Wakulla County, Florida severe weather history spans 461 recorded events between 1962 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 76.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,014 nationally and #29 in Florida.
461
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
8
Direct injuries
$14.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Wakulla County, Florida severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Wakulla County, Florida severe weather history averages 7.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 210 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 17 events fall before 1990 and 444 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Wakulla County, Florida record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $10.7M in reported property damage. In total, 10 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Wakulla County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 351 | 1 | $1.2M | 75 | 1962–2026 |
| Hail | 36 | 0 | $2K | 2.75 | 1971–2025 |
| Tornado | 26 | 0 | $2.3M | F2 | 1964–2023 |
| Heavy Rain | 18 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2012 |
| Flash Flood | 16 | 0 | $10.7M | 0 | 2000–2024 |
| Funnel Cloud | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2001–2012 |
| Wildfire | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–1999 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2022 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $274K | 0 | 2010–2024 |
| Storm Surge/Tide | 1 | 0 | $250K | 0 | 2002–2002 |
Decade by decade
Wakulla County, Florida severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
27 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 25 touched down inside it and 2 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964-04-25 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-01-22 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2022-12-14 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2020-04-23 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-07-29 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2005-12-05 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2000-09-22 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-06-08 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1983-12-28 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1983-04-23 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 22.0 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Wakulla County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 19, 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | WAKULLA | 1 | 0 | $75K |
| Jun 1, 1998 | Wildfire | SOUTHWEST PORTION | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Apr 25, 1964 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Jan 11, 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | SHADEVILLE | 0 | 1 | $50K |
| Jul 14, 2010 | Lightning | IVAN | 0 | 1 | $272K |
| Apr 11, 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medart | 0 | 1 | $3K |
| Jun 8, 1989 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Catastrophic flooding occurred in Wakulla county as a result of Tropical Storm Debby, especially near Sopchoppy where the Sopchoppy River crested above its previous record flood stage. Over 27 inches of rain was measured in the area. Over 400 structures were affected by flooding, including over 170 mobile homes and nearly 200 single family residences. Of these structures, 40 were deemed totally destroyed, 61 had major flood damage, 41 had minor flood damage, and 271 were affected by flooding. The Wakulla county property appraiser estimated damage at $8,785,087.
A tornado touched down just northwest of Crawfordville in the Arran Road area, then traveled northeast across Wakulla Arran Road and the Fox Hollow subdivision, Ivan Church Road, Evergreen Acres, Emerald Acres, to Harry Morrison Road and Elizabeth Street before lifting. Of the 33 structures affected, 26 homes were damaged, two were destroyed, the Ivan Assembly of God Church was damaged, and four businesses along U.S. Highway 319 were damaged. There were several reports of downed trees and power lines. Damage survey provided by a NWS Tallahassee meteorologist, with additional reports by the Wakulla County EMA and Sheriff.
Excessive rainfall of eight to ten inches from Tropical Storm Helene caused considerable flooding with more than 120 homes damaged. The worst flooding was along the Sopchoppy River in western Wakulla County along County Road 375 to State Road 20, including the Indian Summers and Mount Beasor subdivisions. Approximately 50 homes were flooded. Many county and access roads were impassable and some were washed out. Several bridges on secondary roads were completely flooded. Flood waters had spilled over onto Harvey Mill and Lawhon Mill roads in Crawfordville. Nearly two feet of water covered Springhill Road. Several creeks and streams were bankfull. Storm runoff caused the Black Creek to swell and cover part of Bloxham Cutoff with a foot of water. There were only voluntary evacuations from coastal and low-lying areas. Reported by the Wakulla County EMA.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
35,387
Population (ACS)
$258K
Median home value
45
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Jun 17, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Aug 31, 2023 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IDALIA | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Crawfordville 103
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Wakulla County, Florida?
461 events are on record between 1962 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $14.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Wakulla County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 351 recorded events — 76.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Wakulla County?
27 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 25 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Wakulla County?
45 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Wakulla County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Wakulla County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Wakulla County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 47 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Wakulla 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
- Volusia County 642
- Walton County 641
- Union County 137
- Washington County 344
- Taylor County 233
- Suwannee County 432
Cite this page
“Wakulla County, Florida.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/florida/wakulla-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.