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Florida · County tornado history

Palm Beach County, Florida tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 197 tornadoes in Palm Beach County, Florida from 1950 through 2024, about 2.6 a year. That ranks it 1 of 67 counties in Florida with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF3 on October 9, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
197
Since 2000
83
Strongest
EF3, October 9, 2024
Most recent
EF3, October 9, 2024
Peak month
August (31)
Per 1,000 sq mi
88
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 Palm Beach County

August has brought the most, 31 of 197. About 68% 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) 131
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 50
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 12
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) 2

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 Palm Beach County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
October 19, 1958 F3 20.2 mi 440 yd 1 24
October 9, 2024 EF3 32.9 mi 457 yd 7
October 14, 1964 F2 0.1 mi 100 yd 22
August 8, 1983 F2 0.3 mi 70 yd 2
September 27, 2022 EF2 7 mi 200 yd 2
March 18, 1958 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
June 17, 1959 F2 8.7 mi 150 yd
March 14, 1965 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
March 26, 1970 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
July 22, 1970 F2 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 Palm Beach County was an F3 on October 19, 1958. It killed 1 person and injured 24 along its 20.2-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
October 9, 2024 EF3 32.9 mi 457 yd 7
October 9, 2024 EF2 65.5 mi 300 yd
October 9, 2024 EF-U 16.4 mi 50 yd
October 9, 2024 EF0 15.5 mi 50 yd
January 6, 2024 EF-U 0.8 mi 100 yd
April 29, 2023 EF2 2.6 mi 320 yd
April 28, 2023 EF0 0.8 mi 100 yd
April 21, 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 Palm Beach County as relatively high, with a score of 94 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 1.53 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $8,589,809 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 Palm Beach County had?

197 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 83 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Palm Beach County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF3 on October 9, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Palm Beach County?

An EF3 on October 9, 2024, with a 32.9-mile path.

When is tornado season in Palm Beach County?

August 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.