States › Florida › Columbia County
Columbia County, Florida
Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.
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. NCEI storm records through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA declarations refreshed 1 Oct 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.
The NCEI record lists 432 events for Columbia County, Florida, between 1950 and 2026; damaging wind account for the largest share.
That is 54.2 events per 100 square miles, below the Florida figure of 73.8, and 61.4 per 10,000 residents against 18.2 statewide.
2 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 6 deaths and 25 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $21M.
FEMA has designated the county in 36 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Hurricane Milton (major disaster, 11 Oct 2024).
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 338 claims since 1978, of which 248 were paid, totalling $7.5M (about $30K per paid claim). FEMA counts 654 residential flood policies in force.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Relatively Low" and its expected annual loss as "Relatively Low" ($22M a year across 18 hazards).
102 tropical storm or hurricane tracks in the HURDAT2 record passed within 100 miles of the county's centre at tropical-storm strength or more, 4 of them within 50 miles at hurricane strength.
Compared with Florida and the United States
| Measure | Columbia County | Florida | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 432 | 39,578 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 54.2 | 73.8 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 61.4 | 18.2 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 2 | 1,307 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 6 | 890 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $21M | $80B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 4.8 | 20.6 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $30K | $62K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 9.5 | 18.3 | 16.1 |
County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county. State and US rows include events recorded only by forecast zone. Rates use 2021 Census population and land area.
Events by decade
Trend: 253 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 156 in the 20 years before. Reporting practice changed in 1996 and again with automated reports in the 2000s, so decade totals measure the record as much as the weather.
Events by type
Hazard pages exist for hail, tornado, flood, wind and winter where the county has at least 10 recorded events. "Other" covers heavy rain, debris flow, dust, funnel clouds and similar reports.
Largest recorded events
| Date | Event type | Group | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Mar 2008 | Tornado | Tornado | EF2 | $4.0M | — | 2 | 5 | County |
| 17 Jul 1996 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 16 Jun 2003 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 21 Aug 2008 | Tropical Storm | Tropical | — | — | — | 1 | — | Forecast zone |
| 22 Jan 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 58 mph | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 10 Jul 1998 | Wildfire | Wildfire | — | — | — | — | 4 | County |
| 16 May 2022 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 3 | County |
| 23 Apr 1983 | Tornado | Tornado | F2 | $2.5M | — | — | 2 | County |
| 8 Aug 1975 | Tornado | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 5 Jun 2001 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 2 | County |
| 15 Jan 2016 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 2 | County |
| 8 May 2007 | Wildfire | Wildfire | — | $11M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 21 Mar 1974 | Tornado | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 5 Apr 1982 | Tornado | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 3 May 1999 | Wildfire | Wildfire | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 25 Dec 2006 | Tornado | Tornado | F2 | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 3 Apr 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 1 Mar 1998 | Flood | Flood | — | $2.4M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 7 Nov 1995 | Tornado | Tornado | F1 | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Feb 1960 | Tornado | Tornado | F3 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
Ranked by deaths, then injuries, then NCEI's damage estimate. Deaths and injuries are NCEI counts (direct plus indirect); no personal details are recorded here.
