Tornadoes · United States · Florida

Tornadoes in Manatee County, Florida

96 tornadoes have crossed Manatee County since 1950, 1 of them surveyed so far this year and still preliminary, 12th of the 67 counties in Florida with a tornado on record, an average of 1.3 a year. They have killed 2 people and injured 26. 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
96
Deaths
2
Injuries
26
F4 and above
0
Worst on record
F3, January 24, 1979

The deadliest in Manatee County

  1. EF2, Manatee County, FloridaJanuary 17, 20162 killed, 4 injured

The strongest

  1. F3, Manatee County, FloridaJanuary 24, 1979F3, 7.0 mi (11 km)
  2. F3, Manatee County, FloridaOctober 31, 1958F3, 3.6 mi (6 km)
  3. EF2, Manatee County, FloridaJanuary 17, 2016EF2, 9.2 mi (15 km)
  4. F2, Manatee County, FloridaFebruary 1, 1972F2, 3.3 mi (5 km)
  5. F2, Manatee County, FloridaAugust 31, 1961F2, 2.0 mi (3 km)
  6. F2, Manatee County, FloridaFebruary 1, 1972F2, 0.5 mi (1 km)
  7. F2, Manatee County, FloridaOctober 18, 1968F2, 0.1 mi (0 km)
  8. F2, Manatee County, FloridaFebruary 10, 1956F2, 0.1 mi (0 km)
  9. F2, Manatee County, FloridaOctober 29, 1955F2, 0.1 mi (0 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 47 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Manatee County. Each year links to every tornado in Florida that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20261EF0
202121EF1
20203EF0
20181EF0
20172EF0
2016324EF2
20151EF0
201331EF0
20111EF0
20061F0
20051F1
20041F0
20031F0
20022F0
20012F1
20002F0
19994F0
199831F1
19977F0
19962F0
19941F0
19933F0
19923F0
19912F1
19903F0
19871F0
198644F0
19841F0
19822F1
19814F1
19802F1
19793F3
19784F0
197716F1
19751F0
19741F0
19732F1
197223F2
197122F1
19691F1
19681F2
19662F1
19641F1
19612F2
195824F3
19561F2
19551F2

