NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lake City, FL
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
84 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Lake City, Florida since 1851, 10 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 72 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 10
- Tropical storms
- 74
- Tornadoes
- 72
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Lake City
The strongest storm to pass near Lake City was Helene in 2024, a Category 3 hurricane with 127 mph winds when its centre passed 58 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1896, whose centre came within 7 miles. The record near Lake City begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Helene in 2024. The busiest decade was the 1870s, with 12 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 84 systems, 18 have come since 2000. Of the 407 Florida cities on this site, 99% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Lake City. The highest rating among the 72 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on February 27, 1984, came within 25 miles. The deadliest, an EF2 on March 7, 2008, killed 1 person. Of the 72, 11 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 28 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 11. The most recent tornado was on March 16, 2025. Of the 407 Florida cities, 87% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Lake City. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 48 times since 1958, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Lake City has more hail reports within 10 miles than 58% of the 407 Florida cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lake City
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 58 mi | Category 3 (127 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2024 | DebbyAug 5 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2023 | IdaliaAug 30 | 38 mi | Category 2 (102 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2022 | NicoleNov 10 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 7 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | EtaNov 12 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2017 | IrmaSep 11 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | JuliaSep 14 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2016 | HermineSep 2 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2016 | ColinJun 7 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | DebbyJun 26 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | BerylMay 28 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | FayAug 22 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 13 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | TammyOct 6 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | JeanneSep 27 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2000 | GordonSep 18 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1984 | IsidoreSep 28 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1982 | Unnamed 1982 stormJun 18 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormMay 23 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1972 | AlphaMay 28 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1971 | Unnamed 1971 stormAug 16 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1966 | Unnamed 1966 stormJul 2 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1966 | AlmaJun 10 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1964 | HildaOct 5 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | DoraSep 10 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 29 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | Unnamed 1957 stormJun 9 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1950 | LoveOct 21 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1950 | KingOct 19 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1950 | EasySep 7 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 27 | 14 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormOct 7 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 24 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 8 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 19 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 21 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormAug 31 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormAug 22 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 5 | 38 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 5 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 15 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 18 | 55 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormJul 28 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 29 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 16 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 30 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 15 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 2 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1914 | Unnamed 1914 stormSep 17 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 19 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormJun 30 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 15 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormOct 12 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 7 mi | Category 3 (112 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 16 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormJun 17 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormOct 11 | 34 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 9 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 19 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 12 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormSep 21 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 31 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormOct 11 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormOct 8 | 65 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 8 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormOct 27 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 11 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 10 | 73 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 26 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormSep 20 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 28 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormSep 19 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormJun 2 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormOct 5 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormSep 6 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 26 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 18 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1868 | Unnamed 1868 stormOct 4 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormOct 7 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 74 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Lake City: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Lake City
By decade
- 2020s10
- 2010s3
- 2000s15
- 1990s6
- 1980s14(1 EF3+)
- 1970s19
- 1960s2(1 EF3+)
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 27, 1984 | F3 | 25 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Feb 25, 1960 | F3 | 4 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 7, 2008 | EF2 | 3 mi | 1.49 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Dec 25, 2006 | F2 | 14 mi | 2.74 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 23, 1983 | F2 | 16 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Feb 6, 1975 | F2 | 11 mi | 22.9 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Mar 21, 1974 | F2 | 13 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 25, 1970 | F2 | 23 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 24, 1956 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 10, 1954 | F2 | 17 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Mar 16, 2025 | EF1 | 13 mi | 2.73 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 4, 2024 | EF1 | 14 mi | 0.18 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 72, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lake City
The Storm Prediction Center has 48 hail reports within 10 miles of Lake City since 1958, made on 46 separate days. Of these, 16 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on May 18, 2003. The most recent report is from May 11, 2023. June has the most reports, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lake City
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Lake City 2 E, FL, 5 miles northeast of Lake City at 195 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 63°F and 41°F. June is the wettest at 7.6 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 1.9 inches; the year adds up to 54.2 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 60% of the year's precipitation (32.4 of 54.2 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 84 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (27); a normal September there has highs of 86°F and 5.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 83 days a year, almost all from April to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 14 nights a year. That 54.2 inches is more than at 62 of the 125 Florida stations used on this site (50%). Wellborn, 10 miles west, has its own station (Live Oak, FL): 51.8 inches a year, 2.4 less than here, and a July average high of 94°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63 | 41 | 4.3 | 6 |
| Feb | 67 | 44 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Mar | 73 | 49 | 4.3 | 5 |
| Apr | 79 | 55 | 3.6 | 5 |
| May | 85 | 62 | 3.5 | 4 |
| Jun | 88 | 68 | 7.6 | 10 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 7.2 | 10 |
| Aug | 89 | 70 | 7.3 | 10 |
| Sep | 86 | 67 | 5.9 | 7 |
| Oct | 79 | 59 | 2.5 | 4 |
| Nov | 71 | 49 | 1.9 | 3 |
| Dec | 66 | 44 | 2.9 | 5 |
| Year | 78 | 56 | 54.2 | 75 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Lake City 2 E, FL (195 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Lake City
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 197 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lake City: 149 thunderstorm wind reports, 32 heavy rain events, 8 floods, 4 flash floods and 4 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 6, and the NWS estimated $702,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 71 mph, on May 10, 2024.
January 22, 2017: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Lake City — 1 killed.
May 16, 2022: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Lake City — 3 injured.
NWS: “A person was struck by lightning near SE County Road 245, SSE of Lake City. Two others were also injured near the strike victim also injured.”
January 15, 2016: lightning strike 3 miles from the centre of Lake City — 2 injured.
NWS: “A teacher's aide was struck by lightning at Westside Elementary School in Lake City. It was reported that this employee was holding an umbrella and sparks were observed rising from the umbrella.”
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Flood insurance policyholders in Lake City's 3 ZIP codes have filed 201 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1980, and were paid $6.0 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Tropical Storm Debby in 2012: 74 claims (37% of all) and $4.1 million, then Hurricane Frances in 2004 with 23 and Hurricane Irma in 2017 with 22. 74% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 340 Florida cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 143 have fewer than Lake City.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Debby2012 | 74 | $4.1 million |
| Hurricane Frances2004 | 23 | $797,000 |
| Hurricane Irma2017 | 22 | $497,000 |
Columbia County, which includes Lake City, has been named in 37 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 20 of them major disasters (by incident: 17 hurricanes, 5 fires, 5 severe storms, 5 tropical storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Milton, on October 11, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Columbia County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes and tornadoes; Relatively Low for inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $21.9 million a year, the 47th highest of 67 Florida counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $9.4 million (43%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Lake City
- Wellborn, FL10 mi
- White Springs, FL16 mi
- Fort White, FL16 mi
- O Brien, FL19 mi
- Mc Alpin, FL19 mi
- Lake Butler, FL20 mi
- Branford, FL22 mi
- High Springs, FL23 mi
- Live Oak, FL23 mi
- Alachua, FL27 mi
- Raiford, FL27 mi
- Glen Saint Mary, FL28 mi
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