NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Williston, 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
78 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Williston, Florida since 1851, 18 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Debby in 2024. Since 1950, 67 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 18
- Tropical storms
- 60
- Tornadoes
- 67
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
3 deaths in all
What the records show for Williston
The strongest storm to pass near Williston was Easy in 1950, a Category 3 hurricane with 121 mph winds when its centre passed 26 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1874, whose centre came within 8 miles. The record near Williston begins with an unnamed storm in 1867; the most recent system was Debby in 2024, a Category 1 hurricane 64 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 10 systems, 2 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 78 systems, 15 have come since 2000. Of the 407 Florida cities on this site, 85% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Williston. The highest rating among the 67 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2, reached 9 times; the most recent, on March 12, 1993, came within 25 miles. Of the 67, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 19 have come since 2000. October has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on March 12, 2022. Of the 407 Florida cities, 90% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Williston. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 33 times since 1981, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 407 Florida cities, 55% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Williston.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Williston
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | DebbyAug 5 | 64 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2023 | IdaliaAug 30 | 74 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2022 | NicoleNov 10 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 7 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | EtaNov 12 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2017 | IrmaSep 11 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | JuliaSep 13 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2016 | ColinJun 7 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | DebbyJun 26 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | BerylMay 28 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | FayAug 22 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | JeanneSep 27 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2004 | FrancesSep 6 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2000 | GordonSep 18 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1995 | ErinAug 2 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1984 | IsidoreSep 28 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1982 | Unnamed 1982 stormJun 18 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1971 | Unnamed 1971 stormAug 16 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | GladysOct 19 | 29 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1966 | Unnamed 1966 stormJul 1 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormOct 18 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | DoraSep 10 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | CleoAug 28 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 11 | 74 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 29 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1953 | Unnamed 1953 stormSep 20 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1950 | LoveOct 21 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1950 | KingOct 18 | 26 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1950 | EasySep 5 | 26 mi | Category 3 (121 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 27 | 19 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 23 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 8 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 16 | 57 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormJun 24 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 19 | 39 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormOct 21 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormAug 12 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormAug 30 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormJul 30 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormAug 22 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 4 | 54 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 5 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 15 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 17 | 29 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 9 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormJul 28 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1921 | Unnamed 1921 stormOct 26 | 62 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 30 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 15 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 2 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 19 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormJun 30 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormOct 21 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormOct 12 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 5 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 29 mi | Category 3 (117 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 26 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 16 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormJun 17 | overhead | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormOct 11 | 14 mi | Category 2 (102 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 9 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 30 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 19 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 11 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormOct 11 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormOct 8 | 17 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 8 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormAug 30 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormOct 27 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 10 | 30 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 26 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 28 | 8 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1873 | Unnamed 1873 stormSep 23 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormSep 6 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 25 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormAug 18 | 10 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormOct 6 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Williston: 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 Williston
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s3
- 2000s13
- 1990s18
- 1980s13
- 1970s12
- 1960s4
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 12, 1993 | F2 | 25 mi | 1 mi | 3 / 10 |
| Mar 14, 1986 | F2 | 22 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 9, 1983 | F2 | 21 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 2, 1983 | F2 | 17 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jun 11, 1982 | F2 | 16 mi | 13 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 4, 1978 | F2 | 14 mi | 12.8 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Sep 28, 1966 | F2 | 23 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 12, 1964 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 8, 1957 | F2 | 19 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 12, 2022 | EF1 | 22 mi | 26.65 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 5, 2019 | EF1 | 18 mi | 0.93 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 7, 2005 | F1 | 22 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 3 |
The strongest 12 of 67, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Williston
The Storm Prediction Center has 33 hail reports within 10 miles of Williston since 1981, made on 28 separate days. Of these, 17 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently April 26, 2023. The most recent report is from May 10, 2023. April has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Williston
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Usher Twr, FL, 20 miles west of Williston at 33 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 73°F; January is the coolest, at 66°F and 44°F. August is the wettest at 9.9 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 2.2 inches; the year adds up to 57.2 inches over 78 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 65% of the year's precipitation (37.4 of 57.2 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 78 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (25); a normal September there has highs of 87°F and 5.8 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 82 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 15 nights a year. That 57.2 inches is more than at 86 of the 125 Florida stations used on this site (69%). Reddick, 16 miles east, has its own station (Ocala, FL): 51.6 inches a year, 5.6 less than here, and an August average high of 92°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66 | 44 | 3.6 | 5 |
| Feb | 70 | 47 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Mar | 75 | 51 | 3.8 | 5 |
| Apr | 80 | 57 | 3.0 | 4 |
| May | 86 | 63 | 2.8 | 5 |
| Jun | 89 | 70 | 8.0 | 10 |
| Jul | 89 | 72 | 8.3 | 12 |
| Aug | 89 | 73 | 9.9 | 13 |
| Sep | 87 | 70 | 5.8 | 8 |
| Oct | 81 | 62 | 3.2 | 4 |
| Nov | 74 | 52 | 2.2 | 3 |
| Dec | 68 | 47 | 3.3 | 4 |
| Year | 80 | 59 | 57.2 | 78 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Usher Twr, FL (33 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 Williston
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 45 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Williston: 37 thunderstorm wind reports, 5 heavy rain events, 2 lightning strikes and 1 flood. They killed 1 person and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $729,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 64 mph, on May 14, 2011.
September 1, 2018: lightning strike 3 miles from the centre of Williston — 1 killed.
NWS: “A 49 year old woman was stripping bark off a tree in her yard when the tree was struck by lightning, injuring her. She was transported to a hospital where she died the next day.”
June 21, 2008: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Williston — 2 injured.
June 23, 1998: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Williston — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “Thunderstorm winds caused significant wind damage to roofs, siding, awnings and overhangs of several homes in Williston. Thunderstorm winds also downed several street signs, large trees and power lines throughout Williston.”
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
Levy County, which includes Williston, has been named in 45 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 25 of them major disasters (by incident: 21 hurricanes, 7 severe storms, 6 tropical storms, 5 fires). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Milton, on October 11, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Levy County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes and coastal flooding; Relatively Low for tornadoes, 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 $15.3 million a year, the 53rd highest of 67 Florida counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.2 million (41%), is from hurricanes.
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 Williston
- Morriston, FL6 mi
- Bronson, FL8 mi
- Archer, FL11 mi
- Reddick, FL16 mi
- Micanopy, FL16 mi
- Newberry, FL20 mi
- Dunnellon, FL21 mi
- Gainesville, FL22 mi
- Inglis, FL23 mi
- Chiefland, FL23 mi
- Citra, FL24 mi
- Anthony, FL24 mi
All Florida cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Williston with another place →