Florida, 1978
The year's recorded storm events, federal disaster declarations and flood insurance claims.
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.
Events by hazard
Includes events recorded by forecast zone. The state's yearly total for 1978 was 186 against 92 in 1977.
Counties with the most recorded events
Notable events
| Date | County | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 May 1978 | Pinellas | Tornado | F3 | $2,500,000 | 3 | 94 |
| 8 Jan 1978 | Orange | Tornado | F2 | $2,500,000 | — | 23 |
| 19 Apr 1978 | Marion | Tornado | F2 | $2,500,000 | — | 14 |
| 19 Apr 1978 | Alachua | Tornado | F2 | $250,000 | — | 6 |
| 4 May 1978 | Alachua | Tornado | F2 | $2,500,000 | — | 4 |
| 4 May 1978 | Highlands | Tornado | F1 | $2,500,000 | — | 2 |
| 8 Jan 1978 | Hillsborough | Tornado | F2 | $250,000 | — | 2 |
| 5 Dec 1978 | Pasco | Tornado | F1 | $25,000 | — | 2 |
| 29 Jun 1978 | Pinellas | Tornado | F0 | $25,000 | — | 2 |
| 25 Jan 1978 | Lake | Tornado | F0 | $25,000 | — | 2 |
| 24 Dec 1978 | Sarasota | Tornado | F1 | $250,000 | — | 1 |
| 13 Aug 1978 | Volusia | Tornado | F1 | $25,000 | — | 1 |
| 4 May 1978 | Osceola | Tornado | F0 | $25,000 | — | 1 |
| 11 Jun 1978 | Palm Beach | Tornado | F0 | $25,000 | — | 1 |
| 8 Jan 1978 | Seminole | Tornado | F2 | $2,500,000 | — | — |
| 18 Apr 1978 | Lake | Tornado | F1 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 8 Nov 1978 | Broward | Tornado | F1 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 1 Dec 1978 | Pasco | Tornado | F2 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 1 Dec 1978 | Pasco | Tornado | F2 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 24 Dec 1978 | Gulf | Tornado | F1 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 3 May 1978 | Duval | Tornado | F1 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 3 Mar 1978 | Broward | Tornado | F1 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 3 Mar 1978 | Lee | Tornado | F1 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 18 Apr 1978 | Volusia | Tornado | F1 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 19 Apr 1978 | Lake | Tornado | F1 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 19 Jan 1978 | Seminole | Tornado | F1 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 19 Jan 1978 | Sarasota | Tornado | F1 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 24 Dec 1978 | Orange | Tornado | F1 | $25,000 | — | — |
| 24 Dec 1978 | Orange | Tornado | F1 | $25,000 | — | — |
| 20 Aug 1978 | Monroe | Tornado | F0 | $25,000 | — | — |
| 4 Oct 1978 | Indian River | Tornado | F0 | $25,000 | — | — |
| 9 Dec 1978 | Bay | Tornado | F1 | $25,000 | — | — |
| 4 May 1978 | Dixie | Tornado | F0 | $25,000 | — | — |
| 4 May 1978 | St. Johns | Tornado | F0 | $25,000 | — | — |
| 3 May 1978 | Okaloosa | Tornado | F0 | $25,000 | — | — |
| 4 May 1978 | Highlands | Tornado | F0 | $25,000 | — | — |
| 8 Jan 1978 | Orange | Tornado | F2 | $25,000 | — | — |
| 13 Jan 1978 | Brevard | Tornado | F0 | $25,000 | — | — |
| 3 Mar 1978 | Charlotte | Tornado | F1 | $25,000 | — | — |
| 21 Jul 1978 | Escambia | Tornado | F0 | $25,000 | — | — |
Up to 40 events with deaths, injuries, damage of $50,000 or more, or a tornado rating, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage.
Federal disaster declarations in 1978
No declaration touching Florida was made in 1978.
Flood insurance claims with a 1978 date of loss
450 NFIP claims, 265 of them paid, for $952,710.
Sources: NOAA NCEI Storm Events through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2 (1 Oct 2026); OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 (8 Sep 2026). Built 1 Oct 2026.