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

Washington County, Florida tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 33 tornadoes in Washington County, Florida from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.3 years. That ranks it 43 of 67 counties in Florida with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on January 9, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
33
Since 2000
15
Strongest
EF3, March 31, 2022
Most recent
EF0, January 9, 2024
Peak month
March (7)
Per 1,000 sq mi
54
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Moderate

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 Washington County

March has brought the most, 7 of 33. About 52% touched down between 3 am and 9 am (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 36% 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) 12
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 16
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 4
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 Washington County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 31, 2022 EF3 12.1 mi 200 yd 2 1
March 15, 2001 F2 10 mi 350 yd 1 21
April 30, 1963 F2 61 mi 10 yd
December 10, 1967 F2 9.9 mi 300 yd
April 23, 2020 EF2 17.2 mi 400 yd
January 12, 1975 F1 53 mi 50 yd 12
January 15, 1997 F1 0.2 mi 50 yd 3
September 23, 1975 F1 0.1 mi 30 yd
November 17, 1987 F1 1 mi 30 yd
December 12, 1989 F1 10 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 Washington County was an EF3 on March 31, 2022. It killed 2 people and injured 1 along its 12.1-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
January 9, 2024 EF0 0.9 mi 50 yd
March 31, 2022 EF3 12.1 mi 200 yd 2 1
March 9, 2022 EF1 0.2 mi 100 yd
March 9, 2022 EF0 1.4 mi 200 yd
March 18, 2021 EF0 1.6 mi 25 yd
February 15, 2021 EF0 0.7 mi 100 yd
April 23, 2020 EF2 17.2 mi 400 yd
March 3, 2019 EF1 5.3 mi 300 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 Washington County as relatively moderate, with a score of 69 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.48 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $2,143,670 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 Washington County had?

33 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 15 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Washington County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on January 9, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Washington County?

An EF3 on March 31, 2022, with a 12.1-mile path.

When is tornado season in Washington 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.