Putnam County, Florida severe weather history spans 656 recorded events between 1957 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 57.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #462 nationally and #17 in Florida.
656
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
37
Direct injuries
$4.8M
Property damage
The record
What the Putnam County, Florida severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Putnam County, Florida severe weather history averages 9.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 191 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 59 events fall before 1990 and 597 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Putnam County, Florida record is tornado, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $3.7M 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 Putnam County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 379 | 1 | $475K | 65 | 1974–2026 |
| Hail | 109 | 0 | $0 | 2 | 1974–2023 |
| Tornado | 47 | 2 | $3.7M | F2 | 1957–2024 |
| Heavy Rain | 42 | 0 | $15K | 272 | 2006–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 21 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1999–2025 |
| Lightning | 19 | 1 | $632K | 0 | 1998–2023 |
| Flood | 16 | 0 | $5K | 0 | 2012–2025 |
| Wildfire | 15 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2003 |
| Flash Flood | 8 | 0 | $13K | 0 | 1996–2017 |
Decade by decade
Putnam County, Florida severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
49 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 47 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977-12-05 | EF2 | 1 | 10 | 9.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1995-04-24 | EF2 | 0 | 5 | 10.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-04-04 | EF2 | 0 | 4 | 39.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1972-01-22 | EF2 | 0 | 4 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1967-05-22 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 17.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2022-03-12 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2006-07-26 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1991-03-03 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1983-04-09 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1980-02-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Putnam County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 5, 1977 | Tornado | 1 | 10 | $250K | |
| Sep 26, 2023 | Lightning | BOSTWICK | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 20, 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | BOSTWICK | 1 | 0 | $20K |
| Feb 2, 1996 | Tornado | BOSTWICK | 1 | 0 | $20K |
| Jul 10, 1998 | Wildfire | PALATKA | 0 | 5 | $0 |
| Mar 25, 2005 | Lightning | PALATKA | 0 | 4 | $0 |
| Apr 16, 1999 | Wildfire | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 4 | $0 |
| Apr 4, 1973 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Bass boat would not start as thunderstorm approached and was taken under tow by a pontoon boat. Bass boat filled with water and sank. Victim could not be located due to low visibility, wind and waves. Victim was not wearing a life jacket.
A 16-year-old female died of her injuries after being struck by lightning while hunting with her father near Bostwick. Both were sheltering under a tree when storms approached. Lightning struck the tree, knocking both unconscious. The teen was hospitalized, but she passed away 2 days later.
Heavy rainfall caused ponding of water on top of a Sonic Restaurant which caused the roof to collapse. The cost of damage was unknown, but a value was entered in Storm Data so the event could be included. This value is likely inaccurate.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
75,164
Population (ACS)
$160K
Median home value
41
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 22, 2026 | Fire | RAILROAD COMPLEX FIRE | FM |
| Oct 11, 2024 | Hurricane | HURRICANE MILTON | DR |
| Oct 7, 2024 | Hurricane | HURRICANE MILTON | EM |
| Sep 28, 2024 | Hurricane | HURRICANE HELENE | DR |
| Aug 10, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE DEBBY | DR |
| Aug 3, 2024 | Tropical Storm | TROPICAL STORM DEBBY | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Putnam County, Florida?
656 events are on record between 1957 and 2026, causing 4 direct deaths and $4.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Putnam County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 379 recorded events — 57.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Putnam County?
49 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 47 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Putnam County?
41 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Putnam County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Putnam County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Putnam County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 80 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Putnam 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
- Polk County 881
- St. Johns County 786
- Pinellas County 843
- St. Lucie County 248
- Pasco County 567
- Santa Rosa County 663
Cite this page
“Putnam County, Florida.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/florida/putnam-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.