Franklin County, Florida severe weather history spans 188 recorded events between 1950 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 46.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,516 nationally and #55 in Florida.
188
Recorded events
6
Direct deaths
10
Direct injuries
$5.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Franklin County, Florida severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Franklin County, Florida severe weather history averages 2.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 44 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 31 events fall before 1990 and 157 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Franklin County, Florida record is tornado, responsible for 6 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $4.9M in reported property damage. In total, 11 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Franklin County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 88 | 0 | $308K | 70 | 1971–2026 |
| Tornado | 47 | 6 | $4.9M | F2 | 1950–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 16 | 0 | $200K | 0 | 2000–2024 |
| Hail | 11 | 0 | $0 | 1.75 | 1989–2024 |
| Waterspout | 11 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–2001 |
| Heavy Rain | 8 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2012 |
| Wildfire | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2000 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $5K | 0 | 2001–2001 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2024–2024 |
| Flood | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2009 |
| Storm Surge/Tide | 1 | 0 | $500K | 0 | 2002–2002 |
Decade by decade
Franklin County, Florida severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
34 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 28 touched down inside it and 6 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-06-08 | EF2 | 3 | 4 | 3.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1972-10-27 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1969-09-20 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1961-11-23 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1951-05-26 | EF1 | 3 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2022-01-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-01-22 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2006-10-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 2000-09-22 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1996-10-01 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Franklin County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 8, 1989 | Tornado | 3 | 4 | $2.5M | |
| May 26, 1951 | Tornado | 3 | 0 | $250K | |
| Sep 21, 1969 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $25K | |
| Oct 14, 2001 | Lightning | CARRABELLE | 0 | 1 | $5K |
| Oct 1, 1996 | Tornado | APALACHICOLA | 0 | 1 | $10K |
| Nov 23, 1961 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A waterspout came ashore near U.S. Highway 98 and 26th Street. The tornado then tracked northeast through Apalachicola, and lifted near Water Street and Avenue G. A few boats at a marina were capsized. Four homes were destroyed and four dozen others were damaged. Hundreds of trees were either knocked down or had their tops sheared off, and numerous utility poles were down. The main electrical power substation was damaged, causing a citywide power outage. All telephone and TV cable lines were down. A restaurant along U.S. Highway 98 sustained heavy damage to its roof and outbuildings. An elementary school received minor roof damage. The city's hospital suffered heavy damage. A portion of the hospital's roof collapsed, winds blew out numerous windows, and two air handling units were torn from the roof. A local state of emergency was declared. Reports were provided by the Franklin County EMA and Sheriff, and damage surveyed by the NWS.
Storm surge heights of four feet combined with large battering waves eroded sand up to five feet deep at Dog Island. Two homes partially collapsed. At St. George Island, moderate beach erosion occurred. Overwash undermined a portion of Highway 98 near Carrabelle Beach. Reported by the Franklin County EMA.
An F1 tornado touched down on St George Island. It destroyed a house at 320 Marks Street, and moderately damaged a neighboring house. Ten other houses on Marks Street sustained minor damage. Reported by the Franklin County EMA.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
12,553
Population (ACS)
$273K
Median home value
46
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 Franklin County, Florida?
188 events are on record between 1950 and 2026, causing 6 direct deaths and $5.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Franklin County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 88 recorded events — 46.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Franklin County?
34 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 28 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Franklin County?
46 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Franklin County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Franklin County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Franklin County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 47 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Franklin 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
- Flagler County 759
- Gadsden County 278
- Escambia County 649
- Gilchrist County 163
- Duval County 1,751
- Glades County 119
Cite this page
“Franklin County, Florida.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/florida/franklin-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.