51
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
10
Direct injuries
$10.6M
Property damage
Tornado in Citrus County, Florida: 51 recorded events between 1968 and 2024. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #364 nationally and #27 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Citrus County, Florida: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Citrus County is the 1990s, when 16 of the county's 51 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 Citrus County archive, tornado makes up 14.2% of all recorded severe weather across 12 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #364 for this hazard and #27 within Florida, putting it in the 87.8 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for tornado in Citrus County with 10 recorded events, while Jan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983-04-09 | EF3 | 10.0 mi | 80 yd | Touched down here |
| 2023-10-12 | EF2 | 5.6 mi | 300 yd | Touched down here |
| 2001-03-29 | EF2 | 22.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1998-09-03 | EF2 | 4.5 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 1988-06-25 | EF2 | 2.0 mi | 40 yd | Touched down here |
| 2012-06-24 | EF1 | 5.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 2002-10-15 | EF1 | 5.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1993-03-12 | EF1 | 0.5 mi | 30 yd | Touched down here |
| 1984-08-16 | EF1 | 0.5 mi | 30 yd | Touched down here |
| 1984-08-16 | EF1 | 0.5 mi | 30 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 9, 1983 | F3 | 3 | 2 | $2.5M | |
| Mar 13, 1993 | Crystal River | F1 | 0 | 3 | $5.0M |
| Sep 3, 1998 | CRYSTAL RIVER | F2 | 0 | 2 | $500K |
| Mar 29, 2001 | HERNANDO | F0 | 0 | 1 | $75K |
| Jul 10, 1984 | F0 | 0 | 1 | $250K | |
| Feb 2, 1983 | F1 | 0 | 1 | $25K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 16, 2024 | CRYSTAL RIVER | EFU | $100K |
| Oct 12, 2023 | INGLIS | EF2 | $350K |
| Apr 20, 2020 | HOMOSASSA COMPS SITE | EF0 | $100K |
| Jun 25, 2012 | CHASSAHOWITZKA | EF1 | $90K |
| Mar 11, 2010 | CHASSAHOWITZKA | EF0 | $0 |
| Jun 23, 2009 | INVERNESS ARPT | EF0 | $250K |
| Jul 9, 2005 | LECANTO | F0 | $0 |
| Oct 15, 2002 | RED LEVEL | F0 | $50K |
| Jul 27, 2001 | FLORAL CITY | F0 | $75K |
| Mar 29, 2001 | HERNANDO | F0 | $75K |
Other hazards here
More from Citrus County
- Thunderstorm Wind 162
- Hail 78
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A tornado (F2), associated with an outer band of Hurricane Earl, touched down along N. Fairport Avenue, east of the intersection of County Road 495 and West Dunklin Road, six miles northeast of Crystal River. The tornado moved northeast, sporadically touched down along a narrow path, and destroyed a two story family structure, seven mobile homes and caused minor damage to an additional eight single family and sixteen mobile homes. Several large trees, sheds and power lines were downed by the tornado before it lifted and dissipated near County Road 488 and N. Circle M Avenue.Of note, a homeowner on W. Wheatfield Lane in Citrus Springs was alerted to the impending tornado by his four dogs who stubbornly refused to venture outdoors nearly ten minutes prior to the touchdown. The homeowner on W. Wheatfield Lane described the sound of the tornado similar to that of a roaring train as it passed over and damaged his home and downed nearby trees.Two injuries occurred to the occupants of the two story home that was destroyed by the tornado before it lifted and dissipated.
Likely began as a tornadic waterspout that moved ashore, then tracked northeast near the Paradise Point community south of Crystal River before continuing across U.S. Hwy 19 and FL Hwy 44 into eastern parts of Crystal River before lifting northeast of the city shortly thereafter. Several hardwood trees were downed near the Plantation Golf Resort and Spa before more significant damage occurred as the tornado approached and crossed U.S. Hwy 19, with multiple homes receiving roof damage, including one with exterior walls collapsed. A warehouse along U.S. Hwy 19 also had part of its roof removed. Additional minor roof damage observed as the tornado continued northeast and across FL Hwy 44 before dissipating, along with downed electrical transmission lines.
A tornado touched down in the Castle Lake Mobile Home Park and the Stoneridge Landing Mobile Home Park, causing damage ranging from minor to severe to an estimated 50 mobile homes. The severe damage occurred to roofs and carports. In addition, 50 trees around the parks had the tops sheared off or twisted requiring removal of the trees. Winds were estimated at 85mph.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Citrus County, Florida?
51 tornado events are recorded in Citrus County between 1968 and 2024, causing 3 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Citrus County?
The strongest tornado on record in Citrus County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Citrus 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 Citrus County, Florida.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/florida/citrus-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.