Florida, 1972

Tornadoes in Florida, June 18, 1972

June 18, 1972 · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

As Hurricane Agnes moved northward, approximately 200 miles west of the Florida peninsula, numerous tornadoes occurred across south and central Florida, many of which were strong (F2 and F3), resulting in numerous casualties and considerable property damage.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths
7
Injuries
51
Property damage
$700,000
Crop damage
$10,000
Events
3

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS forecasters wrote it up.

As Hurricane Agnes moved northward, approximately 200 miles west of the Florida peninsula, numerous tornadoes occurred across south and central Florida, many of which were strong (F2 and F3), resulting in numerous casualties and considerable property damage.

Event by event

3 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Hendry

When
June 18, 3:13 PM CST to 3:17 PM CST
Where
Hendry County, Fort Denaud
Rating
F2
Path length
2.8 mi
Path width
150 yd
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$10,000
Crop damage
$5,000
Reported by
Manual Input
Coordinates
26.730, -81.470

A tornado in the vicinity of Fort Denaud destroyed a trailer home killing a woman and injuring her daughter. The tornado then moved northward tearing up citrus groves before crossing into Glades County. Property damage was estimated at $10,000, with $5,000 in crop damage. Note: this event was added in 2018, following a reanalysis by NWS Melbourne.

Tornado, Glades

When
June 18, 3:17 PM CST to 3:18 PM CST
Where
Glades County, Labelle
Rating
F2
Path length
0.7 mi
Path width
150 yd
Injuries
6 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$190,000
Crop damage
$5,000
Reported by
Manual Input
Coordinates
26.770, -81.480

A tornado moved northward from Hendry County, tearing up citrus groves before hitting two trailer parks near LaBelle. Ten units were destroyed and 6 persons were injured. Property damage was estimated at $190,000, with $5,000 in crop damage. Note: this event was added in 2018, following a reanalysis by NWS Melbourne.

Tornado, Okeechobee

When
June 18, 10:55 PM CST to 11:01 PM CST
Where
Okeechobee County, Taylor Creek to Okeechobee
Rating
F2
Path length
4.5 mi
Path width
150 yd
Deaths
6 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries
44 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$500,000
Reported by
Manual Input
Coordinates
27.210, -80.800

A tornado cut a path up to 150 yards wide and 4.5 miles long as it moved north from Taylor Creek, affecting Treasure Island Park, a fishing lodge and several other mobile home parks. Six people were killed and 44 were injured (many seriously). Over one hundred mobile homes were destroyed or heavily damaged. Property damage was estimated near $500,000. Note: this event was added in 2018, following a reanalysis by NWS Melbourne.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
Tornado, Hendry1972-06-1830FemaleMobile/Trailer HomeDirect
Tornado, Okeechobee1972-06-1816MaleMobile/Trailer HomeDirect
Tornado, Okeechobee1972-06-1860FemaleMobile/Trailer HomeDirect
Tornado, Okeechobee1972-06-1849MaleMobile/Trailer HomeDirect
Tornado, Okeechobee1972-06-1866MaleMobile/Trailer HomeDirect
Tornado, Okeechobee1972-06-1859FemaleMobile/Trailer HomeDirect
Tornado, Okeechobee1972-06-18Mobile/Trailer HomeDirect

What these are

Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Florida in 1972Every state in 1972This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Florida, 1972

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 990000002, 990000001, 990000003.