Every tornado that crossed Manatee County

96 tornadoes, newest first. The 1 at the top is this year's, from the surveying office rather than SPC's published database, and its rating is marked as preliminary.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 26, 20265:37 PM EDTEF0Manatee0.225
October 28, 20212:16 PM EDTUnratedManatee2.850
April 10, 20215:45 PM EDTEF1Manatee0.5501$1.0 million
November 11, 202012:18 PM ESTEF0Manatee0.4100
August 9, 20206:15 PM EDTEF0Manatee0.2100$20,000
July 16, 20206:05 PM EDTEF0Manatee0.275
December 20, 20188:32 AM ESTEF0Manatee0.2125$30,000
August 26, 20179:19 PM EDTEF0Manatee0.350$20,000
July 31, 201710:55 AM EDTEF0Manatee0.7100$96,000
July 11, 20167:00 PM EDTEF0Manatee0.120
February 24, 201612:27 PM ESTEF1Manatee8.650
January 17, 20163:35 AM ESTEF2Manatee9.230024$150,000
October 1, 20159:49 AM EDTEF0Manatee0.430$12,000
July 15, 20136:40 PM EDTEF0Manatee1.25
July 9, 20136:33 PM EDTEF0Manatee0.2151$20,000
June 6, 20132:47 AM EDTEF0Manatee1.550$50,000
January 25, 20116:15 PM ESTEF0Manatee1.030
July 17, 20063:36 PM EDTF0Manatee0.340
July 9, 20056:00 AM EDTF1Manatee0.5150$210,000
June 8, 20045:20 PM EDTF0Manatee0.550$10,000
June 18, 20031:13 PM EDTF0Manatee1.040$20,000
July 29, 20024:37 PM EDTF0Manatee2.060$10,000
June 17, 20026:40 PM EDTF0Manatee0.120
September 14, 20015:56 AM EDTF0Manatee16.05$20,000
July 1, 20014:31 PM EDTF1Manatee0.110$100,000
September 9, 200012:35 PM EDTF0Manatee0.10$2,000
June 20, 20005:07 PM EDTF0Manatee1.010$30,000
July 9, 19992:40 PM EDTF0Manatee0.510$50,000
July 9, 19992:30 PM EDTF0Manatee0.10
July 9, 19992:30 PM EDTF0Manatee0.10
May 12, 19991:40 PM EDTF0Manatee0.10$1,000
March 19, 19981:55 PM ESTF1Manatee0.3301$350,000
February 20, 199810:30 PM ESTF0Manatee0.130$50,000
February 17, 19985:11 AM ESTF1Manatee5.030$200,000
October 31, 19971:17 PM ESTF0Manatee0.310$60,000
October 31, 199712:58 PM ESTF0Manatee0.110$10,000
October 31, 199712:25 PM ESTF0Manatee0.110$10,000
April 26, 199710:15 AM EDTF0Manatee1.010$2,000
April 23, 19971:10 PM EDTF0Manatee0.110$60,000
April 23, 199712:45 PM EDTF0Manatee0.110
January 9, 19972:35 PM ESTF0Manatee0.110$3,000
August 23, 19965:30 PM EDTF0Manatee0.810$30,000
August 6, 19963:44 PM EDTF0Manatee0.310$50,000
June 27, 19947:50 PM EDTF0Manatee0.110$500 to $5,000
August 14, 19938:00 AM EDTF0Manatee0.110
August 10, 19933:31 PM EDTF0Manatee0.110
June 15, 19937:00 PM EDTF0Manatee0.4120$500 to $5,000
October 3, 199210:40 PM EDTF0Manatee0.110$500 to $5,000
September 3, 19921:45 PM EDTF0Manatee0.230$5,000 to $50,000
July 12, 19921:40 PM EDTF0Manatee0.110$500 to $5,000
July 13, 19915:42 AM EDTF1Manatee0.830$50,000 to $500,000
May 7, 19917:31 PM EDTF0Manatee0.640$50,000 to $500,000
July 14, 19909:00 AM EDTF0Manatee0.110$500 to $5,000
July 2, 199012:30 PM EDTF0Manatee0.110
June 29, 19906:07 PM EDTF0Manatee1.020under $50
July 24, 19874:00 PM EDTF0Manatee1.030$50 to $500
August 1, 19867:15 PM EDTF0Manatee0.530$50 to $500
August 1, 19865:15 PM EDTF0Manatee1.030$50 to $500
May 20, 19867:00 PM EDTF0Manatee2.030$500 to $5,000
February 8, 198612:00 PM ESTF0Manatee0.5104$5,000 to $50,000
August 23, 19843:33 PM EDTF0Manatee0.530$5,000 to $50,000
July 16, 19824:45 PM EDTF1Manatee0.820$5,000 to $50,000
February 17, 19826:30 AM ESTF1Manatee1.050$50,000 to $500,000
August 24, 19816:30 PM EDTF1Manatee0.350$50,000 to $500,000
July 29, 19817:08 PM EDTF0Manatee0.120
June 25, 19817:00 PM EDTF0Manatee0.550$50,000 to $500,000
June 4, 19814:40 PM EDTF0Manatee0.230$5,000 to $50,000
September 2, 19803:55 PM EDTF1Manatee2.030$5,000 to $50,000
May 25, 19809:10 AM EDTF0Manatee0.120$500 to $5,000
September 29, 19793:30 PM EDTF0Manatee0.130$5,000 to $50,000
August 24, 19794:00 PM EDTF0Manatee0.130$5,000 to $50,000
January 24, 19792:00 AM ESTF3Manatee7.020$50,000 to $500,000
October 13, 19782:40 PM EDTF0Manatee11.610
August 17, 19787:15 PM EDTF0Manatee0.110$50 to $500
June 12, 19786:55 PM EDTF0Manatee0.223$500 to $5,000
May 20, 19787:15 PM EDTF0Manatee0.110$500 to $5,000
July 15, 19774:15 PM EDTF1Manatee1.0506$50,000 to $500,000
August 3, 197511:00 AM EDTF0Manatee2.050
August 27, 19746:15 PM EDTF0Manatee0.250$5,000 to $50,000
April 7, 197310:53 PM ESTF0Manatee0.220$500 to $5,000
April 3, 19731:30 AM ESTF1Manatee0.220$5,000 to $50,000
February 1, 19727:30 PM ESTF2Manatee3.34003$50,000 to $500,000
February 1, 19725:43 PM ESTF2Manatee0.5100$50,000 to $500,000
December 3, 197112:00 PM ESTF1Manatee6.81002$5,000 to $50,000
July 29, 19718:05 PM EDTF0Manatee0.320under $50
June 8, 19697:05 PM GMT-4F1Manatee0.110$500 to $5,000
October 18, 196810:00 PM GMT-4F2Manatee0.150$5,000 to $50,000
September 28, 19668:10 AM GMT-4F1Manatee0.110$50 to $500
August 15, 19663:00 PM GMT-4F0Manatee0.110$50 to $500
June 30, 19644:00 PM GMT-4F1Manatee0.110$500 to $5,000
October 5, 19614:55 PM GMT-4F0Manatee0.127
August 31, 19616:25 PM GMT-4F2Manatee2.050$500 to $5,000
October 31, 19581:30 PM GMT-5F3Manatee3.62004$5,000 to $50,000
September 28, 19586:00 AM GMT-4F1Manatee0.110$500 to $5,000
February 10, 19567:30 PM GMT-5F2Manatee0.110under $50
October 29, 19551:00 PM GMT-4F2Manatee0.110$50 to $500

Nearby

Warnings in force in Manatee CountyThe forecast for Manatee CountyThe live radar over Manatee 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.