Skip to content
Twisters.us
Find my countyFind my countyTexasKansasOklahomaSee all: StatesWhat to do in a tornadoWatch vs. warningStorm shelters and safe roomsSee all: Stay safeTornado Alley mapEF scaleEvery EF5See all: Records

Florida · County tornado history

Polk County, Florida tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 171 tornadoes in Polk County, Florida from 1950 through 2024, about 2.3 a year. That ranks it 2 of 67 counties in Florida with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on September 26, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
171
Since 2000
41
Strongest
F4, April 4, 1966
Most recent
EF0, September 26, 2024
Peak month
June (37)
Per 1,000 sq mi
85
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 Polk County

June has brought the most, 37 of 171. About 59% touched down between 11 am and 5 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 16% 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) 108
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 45
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 16
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 0
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 2
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 Polk County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 4, 1966 F4 135.8 mi 300 yd 11 530
April 15, 1958 F4 0.1 mi 300 yd 7
May 8, 1979 F2 4 mi 200 yd 1 40
December 27, 1997 F2 5.8 mi 150 yd 18
March 9, 1998 F2 10.4 mi 250 yd 4
May 29, 1963 F2 0.1 mi 30 yd 2
December 18, 1951 F2 0.1 mi 150 yd
December 18, 1951 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
February 19, 1963 F2 0.2 mi 10 yd
June 6, 1964 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 Polk 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
September 26, 2024 EF0 1.1 mi 25 yd
August 4, 2024 EF0 1.5 mi 25 yd
August 4, 2024 EF0 1.2 mi 25 yd
July 23, 2024 EF0 0.1 mi 25 yd
April 11, 2021 EF0 1.4 mi 50 yd
December 16, 2020 EF1 12.9 mi 250 yd
October 18, 2019 EF2 11.4 mi 525 yd
December 20, 2018 EF0 0.1 mi 30 yd 1

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 Polk County as relatively high, with a score of 94 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 2.02 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $9,387,539 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 Polk County had?

171 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 41 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Polk County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on September 26, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Polk County?

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

When is tornado season in Polk 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.