Florida, 1997

Tornadoes and Damaging Wind in Florida, October 24, 1997

October 24, 1997 · NWS TAE · 5 events in 3 counties and zones

4 tornado, 1 thunderstorm wind, 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
3
Property damage
$785,000
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.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

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Event by event

4 tornado, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Bay

When
October 24, 6:00 AM CST to 6:20 AM CST
Where
Bay County, Panama City Beach
Rating
F1
Path length
1 mi
Path width
150 yd
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$350,000
Coordinates
30.180, -85.800

Waterspout moved ashore. Extensive roof damage to beach front hotel, sewage treatment plant, middle school and convenient store. One minor injury sustained from flying debris.

Thunderstorm Wind, Bay

When
October 24, 9:35 AM CST
Where
Bay County, Panama City Beach
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage
$100,000
Coordinates
30.180, -85.800

Severe thunderstorm winds downed power lines at residence on Albatross Lane.

Tornado, Calhoun

When
October 24, 11:35 AM CST
Where
Calhoun County, Kinard
Rating
F1
Path length
0.5 mi
Path width
75 yd
Property damage
$100,000
Coordinates
30.270, -85.250

Small F1 tornado destroyed storage sheds, mobile home and pickup truck along Florida Highway 73. One 24" diameter tree uprooted.

Tornado, Bay

When
October 24, 11:45 AM CST to 11:50 AM CST
Where
Bay County, Calloway
Rating
F1
Path length
0.5 mi
Path width
75 yd
Injuries
2 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$35,000
Coordinates
30.150, -85.180

F1 tornado touched down on Florida Highway 22. A bread truck was lifted 15-20 feet into the air and thrown 100 feet into wooded area (driver seriously injured). A semitractor fuel tanker was overturned (driver sutained minor injuries).

Tornado, Gadsden

When
October 24, 1:40 PM EST to 1:45 PM EST
Where
Gadsden County, Midway
Rating
F1
Path length
0.3 mi
Path width
150 yd
Property damage
$200,000
Coordinates
30.500, -84.450

Four F1 tornado touchdowns. Numerous 12-24" diameter trees uprooted on Gadsden County Road 159. Considerable debris on Florida Highway 27 five miles NE of Midway. Power outages in Midway.

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Florida in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Florida, 1997Warnings in Florida, October 1997

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: 5622325, 5622324, 5622323, 5622322, 5622321.