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Florida · County tornado history

Broward County, Florida tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 146 tornadoes in Broward County, Florida from 1950 through 2024, about 1.9 a year. That ranks it 6 of 67 counties in Florida with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF-U on October 9, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
146
Since 2000
52
Strongest
F3, March 1, 1980
Most recent
EF-U, October 9, 2024
Peak month
June (22)
Per 1,000 sq mi
119
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively High

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Broward County

June has brought the most, 22 of 146. About 64% touched down between 11 am and 5 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it).

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 96
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 35
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 9
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 3
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0
EF-U Unknown: no damage to rate (mostly since 2016) 3

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Broward County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 1, 1980 F3 7.8 mi 500 yd 1 33
April 10, 1956 F3 7.8 mi 200 yd 20
February 23, 1965 F3 5.7 mi 60 yd 6
March 4, 1972 F2 2 mi 500 yd 6
May 26, 1961 F2 0.5 mi 50 yd 2
May 24, 1979 F2 3 mi 30 yd 2
March 17, 1983 F2 52.5 mi 60 yd 2
September 22, 1954 F2 0.1 mi 33 yd
October 14, 1964 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
June 13, 1971 F2 4.5 mi 50 yd

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Broward County was an F3 on March 1, 1980. It killed 1 person and injured 33 along its 7.8-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
October 9, 2024 EF-U 4.7 mi 50 yd
February 18, 2024 EF-U 0.2 mi 50 yd
February 18, 2024 EF0 3.4 mi 350 yd
February 18, 2024 EF0 3.4 mi 100 yd
January 6, 2024 EF0 1.6 mi 100 yd
April 21, 2023 EF0 0.1 mi 10 yd
April 12, 2023 EF0 1.7 mi 50 yd
April 12, 2023 EF0 0 mi 10 yd

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Broward County as relatively high, with a score of 96 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.80 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $13,646,787 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Broward County had?

146 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 52 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Broward County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF-U on October 9, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Broward County?

An F3 on March 1, 1980, with a 7.8-mile path.

When is tornado season in Broward County?

June has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.