Lake County

Population 456,068 (2025) 952 sq mi

69 tropical storms and hurricanes have passed within 50 miles of Lake County since 1851, 18 of them at hurricane strength; the strongest was David in 1979 (Category 2).

Hazard fingerprint for Lake County Tornado: 81th percentile. Tropical: 97th percentile. Wildfire: 79th percentile. Flood: 14th percentile. Hail & wind: 23th percentile. Heat: 13th percentile. Cold: 39th percentile. Winter: 0th percentile. TORTROPFIREFLOODSEVEREHEATCOLDWINTER

Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed

2026
  • Tornado damage paths since 195063
  • Tropical cyclone tracks within 100 miles since 1851, wider where stronger121
  • Wildfire burn scars since 198460
  • Major flood years since 19784

At a glance

The record for Lake County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.

Tropical cyclones within 50 mi

69

23rd of 67 in Florida

18 at hurricane strength since 1851

Details

Tornadoes since 1950

63

23rd of 67 in Florida

43% more than the typical Florida county

Details

Acres burned since 1984

70,696

26th of 67 in Florida

60 large fires; the largest was Unnamed, 2007

Details

Flood insurance claims

470

42nd of 67 in Florida

$7.3 million paid since 1979

Details

Strongest tornado

EF3

February 2, 2007, 26.0 mile path

Strongest tropical cyclone

Cat. 2

Hurricane David, 1979, 34.5 miles away

Federal disaster declarations

37

Most recent: Hurricane Milton, 2024

Details

Record high

101°F

Reached 3 times, most recently July 31, 2025

Details

Tornadoes

About one every 1.2 years since 1950, 3 of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.

Strongest

February 2, 2007

EF3, 26.0 mile path

450 yards wide; 13 killed along the whole path.

Most recent

Monday, May 12, 2025

EFU, 1.5 mile path

Within the past year.

Tornadoes by decade Doppler radar era² 1950s: 1 1 1960s: 7 7 1970s: 14 14 1980s: 13 13 1990s: 10 10 2000s: 8 8 2010s: 6 6 2020s: 4 4 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
Recorded tornadoes per decade. The 2020s are incomplete.
Tornadoes by month J: 3 F: 5 M: 6 A: 11 11 M: 9 J: 5 J: 7 A: 8 S: 3 O: 3 N: 2 D: 1 JFMAMJJASOND
By month of occurrence, all years.

Every recorded tornado

Tornadoes in Lake County since 1950
May 12, 2025EFU1.55000
Jun 7, 2020EF00.52000
Jun 7, 2020EF00.02500
Jan 4, 2020EF02.417510
Jul 4, 2018EF01.07500
Sep 10, 2017EF13.850000
Sep 1, 2016EF04.325000
Jun 1, 2015EF00.11000
Jun 24, 2012EF03.710000
Aug 5, 2011EF00.41000
Aug 13, 2008EF00.13000
Aug 13, 2008EF00.13000
Sep 20, 2007EF11.830000
Jul 24, 2007EF01.03000
Feb 2, 2007EF326.04505113
Feb 2, 2007EF310.5450108
Dec 25, 2006F00.35000
Jul 6, 2006F02.04000
May 28, 1999F00.23000
Feb 22, 1998F318.0200703
Apr 23, 1997F00.33000
Apr 23, 1997F00.33000
Oct 7, 1996F00.12000
Oct 7, 1996F00.13000
Oct 7, 1996F00.12000
Mar 30, 1996F01.02000
Mar 12, 1993F230.0200601
Mar 3, 1991F10.12000
Apr 19, 1988F12.05000
Apr 15, 1987F23.010071
Mar 14, 1986F12.01000
Aug 31, 1985F02.02000
Aug 31, 1985F25.05000
Jun 26, 1984F00.51000
Apr 9, 1984F01.01000
Apr 23, 1983F13.03000
Apr 15, 1983F11.03000
May 25, 1982F10.52000
Apr 9, 1982F23.02010
Jul 8, 1981F11.05000
Feb 11, 1981F10.51000
Aug 23, 1979F10.13000
May 14, 1979F10.23000
Apr 19, 1978F11.05000
Apr 18, 1978F11.05000
Jan 25, 1978F00.52020
Aug 18, 1977F00.21300
May 25, 1976F00.11000
Apr 11, 1975F10.55000
Feb 6, 1975F154.95050
Aug 6, 1974F10.550000
May 15, 1974F00.11000
May 15, 1974F11.03300
May 12, 1974F02.03300
Mar 7, 1971F20.33000
Jul 6, 1969F00.11000
Jul 6, 1969F00.11000
Nov 11, 1968F10.11000
Nov 9, 1968F169.31030
Jul 29, 1963F10.11000
May 10, 1962F20.33310
Mar 3, 1960F20.11060
Jan 9, 1953F10.11000
  1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Lake County: 23.
  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.

