Tornadoes · United States · Florida

1998 tornadoes in Florida

109 tornadoes touched down in Florida in 1998, 120 percent above the average of the record for the state. They killed 42 people and injured 309.

1997 1999 The whole country in 1998

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 1998

January 7 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
January 7	10:15 AM CST	F0	Okaloosa	0.1	30		1	$10,000

January 8 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
January 8	7:15 PM CST	F0		0.1	130			$30,000

January 23 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
January 23	8:15 AM EST	F0	Charlotte	0.6	40	$100,000
January 23	9:15 AM EST	F0	Sarasota	0.1	30	$10,000
January 23	9:25 AM EST	F0	Hillsborough	0.9	30	$70,000
January 23	9:45 AM EST	F0	Highlands	0.3	30	$10,000

February 2 6 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
February 2	6:47 PM EST	F1	Monroe	1.0	50	$20 million
February 2	7:10 PM EST	F0	Monroe	0.5	30
February 2	7:45 PM EST	F0	Pasco	0.1	30	$10,000
February 2	7:22 PM CST	F2	Broward	21.0	200	$205 million
February 2	9:50 PM EST	F1	Glades	0.2	30	$100,000
February 2	11:30 PM EST	F0	Saint Lucie	0.4	50	$30,000

February 6 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
February 6	7:56 PM EST	F1	Collier	0.2	40
February 6	7:59 PM EST	F0	Collier	0.2	30	$50,000
February 6	9:35 PM EST	F1	Palm Beach	0.2	30

February 15 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
February 15	7:35 PM EST	F0	Lee	0.1	30			$20,000

February 16 6 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
February 16	9:35 AM EST	F0	Citrus	0.1	30	$50,000
February 16	1:00 PM EST	F0	Hernando	2.0	30	$120,000
February 16	2:32 PM EST	F0	Polk	1.5	30	$150,000
February 16	3:19 PM EST	F0	Volusia	0.2	40	$80,000
February 16	3:29 PM EST	F0	Seminole	0.1	30	$200,000
February 16	10:45 PM EST	F0	Hamilton	0.1	30	$40,000

February 17 6 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
February 17	4:26 AM EST	F1	Sarasota	0.2	30		$200,000
February 17	5:11 AM EST	F1	Manatee	5.0	30		$200,000
February 17	5:25 AM EST	F1	Polk	0.2	30		$10,000
February 17	5:40 AM EST	F1	Polk	1.6	30		$180,000
February 17	7:10 AM EST	F1	Brevard	1.0	40		$500,000
February 17	7:30 AM EST	F0	Brevard	0.4	40	2	$500,000

February 20 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
February 20	10:30 PM EST	F0	Manatee	0.1	30			$50,000

February 22 8 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
February 22	3:45 PM EST	F0	Putnam	0.2	30			$4,000
February 22	5:20 PM EST	F1	Brevard	1.0	50			$200,000
February 22	9:50 PM EST	F0	Sumter	0.1	30			$20,000
February 22	10:55 PM EST	F2	Volusia	8.0	150	1	3	$4.0 million
February 22	11:37 PM EST	F3	Lake	18.0	200	3	70	$15 million
February 22	12:10 AM EST	F3	Seminole	16.0	200	13	36	$31 million
February 22	12:40 AM EST	F3	Orange	28.0	250	25	150	$55 million
February 22	12:45 AM EST	F2	Volusia	5.0	150			$500,000

February 23 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
February 23	1:38 AM EST	F1	Brevard	1.0	100			$500,000
February 23	2:30 AM EST	F1	Brevard	1.0	80			$1.0 million

February 28 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
February 28	10:25 AM EST	F0	Broward	0.2	30
February 28	3:30 PM EST	F1	Broward	1.0	40		2	$380,000

March 1 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 1	1:00 AM EST	F0	Polk	0.1	30
March 1	6:00 AM EST	F1	Sarasota	0.4	30			$500,000

March 7 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 7	1:02 PM CST	F0	Gulf	0.7	30			$40,000

March 8 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 8	3:00 PM CST	F0	Gulf	0.5	30			$30,000

March 9 8 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
March 9	1:19 AM EST	F1	Hardee	15.5	200		$510,000
March 9	1:28 AM EST	F2	Polk	10.4	250	4	$2.0 million
March 9	1:50 AM EST	F0	Osceola	0.2	50		$70,000
March 9	3:10 AM EST	F1	Collier	2.0	80	1	$800,000
March 9	3:20 AM EST	F1	Okeechobee	4.0	100	10	$5.4 million
March 9	3:48 AM EST	F1	Saint Lucie	0.5	50		$3.2 million
March 9	5:45 AM EST	F1	Broward	2.5	30
March 9	5:00 AM CST	F1		4.5	30

