Tornadoes · United States · Florida

Tornadoes in Jackson County, Florida

52 tornadoes have crossed Jackson County since 1950, 27th of the 67 counties in Florida with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.5 years. They have killed 5 people and injured 92. None was rated F4 or above.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The United States rated tornadoes on Ted Fujita’s F scale until 31 January 2007 and on the Enhanced Fujita scale after it. Both run from 0 to 5, and both rate the damage rather than measure the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. F0 / EF040 to 72 mph on the F scale, 65 to 85 mph on the EF scale

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. F1 / EF173 to 112 mph on the F scale, 86 to 110 mph on the EF scale

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. F2 / EF2113 to 157 mph on the F scale, 111 to 135 mph on the EF scale

    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.

  4. F3 / EF3158 to 206 mph on the F scale, 136 to 165 mph on the EF scale

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. F4 / EF4207 to 260 mph on the F scale, 166 to 200 mph on the EF scale

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. F5 / EF5261 to 318 mph on the F scale, over 200 mph on the EF scale

    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.

  7. 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.

Now

Tornadoes
52
Deaths
5
Injuries
92
F4 and above
0
Worst on record
EF3, March 31, 2022

The deadliest in Jackson County

  1. EF3, Washington and Jackson counties, FloridaMarch 31, 20222 killed, 1 injured
  2. F2, Bay, Calhoun, Jackson, Seminole, Decatur, Mitchell and Worth counties, Florida and GeorgiaJanuary 12, 19751 killed, 33 injured
  3. F2, Washington and Jackson counties, FloridaMarch 15, 20011 killed, 21 injured
  4. EF2, Jackson and Houston counties, Florida and AlabamaJanuary 9, 20241 killed, 10 injured

The strongest

  1. EF3, Washington and Jackson counties, FloridaMarch 31, 2022EF3, 12.1 mi (20 km)
  2. F2, Bay, Calhoun, Jackson, Seminole, Decatur, Mitchell and Worth counties, Florida and GeorgiaJanuary 12, 1975F2, 168.5 mi (271 km)
  3. EF2, Jackson and Houston counties, Florida and AlabamaJanuary 9, 2024EF2, 34.8 mi (56 km)
  4. EF2, Washington and Jackson counties, FloridaApril 23, 2020EF2, 17.2 mi (28 km)
  5. EF2, Jackson County, FloridaJanuary 9, 2024EF2, 16.3 mi (26 km)
  6. F2, Jackson County, FloridaApril 18, 1988F2, 15.0 mi (24 km)
  7. F2, Washington and Jackson counties, FloridaMarch 15, 2001F2, 10.0 mi (16 km)
  8. F2, Jackson County, FloridaSeptember 15, 2004F2, 8.0 mi (13 km)
  9. F2, Jackson County, FloridaMarch 20, 2003F2, 8.0 mi (13 km)
  10. F2, Jackson County, FloridaMarch 15, 2001F2, 3.0 mi (5 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 34 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Jackson County. Each year links to every tornado in Florida that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20243117EF2
2022221EF3
20202EF2
20191EF1
20181EF0
20151EF1
20144EF1
20121EF0
20112EF1
20091EF0
20081EF0
200413F2
200313F2
200211F0
20012121F2
20002F1
19981F0
19972F1
19961F1
19951F0
19921F0
198931F1
19882F2
19861F1
19851F0
19831F1
19791F1
19754145F2
19741F1
19721F1
19681F1
19662F1
19551F1
19501F0