Hurricanes and tropical storms

69 passed within 50 miles since 1851; 18 at hurricane strength.

Strongest within 50 miles

September 4, 1979

David, Category 2

34.5 miles at closest approach, winds near 98 mph.

Most recent

October 10, 2024

Milton, Category 1

26.9 miles at closest approach.

Tropical cyclones within 50 miles by decade 50s: 3 60s: 0 70s: 7 7 80s: 6 90s: 4 00s: 2 10s: 3 20s: 4 30s: 5 40s: 6 50s: 4 60s: 7 70s: 1 80s: 4 90s: 2 00s: 7 10s: 2 20s: 2 50s60s70s80s90s00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s00s10s20s
Storms within 50 miles, by decade. Records before about 1900 miss storms that never reached land or ships.

Every storm within 100 miles

Tropical cyclones within 100 miles
Milton202426.9Category 186Category 5
Nicole20222.7Tropical storm58Category 1
Ian202252.6Tropical storm72Category 5
Elsa202196.2Tropical storm63Category 1
Eta202056.7Tropical storm48Category 4
Isaias202088.3Tropical storm69Category 1
Irma201717.8Category 175Category 5
Matthew201656.0Category 3117Category 5
Julia20169.5Tropical storm52Tropical storm
Colin201696.7Tropical storm52Tropical storm
Andrea201385.6Tropical storm46Tropical storm
Beryl201263.9Tropical storm58Tropical storm
Fay200810.2Tropical storm58Tropical storm
Ernesto200649.6Tropical storm46Category 1
Tammy200540.8Tropical storm51Tropical storm
Jeanne200417.0Tropical storm67Category 3
Frances200425.2Tropical storm64Category 4
Charley20045.1Category 186Category 4
Gabrielle20014.8Tropical storm48Category 1
Gordon200078.8Tropical storm63Category 1
Irene199989.7Category 175Category 2
Jerry19950.0Tropical storm40Tropical storm
Erin199510.4Tropical storm58Category 2
Marco199062.6Tropical storm48Tropical storm
Keith198837.8Tropical storm40Category 1
Chris198866.0Tropical storm48Tropical storm
Isabel198575.2Tropical storm44Tropical storm
Bob198557.7Tropical storm63Category 1
Isidore19847.1Tropical storm52Tropical storm
Diana198475.8Tropical storm69Category 4
Unnamed198229.1Subtropical storm49Tropical storm
Dennis198133.5Tropical storm41Category 1
David197934.5Category 298Category 5
Dottie197681.7Tropical storm48Tropical storm
Unnamed197490.9Subtropical storm58Tropical storm
Gladys196810.7Category 186Category 2
Dolly196851.7Tropical storm40Category 1
Brenda196817.9Tropical storm40Category 1
Abby196836.6Tropical storm69Category 1
Unnamed196667.7Tropical storm46Tropical storm
Unnamed19654.6Tropical storm52Tropical storm
Dora196445.6Category 298Category 4
Cleo196413.2Tropical storm58Category 4
Donna19601.0Category 181Category 4
Unnamed195910.6Tropical storm46Category 1
Unnamed195643.6Tropical storm58Tropical storm
Hazel195380.2Category 174Category 1
How195191.8Tropical storm55Category 2
King19500.0Category 179Category 4
Easy19500.0Tropical storm58Category 3
Unnamed194917.8Category 175Category 4
Unnamed194799.8Tropical storm58Tropical storm
Unnamed194744.0Tropical storm60Tropical storm
Unnamed194629.0Tropical storm72Category 2
Unnamed19450.0Category 181Category 4
Unnamed19451.6Tropical storm61Category 2
Unnamed19446.5Category 181Category 4
