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Florida · County tornado history

Hillsborough County, Florida tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 152 tornadoes in Hillsborough County, Florida from 1950 through 2024, about 2.0 a year. That ranks it 3 of 67 counties in Florida with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on January 9, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
152
Since 2000
30
Strongest
F4, April 4, 1966
Most recent
EF1, January 9, 2024
Peak month
July (26)
Per 1,000 sq mi
140
FEMA tornado risk
Very 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 Hillsborough County

July has brought the most, 26 of 152. About 49% touched down between 12 pm and 6 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 18% of the total, a sign of the cool-season storms common in the South.

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) 85
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 50
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 15
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 0
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0
EF-U Unknown: no damage to rate (mostly since 2016) 1

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 Hillsborough County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 4, 1966 F4 135.8 mi 300 yd 11 530
December 7, 1996 F2 2 mi 83 yd 1
October 31, 1973 F2 27.9 mi 100 yd 17
January 9, 1953 F2 9.2 mi 100 yd 12
July 2, 1964 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd 6
March 31, 1972 F2 0.2 mi 30 yd 4
January 6, 1970 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd 3
July 2, 1969 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd 2
January 8, 1978 F2 10 mi 100 yd 2
February 2, 1983 F2 4 mi 40 yd 2

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Hillsborough County was an F4 on April 4, 1966. It killed 11 people and injured 530 along its 135.8-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
January 9, 2024 EF1 0.6 mi 75 yd
May 31, 2022 EF-U 0.5 mi 25 yd
December 16, 2020 EF1 12.9 mi 250 yd
December 9, 2018 EF1 2.8 mi 50 yd
June 29, 2018 EF0 0.2 mi 25 yd
April 23, 2018 EF0 1 mi 40 yd
February 24, 2016 EF0 0.9 mi 30 yd
May 30, 2014 EF0 0.5 mi 50 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 Hillsborough County as very high, with a score of 100 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 1.31 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $76,813,948 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 Hillsborough County had?

152 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 30 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Hillsborough County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on January 9, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Hillsborough County?

An F4 on April 4, 1966, with a 135.8-mile path.

When is tornado season in Hillsborough County?

July 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.