Tornadoes · United States · Florida

Tornadoes in Santa Rosa County, Florida

79 tornadoes have crossed Santa Rosa County since 1950, 17th of the 67 counties in Florida with a tornado on record, an average of 1.0 a year. They have killed 18 people and injured 114. 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
79
Deaths
18
Injuries
114
F4 and above
0
Worst on record
F3, March 31, 1962

The deadliest in Santa Rosa County

  1. F3, Santa Rosa County, FloridaMarch 31, 196217 killed, 100 injured
  2. F2, Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties, FloridaMay 26, 19731 killed, 4 injured

The strongest

  1. F3, Santa Rosa County, FloridaMarch 31, 1962F3, 6.9 mi (11 km)
  2. F2, Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties, FloridaMay 26, 1973F2, 105.4 mi (170 km)
  3. F2, Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, FloridaDecember 1, 1968F2, 30.4 mi (49 km)
  4. EF2, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties, FloridaMay 10, 2024EF2, 24.0 mi (39 km)
  5. F2, Santa Rosa County, FloridaJuly 4, 1962F2, 5.6 mi (9 km)
  6. F2, Santa Rosa County, FloridaMarch 2, 1972F2, 2.0 mi (3 km)
  7. F2, Santa Rosa County, FloridaDecember 13, 1983F2, 1.5 mi (2 km)
  8. F2, Santa Rosa County, FloridaNovember 30, 1996F2, 0.4 mi (1 km)
  9. F2, Santa Rosa County, FloridaDecember 21, 1969F2, 0.1 mi (0 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 42 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Santa Rosa County. Each year links to every tornado in Florida that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20251EF0
20246EF2
202222EF1
20201EF0
20181EF0
20161EF1
20151EF1
20111EF0
20083EF1
20071EF0
20061F1
20056F0
20042F1
20022F0
20011F1
19994F1
19971F1
199617F2
19954F0
19942F0
19931F0
19921F0
19903F1
19891F0
19872F1
19833F2
19821F1
19811F0
19802F1
19792F1
19762F0
19752F1
19742F1
1973114F2
197221F2
19711F1
19693F2
19681F2
19662F1
1962217100F3
19601F1
19541F1

