Fort Lauderdale, FL Tornado History — 235 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Fort Lauderdale, FL had?
Fort Lauderdale has had 235 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 4 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Fort Lauderdale?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Fort Lauderdale was an Unrated on October 9, 2024.
When is tornado season in Fort Lauderdale?
June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Fort Lauderdale, with 35 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 Fort Lauderdale
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 57 total, averaging 2.9 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Fort Lauderdale since December 29, 2025
These is a preliminary report, not confirmed tornadoes. It has not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and is 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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 Fort Lauderdale. 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 Fort Lauderdale
2 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Fort Lauderdale since 1950, across 2 events. 239 injuries have been reported across all events. 2003 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F3 on March 1, 1980, which caused 1 fatality along a 7.8-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Fort Lauderdale
About Tornadoes in Fort Lauderdale
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.
Fort Lauderdale sits on Broward County's flat Atlantic coastline, where South Florida's storm weather runs on two clocks: a humid thunderstorm season stretching from late spring through the fall tropical months, and fast-moving squall lines that sweep across the peninsula in late winter and early spring. The city's tornado history reflects both.
Damaging tornadoes have often arrived with the cool-season systems. An F3 tore a 7.8-mile path through the area on March 2, 1980, killing one person, injuring 33, and causing $27.5 million in property damage. An F2 on February 3, 1998 stayed on the ground for 21 miles, and another F2 on March 27, 2003 cut a six-mile track up to 600 yards wide, killing one person and injuring 14. A generation earlier, an F3 on February 23, 1965 ran 5.7 miles and injured six.
The warm months carry their own risk. An F3 on June 18, 1959 injured 77 people along a 12.7-mile track, and an F3 on April 10, 1956 injured 20 along a 7.8-mile path. In the modern era, an EF2 on October 19, 2011 caused $4 million in damage along a short path, and an EF2 on September 28, 2022 tracked nearly seven miles and injured two people. Brief EF0 touchdowns are a recurring feature as well, including ones on January 6 and February 18, 2024.