Lake Wales, FL Tornado History — 160 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Lake Wales, FL had?
Lake Wales has had 160 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 2 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Lake Wales?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Lake Wales was an EF0 on October 9, 2024.
When is tornado season in Lake Wales?
June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Lake Wales, 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 Lake Wales
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 21 total, averaging 1.1 per year over this window.
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 Lake Wales
37 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Lake Wales since 1950, across 3 events. 761 injuries have been reported across all events. 1998 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F3 on February 23, 1998, which caused 25 fatalities along a 28.0-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Lake Wales
About Tornadoes in Lake Wales
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.
Lake Wales sits along the high ridge of interior Polk County, near the center of the Florida peninsula, and its tornado history shows both faces of the state's severe weather. Many of the tornadoes recorded around the city have been brief, weak spin-ups born of summer thunderstorms — like the EF0s of July and August 2024 — but the area has also endured far more dangerous storms.
An F4 tornado struck on April 4, 1966, killing 11 people and injuring 530 along a 135.8-mile path; a second tornado that same day, rated F2, tracked roughly 123 miles across the region. On May 8, 1979, an F2 killed one person and injured 40 along a four-mile path.
The cooler months have brought dangerous episodes of their own. An F2 on December 27, 1997, injured 18 people along a 5.8-mile track, and on February 23, 1998, an F3 carved a 28-mile path through the area, killing 25 people and injuring 150; another F2 followed on March 9, 1998, injuring four.
More recently, an EF2 on June 25, 2012, tracked just over six miles, and another EF2 touched down on September 10, 2017. The fall of 2024 brought a cluster of weak tornadoes, including an EF1 on October 9.