Princeton, FL Tornado History — 115 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Princeton, FL had?
Princeton has had 115 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 1 violent (EF3+) tornado.
When was the most recent tornado near Princeton?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Princeton was an EF1 on October 9, 2024.
When is tornado season in Princeton?
June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Princeton, with 23 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 Princeton
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 19 total, averaging 0.9 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 Princeton
1 fatality has been recorded within 25 miles of Princeton since 1950, across 1 event. 133 injuries have been reported across all events. 2003 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F2 on March 27, 2003, which caused 1 fatality along a 6.0-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Princeton
About Tornadoes in Princeton
This overview was written April 23, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
Princeton, Florida has experienced 115 documented tornadoes within a 25-mile radius since 1950, according to NOAA Storm Prediction Center records. The majority of these events have been relatively weak, with 85 rated EF0 and 24 rated EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, which measures tornado intensity based on damage. Only five tornadoes have reached EF2 intensity or higher, including a single EF3 event.
Tornado activity in the Princeton area has varied considerably by decade. The 1990s saw the highest concentration with 34 recorded tornadoes, while the 1980s and 2000s each recorded 21 events. More recent decades have seen fewer tornadoes, with eight in the 2010s and six thus far in the 2020s. June is the peak month for tornado activity in this region, accounting for 23 of the recorded events. This aligns with the warm-season convective patterns common to South Florida, where sea-breeze interactions and tropical systems can generate tornadoes.
The deadliest tornado on record occurred on March 27, 2003, when an F2 tornado claimed one life while traveling a 6.0-mile path with a maximum width of 600 yards. The costliest event happened on May 27, 1982, when an F1 tornado caused $2,750,000 in property damage despite traveling only 0.3 miles. The longest-tracked tornado in the area's history was an F0 that traveled 42.8 miles on September 12, 1968, while the widest reached 833 yards across on October 4, 1968. Most recently, an EF1 tornado touched down on October 9, 2024, traveling 2.9 miles with no reported fatalities or property damage.
The predominance of weaker tornadoes in Princeton's history reflects the typical tornado climatology of peninsular Florida, where tornadoes often form from different mechanisms than the supercell thunderstorms common to the Great Plains. Many Florida tornadoes develop along squall lines, within tropical cyclones, or from localized convective activity, generally producing shorter-lived and less intense events than their midwestern counterparts.