Holmes County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Holmes County: 1.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Every storm within 100 miles

1. Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.

National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 to 2025.

Every large fire

1. Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.

Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Claims by ZIP code

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).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

River crests

River gauges

1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Jul 4, 2013Flood$8.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Disastrous areal flooding occurred across Holmes county with most county roads flooded. Transportation was severely impacted across the county with schools closed and a federal disaster declaration obtained. Preliminary damage estimates for the county were around $8.5 million.

2. Sep 16, 2020Flash Flood$8.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Extensive flash flooding occurred across Holmes county. Damage cost was estimated.

3. Sep 28, 1998Hurricane (Typhoon), Holmes$4.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hurricane Georges, a Category 2 storm, made landfall near Biloxi, MS early Monday, September 28, 1998. A peak wind gust of 52 knots was measured at the Gulf of Mexico data buoy 85 nautical miles south of Panama City. Georges produced storm surges of 6 to 12 feet along the Florida Panhandle coast and 3 to 5 feet along the Big Bend coast. Torrential rainfall amounts of 12 to 24 inches were common over Southeast Alabama and the Florida Panhandle with 5 to 10 inches over Southwest Georgia and the Big Bend. These rains swelled area rivers, creeks, and streams well above flood stage. Eight people were injured as numerous tornadoes were spawned by the remnants of Tropical Depression…

4. Feb 25, 2013Flood$1.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Significant areal flooding occurred across Holmes county due to prolonged periods of moderate to heavy rainfall. Four day rainfall totals of 8-12 inches were estimated across the county between Feb 22-26. The emergency manager estimated over $1.4 million in damages across the county, mainly due to road repair. The following impacts were documented by the Public Works Department for Holmes county.||1) All roads in campsites off of Hwy 179 were under water except for Boat Ramp Rd.|2) Blue Springs Rd was completely closed and under water from River and Wrights|3) Horse Shoe Loop Rod was closed for approximately 500 ft from creek and river water backing up on the road.|4) Tobe…

5. Sep 29, 1998Flash Flood$1.3 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Widespread flash flooding of numerous county dirt roads as well as FL 90, CR 81, and CR 179.

6. Apr 30, 2014Flood$945,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Major flooding occurred across Holmes county at the end of the month due to a combination of very heavy rainfall and already saturated conditions. Many roads in the county sustained damage with damage estimated at $945,255.

7. Dec 16, 2000Tornado$750,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   An F2 tornado touched down once just south of Bonifay, lifted, then touched down again before dissipating just east of the city. According to the Holmes County EMA, 39 homes and eight businesses were damaged, and four mobile homes were destroyed. Most of the damage occurred in the vicinity of Son-In-Law Road, just north of Interstate 10. Trees were uprooted and roofs were ripped off homes and businesses in the affected area. Numerous power lines were toppled, knocking out power to several thousand customers. A local state of emergency was declared in Holmes County.

8. Jul 9, 2005Hurricane (Typhoon), Holmes$600,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Dennis, a Category 3 hurricane, moved inland just east of Gulf Breeze, FL, early Sunday afternoon, July 10. The peak wind gust and lowest sea-level pressure recorded were 67 knots and 979 mb, respectively, at Buoy 42039 located 80 miles south of Panama City, FL. Rainfall totals ranged from 3 to 4 inches in the eastern Florida Panhandle to 6 to 10 inches in the Florida Big Bend. Flooding was reported in southern Leon County where several areas were under 3 to 4 feet of water. Maximum coastal storm surge heights ranged from 4 to 8 feet in Walton, Bay, Gulf, Taylor and Dixie counties to 8 to 12 feet in Franklin, Wakulla and Jefferson counties. Moderate to severe beach erosion was…

9. Sep 15, 2004Hurricane (Typhoon), Holmes$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hurricane Ivan made landfall near Gulf Shores, AL, during the predawn hours of September 16. Maximum sustained winds reached 50 knots, with gusts to 62 knots at Buoy 42039, 80 miles south of Panama City, FL. The lowest sea-level pressure was 999.6 mb at Panama City. Rainfall totals ranged from 9.26 inches at Mossy Head, FL, to 0.15 inches at Cross City, FL. Storm tides along the Gulf coast varied from ten feet in Bay and Walton counties to four feet in Taylor and Dixie counties. Large swells from Ivan began to the affect the Gulf coast from the St. Joseph Peninsula to the Suwannee River on September 14. Storm surges continued for several hours after landfall. Beach erosion varied…

10. Apr 26, 2005Tornado$350,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A tornado touched down near Boswell Road and destroyed a barn and downed several trees. After crossing County Road 177A, it damaged a home on Gator Lane and snapped many trees. Another three homes were partially destroyed on Long Round Bay Road before the tornado dissipated. Reported by WJHG-TV Panama City.

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

104°F2 times, most recently Jun 7, 1985

All-time low

2°FJan 21, 1985

Warmest night

80°F3 times, most recently Jul 22, 2018

Coldest day

25°FJan 22, 1985

Wettest day

8.22 inApr 1, 1948

Snowiest day

1.5 inFeb 13, 1958

Hottest year

1949mean 69.8°F

Coldest year

1976mean 62.9°F

Wettest year

201382.49 in

Driest year

195429.09 in

Snowiest season

1.5 in1957-58

Station Chipley (USC00081544), 130 ft elevation, 13.0 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1939 to October 27, 2026; 88.9% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

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).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

Neighbouring counties

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USC00081544.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.