99
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$1.2M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Highlands County, Florida: 99 recorded events between 1970 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 61. That places the county #2,231 nationally and #50 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Highlands County, Florida: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Highlands County is the 1990s, when 43 of the county's 99 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 Highlands County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 39.9% of all recorded severe weather across 10 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #2,231 for this hazard and #50 within Florida, putting it in the 29.3 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Highlands County with 22 recorded events, while Oct 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.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 4, 1997 | AVON PARK | 0 | 0 | 1 | $60K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 29, 2025 | AVON PARK | 43 | $25K |
| Jun 18, 2022 | DESOTO CITY | 50 | $0 |
| May 1, 2022 | SEBRING | 43 | $30K |
| Mar 12, 2022 | LAKE JACKSON | 52 | $0 |
| Apr 19, 2019 | LAKE PLACID | 50 | $5K |
| Mar 20, 2018 | SEBRING AIR TERMINAL | 54 | $50K |
| Mar 20, 2018 | SEBRING | 50 | $50K |
| Mar 20, 2018 | SEBRING | 40 | $1K |
| Mar 20, 2018 | WILD IS | 40 | $10K |
| May 29, 2016 | LAKE JACKSON | 40 | $50K |
Other hazards here
More from Highlands County
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Downburst winds from a thunderstorm caused structural damage to several metal buildings and sheds along State Road 64 near the intersection of U.S. Highway 27 in Avon Park. The downburst winds blew from north northwest to south southeast which damaged several north facing roof overhangs and facades of commercial buildings along State Road 64.
Thunderstorm winds removed the roof structure of a fifteen vehicle aluminum carport 25 to 30 feet away from the Highlands Regional Medical Center on U.S. Highway 27. Several large tree limbs were also downed by thunderstorm winds in Sebring.
Thunderstorm winds caused minor to moderate damage to the roofs of two mobile homes, tore off the awnings of a few homes and downed several trees in a trailer park in Avon Park. Several roadside billboards were toppled or splintered by thunderstorm winds along U.S. Highway 27 south of Avon Park.Two businesses in Avon Park received roof and gate damage from the thunderstorm wind. One person received minor cuts at the Bonnie Brae Estates mobile home park when the thunderstorm wind blew the roof off an extension to her mobile home.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Highlands County, Florida?
99 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Highlands County between 1970 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Highlands County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Highlands County measured 61.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Highlands 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
“Thunderstorm Wind in Highlands County, Florida.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/florida/highlands-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.