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Westchester, FL Tornado History — 202 Tornadoes Since 1950

Florida · 25-mile radius · NOAA Storm Prediction Center

How many tornadoes has Westchester, FL had?

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

When was the most recent tornado near Westchester?

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

When is tornado season in Westchester?

June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Westchester, 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 Westchester

The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 43 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 4
2017 6
2016 2
2015 1
2014 1
2013 1
2012 1
2011 1
2010 0
2009 1
2008 4
2007 4

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

Preliminary tornado reports near Westchester 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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 Westchester. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.

Tornadoes by Decade

1950s 11
1960s 21
1970s 10
1980s 36
1990s 53
2000s 37
2010s 18
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 147
EF1 44
EF2 7
EF3 2
Unrated 2

Tornadoes by Month

Jan 9
Feb 13
Mar 11
Apr 10
May 26
Jun 38
Jul 19
Aug 25
Sep 26
Oct 15
Nov 7
Dec 3

Casualties on Record Near Westchester

1 fatality has been recorded within 25 miles of Westchester since 1950, across 1 event. 177 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 Westchester

Deadliest Tornado
F2 on March 27, 2003 — 1 fatality, 6.0 mi path, 600 yd wide.
Costliest Tornado
F1 on January 15, 1991 — est. ~$2.8M (NOAA damage class, pre-1996 estimate).
Widest Tornado
F0 on October 4, 1968 — 833 yards wide.
Longest Path
F0 on September 12, 1968 — 42.8 mile track.
Most Recent
EF1 on October 9, 2024.

About Tornadoes in Westchester

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.

Twenty people were injured on April 10, 1956, when an F3 tornado carved a 7.8-mile track through the Westchester area of southern Florida. An F3 returned on June 18, 1959, injuring 77 people along a path 12.7 miles long and 333 yards wide. An F2 injured 21 people on February 19, 1968, and another hurt 9 on December 20, 1973. On February 3, 1998, an F2 tracked 21 miles across the area, while the F2 of March 27, 2003 — up to 600 yards wide — killed one person and injured 14. More recently, the NOAA Storm Prediction Center database logged an EF1 that traveled 2.93 miles on October 9, 2024.

This corner of South Florida experiences tornadoes for reasons different from the Great Plains. Deep tropical moisture streams in from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic, feeding sea-breeze thunderstorm collisions over the peninsula through late spring and summer, and landfalling tropical systems can spin up brief tornadoes in their outer rainbands. Winter and early spring carry a different threat: strong cold fronts and jet-stream disturbances sweep across the Gulf and collide with warm, humid air over the Miami area, occasionally producing squall-line tornadoes like the cold-season entries above. Local tornadoes tend to be brief and modest in strength, yet the intense strikes of the 1950s remain proof that damaging storms can reach this densely built suburb.

Frequently Asked Questions

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