Gulf County, Florida severe weather history spans 171 recorded events between 1954 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 46.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,602 nationally and #56 in Florida.
171
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
3
Direct injuries
$4.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Gulf County, Florida severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Gulf County, Florida severe weather history averages 2.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 57 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 22 events fall before 1990 and 149 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Gulf County, Florida record is lightning, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $1.9M 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 Gulf County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 79 | 0 | $1.1M | 76 | 1960–2026 |
| Tornado | 28 | 0 | $1.9M | F2 | 1954–2015 |
| Hail | 25 | 0 | $0 | 2 | 1976–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 18 | 0 | $100K | 0 | 2000–2024 |
| Wildfire | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2000 |
| Heavy Rain | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2012 |
| Flood | 4 | 0 | $100K | 0 | 2009–2023 |
| Waterspout | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2001 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2025 |
| Storm Surge/Tide | 2 | 0 | $1.0M | 0 | 2002–2002 |
| Rip Current | 1 | 1 | $0 | 0 | 2003–2003 |
Decade by decade
Gulf County, Florida severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
28 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 28 touched down inside it and 0 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 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1956-09-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-11-26 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-09-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-10-24 | EF1 | 0 | 2 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1993-01-24 | EF1 | 0 | 2 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1992-02-17 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-07-12 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1978-12-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1972-03-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Gulf County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 14, 2025 | Lightning | STONEMILL CREEK | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 25, 2010 | Lightning | ST JOE BEACH | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| May 31, 2003 | Rip Current | SOUTHWEST PORTION | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jan 24, 1993 | Tornado | Port St. Joe | 0 | 2 | $50K |
| Oct 27, 1972 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Storm surge heights of four feet combined with large battering waves eroded sand up to six feet deep at Cape San Blas. A protective berm and several septic tanks were damaged. The Florida DOT reported that State Road 30 on Cape San Blas was washed over at the Stumphole, with about four feet of roadway eroded for a distance of 100 feet. St. Joseph Peninsula State park was closed. Reported by the Gulf County EMA.
Ten mobile homes damaged (one severely) and one frame home severely damaged near State Road 71 and Overstreet Road. One mobile home was shifted off its foundation. Reported by a WJHG-TV meteorologist and the Florida EOC.
A waterspout came ashore near Windward Street on Cape San Blas. The weak tornado uprooted trees and power lines, and damaged a dozen homes as it moved northeast through Port, Leeward and Angle Fish Streets. Reported by the Gulf County EMA.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
15,131
Population (ACS)
$250K
Median home value
47
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 Gulf County, Florida?
171 events are on record between 1954 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths and $4.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Gulf County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 79 recorded events — 46.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Gulf County?
28 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 Gulf County?
47 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Gulf County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Gulf County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Gulf County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 60 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Gulf 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
- Glades County 119
- Hamilton County 245
- Gilchrist County 163
- Hardee County 144
- Gadsden County 278
- Hendry County 141
Cite this page
“Gulf County, Florida.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/florida/gulf-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.