University, FL Tornado History — 291 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has University, FL had?
University has had 291 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 3 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near University?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of University was an EF0 on September 25, 2025.
When is tornado season in University?
June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near University, with 50 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 University
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 51 total, averaging 2.5 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near University 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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 University. 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 University
20 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of University since 1950, across 6 events. 914 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 University
About Tornadoes in University
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.
University spreads across the flat, sandy lowlands of west-central Florida, just north of Tampa and a short drive from the Gulf of Mexico. With little terrain to interrupt them, sea-breeze fronts pushing inland from the Gulf routinely collide with air drifting across from the Atlantic side of the peninsula, firing thunderstorms that can drop brief tornadoes. Cool-season jet-stream disturbances and landfalling tropical systems bring the more organized storms.
The area's history includes tornadoes of a wholly different scale. On April 4, 1966, an F4 tornado crossed the peninsula on a 135.8-mile track, killing 11 people and injuring 530 along the way. A compact F3 on May 4, 1978, left 3 dead and 94 injured along a 1.5-mile path, and on October 3, 1992, another F3 spun out of a Gulf storm, killing 3 people and injuring 75. In the modern era, an EF2 on October 19, 2019, tracked 11.45 miles through the area, and an EF2 on December 16, 2020, stayed on the ground for 13.11 miles.
Warm-season sea-breeze tornadoes here tend to be short-lived, while the higher-end events have arrived with sharp fronts and surges of tropical moisture. The NOAA Storm Prediction Center supplies the underlying record; the timelines and event lists elsewhere on this page draw on that data as it updates.