49
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
19
Direct injuries
$5.8M
Property damage
Tornado in Highlands County, Florida: 49 recorded events between 1964 and 2024. The strongest on record measured F2. That places the county #400 nationally and #29 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Highlands County, Florida: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Highlands County is the 1970s, when 14 of the county's 49 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Highlands County archive, tornado makes up 19.8% of all recorded severe weather across 10 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #400 for this hazard and #29 within Florida, putting it in the 86.5 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for tornado in Highlands County with 15 recorded events, while Dec is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983-02-02 | EF2 | 1.0 mi | 40 yd | Touched down here |
| 2024-10-09 | EF2 | 2.9 mi | 300 yd | Touched down here |
| 1982-06-17 | EF2 | 1.0 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1971-06-18 | EF2 | 1.0 mi | 20 yd | Touched down here |
| 2024-10-09 | EF1 | 0.6 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 2024-10-09 | EF1 | 0.5 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 2024-10-09 | EF1 | 6.8 mi | 500 yd | Touched down here |
| 2022-03-12 | EF1 | 0.7 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 2012-06-24 | EF1 | 5.3 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1998-03-09 | EF1 | 15.5 mi | 200 yd | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2, 1983 | F2 | 1 | 6 | $250K | |
| Jun 24, 2012 | VENUS | EF0 | 1 | 0 | $15K |
| Jun 18, 1982 | F2 | 0 | 9 | $250 | |
| May 4, 1978 | F1 | 0 | 2 | $2.5M | |
| Oct 9, 2024 | LAKE PLACID | EF2 | 0 | 1 | $500K |
| Nov 9, 1990 | F1 | 0 | 1 | $25K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 9, 2024 | (AGR)AVON PARK | EF0 | $50K |
| Oct 9, 2024 | ARCHBOLD | EF1 | $25K |
| Oct 9, 2024 | VENUS | EF1 | $100K |
| Oct 9, 2024 | LAKE PLACID | EF2 | $500K |
| Oct 9, 2024 | WILD IS | EF1 | $50K |
| Mar 12, 2022 | LORIDA | EF1 | $0 |
| Jun 26, 2012 | BRIGHTON | EF0 | $0 |
| Jun 24, 2012 | PLACID LAKES | EF1 | $60K |
| Jun 24, 2012 | VENUS | EF0 | $15K |
| Jan 26, 2011 | ISTOKPOGA | EF0 | $5K |
Other hazards here
More from Highlands County
- Thunderstorm Wind 99
- Hail 60
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Tornado estimated to have begun near the southeastern shore of|Lake Clay before moving north-northwest across the lake and|entering the Tropical Harbor Mobile Home community situated along|the northern shore of the lake. Approximately 20 to 30 units|suffered damage, primarily consisting of carports being peeled|off or removed, along with various degrees of roof, carport and|patio damage. A few units suffered partial wall collapses as a|result of the roof being compromised, with 1 injury as a result|when a woman sheltering inside her bedroom was injured by a|collapsing exterior wall. One unit was found to have been|displaced approximately one foot off its supports, along with its|roof mostly removed and a few walls collapsed. A number of large|limbs were felled in the community as well. The tornado continued|to track north-northwest across unpopulated areas beyond the|mobile home park, then across a solar farm, before likely|dissipating near the southern shore of Lake Apthorpe. Maximum estimated winds were 130 mph.
The public observed a short lived tornado sporadically touch down near the intersection of West Josephine Road and Bethea Lane over rural extreme western Highlands county. The tornado removed the roofs of two mobile homes, caused extensive damage to the roof of a commercial building, toppled a few large trees and snapped several branches at a commercial tree farm before it lifted and dissipated.
A short-lived tornado caused roof damage to seven pre-fabricated homes, downed a handful of trees and a few power lines along U.S. Highway 98 in Lorida. Two of the homes suffered major roof damage while five received minor roof damage. A parked boat and vehicle were also damaged by a 40 foot Formosa tree toppled by the tornado. The tornado tore a flagpole from the ground and ripped off several carports along Bishop Dairy Road before it lifted and dissipated.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Highlands County, Florida?
49 tornado events are recorded in Highlands County between 1964 and 2024, causing 2 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Highlands County?
The strongest tornado on record in Highlands County measured F2.
Where does the tornado data for Highlands County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Tornado in Highlands County, Florida.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/florida/highlands-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.