Tornadoes · United States · Florida

1972 tornadoes in Florida

77 tornadoes touched down in Florida in 1972, 56 percent above the average of the record for the state. They killed 1 people and injured 115.

1971 1973 The whole country in 1972

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

F040 to 72 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
F173 to 112 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
F2113 to 157 mph
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
F3158 to 206 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
F4207 to 260 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
F5261 to 318 mph
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unrated
The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

Every tornado in Florida in 1972

January 2 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
January 2	2:00 PM EST	F0	Pinellas	0.5	50			$500 to $5,000

January 12 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
January 12	9:45 PM CST	F2	Escambia	0.5	50		1	$5,000 to $50,000

January 22 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
January 22	5:53 PM EST	F2	Clay	0.3	50		4	$500 to $5,000

February 1 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
February 1	5:43 PM EST	F2	Manatee	0.5	100			$50,000 to $500,000
February 1	7:30 PM EST	F2	Manatee	3.3	400		3	$50,000 to $500,000

February 3 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
February 3	1:00 PM EST	F1	Orange	0.2	100			$5,000 to $50,000
February 3	1:40 PM EST	F1	Seminole	0.2	300			$5,000 to $50,000

February 7 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
February 7	10:20 AM EST	F1	Hillsborough	0.5	250			$5,000 to $50,000

March 2 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
March 2	9:00 AM CST	F1	Escambia	0.5	200	$500 to $5,000
March 2	9:35 AM CST	F2	Santa Rosa	2.0	500	$5,000 to $50,000
March 2	1:30 PM CST	F1	Gulf	1.0	20	$500 to $5,000

March 4 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 4	2:59 PM EST	F2	Broward	2.0	500		6	$50,000 to $500,000

March 8 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 8	5:45 AM CST	F1	Okaloosa	0.2	100		3	$500 to $5,000

March 16 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 16	3:00 PM CST	F1	Jackson	7.7	300			$5,000 to $50,000

March 28 8 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
March 28	8:45 AM EST	F1	Liberty	1.0	50		$5,000 to $50,000
March 28	8:05 AM CST	F0	Bay	0.5	20		under $50
March 28	9:00 AM CST	F1	Santa Rosa	0.5	50	1	$5,000 to $50,000
March 28	10:30 AM EST	F2	Leon	0.2	50		$5,000 to $50,000
March 28	10:45 AM EST	F2	Leon	0.2	50		$5,000 to $50,000
March 28	2:30 PM EST	F0	Saint Johns	0.5	20		$50 to $500
March 28	3:00 PM EST	F1	Clay	3.6	20		$500 to $5,000
March 28	3:00 PM EST	F1	Bradford	6.8	20		$5,000 to $50,000

March 29 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 29	12:50 PM CST	F0	Escambia	0.2	20			$50 to $500
March 29	6:40 PM EST	F0	Suwannee	0.5	20			under $50

March 31 10 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
March 31	4:15 AM EST	F0	Hernando	0.2	20		under $50
March 31	5:00 AM EST	F1	Orange	0.2	20		under $50
March 31	5:00 AM EST	F1	Seminole	0.2	20		under $50
March 31	5:15 AM EST	F0	Seminole	0.2	20		under $50
March 31	6:14 AM EST	F2	Hillsborough	0.2	30	4	$50,000 to $500,000
March 31	6:30 AM EST	F2	Brevard	1.0	100	1	$50,000 to $500,000
March 31	6:36 AM EST	F2	Brevard	2.0	50		$5,000 to $50,000
March 31	7:00 AM EST	F2	Hillsborough	1.0	30		$5,000 to $50,000
March 31	3:00 PM EST	F1	Palm Beach	0.5	50		$500 to $5,000
March 31	4:30 PM EST	F1	Orange	0.5	20		under $50

April 16 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 16	7:40 AM CST	F0	Escambia	0.1	10

May 8 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 8	10:15 AM CDT	F2	Calhoun	0.3	27			$5,000 to $50,000

May 20 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 20	3:00 PM EDT	F2	Volusia	1.0	23			$5,000 to $50,000

