Palm River-Clair Mel, FL Tornado History — 281 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Palm River-Clair Mel, FL had?
Palm River-Clair Mel has had 281 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 4 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Palm River-Clair Mel?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Palm River-Clair Mel was an EF0 on September 25, 2025.
When is tornado season in Palm River-Clair Mel?
June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Palm River-Clair Mel, with 47 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 Palm River-Clair Mel
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 50 total, averaging 2.5 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Palm River-Clair Mel since December 29, 2025
These are 2 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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 Palm River-Clair Mel. 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 Palm River-Clair Mel
22 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Palm River-Clair Mel since 1950, across 7 events. 900 injuries have been reported across all events. 1966 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F4 on April 4, 1966, which caused 11 fatalities along a 135.8-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Palm River-Clair Mel
About Tornadoes in Palm River-Clair Mel
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.
Palm River-Clair Mel lies along the eastern shore of Tampa Bay in Hillsborough County, where the Palm River empties into McKay Bay. Its flat, low-lying coastal setting exposes the area to brief summer sea-breeze tornadoes as well as stronger storms that arrive when fall and cool-season weather systems sweep across the Florida peninsula.
On April 4, 1966, a deadly F4 tornado tore across the region on a 135.8-mile track, killing 11 people and injuring 530, while an F2 tracked 123.3 miles the same day. An earlier F4 had touched down on April 15, 1958, injuring 7. On May 4, 1978, an F3 killed 3 people and injured 94. October 3, 1992 brought an F3 whose path spread 500 yards wide, killing 3 and injuring 75; a separate F2 that day killed 1.
The threat has continued in recent years. An EF2 on January 17, 2016 killed 2 people; an EF2 on October 19, 2019 carved an 11.45-mile path up to 525 yards wide; and an EF2 on December 16, 2020 tracked 13.11 miles, causing $16,000,000 in property damage. Weaker tornadoes remain a familiar part of the area's humid summers and stormy autumns — an EF1 touched down on June 25, 2025, with EF0 tornadoes following on August 8 and September 25, 2025.