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Sweetwater, FL Tornado History — 202 Tornadoes Since 1950

Florida · 25-mile radius · NOAA Storm Prediction Center

How many tornadoes has Sweetwater, FL had?

Sweetwater has had 202 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 2 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.

When was the most recent tornado near Sweetwater?

The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Sweetwater was an EF1 on October 9, 2024.

When is tornado season in Sweetwater?

June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Sweetwater, with 38 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
202
Within search radius
Violent (EF3+)
2
1.0% of total
Peak Month
June
38 on record
Per Year Avg
2.7
Across 76 years

Recent Tornado Activity Near Sweetwater

The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 42 total, averaging 2.1 per year over this window.

2026 0+1 prelim
2025 0
2024 4
2023 4
2022 6
2021 0
2020 2
2019 1
2018 3
2017 6
2016 2
2015 1
2014 1
2013 0
2012 1
2011 2
2010 0
2009 1
2008 3
2007 5

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

Preliminary tornado reports near Sweetwater 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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 EF0° April 7, 2026
3 NNW Miami Lakes, Miami-Dade County, FL

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

Tornadoes by Decade

1950s 11
1960s 21
1970s 10
1980s 37
1990s 53
2000s 37
2010s 17
2020s 16

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 145
EF1 44
EF2 9
EF3 2
Unrated 2

Tornadoes by Month

Jan 9
Feb 12
Mar 12
Apr 9
May 27
Jun 38
Jul 18
Aug 25
Sep 26
Oct 16
Nov 7
Dec 3

Casualties on Record Near Sweetwater

1 fatality has been recorded within 25 miles of Sweetwater since 1950, across 1 event. 179 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 Sweetwater

Deadliest Tornado
F2 on March 27, 2003 — 1 fatality, 6.0 mi path, 600 yd wide.
Costliest Tornado
EF2 on October 18, 2011 — $4.0M in reported property damage.
Widest Tornado
F0 on October 4, 1968 — 833 yards wide.
Longest Path
F2 on March 17, 1983 — 52.5 mile track.
Most Recent
EF1 on October 9, 2024.

About Tornadoes in Sweetwater

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.

Sweetwater occupies the flat limestone plain of southeastern Florida, pressed between the urbanized Miami corridor to its east and the sawgrass expanse of the Everglades to its west. That setting shapes its tornado risk: with almost nothing in the terrain to disturb low-level winds, sea-breeze fronts pushing inland from the Atlantic routinely collide over Miami-Dade County with air drifting across the peninsula from the Gulf side, and the converging boundaries can spin up waterspouts that move ashore as tornadoes. Tropical storms and hurricanes crossing South Florida add another mechanism, embedding brief circulations in their outer rain bands.

The record kept by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center shows what those ingredients can produce here. On June 18, 1959, an F3 carved a 12.7-mile path through the area, injuring 77 people. An earlier F3 on April 10, 1956, injured 20 along a 7.8-mile track. Decades afterward, an F2 on March 27, 2003, killed 1 person and injured 14.

Recent decades have kept the pattern alive. An EF2 touched down on October 19, 2011, and an EF1 tracked 2.93 miles through the area on October 9, 2024, each a reminder that this flat, moisture-rich corner of Florida stays open to tornadoes in nearly every season. The event list elsewhere on this page carries the fuller chronology.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many tornadoes has Sweetwater, FL had?
Since 1950, 202 tornadoes have been recorded within 25 miles of Sweetwater. Data source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
What was the deadliest tornado near Sweetwater?
The deadliest tornado on record within 25 miles of Sweetwater was a F2 on March 27, 2003, which caused 1 fatality.
When is tornado season in Sweetwater?
June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Sweetwater, with 38 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 Sweetwater?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Sweetwater was an EF1 on October 9, 2024.
How do I get tornado warnings for Sweetwater?
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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