Unnamed194195.8Category 175Category 3
Unnamed193925.5Tropical storm59Category 1
Unnamed19373.9Tropical storm58Tropical storm
Unnamed19370.0Tropical storm48Tropical storm
Unnamed19362.5Tropical storm52Tropical storm
Unnamed193583.2Category 3117Category 5
Unnamed193317.0Tropical storm66Category 4
Unnamed193391.6Tropical storm48Category 1
Unnamed19289.2Category 183Category 5
Unnamed192894.9Tropical storm59Category 1
Unnamed19282.6Tropical storm47Category 2
Unnamed192619.3Category 175Category 4
Unnamed192567.5Post-tropical61Category 1
Unnamed19210.0Category 189Category 4
Unnamed192017.6Post-tropical52Category 1
Unnamed19169.2Tropical storm40Tropical storm
Unnamed191512.2Tropical storm58Category 1
Unnamed191483.8Tropical storm69Tropical storm
Unnamed19100.0Tropical storm67Category 4
Unnamed19097.1Tropical storm40Tropical storm
Unnamed19060.0Tropical storm41Category 3
Unnamed190367.1Tropical storm60Category 1
Unnamed190199.8Tropical storm48Category 1
Unnamed190067.6Tropical storm40Tropical storm
Unnamed18990.0Tropical storm46Tropical storm
Unnamed189899.6Category 4132Category 4
Unnamed189716.0Tropical storm52Tropical storm
Unnamed189693.6Tropical storm44Category 2
Unnamed189671.1Category 3127Category 3
Unnamed18940.0Tropical storm71Category 3
Unnamed189350.5Category 3121Category 3
Unnamed189360.1Category 3117Category 3
Unnamed189234.6Tropical storm47Tropical storm
Unnamed188940.3Tropical storm46Category 1
Unnamed188853.6Category 192Category 2
Unnamed188822.5Tropical storm44Tropical storm
Unnamed18870.0Tropical storm41Category 1
Unnamed188629.4Tropical storm70Category 1
Unnamed188581.1Tropical storm69Tropical storm
Unnamed188551.2Category 2101Category 2
Unnamed188490.3Tropical storm46Category 1
Unnamed188288.9Category 175Category 4
Unnamed188020.5Category 174Category 1
Unnamed188096.6Tropical storm49Category 1
Unnamed18800.0Tropical storm69Category 2
Unnamed187921.3Tropical storm61Category 1
Unnamed187813.1Category 177Category 2
Unnamed187727.2Tropical storm46Tropical storm
Unnamed187690.8Category 192Category 3
Unnamed187451.9Category 177Category 1
Unnamed187371.3Category 297Category 3
Unnamed18730.0Tropical storm52Tropical storm
Unnamed187399.6Tropical storm46Tropical storm
Unnamed18720.0Tropical storm46Category 1
Unnamed187152.1Tropical storm58Category 1
Unnamed18710.0Tropical storm69Category 3
Unnamed18710.0Category 181Category 3
Unnamed186755.2Tropical storm49Category 2
Unnamed186789.1Tropical storm58Category 1
Unnamed186161.1Tropical storm66Category 1
Unnamed185910.7Category 189Category 1
Unnamed185979.2Tropical storm46Tropical storm
Unnamed18588.6Tropical storm58Category 2
Unnamed185476.4Category 3127Category 3
Unnamed185384.1Category 2104Category 2
Unnamed185211.6Tropical storm60Category 1
  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.

Wildfire and smoke

70,696 acres burned in 60 large fires since 1984, equal to 12% of the land.

Largest

March 10, 2007

Unnamed Fire, 2,384 acres

2,387 acres inside Lake County.

Most recent

April 5, 2024

Hinson Fire

2,204 acres in total.

