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Port Charlotte, FL Tornado History — 165 Tornadoes Since 1950

Florida · 25-mile radius · NOAA Storm Prediction Center

How many tornadoes has Port Charlotte, FL had?

Port Charlotte has had 165 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 1 violent (EF3+) tornado.

When was the most recent tornado near Port Charlotte?

The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Port Charlotte was an EF0 on July 21, 2025.

When is tornado season in Port Charlotte?

June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Port Charlotte, with 29 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

Tornadoes Since 1950
165
Within search radius
Violent (EF3+)
1
0.6% of total
Peak Month
June
29 on record
Per Year Avg
2.2
Across 76 years

Recent Tornado Activity Near Port Charlotte

The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 28 total, averaging 1.4 per year over this window.

2026 0+1 prelim
2025 1
2024 5
2023 0
2022 6
2021 0
2020 1
2019 1
2018 1
2017 2
2016 2
2015 3
2014 0
2013 1
2012 1
2011 0
2010 0
2009 1
2008 1
2007 2

Striped bars mark preliminary reports not yet confirmed by NWS survey — excluded from the confirmed counts.

Preliminary tornado reports near Port Charlotte 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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.

Preliminary June 28, 2026
1 WSW North Fort Myers, Lee County, FL

Within 25 miles of Port Charlotte. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.

Tornadoes by Decade

1950s 3
1960s 7
1970s 27
1980s 29
1990s 38
2000s 37
2010s 11
2020s 13

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.

EF0 111
EF1 38
EF2 14
EF3 1
Unrated 1

Tornadoes by Month

Jan 14
Feb 8
Mar 9
Apr 11
May 10
Jun 29
Jul 21
Aug 18
Sep 20
Oct 8
Nov 5
Dec 12

Casualties on Record Near Port Charlotte

4 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Port Charlotte since 1950, across 2 events. 79 injuries have been reported across all events. 1985 was the deadliest year on record.

The deadliest single event was a F3 on March 17, 1985, which caused 2 fatalities along a 3.0-mile track.

Notable Tornadoes Near Port Charlotte

Deadliest Tornado
F3 on March 17, 1985 — 2 fatalities, 3.0 mi path, 400 yd wide.
Costliest Tornado
F3 on March 17, 1985 — est. ~$27.5M (NOAA damage class, pre-1996 estimate).
Widest Tornado
EF2 on October 9, 2024 — 500 yards wide.
Longest Path
F0 on October 7, 1996 — 52.0 mile track.
Most Recent
EF0 on July 21, 2025.

About Tornadoes in Port Charlotte

This overview was written August 10, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.

Tornado weather reaches Port Charlotte on a warm-season clock: the threat builds as the Gulf heats through late spring, rides the daily sea-breeze thunderstorms of high summer, and returns when tropical systems sweep Florida's southwestern coast in early autumn. Set beside Charlotte Harbor on the peninsula's Gulf side, the community sees its tornadoes less from Plains-style frontal clashes than from tropical moisture — waterspouts drifting ashore, colliding sea breezes over the interior, and the outer rain bands of hurricanes, which can spin up brief but damaging circulations far from a storm's core. The archive kept by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center reflects that rhythm, with entries scattered through summer and the heart of hurricane season rather than bunched into a spring peak.

The event locals still measure against arrived on March 17, 1985, when an F3 carved a three-mile track up to four hundred yards wide, killing two people and injuring forty-five. On July 30, 1968, a compact F2 killed two residents, and a December 12, 1983 F2 injured four. In the modern era, an EF2 on October 9, 2024 stayed on the ground for roughly sixteen miles at widths near five hundred yards, a reminder that hurricane-season tornadoes can be far from minor. The event list elsewhere on this page fills in the quieter entries.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many tornadoes has Port Charlotte, FL had?
Since 1950, 165 tornadoes have been recorded within 25 miles of Port Charlotte. Data source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
What was the deadliest tornado near Port Charlotte?
The deadliest tornado on record within 25 miles of Port Charlotte was a F3 on March 17, 1985, which caused 2 fatalities.
When is tornado season in Port Charlotte?
June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Port Charlotte, with 29 tornadoes on record. Tornadoes can occur any time of year, but spring months (April–June) generally see the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
When was the most recent tornado near Port Charlotte?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Port Charlotte was an EF0 on July 21, 2025.
How do I get tornado warnings for Port Charlotte?
Vortex delivers real-time tornado warnings, severe thunderstorm alerts, and SPC outlook updates for any US location via push notification and phone call. Alerts are sourced directly from the National Weather Service and updated within seconds of issuance.

Official Resources

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