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

Georgia · County tornado history

Seminole County, Georgia tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 8 tornadoes in Seminole County, Georgia from 1950 through 2024, about one every 9.4 years. That ranks it 132 of 158 counties in Georgia with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on February 15, 2021.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
8
Since 2000
3
Strongest
F3, March 22, 2005
Most recent
EF0, February 15, 2021
Peak month
March (3)
Per 1,000 sq mi
31
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 Seminole County

March has brought the most, 3 of 8. About 50% touched down between 5 am and 11 am (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 50% 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) 1
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 3
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 3
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 1
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
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 Seminole County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 22, 2005 F3 18 mi 1,250 yd 1 18
January 12, 1975 F2 168.5 mi 100 yd 1 33
April 18, 1969 F2 217.8 mi 233 yd 30
February 7, 1971 F2 20.6 mi 300 yd 2
March 6, 1996 F1 0.5 mi 50 yd 1
March 16, 1972 F1 0.5 mi 100 yd
January 2, 2017 EF1 3.7 mi 600 yd
February 15, 2021 EF0 0.5 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 Seminole County was an F3 on March 22, 2005. It killed 1 person and injured 18 along its 18-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
February 15, 2021 EF0 0.5 mi 50 yd
January 2, 2017 EF1 3.7 mi 600 yd
March 22, 2005 F3 18 mi 1,250 yd 1 18
March 6, 1996 F1 0.5 mi 50 yd 1
January 12, 1975 F2 168.5 mi 100 yd 1 33
March 16, 1972 F1 0.5 mi 100 yd
February 7, 1971 F2 20.6 mi 300 yd 2
April 18, 1969 F2 217.8 mi 233 yd 30

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 Seminole County as relatively low, with a score of 41 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.21 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $822,564 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 Seminole County had?

8 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 3 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Seminole County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on February 15, 2021. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Seminole County?

An F3 on March 22, 2005, with a 18-mile path.

When is tornado season in Seminole County?

March 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.