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

Sarasota County, Florida tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 86 tornadoes in Sarasota County, Florida from 1950 through 2024, about 1.1 a year. That ranks it 15 of 67 counties in Florida with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on October 11, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
86
Since 2000
19
Strongest
F3, March 17, 1985
Most recent
EF0, October 11, 2023
Peak month
June (12)
Per 1,000 sq mi
141
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 Sarasota County

June has brought the most, 12 of 86. About 55% 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 23% 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) 51
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 24
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 9
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 1
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 Sarasota County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 17, 1985 F3 3 mi 400 yd 2 45
December 3, 1971 F2 7.3 mi 100 yd 5
December 3, 1971 F2 4.9 mi 100 yd 3
November 9, 1968 F2 4.1 mi 100 yd 2
January 17, 2016 EF2 1.1 mi 350 yd 2
March 12, 1951 F2 2 mi 77 yd
November 11, 1968 F2 0.1 mi 17 yd
June 13, 1969 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
February 3, 1970 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
December 3, 1971 F2 5.9 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 Sarasota County was an F3 on March 17, 1985. It killed 2 people and injured 45 along its 3-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
October 11, 2023 EF0 0.2 mi 50 yd
December 15, 2022 EF0 0.1 mi 100 yd
May 31, 2022 EF-U 0.5 mi 25 yd
March 16, 2022 EF1 1.5 mi 100 yd 1
June 26, 2020 EF0 0.4 mi 75 yd
June 1, 2020 EF0 0.6 mi 75 yd
October 10, 2018 EF0 0 mi 20 yd
January 17, 2016 EF2 1.1 mi 350 yd 2

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 Sarasota County as relatively high, with a score of 92 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.88 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $6,928,348 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 Sarasota County had?

86 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 19 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Sarasota County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on October 11, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Sarasota County?

An F3 on March 17, 1985, with a 3-mile path.

When is tornado season in Sarasota 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.