Tornadoes · United States · Florida

Tornadoes in Orange County, Florida

70 tornadoes have crossed Orange County since 1950, 20th of the 67 counties in Florida with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.1 years. They have killed 29 people and injured 305. 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
70
Deaths
29
Injuries
305
F4 and above
0
Worst on record
F3, February 22, 1998

The deadliest in Orange County

  1. F3, Orange and Osceola counties, FloridaFebruary 22, 199825 killed, 150 injured
  2. F3, Lake and Orange counties, FloridaFebruary 22, 19983 killed, 70 injured
  3. F2, Orange County, FloridaApril 2, 19591 killed, 9 injured

The strongest

  1. F3, Orange and Osceola counties, FloridaFebruary 22, 1998F3, 28.0 mi (45 km)
  2. F3, Lake and Orange counties, FloridaFebruary 22, 1998F3, 18.0 mi (29 km)
  3. F3, Orange County, FloridaMarch 19, 1981F3, 8.0 mi (13 km)
  4. F2, Orange and Seminole counties, FloridaJanuary 8, 1978F2, 19.3 mi (31 km)
  5. F2, Orange County, FloridaFebruary 2, 1983F2, 5.0 mi (8 km)
  6. F2, Orange County, FloridaJanuary 28, 1973F2, 2.7 mi (4 km)
  7. F2, Orange County, FloridaJanuary 8, 1978F2, 2.0 mi (3 km)
  8. F2, Orange County, FloridaFebruary 2, 1983F2, 1.0 mi (2 km)
  9. F2, Orange County, FloridaJune 5, 1967F2, 0.1 mi (0 km)
  10. F2, Orange County, FloridaApril 28, 1964F2, 0.1 mi (0 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 41 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Orange County. Each year links to every tornado in Florida that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20251EF0
20241EF0
20203EF1
20181EF0
20171EF0
20161EF0
20142EF0
20121EF0
20112EF0
20091EF0
20063F0
20011F0
1998228220F3
19971F0
19951F1
19941F0
1992111F1
19911F1
199019F1
19861F0
1983410F2
19822F1
198171F3
1978623F2
19771F0
197621F0
19751F1
1973217F2
19723F1
19711F0
19702F1
19692F1
196813F1
19671F2
19641F2
19631F1
19611F1
1959119F2
19551F1
195311F1
19502F2

