147
Recorded events
11
Direct deaths
314
Direct injuries
$95.6M
Property damage
Tornado in Pinellas County, Florida: 147 recorded events between 1951 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #8 nationally and #4 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Pinellas County, Florida: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Pinellas County is the 1990s, when 36 of the county's 147 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 Pinellas County archive, tornado makes up 17.4% of all recorded severe weather across 12 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #8 for this hazard and #4 within Florida, putting it in the 99.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for tornado in Pinellas County with 25 recorded events, while Jan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966-04-04 | EF4 | 135.8 mi | 300 yd | Touched down here |
| 1992-10-03 | EF3 | 2.6 mi | 500 yd | Touched down here |
| 1978-05-04 | EF3 | 1.5 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1992-10-03 | EF2 | 3.0 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 2023-10-11 | EF2 | 5.0 mi | 300 yd | Touched down here |
| 2020-12-16 | EF2 | 13.1 mi | 300 yd | Touched down here |
| 1992-07-12 | EF2 | 4.5 mi | 60 yd | Touched down here |
| 1983-12-11 | EF2 | 8.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1981-12-15 | EF2 | 4.7 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 1973-10-31 | EF2 | 27.9 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 1978 | F3 | 3 | 94 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 4, 1966 | F4 | 3 | 80 | $25.0M | |
| Oct 3, 1992 | F3 | 3 | 75 | $25.0M | |
| Aug 12, 1976 | F1 | 1 | 21 | $2.5M | |
| Oct 3, 1992 | F2 | 1 | 0 | $2.5M | |
| Nov 1, 1973 | F2 | 0 | 9 | $2.5M | |
| Jul 12, 1992 | F2 | 0 | 6 | $2.5M | |
| Dec 15, 1981 | F2 | 0 | 5 | $250K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25, 2025 | (PIE)ST PETE/CLRWATE | EF0 | $0 |
| Jun 25, 2025 | ULMERTON | EF1 | $250K |
| Aug 4, 2024 | MADEIRA BEACH | EF0 | $25K |
| Jan 9, 2024 | SAINT PETERSBURG PORTS SITE | EF0 | $10K |
| Oct 12, 2023 | BELLEAIR BLUFFS | EF0 | $5K |
| Oct 12, 2023 | CLEARWATER BEACH | EF2 | $500K |
| Oct 12, 2023 | BRIDGEPORT | EF0 | $50K |
| Dec 15, 2022 | PASADENA | EF1 | $500K |
| Feb 14, 2021 | REDINGTON BEACH | EF0 | $20K |
| Dec 16, 2020 | ULMERTON | EF2 | $16.0M |
Other hazards here
More from Pinellas County
- Thunderstorm Wind 280
- Lightning 175
- Hail 112
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Tornado formed near Bayou Club near Pinellas Park, then crossed Belcher Road and hit an industrial park where the greatest damage was observed. Buildings had uplift and removal of roof decking, outer walls collapsed. Two buildings were destroyed and five had major|damage. Several buildings in a boat storage facility had major damage and large 2-ton boats where thrown about. The damage became more spotty as it approached U.S. Highway 19. Insulation debris collected on a fence near the Saint Pete/Clearwater International Airport. Video on social media showed the tornado crossing the Howard Franklin Bridge (Interstate 275) with debris and a light pole dropping in front of the observer. The tornado then weakened and lifted as it reached the eastern edge of the Howard Franklin Bridge with no further damage observed. In total, 4 warehouses were destroyed with 9 receiving major damage and 6 others receiving minor damage. 1 home received major damage and 17 others received minor damage.
A tornado touched down near State Road 699 (Gulf Boulevard) and 6th Avenue, moved northeast and dissipated near the intersection of County Road 590 and Old Coachman Road. The tornado left thousands of electrical customers without power, knocked down numerous trees, caused several roofs to collapse and shattered windows from Indian Rocks Beach northeast through Largo and primarily in Clearwater.Damage from the tornado totalled $4.5 million dollars. From Indian Rocks Beach, through Largo to Clearwater, 190 buildings received damage from the tornado. Four million dollars of the damage occurred to properties in Clearwater, $300,000 in Indian Rocks Beach, and $200,000 in Largo.The tornado caused major damage to 19 homes while another 135 suffered minor damage. Sixteen apartment buildings incurred major damage while ten others suffered minor damage from the tornadic wind. Also, eleven businesses and a high school gym in Clearwater suffered minor to moderate damage.
A waterspout moved onshore as a tornado and destroyed the second floor of a 3,600 square foot multiple occupancy home. Power lines and poles were snapped adjacent to the home. The tornado lifted before reaching the intercostal.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Pinellas County, Florida?
147 tornado events are recorded in Pinellas County between 1951 and 2025, causing 11 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Pinellas County?
The strongest tornado on record in Pinellas County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Pinellas 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 Pinellas County, Florida.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/florida/pinellas-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.