Bay County, Florida severe weather history spans 669 recorded events between 1952 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 39.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #447 nationally and #15 in Florida.
669
Recorded events
20
Direct deaths
140
Direct injuries
$77.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Bay County, Florida severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Bay County, Florida severe weather history averages 9.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 272 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 77 events fall before 1990 and 592 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Bay County, Florida record is rip current, responsible for 11 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $47.2M in reported property damage. In total, 12 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Bay County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 267 | 0 | $11.0M | 71 | 1955–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 149 | 0 | $5.2M | 0 | 1999–2025 |
| Tornado | 92 | 4 | $47.2M | F3 | 1952–2025 |
| Hail | 67 | 0 | $1K | 3 | 1957–2025 |
| Flood | 26 | 0 | $9.6M | 0 | 1999–2023 |
| Lightning | 23 | 5 | $736K | 0 | 1996–2023 |
| Funnel Cloud | 12 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2008–2024 |
| Rip Current | 10 | 11 | $0 | 0 | 2002–2005 |
| Heavy Rain | 8 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2021 |
| Wildfire | 8 | 0 | $10K | 0 | 1998–2000 |
| Waterspout | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2000 |
| Storm Surge/Tide | 2 | 0 | $4.0M | 0 | 2002–2002 |
Decade by decade
Bay County, Florida severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
92 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 82 touched down inside it and 10 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967-12-10 | EF3 | 1 | 50 | 7.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-01-09 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 5.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 1975-01-12 | EF2 | 1 | 33 | 168.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-01-09 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 12.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-01-09 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2022-03-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-04-10 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1999-01-02 | EF2 | 0 | 7 | 3.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1960-09-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1960-02-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.6 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Bay County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 6, 2012 | Lightning | ST ANDREWS STATE PARK | 2 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 2, 2003 | Rip Current | PANAMA CITY BEACH | 2 | 0 | $0 |
| Dec 10, 1967 | Tornado | 1 | 50 | $2.5M | |
| Sep 15, 2004 | Tornado | PANAMA CITY | 1 | 7 | $5.0M |
| Jan 12, 1975 | Tornado | 1 | 3 | $250K | |
| Sep 15, 2004 | Tornado | ALLANTON | 1 | 1 | $500K |
| Aug 2, 1999 | Lightning | PANAMA CITY BEACH | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 26, 2007 | Lightning | LYNN HAVEN | 1 | 0 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
WJHG-TV reported that two people were struck by lightning on Shell Island near Panama City. A 42 year old father was carrying his 14 year old stepson when the strike occurred. The father was killed on the spot, and the teen later died at a Pensacola hospital.
A strong F1 tornado touched down near the St Andrews recreation area. It damaged dozens of restaurants, stores and shops as it moved north along Thomas Drive. Seven persons were injured at a seafood restaurant near Grand Lagoon. An elderly man was killed when the tornado destroyed a real estate office. The tornado moved across St Andrews Bay near the Hathaway Bridge and then 100 yards south of the WJHG-TV station before dissipating. Reported by the Bay County EMA and WJHG-TV meteorologist.
A wood-frame house was lifted 60 feet off its foundation and thrown into a field. Of the seven family members inside, one was killed and another injured. Several other homes were damaged. Reported by a HAM radio operator.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
186,393
Population (ACS)
$311K
Median home value
49
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 28, 2024 | Hurricane | HURRICANE HELENE | DR |
| Sep 24, 2024 | Tropical Storm | TROPICAL STORM HELENE | EM |
| Aug 10, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE DEBBY | DR |
| Aug 3, 2024 | Tropical Storm | TROPICAL STORM DEBBY | EM |
| Aug 31, 2023 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IDALIA | DR |
| Aug 28, 2023 | Tropical Storm | TROPICAL STORM IDALIA | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Bay County, Florida?
669 events are on record between 1952 and 2026, causing 20 direct deaths and $77.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Bay County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 267 recorded events — 39.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Bay County?
92 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 82 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Bay County?
49 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Bay County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Bay County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Bay County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 94 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Bay County, Florida severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Baker County 263
- Bradford County 222
- Alachua County 852
- Brevard County 953
- Broward County 1,172
- Calhoun County 218
Cite this page
“Bay County, Florida.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/florida/bay-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.