Estero, FL Tornado History — 166 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Estero, FL had?
Estero has had 166 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950.
When was the most recent tornado near Estero?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Estero was an EF0 on October 9, 2024.
When is tornado season in Estero?
June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Estero, with 31 on record. Spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Estero
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 37 total, averaging 1.9 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Estero since December 29, 2025
These are 4 preliminary reports, not confirmed tornadoes. They have not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and are not counted in the confirmed totals above.
Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.
Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.
Within 25 miles of Estero. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
Tornadoes by Decade
Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating
F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.
Tornadoes by Month
Casualties on Record Near Estero
3 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Estero since 1950, across 2 events. 57 injuries have been reported across all events. 1968 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F2 on November 9, 1968, which caused 2 fatalities along a 45.6-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Estero
About Tornadoes in Estero
This overview was written July 29, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
Estero sits on the southwest Florida Gulf coast in Lee County, between Fort Myers and Naples, where sea-breeze thunderstorms, tropical systems, and winter cold fronts have all put tornadoes on the ground. Many dates in the local tornado history fall in the June-through-September wet season, yet several damaging tornadoes have arrived in the cooler months.
On November 9, 1968, an F2 tornado carved a 45.6-mile path roughly 100 yards wide, killing two people and injuring 17. Two days later, on November 11, 1968, another F2 tracked 65.4 miles across the area and caused $275,000 in property damage. Earlier, an F2 on October 31, 1960 proved deadly as well, claiming one life along a brief path.
Winter events have continued into the modern era. On January 9, 2016, an EF2 injured three people along a 3.35-mile path and did $2,000,000 in damage, and on January 16, 2022, an EF2 traveled 7.01 miles and caused $10,000,000 in property damage, with weaker touchdowns the same day. During the 2024 hurricane season, tornadoes touched down on September 26 and again on October 9, when an EF2 tracked 16.29 miles with a path as wide as 500 yards and caused $500,000 in damage.
Summer supplies hazards of its own: on August 9, 1986, an F2 injured 12 people and inflicted $2,750,000 in damage along a 1.5-mile track.