Leon County, Florida severe weather history spans 1,241 recorded events between 1952 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 66.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #77 nationally and #3 in Florida.
1,241
Recorded events
7
Direct deaths
12
Direct injuries
$240.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Leon County, Florida severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Leon County, Florida severe weather history averages 16.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 560 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 80 events fall before 1990 and 1,161 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Leon County, Florida record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 3 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $190.5M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Leon County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 826 | 3 | $6.8M | 80 | 1958–2026 |
| Hail | 136 | 0 | $30K | 2.75 | 1959–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 98 | 1 | $38.3M | 0 | 2000–2024 |
| Heavy Rain | 72 | 0 | $35K | 0 | 2008–2012 |
| Tornado | 37 | 2 | $190.5M | F2 | 1952–2025 |
| Lightning | 37 | 1 | $3.5M | 0 | 1996–2026 |
| Flood | 29 | 0 | $935K | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2011 |
Decade by decade
Leon County, Florida severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
38 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 33 touched down inside it and 5 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-03-03 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 8.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-05-10 | EF2 | 2 | 0 | 24.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-05-10 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 24.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 1972-03-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1972-03-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1960-04-10 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1953-12-06 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1952-01-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-04-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 12.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-04-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 8.6 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Leon County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 10, 2024 | Tornado | FORT BRADEN | 2 | 0 | $92.1M |
| Apr 19, 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | WOODVILLE | 1 | 1 | $50K |
| Jun 29, 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | FOREST MEADOWS PARK | 1 | 1 | $15K |
| Mar 3, 2024 | Lightning | J R ALFORD GREENWAY | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 3, 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | TALLAHASSEE COMMUNITY AIRPORT | 1 | 0 | $50K |
| Jun 12, 2001 | Flash Flood | COUNTYWIDE | 1 | 0 | $20.0M |
| Aug 10, 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | TALLAHASSEE | 0 | 3 | $250K |
| Jul 21, 1986 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 2 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Intense rainbands from the remnants of Tropical Storm Allison dumped up to 11 inches of rain in a 24-hour period. The official 24-hour rainfall total at the Tallahassee Regional Airport of 10.13 inches broke the previous record of 9.47 inches set in 1969. Federal disaster aid was declared for Leon County where nearly 600 residences, mobile homes, apartments and businesses were damaged or destroyed by floodwaters. There were numerous reports of people stranded in their vehicles on flooded streets and intersections in Tallahassee and surrounding areas. Several people were rescued from their flooded homes and apartments. One man drowned when his vehicle was swept into a culvert near Brevard and Dewey Streets in Tallahassee. His body was found several miles downstream in a ditch near Lake Bradford Road and Gamble Street. Numerous streets were damaged or strewn with debris. Reported by the Tallahassee PD and the Florida Emergency Management Division.
Several trees were blown down near the intersection of Jackson Cove Road and Old Bainbridge, including a large, 6 foot diameter tree. A man working outside in his yard was hit by a falling tree and later died on April 6th due to his injuries. Several power outages also occurred as a result of the downed trees. A tree also fell on a resident's vehicle as well as a house. Monetary damage was estimated.
Numerous trees and power lines were down across the northern portion of Leon County between North Meridian Road and U.S. Highway 319/Thomasville Road, including Killearn Lakes. The Leon County EOC reported about 8,000 customers without power, including Bradfordville and northeast Tallahassee. A large tree fell on a vehicle traveling north on U.S. Highway 319 at Horseshoe Plantation Road. The driver was seriously injured and the passenger was killed.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
297,542
Population (ACS)
$302K
Median home value
36
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 |
| Jun 17, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Aug 31, 2023 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IDALIA | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Tallahassee 113
- Tallahassee Community College 110
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Leon County, Florida?
1,241 events are on record between 1952 and 2026, causing 7 direct deaths and $240.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Leon County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 826 recorded events — 66.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Leon County?
38 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 33 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Leon County?
36 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Leon County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Leon County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Leon County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 93 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Leon 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
- Lee County 652
- Levy County 259
- Lake County 380
- Liberty County 137
- Lafayette County 137
- Madison County 382
Cite this page
“Leon County, Florida.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/florida/leon-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.