Florida, 1986

Tornadoes and Hail in Florida, May 9, 1986

May 9, 1986 · NWS TBW · 5 events in 3 counties and zones

2 tornado, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

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

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$500
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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.

Event by event

2 tornado, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Polk

When
May 9, 1:45 PM CST
Where
Polk County
Rating
F0
Path length
0.5 mi
Path width
30 yd
Property damage
$250
Coordinates
28.020, -81.680

Thunderstorm Wind, Highlands

When
May 9, 2:40 PM CST
Where
Highlands County
Coordinates
27.500, -81.450

Thunderstorm Wind, Highlands

When
May 9, 2:40 PM CST
Where
Highlands County
Coordinates
27.500, -81.450

Hail, Citrus

When
May 9, 3:10 PM CST
Where
Citrus County
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
28.820, -82.500

Tornado, Polk

When
May 9, 5:00 PM EST
Where
Polk County
Rating
F0
Path length
0.5 mi
Path width
30 yd
Property damage
$250
Coordinates
27.900, -81.980

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.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Florida in 1986Every state in 1986This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Florida, 1986Warnings in Florida, May 1986

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: 10002142, 10002143, 10002144, 10002145, 10002146.