Every tornado that crossed Orange County

70 tornadoes, newest first.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 26, 20256:30 PM EDTEF0Orange0.115$8,000
June 6, 20247:00 PM EDTEF0Orange0.05
June 6, 20207:20 PM EDTEF1Orange5.1500$956,000
June 6, 20206:40 PM EDTEF0Orange0.020
June 6, 20206:07 PM EDTEF0Orange0.010
December 9, 201811:54 AM ESTEF0Orange0.150$40,000
July 7, 20178:00 PM EDTEF0Orange0.115
September 1, 20168:38 PM EDTEF0Orange1.5150$21,000
July 24, 20145:59 PM EDTEF0Orange0.315
March 29, 20142:20 PM EDTEF0Orange2.4100
December 10, 20124:26 PM ESTEF0Orange4.250
September 19, 20112:15 PM EDTEF0Orange0.115
January 17, 201111:03 AM ESTEF0Orange0.120
July 15, 20097:45 PM EDTEF0Orange0.150$25,000
November 7, 20065:55 PM ESTF0Orange0.850$40,000
October 7, 20067:55 PM EDTF0Orange0.130$70,000
June 13, 20063:20 AM EDTF0Orange0.120$10,000
June 3, 20016:15 PM EDTF0Osceola0.530
February 22, 199812:40 AM ESTF3Orange28.025025150$55 million
February 22, 199811:37 PM ESTF3Lake18.0200370$15 million
June 1, 19971:00 PM EDTF0Orange0.230$20,000
January 7, 19957:15 AM ESTF1Orange2.040$50,000 to $500,000
June 17, 19943:25 PM EDTF0Orange0.110
February 25, 19924:20 PM ESTF1Orange0.55011$50,000 to $500,000
March 3, 199110:45 AM ESTF1Orange0.550$50,000 to $500,000
November 9, 19904:15 PM ESTF1Orange16.0509$50,000 to $500,000
May 20, 19863:00 PM EDTF0Orange2.030$5,000 to $50,000
April 23, 19832:30 PM ESTF1Orange6.040$500 to $5,000
February 2, 19839:05 AM ESTF2Orange5.0509$500,000 to $5 million
February 2, 19839:00 AM ESTF0Orange0.2201$50 to $500
February 2, 19838:45 AM ESTF2Orange1.020$50,000 to $500,000
September 10, 19825:50 PM EDTF0Orange0.310under $50
April 29, 19824:00 PM EDTF1Orange0.520$5,000 to $50,000
August 27, 19815:50 PM EDTF0Orange0.120$500 to $5,000
June 21, 19816:00 PM EDTF0Orange0.120$500 to $5,000
June 21, 19816:00 PM EDTF0Orange0.120$50 to $500
June 21, 19815:10 PM EDTF1Orange0.530$50,000 to $500,000
June 20, 19815:10 PM EDTF0Orange0.120$5,000 to $50,000
June 10, 19817:20 PM EDTF0Orange0.120
March 19, 19811:45 AM ESTF3Orange8.01001$500,000 to $5 million
December 24, 19783:15 PM ESTF1Orange0.320$5,000 to $50,000
December 24, 19783:00 PM ESTF1Orange0.320$5,000 to $50,000
July 1, 19789:43 PM EDTF0Orange0.110$50 to $500
June 10, 19787:50 PM EDTF0Orange0.520$5,000 to $50,000
January 8, 19786:35 PM ESTF2Orange19.320023$500,000 to $5 million
January 8, 19786:18 PM ESTF2Orange2.0100$5,000 to $50,000
February 24, 19779:15 AM ESTF0Orange0.110$500 to $5,000
May 12, 19767:00 PM EDTF0Orange0.3101$5,000 to $50,000
April 8, 19764:15 AM ESTF0Orange0.520$5,000 to $50,000
August 6, 19758:00 PM EDTF1Orange0.120$5,000 to $50,000
May 25, 19732:20 PM EDTF0Orange0.2201$5,000 to $50,000
January 28, 197312:42 PM ESTF2Orange2.730016$500,000 to $5 million
March 31, 19724:30 PM ESTF1Orange0.520under $50
March 31, 19725:00 AM ESTF1Orange0.220under $50
February 3, 19721:00 PM ESTF1Orange0.2100$5,000 to $50,000
May 13, 19716:24 AM EDTF0Orange2.030
July 9, 19704:45 PM EDTF1Orange0.110$500 to $5,000
February 3, 19707:30 AM ESTF1Orange0.110$500 to $5,000
August 14, 196910:10 PM GMT-4F1Orange3.810$5,000 to $50,000
April 19, 19693:30 AM GMT-5F1Orange5.6500$50,000 to $500,000
November 9, 19681:35 PM GMT-5F1Hillsborough69.3103$50,000 to $500,000
June 5, 19673:50 PM GMT-4F2Orange0.1173$500,000 to $5 million
April 28, 19641:40 PM GMT-4F2Orange0.110$50,000 to $500,000
June 8, 19636:30 PM GMT-4F1Orange0.110$500 to $5,000
February 25, 196110:45 AM GMT-5F1Orange0.110$500 to $5,000
April 2, 19597:30 AM GMT-5F2Orange0.110019$50,000 to $500,000
January 8, 195510:30 PM GMT-5F1Orange0.150$50 to $500
July 24, 19533:00 PM GMT-4F1Orange0.1171$50 to $500
May 15, 19501:00 PM GMT-4F1Orange0.110$5,000 to $50,000
May 15, 19501:00 PM GMT-4F2Orange0.110$5,000 to $50,000

Nearby

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