Madison County, Florida severe weather history spans 382 recorded events between 1959 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 73.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,328 nationally and #34 in Florida.
382
Recorded events
6
Direct deaths
30
Direct injuries
$40.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Madison County, Florida severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Madison County, Florida severe weather history averages 5.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 130 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 12 events fall before 1990 and 370 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Madison County, Florida record is tornado, responsible for 5 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $25.6M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Madison County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 280 | 0 | $5.6M | 88 | 1973–2026 |
| Hail | 35 | 0 | $116K | 1.75 | 1959–2025 |
| Tornado | 23 | 5 | $25.6M | F3 | 1959–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 18 | 0 | $185K | 0 | 2000–2024 |
| Heavy Rain | 11 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2008–2012 |
| Flood | 8 | 1 | $8.5M | 0 | 1999–2024 |
| Lightning | 5 | 0 | $500K | 0 | 1999–2008 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2007–2007 |
| Wildfire | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–1998 |
Decade by decade
Madison County, Florida severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
23 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 21 touched down inside it and 2 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988-04-19 | EF3 | 4 | 18 | 12.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1988-11-05 | EF2 | 1 | 3 | 8.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1969-12-25 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-05-10 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 37.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2023-04-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2020-11-30 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2020-03-31 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 9.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 2020-03-31 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 11.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-12-03 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-03-31 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Madison County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 1988 | Tornado | 4 | 18 | $25.0M | |
| Nov 5, 1988 | Tornado | 1 | 3 | $25K | |
| Apr 6, 2009 | Flood | LEE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 28, 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | MADISON | 0 | 2 | $10K |
| Jul 22, 2000 | Lightning | GREENVILLE | 0 | 2 | $300K |
| Jun 5, 1999 | Lightning | GREENVILLE | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jun 30, 2008 | Lightning | MADISON | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 12, 2001 | Tornado | GREENVILLE | 0 | 1 | $200K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Thunderstorm downburst winds estimated near 100 mph toppled numerous trees which fell on buildings along a 15 mile path through central Madison County. The greatest destruction occurred when an FHP Drivers License mobile home valued at $125,000 was completely destroyed and a nearby FHP station damaged. Madison County High School suffered $500,000 damage, mainly to its gymnasium and other athletic facilities. Seventy-five homes and businesses sustained a total of $300,000 damage.
Long duration areal flooding occurred across southeast Madison county due to heavy rainfall of around 12 inches from Hurricane Debby. The Ragans Family Campground was flooded and forced to close, which resulted in a few hundred campers being evacuated. Other homes and rural roads were inundated in the area. The flooding was slow to recede in some areas and lasted all the way through August 26th.
Moderate to record flooding along the Withlacoochee River closed several roads, including County Roads 145 and 150 east of Pinetta to the bridge. Many homes along the river were flooded, with evacuations on April 5 and 6. Oakhill Road flooded at 65 feet. Several dirt roads were washed out.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
18,089
Population (ACS)
$116K
Median home value
33
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 11, 2024 | Hurricane | HURRICANE MILTON | DR |
| Oct 7, 2024 | Hurricane | HURRICANE MILTON | EM |
| 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 |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Madison 122
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Madison County, Florida?
382 events are on record between 1959 and 2026, causing 6 direct deaths and $40.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Madison County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 280 recorded events — 73.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Madison County?
23 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 21 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Madison County?
33 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Madison County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Madison County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Madison County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 47 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Madison 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
- Liberty County 137
- Manatee County 464
- Levy County 259
- Marion County 983
- Leon County 1,241
- Martin County 221
Cite this page
“Madison County, Florida.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/florida/madison-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.