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Tornado History

Polk Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on Polk, Florida. The records below identify 138 tornadoes from 1951 through 2024, including a highest listed rating of F4 (Devastating damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $70.1M, with 9 deaths and 522 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes138
Total Deaths9
Total Injuries522
Property Damage$70.1M
Avg Length1.7 mi
Avg Width45 yd

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Key Tornado Facts for Polk, Florida

Top local patterns from the historical tornado records in this group.

Average 1.9 tornadoes per year (1.0/yr in last decade)
June is the peak tornado month with 33 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F4 in Polk, Florida with 8 deaths
1982 was the most active year with 9 tornadoes
The 1990s had the most tornado activity (32 events)
Longest tornado: 33.5 miles in Polk, Florida
Widest tornado: 525.0 yards in Polk, Florida
Most tornadoes in one day: 3 on Apr 25, 1991

Monthly Distribution

Shows tornado frequency across months of the year, highlighting seasonal patterns and peak tornado periods.

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Summary: In Polk, Florida, June is the most active month with 33 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

Shows year-by-year tornado counts, making active years and quiet stretches easier to spot.

9630

Summary: 1982 was the most active year with 9 recorded tornadoes.

Tornado Intensity Distribution

Shows the breakdown of tornadoes by EF/F rating.

F0
EF0
F1
EF1
F2
EF2
F4
Unknown

Summary: F0 tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 74 recorded events.

Property Damage Trends

Visualizes reported property damage over time. Bars use a log-like scale so very large damage years do not flatten the rest of the chart.

$25.0M$2.5M$250K$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 1979 with at least $25.0M in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

F4 April 4, 19661966F4 April 15, 19581958F2 May 8, 19791979EF2 October 18, 20192019F2 March 9, 19981998EF2 June 24, 20122012F2 February 19, 19631963F2 May 29, 19631963F2 February 8, 19861986F2 December 18, 19511951F2 June 6, 19641964F2 March 17, 19731973EF2 September 10, 20172017F2 December 18, 19511951F1 March 18, 1991EF1 March 31, 2011F1 March 15, 1960F1 June 18, 1974F1 June 8, 1976F1 June 17, 1982F1 June 18, 1982F1 March 24, 1983F1 April 23, 2005EF1 December 16, 2020EF1 March 11, 2010F1 February 17, 1998F1 March 17, 1973F1 January 22, 1973F1 May 9, 1975F1 May 16, 1975F1 June 13, 1981F1 May 17, 1981F1 July 26, 1982F1 July 31, 1982F1 February 11, 1986F1 November 5, 1988F1 June 22, 1988F1 June 21, 1992F1 February 17, 1998F1 December 4, 1951F1 January 12, 1964F1 May 6, 1974F1 July 19, 1982F1 June 5, 1968F1 January 21, 1958EF0 April 15, 2007F0 February 16, 1998F0 May 19, 1999EF0 December 20, 2018F0 September 25, 1998EF0 August 12, 2009EF0 August 22, 2008F0 May 15, 1974F0 April 16, 1974F0 May 16, 1976F0 September 16, 1981F0 June 18, 1982F0 September 6, 1983F0 July 1, 1984F0 June 19, 1986F0 June 10, 1989F0 June 20, 1989F0 July 30, 2000F0 June 11, 1997F0 June 27, 2000F0 May 17, 2002F0 July 25, 2002EF0 May 12, 2009EF0 April 11, 2021F0 April 30, 1996F0 February 24, 2004F0 October 23, 2005F0 September 25, 1998EF0 March 31, 2011EF0 June 1, 2016EF0 December 20, 2018EF0 July 23, 2024EF0 June 24, 2012F0 June 5, 1997F0 April 30, 1954© OpenStreetMap contributors

Notable Tornado Records

The table highlights the strongest and most damaging records in this page's local dataset. Damage totals are NOAA-reported minimum estimates where available.

DateRatingAreaLengthWidthDeathsInjuriesMin. property damage
April 4, 1966F4Polk, Florida33.5 mi300 yd8450$25.0M
April 15, 1958F4Polk, Florida0 mi300 yd07$25K
May 8, 1979F2Polk, Florida4 mi200 yd140$25.0M
October 18, 2019EF2Polk, Florida11.45 mi525 yd00$10.0M
March 9, 1998F2Polk, Florida10.4 mi250 yd04$2.0M
June 24, 2012EF2Polk, Florida6.22 mi150 yd00$390K
February 19, 1963F2Polk, Florida0.2 mi33 yd00$250K
May 29, 1963F2Polk, Florida0 mi30 yd02$250K
February 8, 1986F2Polk, Florida2 mi10 yd00$250K
December 18, 1951F2Polk, Florida0 mi150 yd00$25K
June 6, 1964F2Polk, Florida0 mi33 yd00$25K
March 17, 1973F2Polk, Florida0.3 mi20 yd00$25K

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Source And Limits

Data source: NOAA/NCEI. TornadoTrace summarizes historical records for screening and research. Coordinates, damage estimates, narratives, and event details can be approximate, incomplete, revised, or missing. Do not use this page as legal, insurance, engineering, real estate, emergency management, or safety advice.