June 11 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 11	5:15 PM EDT	F0	Sarasota	0.3	10

June 18 12 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
June 18	2:15 AM EDT	F2	Monroe	1.0	100	40	$50,000 to $500,000
June 18	3:00 AM EDT	F2	Monroe	1.5	50		$50,000 to $500,000
June 18	6:00 AM EDT	F1	Monroe	2.0	20		$5,000 to $50,000
June 18	1:55 PM EDT	F1	Okeechobee	1.0	50	2	$5,000 to $50,000
June 18	2:38 PM EDT	F2	Lee	0.3	30		$5,000 to $50,000
June 18	3:00 PM EDT	F2	Lee	2.0	50		$5,000 to $50,000
June 18	3:10 PM EDT	F1	Polk	0.3	50	3	$5,000 to $50,000
June 18	4:00 PM EDT	F2	Lee	0.5	20		$50,000 to $500,000
June 18	5:40 PM EDT	F1	Pasco	0.2	50	4	$5,000 to $50,000
June 18	6:40 PM EDT	F1	Palm Beach	0.3	50		$5,000 to $50,000
June 18	6:45 PM EDT	F0	Highlands	1.0	20		under $50
June 18	7:46 PM EDT	F2	Brevard	2.0	100	11	$50,000 to $500,000

June 19 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
June 19	3:35 AM EDT	F3	Brevard	4.9	100		$500,000 to $5 million
June 19	4:00 AM EDT	F3	Brevard	3.8	100	23	$500,000 to $5 million
June 19	4:50 AM EDT	F1	Volusia	0.1	100		$5,000 to $50,000

June 25 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 25	3:45 PM CDT	F0	Escambia	0.3	20			under $50
June 25	4:10 PM CDT	F2	Holmes	0.5	27	1	2	$500 to $5,000
June 25	5:45 PM EDT	F1	Gadsden	0.3	20			$500 to $5,000
June 25	6:55 PM EDT	F1	Gadsden	0.5	100			$500 to $5,000

June 29 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 29	11:09 AM CDT	F0	Bay	0.3	20

July 5 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 5	6:05 PM EDT	F2	Seminole	0.3	50			$5,000 to $50,000

July 13 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 13	3:10 PM EDT	F1	Polk	0.2	50			$500 to $5,000

July 26 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 26	7:00 PM EDT	F1	Duval	0.3	30		4

August 22 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 22	5:55 PM EDT	F2	Volusia	1.0	50			$5,000 to $50,000

September 9 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 9	5:23 PM EDT	F1	Monroe	0.5	50			$500 to $5,000

October 1 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
October 1	5:20 PM EDT	F0	Martin	0.3	50			$50 to $500

October 27 10 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
October 27	6:30 AM CDT	F2	Okaloosa	0.3	20		$5,000 to $50,000
October 27	6:45 AM CDT	F0	Okaloosa	0.3	20		$500 to $5,000
October 27	7:10 AM CDT	F2	Gulf	1.0	100	1	$50,000 to $500,000
October 27	10:05 AM EDT	F0	Franklin	0.3	10
October 27	11:15 AM EDT	F0	Liberty	0.3	10		under $50
October 27	1:30 PM EDT	F2	Gadsden	0.3	50		$5,000 to $50,000
October 27	1:30 PM EDT	F2	Gadsden	0.3	50		$5,000 to $50,000
October 27	2:10 PM EDT	F2	Franklin	0.3	20		$50,000 to $500,000
October 27	4:00 PM EDT	F1	Jefferson	0.3	50	1	$5,000 to $50,000
October 27	4:50 PM EDT	F2	Taylor	3.4	50	1	$50,000 to $500,000

November 15 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
November 15	6:15 AM CST	F0		0.3	20			$50 to $500

December 6 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
December 6	10:10 AM CST	F0	Escambia	0.3	10			$50 to $500

December 21 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
December 21	1:45 PM EST	F2	Suwannee	12.2	30			$5,000 to $50,000

Nearby

Every tornado in Florida since 1950 Warnings in force in Florida The live radar over Florida

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.