100
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
124
Direct injuries
$41.7M
Property damage
Tornado in Okaloosa County, Florida: 100 recorded events between 1958 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #49 nationally and #10 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Okaloosa County, Florida: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Okaloosa County is the 1970s, when 26 of the county's 100 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 Okaloosa County archive, tornado makes up 17.3% of all recorded severe weather across 10 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #49 for this hazard and #10 within Florida, putting it in the 98.4 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Oct is the peak month for tornado in Okaloosa County with 15 recorded events, while Nov 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964-12-25 | EF3 | 12.8 mi | 67 yd | Touched down here |
| 1995-10-04 | EF2 | 1.8 mi | 170 yd | Touched down here |
| 1973-05-26 | EF2 | 105.4 mi | 20 yd | Crossed in |
| 1967-12-10 | EF2 | 6.8 mi | 1,000 yd | Touched down here |
| 1962-01-05 | EF2 | 2.5 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 2024-05-10 | EF2 | 24.0 mi | 1,000 yd | Crossed in |
| 1989-05-01 | EF2 | 2.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1974-12-07 | EF2 | 5.2 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 1972-10-27 | EF2 | 0.3 mi | 20 yd | Touched down here |
| 1971-05-08 | EF2 | 2.0 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 10, 1967 | F2 | 1 | 50 | $2.5M | |
| Jan 5, 1962 | F2 | 1 | 30 | $2.5M | |
| May 26, 1973 | F2 | 1 | 4 | $25K | |
| Oct 4, 1995 | Crestview | F2 | 1 | 3 | $300K |
| Jan 13, 2006 | BAKER | F0 | 0 | 13 | $2.0M |
| Jan 10, 1975 | F1 | 0 | 7 | $250K | |
| Dec 25, 1964 | F3 | 0 | 4 | $2.5M | |
| Oct 31, 1973 | F0 | 0 | 3 | $250K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 10, 2025 | DESTIN FT WALTON ARP | EF1 | $0 |
| May 10, 2024 | FLORIDALE | EFU | $0 |
| May 10, 2024 | BEAVER CREEK | EF2 | $0 |
| Oct 29, 2022 | SHALIMAR | EF0 | $0 |
| Mar 18, 2022 | HOLT | EF1 | $361K |
| Apr 23, 2020 | WHIGHT | EF1 | $0 |
| Nov 6, 2018 | CRESTVIEW | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 22, 2018 | OCEAN CITY | EF1 | $500K |
| Jun 21, 2017 | SHALIMAR | EF0 | $40K |
| Nov 30, 2016 | MARY ESTHER | EF0 | $50K |
Other hazards here
More from Okaloosa County
- Thunderstorm Wind 276
- Hail 66
- Flash Flood 65
- Lightning 46
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A tornado touched down near Interstate 10 east of Crestview. The tornado then moved northwest across Okaloosa Lane and then across U.S. Highway 90 before dissipating near Highway 85. The tornado destroyed two homes and a church and severely damaged the late Bob Sikes Homestead and the Crestview High School's gymnasium. The two homes that were destroyed were along Okaloosa Lane. One home was on blocks on a concrete foundation, the home was completely destroyed and an elderly female who lived there was killed. The other home had the roof taken off and most of the insides of the home were destroyed. Three people were injured in this home and were saved when the wind blew them to the floor. The tornado was on the ground for almost two miles. F76PH
A weak tornado touched down along State Highway 4 in Baker near the Post Office. The tornado tracked northeast and tore part of the roof off the Baker School. The winds from the storm funneled into part of the school and peeled sections of the roof off. Kids inside quickly got underneath their desks. Water from the rain fell into the classrooms and caused part of the ceiling to collapse. Thirteen kids suffered minor injuries. At least four classrooms at the school were damaged. The weak tornado continued tracking northeast and damaged several more homes before lifting back into the clouds near Old River Road.
A tornado moved onshore near Florosa and caused damage as it moved northeast through a small subdivision. Two older manufactured homes were destroyed near the water as the tornado moved inland. The tornado moved across U. S. Highway 98 before dissipating. Several other homes suffered structural damage mostly to their roofs and siding. Some vehicles were also damaged by flying debris. No major injuries were reported.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Okaloosa County, Florida?
100 tornado events are recorded in Okaloosa County between 1958 and 2025, causing 4 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Okaloosa County?
The strongest tornado on record in Okaloosa County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Okaloosa 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 Okaloosa County, Florida.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/florida/okaloosa-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.