Fort Walton Beach, FL Tornado History — 118 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Fort Walton Beach, FL had?
Fort Walton Beach has had 118 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 1 violent (EF3+) tornado.
When was the most recent tornado near Fort Walton Beach?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Fort Walton Beach was an EF1 on May 10, 2025.
When is tornado season in Fort Walton Beach?
September is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Fort Walton Beach, with 16 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 Walton Beach
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 25 total, averaging 1.3 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Fort Walton Beach 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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 Walton Beach. 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 Walton Beach
4 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Fort Walton Beach since 1950, across 4 events. 120 injuries have been reported across all events. 1995 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F2 on October 4, 1995, which caused 1 fatality along a 1.8-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Fort Walton Beach
About Tornadoes in Fort Walton Beach
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 Walton Beach sits at the water's edge of Okaloosa County in the Florida Panhandle, where Santa Rosa Sound opens toward Choctawhatchee Bay, and its tornado history carries a distinctly Gulf Coast rhythm: dangerous storms here often arrive in the depths of winter or during the tropical months, spinning ashore off warm Gulf water.
The cool season has repeatedly turned violent. An F2 on January 5, 1962 killed one person and injured 30, and on December 25, 1964, an F3 carved a 12.8-mile path through the area, injuring four. On December 10, 1967, an F2 fully 1,000 yards wide churned along a 6.8-mile track, killing one person and injuring 50.
Tornadoes have also come with the tropical season. On October 4, 1995, an F2 killed one person and injured three along a 1.8-mile path, and an F1 touched down on September 25, 2002.
The threat continues in the modern era. An EF2 on January 22, 2023 tracked 0.78 miles and caused $250,000 in property damage, an EF1 struck on January 9, 2024, and another EF1 touched down as recently as May 10, 2025 — a reminder that on this stretch of the Panhandle coast, tornado weather can arrive in nearly any month.