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Tornado in Clay County, Florida
27 tornadoes events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Tornado.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Clay County, Florida, has 27 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 21 different years.
September is the busiest month, with 6 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 7 events against 4 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.7% of the 3,820 tornado events recorded in Florida; its 4.5 per 100 square miles compares with 7.1 statewide.
By rating: 9 at (E)F0, 12 at (E)F1, 6 at (E)F2, 0 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Florida
| Measure | Clay County | Florida | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 27 | 3,820 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 4.5 | 7.1 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 1.2 | 1.8 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 207 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | September | June | May |
By year
Seasonality
3Feb
4Mar
4Apr
2May
1Jun
2Jul
0Aug
3Sep
6Oct
1Nov
1Dec
0
Magnitude distribution
Enhanced Fujita scale wind estimates
- EF0/F0
- 65–85 mph (EF0)
- EF1/F1
- 86–110 mph (EF1)
- EF2/F2
- 111–135 mph (EF2)
- EF3/F3
- 136–165 mph (EF3)
- EF4/F4
- 166–200 mph (EF4)
- EF5/F5
- over 200 mph (EF5)
- Unrated
- no rating recorded
Tornado rating as recorded (Fujita scale before February 2007, Enhanced Fujita after).
Recorded events
All 27 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Feb 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Sep 2023 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Sep 2023 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Oct 2011 | Tornado | EF1 | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jan 2010 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Aug 2008 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Aug 2008 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Sep 2004 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Sep 2004 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Mar 2001 | Tornado | F2 | $1.1M | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Nov 1988 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Feb 1984 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 23 Apr 1983 | Tornado | F1 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Apr 1981 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Mar 1980 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 May 1978 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jan 1978 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Mar 1975 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Feb 1975 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 28 Mar 1972 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jan 1972 | Tornado | F2 | $3K | — | — | 4 | County |
| 7 Feb 1971 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Sep 1968 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Sep 1966 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jun 1960 | Tornado | F2 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jun 1957 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Aug 1953 | Tornado | F1 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Clay County had?
27 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of tornadoes became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded tornado event in Clay County?
4 Feb 2024 (Tornado, EF1). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Clay County?
The tornado of 23 Apr 1983, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $2.5M.
How does Clay County compare with Florida for tornado?
4.5 events per 100 square miles against 7.1 statewide; the county holds 27 of the state's 3,820 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Tornado hub and the county page.