Acres burned since 1984, cumulative 1985: 8391988: 1,2581991: 9561992: 3,9821993: 6071994: 2,1731995: 6271997: 1,4401998: 6201999: 1,4682000: 9,6452001: 1,3972003: 4,0262004: 2,9702005: 2,3372006: 3,4982007: 11,2022008: 11,3932009: 2,3592012: 1,0962015: 9292017: 1,8992018: 1,2722021: 4982024: 2,203 70,696 acres 198519901995200020052010201520202025
Running total of acres burned inside the county (line) and each year’s acres (bars).

Every large fire

Large wildfires since 1984
Hinson20242,2032,204
Calvin Lee Rd2021498497
Unnamed20181,2721,271
Sod Farm 22017901900
South Waters2017997996
Unnamed2015928932
Thompson Road20121,0951,095
Max Hooks20092,3582,356
Unnamed2008436550
Unnamed2008887887
Unnamed20082,0322,031
Unnamed2008963962
Unnamed20081,7681,766
Unnamed2008711,565
Unnamed2008227675
Thompson20082,2132,209
Tracy20081,1851,183
Unnamed20081,0241,024
Unnamed2008581919
Unnamed2007900898
Unnamed2007975975
Mud Lake2007724724
Unnamed2007813829
Unnamed2007784783
Lee House20072,3662,365
Red Oak Fire2007839837
Unnamed20072,3872,384
Unnamed20071,4111,410
Unnamed20061,5181,515
Unnamed20061,1981,197
Far Reach Ii Fire2006780781
Unnamed2005752753
Unnamed20051,5831,583
Sweet Gum20041,8891,889
Unnamed20041,0801,607
Unnamed2003713712
Unnamed20031,2301,231
Unnamed20031,5301,533
Unnamed2003550744
Stagecoach Complex20011,39714,069
Unnamed2000679678
Unnamed2000886885
Unnamed20002,3532,350
Unnamed20005581,187
Unnamed20002,3762,372
Unnamed20001,1231,122
Unnamed20001,6671,665
Unnamed19991,4671,468
Unnamed1998620619
Unnamed19971,4401,450
Pittman 11995626750
Unnamed19942,1732,174
Unnamed19936072,037
Unnamed19922,3022,301
Unnamed19921,6801,678
Unnamed1991248871
Unnamed1991708707
Unnamed1988549549
Unnamed1988709708
Unnamed1985838839
  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

Smokiest year

2023: 17 days

Heavy smoke on 1 day in 2023, the most of any year.

Last 10 years

3.8 days a year

Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.

2025

2 days

Medium or heavy smoke. 2 so far in 2026.

Days with medium or heavy smoke overhead, by year 2011: 9 2012: 1 2013: 0 2014: 0 2015: 1 2016: 1 2017: 0 2018: 2 2019: 0 2020: 3 2021: 4 2022: 8 2023: 17 17 2024: 1 2025: 2 201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Days each year on which a satellite-traced plume of medium or heavy smoke covered the county’s population centre, 2011 to 2025.
  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.

Floods and flood insurance

470 federal flood insurance claims since 1979, with $7.3 million paid.

Federal flood insurance claims by year 1995: 6 2001: 12 2004: 76 2008: 20 2009: 10 2010: 5 2013: 6 2014: 6 2016: 9 2017: 108 108 2018: 9 2022: 57 2024: 74 2025: 19 199520102018
Claims per year since 1979. Years with fewer than five claims are not shown.

Most claims in one year

2017: 108 claims

$2.0 million paid.

2nd most

2004: 76 claims

$593,000 paid.

3rd most

2024: 74 claims

$2.2 million paid.

Claims by ZIP code

Flood insurance claims by ZIP code
32102158$2.6 million
3471184$1.2 million
3277836$141,000
3474836$263,000
3275726$791,000
3473626$584,000
3272012$226,000
3272612$113,000
3273611$198,000
327769$587,000
347889$31,000
347977$171,000
321597$99,000
347316$16,000
327675$99,000
347565$76,000
347535$5,017

Flood events since 1996

  • Flood6
  • Flash Flood5
  • Heavy Rain5
  • Coastal Flood1

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

Most severe crest

October 12, 2024

St. Johns River at Astor, 4.81 ft

2.51 feet above the 2.3 ft flood stage; major flooding by today’s categories.

