62
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
72
Direct injuries
$65.3M
Property damage
Tornado in Marion County, Florida: 62 recorded events between 1957 and 2022. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #221 nationally and #24 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Marion County, Florida: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Marion County is the 1970s, when 16 of the county's 62 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 Marion County archive, tornado makes up 6.3% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #221 for this hazard and #24 within Florida, putting it in the 92.3 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Apr is the peak month for tornado in Marion County with 10 recorded events, while Feb 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975-12-31 | EF3 | 2.0 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1995-01-07 | EF2 | 12.0 mi | 440 yd | Touched down here |
| 2001-03-29 | EF2 | 22.0 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 1993-03-12 | EF2 | 15.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1983-04-09 | EF2 | 10.0 mi | 60 yd | Touched down here |
| 1982-06-11 | EF2 | 13.0 mi | 60 yd | Crossed in |
| 1978-04-19 | EF2 | 5.6 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1973-03-08 | EF2 | 1.5 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1964-01-12 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1962-11-21 | EF2 | 3.6 mi | 70 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 31, 1975 | F3 | 1 | 26 | $2.5M | |
| Jan 7, 1995 | Summerfield | F2 | 1 | 20 | $2.8M |
| Apr 19, 1978 | F2 | 0 | 14 | $2.5M | |
| Mar 9, 1973 | F2 | 0 | 6 | $250K | |
| Apr 7, 2005 | OCALA ARPT | F1 | 0 | 3 | $0 |
| Apr 15, 1981 | F1 | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Apr 23, 1983 | F1 | 0 | 1 | $2.5M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 22, 2022 | LAKE WEIR | EF0 | $0 |
| Mar 12, 2022 | DUNNELLON | EF1 | $0 |
| Apr 18, 2021 | WEST END | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 20, 2020 | DANKS CORNER | EF1 | $0 |
| May 5, 2019 | MARTEL | EF1 | $0 |
| Jul 24, 2016 | MARION OAKS | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 20, 2015 | YORK | EF1 | $0 |
| Jun 19, 2007 | BELLEVIEW | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 7, 2005 | OCALA ARPT | F1 | $0 |
| Sep 16, 2004 | DUNNELLON | F1 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Marion County
- Thunderstorm Wind 487
- Heavy Rain 181
- Hail 139
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
An F2 tornado touched down at 0550 EST about one mile north of Pedro in Marion County and moved east about 12 miles before lifting about three-quarters miles north of Weirsdale. A man received fatal head injuries while sitting in his car outside a mobile home when the car was rolled four times. Another 20 persons, mostly those in mobile homes, were injured. The tornado destroyed or heavily damaged 66 mobile homes with less extensive damage to another 85 dwellings, mostly mobile homes. The hardest hit communities were Lake Weir Harbor Estates and Bird Island. (M53A)
A tornado formed 8 miles southwest of Ocala in a wooded area. It snapped off trees before heavily damaging two hangers and destroying another at the Ocala Airport. It continued northeast snapping off numerous trees, then moved over an industrial area where it heavily damaged several storage buildings and a warehouse. It moved through a wooded area dissipating about seven miles northeast of Ocala.
Touchdown near intersection of U.S. Highway 27 and 95th Street. Minor damage to one barn and home at 9500 N. U.S. highway 27. Screen pool cover destroyed at home and large pine tree down across barn damaging the roof. Numerous trees and a fence line downed in area. Additional information from Ocala Star Banner 6/23/03.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Marion County, Florida?
62 tornado events are recorded in Marion County between 1957 and 2022, causing 2 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Marion County?
The strongest tornado on record in Marion County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Marion 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 Marion County, Florida.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/florida/marion-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.