70
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
7
Direct injuries
$7.0M
Property damage
Tornado in Walton County, Florida: 70 recorded events between 1960 and 2026. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #165 nationally and #20 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Walton County, Florida: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Walton County is the 2020s, when 22 of the county's 70 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 Walton County archive, tornado makes up 10.9% of all recorded severe weather across 12 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #165 for this hazard and #20 within Florida, putting it in the 94.4 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jan is the peak month for tornado in Walton County with 11 recorded events, while Aug 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967-12-10 | EF3 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1973-05-26 | EF2 | 105.4 mi | 20 yd | Crossed in |
| 2023-01-22 | EF2 | 0.8 mi | 85 yd | Touched down here |
| 1996-12-01 | EF2 | 0.4 mi | 75 yd | Touched down here |
| 1983-02-01 | EF2 | 0.3 mi | 30 yd | Touched down here |
| 1963-04-30 | EF2 | 61.0 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1963-09-28 | EF2 | 5.6 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 1960-03-30 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 2025-05-10 | EF1 | 8.0 mi | 400 yd | Touched down here |
| 2024-01-09 | EF1 | 10.9 mi | 220 yd | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 28, 1985 | F1 | 0 | 5 | $2.5M | |
| Feb 1, 1983 | F2 | 0 | 1 | $25K | |
| Feb 16, 1974 | F1 | 0 | 1 | $25K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 25, 2026 | LIBERTY | EF1 | $50K |
| May 10, 2025 | EUCHEEANNA | EF1 | $3K |
| May 13, 2024 | SANTA ROSA BEACH | EFU | $0 |
| May 10, 2024 | FREEPORT | EF0 | $0 |
| May 10, 2024 | MOSSY HEAD | EF0 | $0 |
| Jan 9, 2024 | DE FUNIAK SPRINGS ARPT | EF1 | $50K |
| Jan 9, 2024 | EUCHEEANNA | EF1 | $50K |
| Jan 9, 2024 | SANTA ROSA BEACH | EF1 | $100K |
| Jun 19, 2023 | GULF PINES | EF1 | $25K |
| Mar 18, 2023 | GRAYTON BEACH | EF0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Walton County
- Thunderstorm Wind 311
- Flash Flood 84
- Hail 61
- Flood 56
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
An F1 tornado touched down in extreme southeast Walton County, near the intersection of U.S. Highway 98 and Smokehouse Lake Road. During its brief, intermittent one-mile track across Smokehouse Lake Road, it destroyed two and damaged twelve trailers, damaged two homes, damaged twelve vehicles, uprooted numerous trees and downed some power lines. Before it lifted, it damaged five homes in the Steele Field area. Reported by the Walton County EMA.
Walton County EMA reported tornado touched down several times along SR 83N and CR 192 north of De Funiak Springs. Five barns destroyed, seven outbuildings sustained minor damage, and a roof lifted off a residence. Numerous trees and power lines downed and electrical service disrupted for nearly six hours to 1,200 customers.
Tree damage was first noted along Bob Sikes Rd. just west of Hwy 331. The tornado then crossed Hwy 331 knocking down a few business signs and trees as well as blowing in four windows of a series of businesses at a strip mall. A large retail business|also had part of it's roof peeled back and a couple HVAC units blown off. The tornado continued east northeast with points surveyed along Bay Ave southeast of DeFuniak Springs as well as County Rd 183 south of Argyle. Trees and large limbs were downed|at both locations. The location south of Argyle was the last portion of the track able to be surveyed as the track then went into inaccessible portions of Holmes County south of HWY 90. Radar was used to extend the track a few more miles into Holmes|county. The tornado lifted before reaching Ponce De Leon or Highway 81.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Walton County, Florida?
70 tornado events are recorded in Walton County between 1960 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Walton County?
The strongest tornado on record in Walton County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Walton 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 Walton County, Florida.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/florida/walton-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.