
| 1970s | 549 | 18,714 | 2.9% |
| 1980s | 860 | 39,604 | 2.2% |
| 1990s | 2,893 | 85,554 | 3.4% |
| 2000s | 2,854 | 129,990 | 2.2% |
| 2010s | 4,605 | 161,286 | 2.9% |
| 2020-26 | 3,031 | 126,815 | 2.4% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent severe thunderstorm wind events in Florida
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindSpring Hollow, Washington County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindRock Bluff, Liberty County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindBlountstown Airport, Calhoun County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindRed Oak, Calhoun County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindJuniper, Gadsden County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindChipola, Calhoun County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindOld Town, Dixie County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindLoretto, Duval County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2026-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindHilden, St. Johns County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindDaytona North, Flagler County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2026-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindBunnell, Flagler County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindBronson, Levy County | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $25K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Federal disaster declarations for severe thunderstorm wind events in Florida
FEMA files hail and wind disasters under the incident type Severe Storm: 24 declarations in Florida, 22 of them major disasters; the latest on June 17, 2024.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-06-17 | DR-4794 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes | 13 |
| 2021-07-04 | EM-3561 | Tropical Storm Elsa | 37 |
| 2014-05-06 | DR-4177 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | 9 |
| 2013-08-02 | DR-4138 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 4 |
| 2012-07-03 | DR-4068 | Tropical Storm Debby | 34 |
| 2009-05-27 | DR-1840 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds | 5 |
| 2009-04-21 | DR-1831 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds | 23 |
| 2008-08-24 | DR-1785 | Tropical Storm Fay | 44 |
| 2008-08-21 | EM-3288 | Tropical Storm Fay | 67 |
| 2007-02-08 | DR-1680 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 1 |
| 2007-02-03 | DR-1679 | Severe Storms and Tornadoes | 4 |
| 2003-07-29 | DR-1481 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 11 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
- Pinellas County: the county's whole recordThe Florida county with the most severe thunderstorm wind events per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
- Every natural hazard in FloridaTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
- Hail in Florida5,668 records
- Tornadoes in Florida3,820 records
- Floods in Florida3,375 records