Tornadoes · United States · Florida

1976 tornadoes in Florida

67 tornadoes touched down in Florida in 1976, 35 percent above the average of the record for the state. They killed 1 people and injured 32.

1975 1977 The whole country in 1976

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 1976

January 7 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
January 7	12:00 PM CST	F0	Escambia	0.1	10

January 8 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
January 8	11:00 AM EST	F0	Pinellas	0.1	10			$500 to $5,000

January 26 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
January 26	9:30 AM CST	F0	Bay	0.1	10			$500 to $5,000

February 1 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
February 1	2:10 PM EST	F0	Marion	0.1	10			$50 to $500

March 7 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 7	3:25 PM EST	F0	Broward	0.1	10

March 9 6 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
March 9	3:51 AM CST	F0	Gulf	0.5	33	$5,000 to $50,000
March 9	5:30 AM EST	F0	Franklin	1.0	10	$5,000 to $50,000
March 9	8:00 AM EST	F0	Suwannee	0.5	20	$500 to $5,000
March 9	9:00 AM EST	F0	Baker	3.6	20	$5,000 to $50,000
March 9	9:30 AM EST	F0	Duval	5.4	20	$5,000 to $50,000
March 9	5:30 PM EST	F0	Seminole	5.4	20	$5,000 to $50,000

March 21 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
March 21	4:30 AM CST	F0	Santa Rosa	0.5	20	$5,000 to $50,000
March 21	4:40 AM CST	F0	Santa Rosa	0.5	20	$5,000 to $50,000
March 21	6:20 AM CST	F0	Washington	6.2	20	$5,000 to $50,000

April 6 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 6	4:30 AM EST	F0	Collier	0.1	10			$500 to $5,000

April 8 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
April 8	4:15 AM EST	F0	Orange	0.5	20		$5,000 to $50,000
April 8	1:15 PM EST	F0	Pinellas	0.1	10	2	$5,000 to $50,000
April 8	4:00 PM EST	F0	Highlands	0.5	20		$50,000 to $500,000

May 11 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 11	4:00 PM EDT	F0	Wakulla	0.1	10			$50 to $500

May 12 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 12	7:00 PM EDT	F0	Orange	0.3	10		1	$5,000 to $50,000

May 13 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 13	4:30 PM EDT	F0	Nassau	0.3	10			$500 to $5,000
May 13	8:00 PM EDT	F0	Osceola	0.1	10			$5,000 to $50,000

May 14 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 14	4:15 PM EDT	F0	Levy	0.3	10			$5,000 to $50,000
May 14	5:00 PM EDT	F0	Suwannee	0.1	10			$5,000 to $50,000

May 15 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 15	9:30 AM EDT	F0	Putnam	0.3	10			$5,000 to $50,000

May 16 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 16	4:00 PM EDT	F0	Polk	0.3	10			$5,000 to $50,000
May 16	7:30 PM EDT	F0	Taylor	0.1	10			under $50

May 17 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 17	2:05 AM EDT	F0	Citrus	0.3	10			$5,000 to $50,000

May 22 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 22	2:00 PM EDT	F0	Leon	3.6	10			$500 to $5,000
May 22	5:25 PM EDT	F0	Volusia	1.0	10			$50,000 to $500,000

May 23 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
May 23	8:20 AM EDT	F1	Hillsborough	9.6	33	2	$500,000 to $5 million
May 23	11:00 AM EDT	F0	Marion	3.3	33		$50 to $500
May 23	12:30 PM EDT	F0	Volusia	0.5	10		$50 to $500

May 25 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 25	8:50 AM EDT	F0	Lake	0.1	10			$500 to $5,000

May 28 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 28	2:30 PM EDT	F0	Sarasota	0.3	10			$5,000 to $50,000

May 29 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 29	5:00 PM EDT	F0	Palm Beach	0.1	10			$500 to $5,000

June 1 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 1	9:30 PM CDT	F1	Escambia	0.1	20			$5,000 to $50,000

June 3 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 3	11:00 AM CDT	F0	Escambia	0.1	20			$500 to $5,000

June 4 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 4	8:00 PM EDT	F1	Hillsborough	0.1	20			$5,000 to $50,000

June 8 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 8	9:00 PM EDT	F1	Polk	0.1	30			$50,000 to $500,000

June 22 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 22	3:50 PM EDT	F1	Duval	0.1	30			$500 to $5,000

June 27 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 27	7:50 PM EDT	F0	Sarasota	0.1	20			$500 to $5,000
June 27	7:50 PM EDT	F0	Pasco	0.1	20

June 28 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 28	3:34 PM EDT	F0	Hillsborough	0.1	20
June 28	6:30 PM EDT	F1	Collier	0.1	30			$500 to $5,000

July 1 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 1	4:35 PM EDT	F0	Pasco	0.1	20			$500 to $5,000

July 2 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 2	3:00 PM EDT	F1	Gadsden	1.0	30			$5,000 to $50,000

July 3 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 3	3:30 PM EDT	F0	Volusia	0.1	20			$500 to $5,000

July 6 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 6	4:30 PM EDT	F1	Alachua	0.1	40			$5,000 to $50,000

July 7 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 7	7:35 PM EDT	F0	Pinellas	0.1	20			$500 to $5,000

July 10 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 10	7:00 PM EDT	F1	Marion	0.1	40			$50,000 to $500,000

July 17 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 17	5:51 PM EDT	F0	Citrus	0.1	20			$500 to $5,000

July 19 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 19	5:45 PM EDT	F0	Collier	0.1	20			$5,000 to $50,000

July 21 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 21	7:00 PM EDT	F1	Bradford	0.1	20			$5,000 to $50,000

July 30 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 30	5:02 PM EDT	F0	Duval	0.1	13

August 3 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 3	4:40 PM EDT	F0	Brevard	0.1	20			$500 to $5,000

August 7 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 7	4:00 PM EDT	F0	Monroe	0.5	20			$500 to $5,000

August 10 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 10	6:51 PM EDT	F0	Putnam	0.1	17

August 12 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 12	6:50 PM EDT	F1	Pinellas	0.3	30	1	21	$500,000 to $5 million

August 16 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 16	5:14 PM EDT	F0	Palm Beach	0.5	20			$50 to $500

September 3 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 3	8:10 PM EDT	F0	Suwannee	0.1	17

September 7 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 7	12:45 PM EDT	F0	Nassau	0.5	17			$500 to $5,000
September 7	5:00 PM EDT	F1	Hendry	0.1	17		6	$5,000 to $50,000

September 18 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 18	3:00 PM EDT	F0	Palm Beach	0.1	20			$500 to $5,000

September 30 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 30	5:40 PM EDT	F0	Pasco	0.1	20			$500 to $5,000

October 20 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
October 20	2:00 PM EDT	F1	Madison	0.1	17			$5,000 to $50,000

December 7 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
December 7	2:00 AM EST	F0	Palm Beach	0.3	17			$500 to $5,000

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.