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Florida · County tornado history

Okeechobee County, Florida tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 27 tornadoes in Okeechobee County, Florida from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.8 years. That ranks it 48 of 67 counties in Florida with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on October 9, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
27
Since 2000
9
Strongest
F4, April 4, 1966
Most recent
EF1, October 9, 2024
Peak month
June (6)
Per 1,000 sq mi
30
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 Okeechobee County

June has brought the most, 6 of 27. About 59% touched down between 10 am and 4 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) 12
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 8
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 6
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 0
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
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 Okeechobee County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 4, 1966 F4 135.8 mi 300 yd 11 530
September 26, 1982 F2 4 mi 60 yd 1 7
March 21, 1983 F2 5 mi 50 yd 4
November 14, 1969 F2 3.8 mi 10 yd 2
October 9, 2024 EF2 8.5 mi 250 yd 2
April 6, 2017 EF2 4.1 mi 150 yd
October 9, 2024 EF2 2.6 mi 100 yd
March 9, 1998 F1 4 mi 100 yd 10
June 18, 1972 F1 1 mi 50 yd 2
July 4, 1959 F1 0.1 mi 10 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Okeechobee 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
October 9, 2024 EF1 7.8 mi 100 yd
October 9, 2024 EF2 2.6 mi 100 yd
October 9, 2024 EF1 17.1 mi 300 yd
October 9, 2024 EF2 8.5 mi 250 yd 2
April 6, 2017 EF2 4.1 mi 150 yd
July 12, 2014 EF0 0.1 mi 15 yd
June 1, 2012 EF0 0.9 mi 20 yd
August 21, 2006 F0 0.5 mi 30 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 Okeechobee County as relatively low, with a score of 44 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.59 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $638,209 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 Okeechobee County had?

27 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 9 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Okeechobee County?

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

What was the strongest tornado in Okeechobee County?

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

When is tornado season in Okeechobee 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.