DeSoto County, Florida severe weather history spans 134 recorded events between 1958 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 32.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,765 nationally and #66 in Florida.
134
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
14
Direct injuries
$11.2M
Property damage
The record
What the DeSoto County, Florida severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, DeSoto County, Florida severe weather history averages 2.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 1990s, with 73 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 27 events fall before 1990 and 107 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the DeSoto County, Florida record is lightning, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is flood, with $7.0M 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 DeSoto County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 44 | 0 | $533K | 61 | 1975–2016 |
| Tornado | 35 | 0 | $1.5M | F2 | 1958–2025 |
| Flood | 26 | 0 | $7.0M | 0 | 1997–2017 |
| Hail | 18 | 0 | $0 | 2.75 | 1992–2009 |
| Flash Flood | 6 | 1 | $2.2M | 0 | 1997–2003 |
| Lightning | 3 | 2 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2008 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2008–2008 |
| Wildfire | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2000 |
Decade by decade
DeSoto County, Florida severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
34 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 32 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983-12-12 | EF2 | 0 | 4 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1970-02-03 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1958-01-26 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1985-06-04 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1984-07-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1983-02-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1979-01-24 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-08-04 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1970-02-03 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1967-05-31 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in DeSoto County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 23, 2008 | Lightning | NOCATEE | 1 | 2 | $0 |
| Sep 27, 1997 | Flash Flood | BROWNVILLE | 1 | 0 | $100K |
| Jun 19, 1996 | Lightning | ARCADIA | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Dec 12, 1983 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $250K | |
| Jun 1, 1973 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $3K | |
| Jul 12, 1998 | Lightning | FT OGDEN | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jul 21, 1977 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| Jan 24, 1979 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
At 4:30 p.m. EDT on June 23, 2008, Employee #1 was working at a ranch, clipping dead limbs off of a palm tree, when a heavy rain and lightning approached. Employee #1 and two coworkers sought refuge under a large 30-ft oak tree. While under the tree, Employee #1 leaned up against the tree. When lightning struck the tree, Employee #1 sustained burns to his hands and feet and was killed. Both coworkers were airlifted to Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, Florida.
The Peace River along State Road 70 in Arcadia crested at 18.14 feet on the 23rd, over seven feet above the flood stage of eleven feet. Nearly 150 homes and recreational vehicles incurred water damage from the floodwaters, primarily in the Arcadia Peace River Campground. Water from the Peace River covered and closed State Road 64 while 35 additional secondary roads were closed in the vicinity of the river. Several roads and bridges along the Peace River and its tributaries were washed out or heavily damaged.
Heavy rains from Hurricane Irma caused the Peace River at Arcadia to rise above flood stage on the 10th, with flooding continuing through the 28th. The water level crested at 19.20 feet on the 15th, 3.20 feet above the major flooding threshold. This marks the third highest crest in history for the Peace River at Zolfo Springs.||On the nearby Horse Creek, flooding began on the 10th at the river gage near Arcadia, and continued through the 22nd. The water level crested at 17.07 feet on the 11th, 1.07 feet above the major flood stage. This marks the 5th highest flood stage on record for the Horse Creek near Arcadia. ||The waters were reported to have flooded homes in the River Acres neighborhood, as well as the Peace River Campground. The flood damage cost is unknown, but was guessed to be around $1 million.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
35,386
Population (ACS)
$174K
Median home value
38
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 |
| Aug 10, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE DEBBY | DR |
| Aug 3, 2024 | Tropical Storm | TROPICAL STORM DEBBY | EM |
| Aug 31, 2023 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IDALIA | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in DeSoto County, Florida?
134 events are on record between 1958 and 2025, causing 3 direct deaths and $11.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in DeSoto County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 44 recorded events — 32.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed DeSoto County?
34 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 32 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover DeSoto County?
38 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include DeSoto County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is DeSoto County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates DeSoto County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 82 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the DeSoto 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
- Dixie County 136
- Columbia County 409
- Duval County 1,751
- Collier County 418
- Escambia County 649
- Clay County 596
Cite this page
“DeSoto County, Florida.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/florida/desoto-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.