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Wind in Okeechobee County, Florida
56 damaging wind events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Thunderstorm Wind, High Wind, Strong Wind.
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.
Okeechobee County, Florida, has 56 wind events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 31 different years.
April is the busiest month, with 11 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 12 events against 33 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.4% of the 15,461 wind events recorded in Florida; its 7.3 per 100 square miles compares with 28.8 statewide.
22 wind reports with a measured or estimated speed reached the 58 mph severe threshold, and 7 reached hurricane force (74 mph).
Some winter weather and high wind events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county; zone-recorded events whose zone is named for the county are included and marked "Forecast zone" in the table.
Compared with Florida
| Measure | Okeechobee County | Florida | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wind events since 1950 | 56 | 15,461 | 701,953 |
| Per 100 square miles | 7.3 | 28.8 | 19.9 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 13.9 | 7.1 | 21.1 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 58 | 2,166 |
| Busiest month | April | June | June |
By year
Seasonality
4Feb
2Mar
1Apr
11May
8Jun
8Jul
7Aug
9Sep
3Oct
1Nov
0Dec
2
Magnitude distribution
NWS wind thresholds
- under 58 mph
- below severe threshold
- 58–73 mph
- severe
- 74–95 mph
- hurricane-force
- 96 mph and over
- extreme
Wind speed converted from the knots NCEI records; estimated and measured gusts are combined. Events without a speed are not binned.
Recorded events
All 56 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Mar 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | 75 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jun 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | 75 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Dec 2021 | Strong Wind | 49 mph | $1.0M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 1 Apr 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | 70 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Aug 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | 55 mph | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | 40 mph | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Apr 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | 81 mph | $100K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 4 Apr 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Aug 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | 63 mph | $4K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jul 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | $500 | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Apr 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Oct 2005 | High Wind | 92 mph | $6.5M | $21M | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 2 Apr 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Sep 2004 | Strong Wind | 92 mph | $7.0M | $11M | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 4 Sep 2004 | High Wind | 69 mph | $1.5M | $4.3M | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 20 Aug 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | $40K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | 69 mph | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jun 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | 81 mph | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Dec 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Apr 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | 92 mph | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Sep 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Aug 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | 69 mph | $7K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jul 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jan 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Aug 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Aug 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jun 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jun 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | 63 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | 63 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | 63 mph | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Feb 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jul 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 May 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Apr 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | — | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Apr 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | — | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Jun 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jul 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Apr 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jan 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Apr 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Aug 1991 | Thunderstorm Wind | 70 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jun 1989 | Thunderstorm Wind | 69 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Jul 1988 | Thunderstorm Wind | 63 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 May 1985 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 1985 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Apr 1984 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jan 1982 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jul 1981 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jun 1979 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jan 1978 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Aug 1976 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jun 1975 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Feb 1969 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 1968 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many wind events has Okeechobee County had?
56 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of damaging wind became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded wind event in Okeechobee County?
10 Mar 2025 (Thunderstorm Wind, 75 mph). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging wind event recorded in Okeechobee County?
The high wind of 24 Oct 2005, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $6.5M and crop damage at $21M.
How does Okeechobee County compare with Florida for wind?
7.3 events per 100 square miles against 28.8 statewide; the county holds 56 of the state's 15,461 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 Wind hub and the county page.