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Florida · County tornado history

Madison County, Florida tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 23 tornadoes in Madison County, Florida from 1950 through 2024, about one every 3.3 years. That ranks it 55 of 67 counties in Florida with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on May 10, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
23
Since 2000
12
Strongest
F3, April 19, 1988
Most recent
EF1, May 10, 2024
Peak month
March (5)
Per 1,000 sq mi
32
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Low

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 Madison County

March has brought the most, 5 of 23. About 48% touched down between 1 pm and 7 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 17% 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) 6
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 14
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 2
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 1
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0

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 Madison County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 19, 1988 F3 12 mi 300 yd 4 18
November 5, 1988 F2 8 mi 50 yd 1 3
December 25, 1969 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd 1
June 11, 2001 F1 0.3 mi 100 yd 1
July 1, 1959 F1 0.1 mi 10 yd
December 3, 1968 F1 0.1 mi 200 yd
October 20, 1976 F1 0.1 mi 17 yd
December 29, 1983 F1 3 mi 30 yd
November 12, 2004 F1 0.2 mi 50 yd
March 2, 2007 EF1 3 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 Madison County was an F3 on April 19, 1988. It killed 4 people and injured 18 along its 12-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 10, 2024 EF1 37.5 mi 1,300 yd
April 27, 2023 EF1 0.6 mi 100 yd
November 30, 2020 EF1 5.5 mi 475 yd
March 31, 2020 EF0 0.1 mi 50 yd
March 31, 2020 EF1 11.7 mi 100 yd
March 31, 2020 EF1 9.2 mi 150 yd
December 3, 2018 EF1 2.1 mi 279 yd
March 31, 2009 EF1 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 Madison County as relatively low, with a score of 38 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.32 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $564,684 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 Madison County had?

23 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 12 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Madison County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on May 10, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Madison County?

An F3 on April 19, 1988, with a 12-mile path.

When is tornado season in Madison County?

March 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.