March 19 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 19	1:55 PM EST	F1	Manatee	0.3	30		1	$350,000
March 19	2:40 PM EST	F0	Hardee	0.1	30

May 4 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)
May 4	4:40 PM CDT	F0		0.1	30
May 4	7:05 PM EDT	F0	Palm Beach	0.1	30
May 4	7:00 PM CDT	F0		0.2	30

June 5 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 5	6:50 PM CDT	F0	Jackson	0.2	30			$10,000

June 17 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 17	7:15 PM EDT	F0	Glades	0.1	30

June 18 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 18	3:10 PM EDT	F0	Monroe	0.3	30			$10,000

June 19 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 19	7:45 PM CDT	F0	Walton	1.0	30
June 19	8:18 PM CDT	F0	Walton	1.0	30

June 21 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 21	6:19 PM EDT	F0	Glades	0.2	30

June 30 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 30	2:05 AM EDT	F0	Charlotte	0.1	30

July 10 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 10	11:29 AM EDT	F0	Pinellas	0.1	30

July 21 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 21	5:30 PM EDT	F1	Broward	0.2	30			$30,000

July 28 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 28	3:50 PM EDT	F0	Volusia	0.3	50			$100,000

August 3 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)
August 3	5:20 PM EDT	F0	Palm Beach	0.1	30
August 3	4:41 PM CDT	F0		0.2	30
August 3	4:42 PM CDT	F0		0.2	30
August 3	8:10 PM EDT	F0	Hendry	0.5	30

August 6 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 6	6:15 PM EDT	F0	Hillsborough	0.1	30			$250,000

August 16 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 16	2:30 PM EDT	F0	Collier	0.1	30
August 16	2:40 PM EDT	F0	Collier	0.1	30

August 19 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 19	10:35 AM EDT	F0	Brevard	1.0	40

September 2 6 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
September 2	3:23 PM EDT	F0	Pasco	0.1	30
September 2	4:06 PM EDT	F1	Hernando	2.7	50		$30,000
September 2	4:30 PM EDT	F0	Citrus	0.1	30
September 2	4:40 PM EDT	F0	Hernando	21.0	30		$10,000
September 2	8:40 PM EDT	F1	Brevard	2.0	30	1	$6.0 million
September 2	10:30 PM EDT	F1	Franklin	1.0	60		$150,000

September 3 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 3	6:05 AM EDT	F2	Citrus	4.5	50		2	$500,000

September 5 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 5	12:40 PM CDT	F0		0.1	30

September 15 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 15	12:20 PM EDT	F0	Collier	1.0	30

September 24 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 24	8:08 AM CDT	F0		15.0	40
September 24	9:10 AM CDT	F0		0.3	30

September 25 7 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
September 25	11:00 AM EDT	F0	Polk	0.5	30	$10,000
September 25	11:30 AM EDT	F0	Polk	0.5	30	$40,000
September 25	11:50 AM EDT	F1	Indian River	2.0	40	$700,000
September 25	12:05 PM EDT	F0	Hillsborough	0.1	30
September 25	12:32 PM EDT	F0	Pasco	0.1	30	$1,000
September 25	2:25 PM EDT	F0	Charlotte	5.0	30	$1,000
September 25	2:50 PM EDT	F0	DeSoto	6.0	30	$10,000

September 27 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 27	10:10 PM CDT	F1	Okaloosa	1.0	50			$300,000

September 28 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
September 28	8:45 AM CDT	F0	Walton	0.5	50	$50,000
September 28	12:45 PM CDT	F1	Bay	2.0	60	$250,000
September 28	10:10 PM CDT	F0	Okaloosa	4.0	50	$10,000

September 29 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
September 29	9:15 AM CDT	F1	Bay	3.0	70	1	$120,000
September 29	8:00 PM EDT	F0	Madison	0.5	40		$30,000
September 29	12:30 AM EDT	F2	Suwannee	2.0	100	5	$600,000

September 30 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 30	7:00 AM EDT	F0	Dixie	1.0	40			$100,000

October 9 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
October 9	5:15 PM CDT	F0		0.2	30

November 4 5 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
November 4	4:20 PM EST	F0	Palm Beach	0.1	30
November 4	5:15 PM EST	F1	Monroe	2.0	50		$100,000
November 4	5:45 PM EST	F0	Monroe	1.0	50		$50,000
November 4	5:55 PM EST	F2	Monroe	12.0	80	20	$25 million
November 4	12:30 AM EST	F1	Broward	2.0	80		$100,000

November 5 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
November 5	11:20 PM EST	F0	Collier	1.0	30

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.