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Tornado History

Sarasota Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on Sarasota, Florida. The records below identify 61 tornadoes from 1951 through 2023, including a highest listed rating of F3 (Severe damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $44.3M, with 2 deaths and 56 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes61
Total Deaths2
Total Injuries56
Property Damage$44.3M
Avg Length1.0 mi
Avg Width48 yd

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Key Tornado Facts for Sarasota, Florida

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

Average 0.8 tornadoes per year (0.8/yr in last decade)
August is the peak tornado month with 9 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F3 in Sarasota, Florida with 2 deaths
1978 was the most active year with 4 tornadoes
The 1990s had the most tornado activity (19 events)
Longest tornado: 12 miles in Sarasota, Florida
Widest tornado: 400.0 yards in Sarasota, Florida
Most tornadoes in one day: 3 on Apr 5, 1993

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, August is the most active month with 9 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

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

4320

Summary: 1978 was the most active year with 4 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 32 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 March 12, 19511951F1 August 19, 19731973EF1 March 16, 20222022F1 March 1, 19981998EF1 June 23, 20092009F1 January 19, 19781978F1 December 24, 19781978F1 August 26, 19811981F1 July 7, 19831983F1 August 21, 19871987F1 April 30, 19881988F1 February 17, 19981998F1 December 11, 1958F1 October 19, 1958F1 August 26, 1975F1 July 17, 1990F0 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, 1991EF0 January 24, 2015F0 December 31, 2002EF0 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 October 13, 1978F0 July 1, 1990F0 September 1, 1992F0 August 10, 1993F0 August 23, 1996F0 August 24, 2000F0 June 20, 2001F0 August 11, 2006EF0 May 17, 2007EF0 October 10, 2018EF0 June 1, 2020EF0 June 26, 2020EF0 December 15, 2022Unknown September 23, 1955EFU May 31, 2022© 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
March 17, 1985F3Sarasota, Florida3 mi400 yd245$25.0M
January 17, 2016EF2Sarasota, Florida1.15 mi350 yd02$12.0M
March 12, 1951F2Sarasota, Florida2 mi77 yd00$25K
August 19, 1973F1Sarasota, Florida0.5 mi67 yd00$2.5M
March 16, 2022EF1Sarasota, Florida1.5 mi100 yd01$1.0M
March 1, 1998F1Sarasota, Florida0.4 mi20 yd00$500K
June 23, 2009EF1Sarasota, Florida0.63 mi100 yd00$350K
January 19, 1978F1Sarasota, Florida1 mi50 yd00$250K
December 24, 1978F1Sarasota, Florida0.4 mi20 yd01$250K
August 26, 1981F1Sarasota, Florida0.1 mi50 yd00$250K
July 7, 1983F1Sarasota, Florida3 mi50 yd00$250K
August 21, 1987F1Sarasota, Florida2 mi30 yd06$250K

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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.