Every tornado that crossed Jackson County

52 tornadoes, newest first.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
January 9, 20247:50 AM CSTEF2Jackson to AL34.81,000110$6.3 million
January 9, 20246:25 AM CSTEF2Jackson16.36007$5.0 million
January 9, 20246:03 AM CSTEF1Calhoun9.8450$5,000
March 31, 20224:09 AM CDTEF3Washington12.120021$600,000
March 9, 20225:55 AM CSTUnratedJackson0.125
September 16, 20207:53 AM CDTEF0Calhoun9.950$1,000
April 23, 20203:48 PM CDTEF2Washington17.2400$500,000
March 3, 20195:33 PM CSTEF1Washington5.3300$105,000
February 11, 20183:28 AM CSTEF0Houston to AL11.225$25,000
April 19, 20159:47 AM CDTEF1Houston to AL, GA38.7500$155,000
November 17, 20145:57 AM CSTEF0Jackson0.550$5,000
October 14, 20143:00 AM CDTEF0Jackson1.720$20,000
April 30, 20141:52 AM CDTEF1Jackson4.6150$3,000
April 30, 20141:44 AM CDTEF1Jackson1.6100$200,000
August 29, 20125:12 PM CDTEF0Jackson0.425
September 5, 201112:57 PM CDTEF0Jackson0.325$1,000
April 28, 20114:50 AM CDTEF1Jackson3.0150$500,000
March 27, 20098:20 AM CDTEF0Jackson0.250$75,000
August 25, 20085:26 PM CDTEF0Jackson0.250
September 15, 20049:31 PM CDTF2Jackson8.05003$3.0 million
March 20, 20032:50 AM CSTF2Jackson8.03003$500,000
September 25, 20026:25 PM CDTF0Jackson2.0751$150,000
March 15, 20013:40 AM CSTF2Jackson3.0300$500,000
March 15, 20013:30 AM CSTF2Washington10.0350121$2.0 million
December 16, 20001:50 PM CSTF1Jackson5.070$300,000
March 11, 20002:16 PM CSTF1Jackson2.070$200,000
June 5, 19986:50 PM CDTF0Jackson0.230$10,000
October 26, 199710:40 AM CSTF0Jackson1.0100$70,000
October 26, 19978:15 AM CSTF1Jackson1.5100$100,000
March 6, 19962:05 PM CSTF1Jackson7.0100$500,000
October 4, 19951:40 PM CDTF0Jackson0.120
January 23, 19921:26 AM CSTF0Jackson0.313$500 to $5,000
December 12, 198910:15 AM CSTF1Washington10.050$50,000 to $500,000
October 1, 19896:00 AM CDTF1Jackson0.2101$50,000 to $500,000
June 16, 19899:26 AM CDTF0Jackson0.210
April 18, 19889:00 PM CDTF2Jackson15.0300$500,000 to $5 million
April 18, 19889:00 PM CDTF1Jackson2.030$500 to $5,000
February 10, 19869:20 AM CSTF1Jackson1.010$50,000 to $500,000
October 31, 198510:30 AM CSTF0Washington6.010$5,000 to $50,000
June 7, 19839:20 AM CDTF1Jackson2.040$50,000 to $500,000
September 13, 19794:30 AM CDTF1Jackson1.040$5,000 to $50,000
April 9, 197511:00 PM CDTF1Jackson0.5100$500,000 to $5 million
February 17, 197510:30 AM CSTF1Jackson5.4100$50,000 to $500,000
January 12, 197510:20 AM CSTF2Bay to GA168.5100133$500,000 to $5 million
January 12, 197510:15 AM CSTF1Washington53.05012$5,000 to $50,000
May 11, 19743:45 PM CDTF1Jackson0.520$500 to $5,000
March 16, 19723:00 PM CSTF1Jackson7.7300$5,000 to $50,000
March 22, 196812:30 PM GMT-6F1Jackson0.110$5,000 to $50,000
June 9, 196611:05 AM GMT-5F0Jackson0.110
June 9, 19667:00 AM GMT-5F1Jackson0.110
November 4, 195511:00 AM GMT-6F1Jackson0.110$50 to $500
August 31, 19501:02 AM GMT-5F0Jackson0.110$500 to $5,000

Nearby

Warnings in force in Jackson CountyThe forecast for Jackson CountyThe live radar over Jackson CountyEvery county in 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.