Federal disaster declarations
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Oct 2024 | DR-4834 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Milton | Public assistance |
| 7 Oct 2024 | EM-3622 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Milton | Public assistance |
| 28 Sep 2024 | DR-4828 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Helene | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 24 Sep 2024 | EM-3615 | Emergency | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Helene | Public assistance |
| 10 Aug 2024 | DR-4806 | Major disaster | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Debby | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 3 Aug 2024 | EM-3605 | Emergency | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Debby | Public assistance |
| 17 Jun 2024 | DR-4794 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes | Public assistance |
| 31 Aug 2023 | DR-4734 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Idalia | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 28 Aug 2023 | EM-3596 | Emergency | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Idalia | Public assistance |
| 13 Dec 2022 | DR-4680 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Nicole | Public assistance |
| 29 Sep 2022 | DR-4673 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Ian | Public assistance |
| 24 Sep 2022 | EM-3584 | Emergency | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Ian | Public assistance |
| 4 Jul 2021 | EM-3561 | Emergency | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Elsa | Public assistance |
| 25 Mar 2020 | DR-4486 | Major disaster | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Mar 2020 | EM-3432 | Emergency | Biological | Covid-19 | Public assistance |
| 30 Aug 2019 | EM-3419 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Dorian | Public assistance |
| 9 Oct 2018 | EM-3405 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Michael | Public assistance |
| 10 Sep 2017 | DR-4337 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 5 Sep 2017 | EM-3385 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma | Public assistance |
| 28 Sep 2016 | DR-4280 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Hermine | Public assistance |
| 3 Jul 2012 | DR-4068 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Debby | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 21 Aug 2008 | EM-3288 | Emergency | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Fay | Public assistance |
| 7 May 2007 | FM-2689 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Suwannee Fire Complex | Public assistance |
| 5 Sep 2005 | EM-3220 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Public assistance |
| 26 Sep 2004 | DR-1561 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Jeanne | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 4 Sep 2004 | DR-1545 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Frances | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Aug 2004 | DR-1539 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Bonnie And Hurricane Charley | Public assistance |
| 5 Feb 2001 | DR-1359 | Major disaster | Freezing | Severe Freeze | Individual assistance |
| 5 Jun 2000 | FM-2306 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Fl, Suwannee Fire Complex | Public assistance |
| 27 Apr 1999 | EM-3139 | Emergency | Fire | Fl-Fires 04/15/99 | Public assistance |
| 20 Apr 1999 | FM-2258 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Fl-Fires 04/13/99 | Public assistance |
| 28 Sep 1998 | DR-1249 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Georges | Public assistance |
| 18 Jun 1998 | DR-1223 | Major disaster | Fire | Extreme Fire Hazard | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 6 Jan 1998 | DR-1195 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, High Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Mar 1993 | DR-982 | Major disaster | Tornado | Tornadoes, Flooding, High Winds & Tides, Freezing | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 26 May 1973 | DR-387 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
Declarations in which FEMA designated this county, from the OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). DR: major disaster; EM: emergency; FM: fire management assistance. Programs show whether individual or public assistance was made available.
Flood insurance claims
| Year of loss | Claims | Paid claims | Amount paid | Average paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 15 | 6 | $138,708 | $23,118 |
| 2023 | 5 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2021 | 2 | 2 | $49,858 | $24,929 |
| 2018 | 3 | 1 | $12,887 | $12,887 |
| 2017 | 37 | 30 | $1,117,132 | $37,238 |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2014 | 6 | 5 | $65,224 | $13,045 |
| 2013 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2012 | 89 | 74 | $4,272,951 | $57,743 |
| 2010 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2009 | 3 | 2 | $41,391 | $20,696 |
| 2008 | 2 | 1 | $7,756 | $7,756 |
| 2006 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2005 | 5 | 5 | $20,816 | $4,163 |
| 2004 | 47 | 31 | $922,248 | $29,750 |
| 2003 | 8 | 7 | $77,740 | $11,106 |
| 2002 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1998 | 48 | 37 | $455,984 | $12,324 |
| 1996 | 3 | 2 | $31,891 | $15,946 |
| 1995 | 1 | 1 | $1,346 | $1,346 |
| 1994 | 1 | 1 | $846 | $846 |
| 1993 | 1 | 1 | $2,635 | $2,635 |
| 1992 | 5 | 3 | $13,615 | $4,538 |
| 1991 | 9 | 8 | $81,715 | $10,214 |
| 1987 | 7 | 4 | $8,183 | $2,046 |
OpenFEMA NFIP claims (v3, as of 8 Sep 2026), aggregated by year of loss; amounts are building, contents and increased-cost-of-compliance payments as recorded. Repetitive-loss counts from the NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (2 Aug 2026); policies in force from the NFIP Residential Penetration Rates file (3 Aug 2026).
