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Tarpon Springs, FL Tornado History — 217 Tornadoes Since 1950

Florida · 25-mile radius · NOAA Storm Prediction Center

How many tornadoes has Tarpon Springs, FL had?

Tarpon Springs has had 217 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 3 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.

When was the most recent tornado near Tarpon Springs?

The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Tarpon Springs was an EF0 on September 25, 2025.

When is tornado season in Tarpon Springs?

July is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Tarpon Springs, with 37 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
217
Within search radius
Violent (EF3+)
3
1.4% of total
Peak Month
July
37 on record
Per Year Avg
2.9
Across 76 years

Recent Tornado Activity Near Tarpon Springs

The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 51 total, averaging 2.5 per year over this window.

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

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

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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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

Preliminary May 24, 2026
2 SW Town 'n' Country, Hillsborough County, FL
Preliminary May 12, 2026
1 SSW Hudson, Pasco County, FL

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

Tornadoes by Decade

1950s 5
1960s 27
1970s 44
1980s 22
1990s 52
2000s 22
2010s 25
2020s 20

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 127
EF1 69
EF2 13
EF3 2
EF4 1
Unrated 5

Tornadoes by Month

Jan 10
Feb 9
Mar 16
Apr 15
May 27
Jun 34
Jul 37
Aug 22
Sep 14
Oct 17
Nov 9
Dec 7

Casualties on Record Near Tarpon Springs

19 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Tarpon Springs since 1950, across 5 events. 842 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 Tarpon Springs

Deadliest Tornado
F4 on April 4, 1966 — 11 fatalities, 135.8 mi path, 300 yd wide.
Costliest Tornado
F3 on October 3, 1992 — est. ~$27.5M (NOAA damage class, pre-1996 estimate).
Widest Tornado
F3 on October 3, 1992 — 500 yards wide.
Longest Path
F4 on April 4, 1966 — 135.8 mile track.
Most Recent
EF0 on September 25, 2025.

About Tornadoes in Tarpon Springs

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.

Sponge docks and shallow Gulf water frame the tornado story of Tarpon Springs, a story that observers on the west-central Florida coast have followed since mid-century and that the NOAA Storm Prediction Center now maintains as the community's formal ledger. The rhythm here is distinctly seasonal. Late spring and early summer bring sea-breeze collisions over northern Pinellas County, spinning up brief waterspouts and weak tornadoes along the Anclote River and the beaches. The cooler months carry a different character of threat: sharp fronts and squall lines sweeping across the Gulf of Mexico arrive with the deep wind shear that supports longer-lived, more damaging circulations, while landfalling tropical systems add an autumn wildcard.

Those out-of-summer setups have written the darker chapters here. An F4 tornado tore across the Tampa Bay region on April 4, 1966, running 135.8 miles, killing 11 people and injuring 530. A compact F3 hit on May 4, 1978, killing 3 residents and injuring 94. On October 3, 1992, an F2 and an F3 moved through the area in quick succession; the F3 alone killed 3 people and injured 75. An EF2 carved a 13.11-mile track through the area on December 16, 2020, and another EF2 followed on October 12, 2023, in the middle of hurricane season. The live event list elsewhere on this page holds the full accounting.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many tornadoes has Tarpon Springs, FL had?
Since 1950, 217 tornadoes have been recorded within 25 miles of Tarpon Springs. Data source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
What was the deadliest tornado near Tarpon Springs?
The deadliest tornado on record within 25 miles of Tarpon Springs was a F4 on April 4, 1966, which caused 11 fatalities.
When is tornado season in Tarpon Springs?
July is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Tarpon Springs, with 37 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.
Has Tarpon Springs been hit by an EF4 or EF5 tornado?
Within 25 miles of Tarpon Springs, there has been 0 EF5 and 1 EF4 tornado recorded since 1950. EF4 and EF5 tornadoes are the most destructive ratings on the Enhanced Fujita scale, with winds above 166 mph.
When was the most recent tornado near Tarpon Springs?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Tarpon Springs was an EF0 on September 25, 2025.
How do I get tornado warnings for Tarpon Springs?
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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