Monroe County, Florida severe weather history spans 617 recorded events between 1953 and 2026. The dominant hazard is waterspout, accounting for 50.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #545 nationally and #23 in Florida.
617
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
76
Direct injuries
$55.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Monroe County, Florida severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Monroe County, Florida severe weather history averages 8.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 1990s, with 282 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 62 events fall before 1990 and 555 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Monroe County, Florida record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $54.9M 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 Monroe County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterspout | 314 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2001 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 109 | 1 | $168K | 104 | 1961–2026 |
| Tornado | 78 | 0 | $54.9M | F2 | 1953–2024 |
| Funnel Cloud | 53 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–2002 |
| Flood | 25 | 0 | $58K | 0 | 2000–2024 |
| Lightning | 13 | 0 | $73K | 0 | 1997–2023 |
| Hail | 12 | 0 | $250 | 1.75 | 1983–2026 |
| Heavy Rain | 12 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2012 |
| Storm Surge/Tide | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–1998 |
Decade by decade
Monroe County, Florida severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
60 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 55 touched down inside it and 5 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-08-26 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-11-04 | EF2 | 0 | 20 | 12.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1980-04-27 | EF2 | 0 | 10 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1972-06-18 | EF2 | 0 | 40 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1966-06-02 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-10-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 2018-04-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-09-10 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1998-02-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-11-04 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Monroe County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 4, 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | MARATHON | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 18, 1972 | Tornado | 0 | 40 | $250K | |
| Nov 4, 1998 | Tornado | KEY LARGO | 0 | 20 | $25.0M |
| Apr 27, 1980 | Tornado | 0 | 10 | $250K | |
| Jun 26, 2013 | Lightning | STOCK IS | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 25, 2009 | Lightning | (EYW)KEY WEST INL AR | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 14, 2001 | Lightning | ISLAMORADA | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 26, 2000 | Lightning | KEY WEST | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
ASOS at Marathon Airport recorded 50 knots at 1620 EDT. The C-MAN at Sombrero Key recorded 59 knots. A storm spotter estimated wind gusts of 65 knots. Signs and trees were downed throughout the Marathon area. Several boats were swamped. Five people were knocked overboard from their sailboat. Four were rescued by the USCG. A 34 year old man was found drowned two days later.
A multivortex tornado touched down just west of U.S. 1 near mile marker 100. The tornado moved north northeast at 30 mph passing across ten housing subdivision, mostly mobile home parks. It damaged about 600 structures, tore down utility lines, damaged vessels and destroyed a great deal of foliage. The tornado crossed to the east of U.S. 1 near the intersection of Highway 905, overturning a semi tractor trailer, and continue north northeast for about six miles damaging house roofs and foliage.
Tornado damage path began oceanfront at 73rd Street Ocean (F1) in Marathon and moved northeast, crossing U.S. Highway 1 near 76th Street Ocean, passing through Marathon Airport before entering Florida Bay near the Sea Air Estates Subdivision. Most signficant damage (F2) included concrete block residential structure shifted on foundation…a frame residence shifted on pilings, and bent large steel I-Beams on recently constructed hangars at Marathon Airport. One boat sunk in canal. Extensive damage to porches and trees along narrow path.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
81,860
Population (ACS)
$781K
Median home value
47
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 |
| Sep 24, 2024 | Tropical Storm | TROPICAL STORM HELENE | EM |
| 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 Monroe County, Florida?
617 events are on record between 1953 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $55.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Monroe County?
Waterspout, with 314 recorded events — 50.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Monroe County?
60 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 55 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Monroe County?
47 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Monroe County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Monroe County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Monroe County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 92 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Monroe 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
- Miami-Dade County 1,248
- Martin County 221
- Nassau County 480
- Marion County 983
- Okaloosa County 579
- Manatee County 464
Cite this page
“Monroe County, Florida.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/florida/monroe-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.