National Risk Index
| Hazard (NRI) | Risk rating | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|
| Inland flooding | $9,413,086 | |
| Hurricane | $6,320,877 | |
| Tornado | $1,754,255 | |
| Lightning | $1,297,905 | |
| Heat wave | $952,380 | |
| Wildfire | $795,129 | |
| Cold wave | $618,073 | |
| Strong wind | $420,877 | |
| Earthquake | $321,263 | |
| Drought | $14,175 | |
| Hail | $10,769 | |
| Winter weather | $8,375 | |
| Landslide | $189 |
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. Ratings are FEMA's relative comparison of counties; expected annual loss is FEMA's modelled estimate of average yearly building, population and agriculture loss. See how to read the NRI.
Hurricane and tropical storm passes
| Storm | Year | Closest approach | Max wind while within 100 mi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debby | 2024 | 26 mi | 81 mph |
| Helene | 2024 | 66 mi | 138 mph |
| Idalia | 2023 | 55 mi | 115 mph |
| Nicole | 2022 | 74 mi | 46 mph |
| Elsa | 2021 | 47 mi | 63 mph |
| Mindy | 2021 | 79 mi | 40 mph |
| Eta | 2020 | 37 mi | 52 mph |
| Irma | 2017 | 43 mi | 58 mph |
| Colin | 2016 | 45 mi | 52 mph |
| Hermine | 2016 | 75 mi | 81 mph |
| Julia | 2016 | 58 mi | 52 mph |
| Andrea | 2013 | 37 mi | 58 mph |
| Beryl | 2012 | 55 mi | 63 mph |
| Debby | 2012 | 72 mi | 40 mph |
| Fay | 2008 | 37 mi | 58 mph |
| Alberto | 2006 | 53 mi | 46 mph |
| Tammy | 2005 | 64 mi | 52 mph |
| Frances | 2004 | 83 mi | 63 mph |
| Jeanne | 2004 | 41 mi | 52 mph |
| Gordon | 2000 | 37 mi | 63 mph |
| Josephine | 1996 | 51 mi | 69 mph |
| Allison | 1995 | 77 mi | 63 mph |
| Isabel | 1985 | 77 mi | 40 mph |
| Isidore | 1984 | 44 mi | 52 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1976 | 65 mi | 46 mph |
HURDAT2 best-track positions at tropical-storm strength (34 kt) or more, measured from the county's Census centre point; through the 2025 season. Distance from a track is not the same as the extent of the storm's wind, rain or surge.
ZIP codes with flood claims
ZIP codes whose NFIP claims carry this county's code, with the number of claims. Five or more claims are needed for a ZIP page to be indexed.
Questions and answers
How often does it hail in Columbia County, FL?
NCEI records 55 hail events in Columbia County since 1950, in 26 different years; that is about 0.7 recorded events a year. 11 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Columbia County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 25 tornadoes in Columbia County since 1950, 5 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 2.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Columbia County?
11 Oct 2024: Hurricane Milton, a major disaster declaration for hurricane. The county appears in 36 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Columbia County, and how much was paid?
338 NFIP claims since 1978, 248 of them paid, for $7.5M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Columbia County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?
FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Relatively Low" for overall risk, "Relatively Low" for expected annual loss, "Relatively High" for social vulnerability and "Relatively Low" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Columbia County compare with the rest of Florida?
54.2 recorded events per 100 square miles against 73.8 statewide, and 4.8 NFIP claims per 1,000 residents against 20.6. The comparison table on this page shows each measure beside the state and national figures.
Provenance
Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026 (public domain). Declarations: OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, refreshed 1 Oct 2026. Flood claims: OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 as of 8 Sep 2026; NfipMultipleLossProperties v1 (2 Aug 2026); NfipResidentialPenetrationRates v1 (3 Aug 2026). Risk index: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Hurricane tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through 2025. Population and area: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage. Built 1 Oct 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.