Most recent moderate or major crest

October 12, 2025

St. Johns River at Astor, 3.64 ft

Moderate flooding.

Highest river crests above flood stage
Oct 12, 2024St. Johns River at Astor4.81+2.51Major
Oct 1, 2022St. Johns River at Astor4.71+2.41Major
Oct 11, 2022St. Johns River near Deland6.33+2.33Major
Nov 10, 2022St. Johns River at Astor4.52+2.22Major
Oct 6, 2017St. Johns River at Astor4.46+2.16Major
Sep 13, 2017St. Johns River at Astor4.43+2.13Major
Sep 26, 2004St. Johns River at Astor4.18+1.88Major
Oct 20, 2017St. Johns River at Astor4.03+1.73Major
Sep 4, 2008St. Johns River near Deland5.53+1.53Major
Oct 6, 2017St. Johns River near Deland5.50+1.50Major
Oct 14, 2024St. Johns River near Deland5.49+1.49Major
Sep 22, 2017St. Johns River near Deland5.35+1.35Major
Sep 17, 2001St. Johns River at Astor3.90+1.60Moderate
Sep 25, 2008St. Johns River at Astor3.82+1.52Moderate
Oct 12, 2025St. Johns River at Astor3.64+1.34Moderate
Sep 29, 2004St. Johns River near Deland5.25+1.25Moderate
Nov 12, 2022St. Johns River near Deland5.23+1.23Moderate
Oct 20, 2017St. Johns River near Deland5.20+1.20Moderate
Nov 13, 1948St. Johns River near Deland5.20+1.20Moderate
Oct 12, 2016St. Johns River at Astor3.49+1.19Moderate
Nov 21, 1994St. Johns River at Astor3.48+1.18Moderate
Sep 23, 2020St. Johns River at Astor3.46+1.16Moderate
Sep 16, 2024St. Johns River at Astor3.45+1.15Moderate
Oct 8, 2015St. Johns River at Astor3.29+0.99Moderate
Sep 30, 1945St. Johns River near Deland4.99+0.99Moderate

River gauges

River gauges and their highest listed crests
Lake George at Juniper Hunt Club2.5——0
St. Johns River at Astor2.34.81 ftOct 12, 20247
St. Johns River near Deland4.06.33 ftOct 11, 20225
  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.

Drought

In severe drought or worse for 165 of 1,581 months since 1895 (10%); the longest spell lasted 20 months.

165

Months in severe drought or worse since 1895

52

Months in extreme drought

10%

Share of all months, severe or worse

Lowest reading

August 2026

−5.71, extreme drought

Longest severe spell

20 months

August 2006 to March 2008.

Latest month

September 2026

−5.71, extreme drought

Months in severe drought or worse, by year 1895: 0 1896: 0 1897: 0 1898: 1 1899: 0 1900: 0 1901: 0 1902: 0 1903: 0 1904: 0 1905: 0 1906: 0 1907: 3 1908: 0 1909: 0 1910: 0 1911: 0 1912: 0 1913: 0 1914: 0 1915: 0 1916: 0 1917: 0 1918: 0 1919: 0 1920: 0 1921: 0 1922: 0 1923: 0 1924: 0 1925: 0 1926: 0 1927: 4 1928: 3 1929: 0 1930: 0 1931: 2 1932: 10 1933: 0 1934: 0 1935: 0 1936: 0 1937: 0 1938: 0 1939: 0 1940: 0 1941: 0 1942: 0 1943: 0 1944: 0 1945: 1 1946: 0 1947: 0 1948: 0 1949: 0 1950: 0 1951: 0 1952: 0 1953: 0 1954: 0 1955: 0 1956: 4 1957: 0 1958: 0 1959: 0 1960: 0 1961: 4 1962: 12 12 1963: 0 1964: 0 1965: 0 1966: 0 1967: 1 1968: 0 1969: 0 1970: 2 1971: 1 1972: 0 1973: 0 1974: 0 1975: 0 1976: 0 1977: 1 1978: 0 1979: 0 1980: 0 1981: 3 1982: 0 1983: 0 1984: 0 1985: 6 1986: 2 1987: 3 1988: 0 1989: 0 1990: 0 1991: 0 1992: 0 1993: 2 1994: 0 1995: 0 1996: 0 1997: 0 1998: 7 1999: 10 2000: 10 2001: 8 2002: 1 2003: 0 2004: 0 2005: 0 2006: 5 2007: 12 2008: 5 2009: 2 2010: 3 2011: 4 2012: 5 2013: 4 2014: 0 2015: 0 2016: 1 2017: 5 2018: 0 2019: 0 2020: 0 2021: 0 2022: 0 2023: 4 2024: 0 2025: 5 18951905191519251935194519551965197519851995200520152025
Months each year with a Palmer index of −3 or lower, 1895 to 2025. Twelve means the whole year.
  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.