Every tornado that crossed Santa Rosa County

79 tornadoes, newest first.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
March 4, 202511:06 PM CSTEF0Santa Rosa0.375
May 10, 20243:54 AM CDTUnratedSanta Rosa3.230
May 10, 20243:50 AM CDTUnratedSanta Rosa0.730
May 10, 20243:42 AM CDTUnratedSanta Rosa4.530
May 10, 20243:41 AM CDTEF2Santa Rosa24.01,000
April 10, 20241:46 PM CDTEF1Santa Rosa2.575
January 9, 20242:29 AM CSTEF1Santa Rosa1.7150
March 30, 202212:37 AM CDTEF1Santa Rosa6.01002
March 30, 202212:32 AM CDTEF1Santa Rosa0.450
April 19, 202012:07 AM CDTEF0Santa Rosa0.250
November 12, 201811:33 AM CSTEF0Santa Rosa0.380$20,000
February 23, 20168:17 PM CSTEF1Santa Rosa2.7100$75,000
December 28, 20158:30 AM CSTEF1Santa Rosa0.875$10,000
March 9, 201110:02 AM CSTEF0Santa Rosa0.150
September 1, 200810:00 AM CDTEF0Santa Rosa0.120
September 1, 20088:55 AM CDTEF0Santa Rosa0.130$12,000
February 17, 200812:14 PM CSTEF1Santa Rosa2.175$200,000
March 1, 200711:20 AM CSTEF0Santa Rosa0.530$8,000
January 13, 200610:56 AM CSTF1Santa Rosa0.875$500,000
September 26, 20054:05 PM CDTF0Santa Rosa0.130
September 26, 20053:41 PM CDTF0Santa Rosa0.130
September 26, 20051:30 PM CDTF0Santa Rosa0.130
August 29, 20058:47 AM CDTF0Santa Rosa1.030$10,000
August 29, 20057:05 AM CDTF0Santa Rosa3.030$10,000
June 11, 20052:10 PM CDTF0Santa Rosa0.150$3,000
November 24, 20048:55 AM CSTF1Santa Rosa1.050$70,000
September 15, 20042:55 PM CDTF0Santa Rosa12.030$10,000
December 24, 20025:25 AM CSTF0Santa Rosa0.330$140,000
November 5, 20023:10 PM CSTF0Santa Rosa0.120$10,000
October 13, 20014:40 PM CDTF1Santa Rosa0.550$620,000
July 23, 19996:45 PM CDTF0Santa Rosa0.120$10,000
March 13, 199910:45 PM CSTF0Santa Rosa0.150$30,000
March 3, 19991:30 AM CSTF1Santa Rosa0.50$1.0 million
January 2, 199911:40 AM CSTF0Santa Rosa0.10
January 15, 19979:45 PM CSTF1Santa Rosa1.150$100,000
November 30, 19965:45 PM CSTF2Santa Rosa0.4907$70,000
October 4, 19956:30 PM CDTF0Santa Rosa0.123$5,000 to $50,000
October 4, 199511:00 AM CDTF0Santa Rosa0.110$500 to $5,000
October 4, 199510:00 AM CDTF0Santa Rosa0.123$500 to $5,000
August 3, 199510:10 AM CDTF0Santa Rosa0.123$5,000 to $50,000
June 1, 19946:05 PM CDTF0Santa Rosa0.110
April 21, 19944:10 PM CDTF0Santa Rosa0.110
September 12, 199310:55 AM CDTF0Santa Rosa0.110
November 24, 19925:00 AM CSTF0Santa Rosa0.110$50 to $500
July 3, 19904:30 PM CDTF0Santa Rosa0.110
July 2, 19907:40 PM CDTF0Santa Rosa0.110$500 to $5,000
February 10, 19907:21 AM CSTF1Santa Rosa0.223$50,000 to $500,000
May 1, 19895:15 AM CDTF0Santa Rosa0.210$5,000 to $50,000
August 2, 19875:00 PM CDTF1Santa Rosa0.530$500 to $5,000
May 1, 19873:07 PM CDTF0Santa Rosa1.030
December 13, 198310:30 PM CSTF2Santa Rosa1.5300$50,000 to $500,000
March 5, 19835:50 PM CSTF0Santa Rosa0.530under $50
February 1, 19838:10 AM CSTF0Santa Rosa0.520$50 to $500
April 25, 19829:00 AM CDTF1Santa Rosa0.520$5,000 to $50,000
July 9, 19817:30 PM CDTF0Santa Rosa0.130$5,000 to $50,000
April 13, 19802:30 PM CSTF0Santa Rosa1.010$500 to $5,000
March 28, 19807:45 AM CSTF1Santa Rosa3.333$5,000 to $50,000
March 3, 19799:55 AM CSTF1Escambia5.730$5,000 to $50,000
January 1, 19792:05 PM CSTF1Santa Rosa0.120$50 to $500
March 21, 19764:40 AM CSTF0Santa Rosa0.520$5,000 to $50,000
March 21, 19764:30 AM CSTF0Santa Rosa0.520$5,000 to $50,000
October 16, 19757:45 PM CDTF1Santa Rosa0.120$500 to $5,000
March 13, 19758:25 PM CDTF0Santa Rosa0.210
September 7, 197412:30 AM CDTF1Santa Rosa0.120$5,000 to $50,000
August 1, 19743:50 PM CDTF0Santa Rosa0.110$500 to $5,000
May 26, 19731:00 PM CDTF2Escambia105.42014$5,000 to $50,000
March 28, 19729:00 AM CSTF1Santa Rosa0.5501$5,000 to $50,000
March 2, 19729:35 AM CSTF2Santa Rosa2.0500$5,000 to $50,000
May 8, 19712:25 PM CDTF1Santa Rosa2.0100$50 to $500
December 21, 19699:05 AM GMT-6F2Santa Rosa0.110$500 to $5,000
August 17, 19694:28 PM GMT-5F1Santa Rosa0.110$50 to $500
May 24, 19696:00 PM GMT-5F1Santa Rosa0.110$50 to $500
December 1, 19689:28 AM GMT-6F2Escambia30.417$5,000 to $50,000
May 5, 19661:15 PM GMT-5F1Santa Rosa0.110
May 2, 19661:45 PM GMT-5F0Santa Rosa0.127
July 4, 19621:10 PM GMT-5F2Santa Rosa5.627$5,000 to $50,000
March 31, 19628:00 AM GMT-6F3Santa Rosa6.944017100$500,000 to $5 million
September 15, 196012:00 PM GMT-5F1Santa Rosa0.110under $50
February 20, 19547:00 PM GMT-6F1Santa Rosa0.110$500 to $5,000

Nearby

Warnings in force in Santa Rosa CountyThe forecast for Santa Rosa CountyThe live radar over Santa Rosa 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.