Tornado History

Sarasota Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on Sarasota, Florida. The records below identify 83 tornadoes from 1951 through 2023, including a highest listed rating of F3 (Severe damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $45.5M, with 2 deaths and 66 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes83
Total Deaths2
Total Injuries66
Property Damage$45.5M
Avg Length1.3 mi
Avg Width45 yd

Key Tornado Facts for Sarasota, Florida

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

Average 1.1 tornadoes per year (0.8/yr in last decade)
June is the peak tornado month with 11 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F3 in Sarasota, Florida with 2 deaths
1971 was the most active year with 9 tornadoes
The 1970s had the most tornado activity (25 events)
Longest tornado: 12 miles in Sarasota, Florida
Widest tornado: 400.0 yards in Sarasota, Florida
Most tornadoes in one day: 4 on Dec 3, 1971

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 Sarasota, Florida, June is the most active month with 11 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

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

9630

Summary: 1971 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
F3
Unknown
EFU

Summary: F0 tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 38 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 1985 with at least $25.0M in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

F3 March 17, 19851985EF2 January 17, 20162016F2 November 9, 19681968F2 February 3, 19701970F2 December 3, 19711971F2 March 12, 19511951F2 November 11, 19681968F2 December 3, 19711971F2 December 3, 19711971F2 June 13, 19691969F1 August 19, 19731973EF1 March 16, 20222022F1 March 1, 19981998EF1 June 23, 20092009F1 November 9, 1968F1 January 19, 1978F1 December 24, 1978F1 August 26, 1981F1 July 7, 1983F1 August 21, 1987F1 April 30, 1988F1 February 17, 1998F1 December 11, 1958F1 October 19, 1958F1 July 12, 1970F1 December 3, 1971F1 August 26, 1975F1 July 17, 1990F1 March 11, 1970F1 March 3, 1971F1 July 6, 1971F1 August 29, 1971F1 July 12, 1970F1 March 3, 1971F0 January 2, 1999F0 January 2, 1999F0 March 10, 2003F0 September 17, 2000F0 April 5, 1993F0 April 5, 1993F0 October 13, 1994F0 June 26, 1974F0 May 28, 1976F0 December 11, 1988F0 May 29, 1989F0 September 22, 1991F0 April 23, 1997EF0 January 24, 2015F0 December 31, 2002F0 March 14, 1997EF0 June 6, 2013EF0 October 11, 2023F0 April 5, 1993F0 January 23, 1998F0 August 16, 1999F0 June 27, 1976F0 May 28, 1978F0 May 3, 1985F0 June 25, 1992EF0 July 24, 2007F0 April 7, 1973F0 December 16, 1974F0 February 5, 1992F0 June 17, 1992F0 September 10, 1971F0 June 11, 1972F0 October 13, 1978F0 July 1, 1990F0 September 1, 1992F0 August 10, 1993F0 August 23, 1996F0 January 9, 1997F0 October 31, 1997F0 August 24, 2000F0 June 20, 2001F0 August 11, 2006EF0 May 17, 2007EF0 October 10, 2018EF0 June 1, 2020EF0 June 26, 2020© OpenStreetMap contributors
This map covers the wider location—not your exact property.Measure the closest recorded track to a street address in or near Sarasota, Florida.
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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
March 17, 1985F3Sarasota, Florida3 mi400 yd245$25.0M
January 17, 2016EF2Sarasota, Florida1.15 mi350 yd02$12.0M
November 9, 1968F2Sarasota, Florida4.1 mi100 yd02$250K
February 3, 1970F2Sarasota, Florida0 mi33 yd00$250K
December 3, 1971F2Sarasota, Florida7.3 mi100 yd05$250K
March 12, 1951F2Sarasota, Florida2 mi77 yd00$25K
November 11, 1968F2Sarasota, Florida0 mi17 yd00$25K
December 3, 1971F2Sarasota, Florida4.9 mi100 yd03$25K
December 3, 1971F2Sarasota, Florida5.9 mi50 yd00$25K
June 13, 1969F2Sarasota, Florida0 mi33 yd00$2K
August 19, 1973F1Sarasota, Florida0.5 mi67 yd00$2.5M
March 16, 2022EF1Sarasota, Florida1.5 mi100 yd01$1.0M
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Related Location Pages

Source And Limits

Data sourced from NOAA Storm Prediction Center and the NCEI Storm Events Database. TornadoTrace summarizes reported weather events for screening and research; it is not a damage assessment, inspection, or insurance determination. Coordinates and records can be approximate, incomplete, revised, or missing. No warranty of completeness or accuracy.

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