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Florida · County tornado history

Manatee County, Florida tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 95 tornadoes in Manatee County, Florida from 1950 through 2024, about 1.3 a year. That ranks it 13 of 67 counties in Florida with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF-U on October 28, 2021.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
95
Since 2000
26
Strongest
F3, January 24, 1979
Most recent
EF-U, October 28, 2021
Peak month
July (21)
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 Manatee County

July has brought the most, 21 of 95. About 58% 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) 67
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 18
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 7
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 2
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) 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 Manatee County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
October 31, 1958 F3 3.6 mi 200 yd 4
January 24, 1979 F3 7 mi 20 yd
January 17, 2016 EF2 9.2 mi 300 yd 2 4
February 1, 1972 F2 3.3 mi 400 yd 3
October 29, 1955 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
February 10, 1956 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
August 31, 1961 F2 2 mi 50 yd
October 18, 1968 F2 0.1 mi 50 yd
February 1, 1972 F2 0.5 mi 100 yd
July 15, 1977 F1 1 mi 50 yd 6

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Manatee County was an EF2 on January 17, 2016. It killed 2 people and injured 4 along its 9.2-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
October 28, 2021 EF-U 2.8 mi 50 yd
April 10, 2021 EF1 0.5 mi 50 yd 1
November 11, 2020 EF0 0.4 mi 100 yd
August 9, 2020 EF0 0.2 mi 100 yd
July 16, 2020 EF0 0.2 mi 75 yd
December 20, 2018 EF0 0.2 mi 125 yd
August 26, 2017 EF0 0.3 mi 50 yd
July 31, 2017 EF0 0.7 mi 100 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 Manatee County as relatively high, with a score of 98 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.91 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $20,950,887 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 Manatee County had?

95 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 26 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Manatee County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF-U on October 28, 2021. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Manatee County?

An F3 on January 24, 1979, with a 7-mile path.

When is tornado season in Manatee 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.