Tornadoes · United States · Florida

Tornadoes in Sarasota County, Florida

86 tornadoes have crossed Sarasota County since 1950, 14th of the 67 counties in Florida with a tornado on record, an average of 1.1 a year. They have killed 2 people and injured 67. 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
86
Deaths
2
Injuries
67
F4 and above
0
Worst on record
F3, March 17, 1985

The deadliest in Sarasota County

  1. F3, Sarasota County, FloridaMarch 17, 19852 killed, 45 injured

The strongest

  1. F3, Sarasota County, FloridaMarch 17, 1985F3, 3.0 mi (5 km)
  2. F2, Sarasota County, FloridaDecember 3, 1971F2, 7.3 mi (12 km)
  3. F2, Sarasota County, FloridaDecember 3, 1971F2, 5.9 mi (9 km)
  4. F2, Sarasota County, FloridaDecember 3, 1971F2, 4.9 mi (8 km)
  5. F2, Sarasota County, FloridaNovember 9, 1968F2, 4.1 mi (7 km)
  6. F2, Sarasota County, FloridaMarch 12, 1951F2, 2.0 mi (3 km)
  7. EF2, Sarasota County, FloridaJanuary 17, 2016EF2, 1.1 mi (2 km)
  8. F2, Sarasota County, FloridaFebruary 3, 1970F2, 0.1 mi (0 km)
  9. F2, Sarasota County, FloridaJune 13, 1969F2, 0.1 mi (0 km)
  10. F2, Sarasota County, FloridaNovember 11, 1968F2, 0.1 mi (0 km)

Every year with a tornado

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

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20231EF0
202231EF1
20202EF0
20181EF0
201612EF2
20151EF0
20131EF0
20091EF1
20072EF0
20061F0
20031F0
20021F0
20011F0
20002F0
19993F0
19983F1
19974F0
19961F0
19942F0
19936F0
19924F0
19911F0
19902F1
19891F0
19882F1
198716F1
19852245F3
19831F1
19811F1
197841F1
19762F0
19751F1
19742F0
19732F1
19721F0
197198F2
19704F2
19691F2
196833F2
195821F1
19551F0
19511F2

Every tornado that crossed Sarasota County

86 tornadoes, newest first.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
October 11, 202310:59 PM EDTEF0Sarasota0.250$10,000
December 15, 20228:15 PM ESTEF0Sarasota0.1100
May 31, 20226:10 PM EDTUnratedSarasota0.525
March 16, 20222:22 PM EDTEF1Sarasota1.51001$1.0 million
June 26, 20207:45 PM EDTEF0Sarasota0.475
June 1, 20205:39 PM EDTEF0Sarasota0.675
October 10, 20186:24 PM EDTEF0Sarasota0.020
January 17, 20163:10 AM ESTEF2Sarasota1.13502$12 million
January 24, 20153:42 AM ESTEF0Sarasota2.450$20,000
June 6, 201311:13 AM EDTEF0Sarasota1.650$10,000
June 23, 200912:25 AM EDTEF1Sarasota0.6100$350,000
July 24, 20072:20 PM EDTEF0Sarasota0.230$1,000
May 17, 20075:41 PM EDTEF0Sarasota0.330
August 11, 200610:28 AM EDTF0Sarasota0.330
March 10, 20037:44 PM ESTF0Sarasota3.050$150,000
December 31, 200211:10 PM ESTF0Sarasota2.030$10,000
June 20, 20014:35 PM EDTF0Sarasota0.15
September 17, 20005:43 AM EDTF0Charlotte18.00$140,000
August 24, 20006:29 PM EDTF0Sarasota0.10
August 16, 19999:02 PM EDTF0Sarasota0.110$10,000
January 3, 199911:58 PM ESTF0Sarasota3.90$350,000
January 2, 199911:10 PM ESTF0Sarasota2.320$250,000
March 1, 19986:00 AM ESTF1Sarasota0.430$500,000
February 17, 19984:26 AM ESTF1Sarasota0.230$200,000
January 23, 19989:15 AM ESTF0Sarasota0.130$10,000
October 31, 199712:00 PM ESTF0Sarasota0.110
April 23, 19973:10 PM EDTF0Sarasota0.110$30,000
March 14, 19978:49 AM ESTF0Sarasota0.110$10,000
January 9, 19974:12 PM ESTF0Sarasota0.110
August 23, 19964:54 PM EDTF0Sarasota0.210
October 13, 199410:45 AM EDTF0Sarasota0.110$5,000 to $50,000
July 16, 19944:05 PM EDTF0Sarasota0.110$5,000 to $50,000
October 30, 19937:30 PM EDTF0Sarasota0.540$5,000 to $50,000
August 10, 19933:18 PM EDTF0Sarasota0.110
June 25, 19934:45 PM EDTF0Sarasota0.5100$500 to $5,000
April 4, 19931:35 AM EDTF0Sarasota0.5100$5,000 to $50,000
April 4, 19931:32 AM EDTF0Sarasota0.5200$5,000 to $50,000
April 4, 19931:30 AM EDTF0Sarasota0.5200$500 to $5,000
September 1, 19924:50 PM EDTF0Sarasota0.110
June 25, 199210:06 AM EDTF0Sarasota0.110$500 to $5,000
June 17, 19925:37 PM EDTF0Sarasota0.110$50 to $500
February 5, 19924:25 PM ESTF0Sarasota0.210$50 to $500
September 22, 19914:32 PM EDTF0Sarasota0.210$5,000 to $50,000
July 17, 19905:15 PM EDTF1Sarasota1.010$5,000 to $50,000
July 1, 19901:05 PM EDTF0Sarasota0.210
May 29, 19896:25 PM EDTF0Sarasota0.210$5,000 to $50,000
December 11, 19887:00 PM ESTF0Sarasota1.030$5,000 to $50,000
April 30, 19881:45 PM EDTF1Sarasota1.050$50,000 to $500,000
August 21, 19875:25 PM EDTF1Sarasota2.0306$50,000 to $500,000
May 3, 198511:50 AM EDTF0Sarasota1.010$500 to $5,000
March 17, 19854:30 AM ESTF3Sarasota3.0400245$5 million to $50 million
July 7, 19835:57 PM EDTF1Sarasota3.050$50,000 to $500,000
August 26, 19813:20 PM EDTF1Sarasota0.150$50,000 to $500,000
December 24, 19782:45 PM ESTF1Sarasota0.4201$50,000 to $500,000
October 13, 19782:40 PM EDTF0Manatee11.610
May 28, 19785:20 PM EDTF0Sarasota0.110$500 to $5,000
January 19, 19784:45 PM ESTF1Sarasota1.050$50,000 to $500,000
June 27, 19767:50 PM EDTF0Sarasota0.120$500 to $5,000
May 28, 19762:30 PM EDTF0Sarasota0.310$5,000 to $50,000
August 26, 19756:15 PM EDTF1Sarasota0.130$5,000 to $50,000
December 16, 19742:10 PM ESTF0Sarasota0.110$50 to $500
June 26, 19747:35 PM EDTF0Sarasota0.510$5,000 to $50,000
August 19, 19734:12 PM EDTF1Sarasota0.567$500,000 to $5 million
April 7, 197312:01 AM ESTF0Sarasota0.220$50 to $500
June 11, 19725:15 PM EDTF0Sarasota0.310
December 3, 19711:45 PM ESTF2Sarasota7.31005$50,000 to $500,000
December 3, 197112:00 PM ESTF2Sarasota5.950$5,000 to $50,000
December 3, 197111:00 AM ESTF2Sarasota4.91003$5,000 to $50,000
December 3, 197110:00 AM ESTF1Sarasota6.4100$5,000 to $50,000
September 10, 197111:13 AM EDTF0Sarasota0.320
August 29, 19716:50 PM EDTF1Sarasota0.320$50 to $500
July 6, 19718:00 PM EDTF1Sarasota0.320$50 to $500
March 3, 19714:20 PM ESTF1Sarasota1.017$500 to $5,000
March 3, 19712:20 PM ESTF1Sarasota0.533
July 12, 19702:45 PM EDTF1Sarasota1.010$5,000 to $50,000
July 12, 19702:45 PM EDTF1Sarasota1.010
March 11, 19707:45 PM ESTF1Sarasota0.110$500 to $5,000
February 3, 19707:35 AM ESTF2Sarasota0.110$50,000 to $500,000
June 13, 19696:45 PM GMT-4F2Sarasota0.110$500 to $5,000
November 11, 196812:36 PM GMT-5F2Sarasota0.117$5,000 to $50,000
November 9, 19681:10 PM GMT-5F1Sarasota12.3101$50,000 to $500,000
November 9, 196812:55 PM GMT-5F2Sarasota4.11002$50,000 to $500,000
December 11, 19585:45 AM GMT-5F1Sarasota0.1101$5,000 to $50,000
October 19, 19584:30 AM GMT-4F1Sarasota0.317$5,000 to $50,000
September 23, 19555:55 PM GMT-4F0Sarasota0.110
March 12, 19516:00 PM GMT-5F2Sarasota2.077$5,000 to $50,000

Nearby

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