Earthquakes and landslides

No earthquake of magnitude 2.5 or more is recorded within 50 miles of the county in the USGS catalogue, which begins in 1900.

Mapped landslides

1

Landslides mapped, probable or better

1

With a recorded date

1

Source inventory

Mapped by NASA (1).

  1. Landslides mapped in the USGS compilation of landslide inventories across the United States (version 3.0, 2025), rated probable or better. The compilation joins inventories made by federal and state agencies for different purposes and areas, so the number mapped in a county reflects how closely it has been surveyed as much as how often its slopes fail. An area with few records may simply not have been mapped. Deaths are as recorded in the inventories; a slide listed in two inventories is counted once.

USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0, retrieved October 27, 2026.

Severe weather and other events

414 events in the National Weather Service record, 314 of them since 1996.

60

Hail reports, 1 inch or larger

4

Hail, 2 inches or larger

107

Damaging gusts, 58 mph+

1

Winter weather events since 1996

2

Heat events since 1996

7

Cold events since 1996

Largest hail

April 25, 2023

2.75 inches

Strongest measured or estimated gust

January 24, 2019

96 mph

More event types since 1996

Other Storm Events types since 1996
Lightning16221May 21, 2022
Dense fog and smoke218Oct 31, 2016
Debris flows100Apr 30, 2013

Costliest events since 1996

  1. Feb 2, 2007Tornado$52.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    The the tornado that moved out of Sumter County, crossed into Lake County just west of Lady Lake. The one quarter mile wide, F3 tornado moved across the Lady Lake area killing 8 people and injuring 10. The tornado damaged 180 residences and destroyed 101. All of the fatalities were in mobile homes. Moving east northeast at 50 MPH, the tornado lifted near Emrald Marsh Lake.

  2. Feb 2, 2007Tornado$46.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    The mesocyclone that produced the Lady Lake tornado reintensified and produced a second F3 tornado in a rural area west southwest of Paisley. The tornado move east northeast at over 50 MPH toward the Lake Mack area just west of the St. Johns river. The tornado produced a quarter mile wide track across the Lake Mack area destroying 86 residences and damaging 144. Many mobile homes were completely destroyed. Thirteen people died in mobile homes.

  3. Sep 10, 2017Tropical Storm, Lake$36.5 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    Category 3 Hurricane Irma made landfall near Naples during the late afternoon of September 10. Irma then moved northward across west-central Florida during the overnight period while weakening to a Category 1 hurricane approximately 45 miles west of Leesburg. A long duration of damaging winds occurred across Lake County, with a period of gusts to minimal hurricane force. The highest measured sustained wind was recorded at the Leesburg Airport ASOS (KLEE; 48 mph from the southeast at 0235LST on September 11) and the highest measured peak gust was 69 mph from the southeast at 0246LST. A preliminary damage assessment from the county listed 1,987 affected residential and business…

  4. Oct 9, 2024Flood$12.6 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    Lake County Emergency Management reported significant urban, street, and low-lying flooding as a result of 6 to 10 inches (north) and 8 to 12 inches (south) of rain in association with Hurricane Milton. A period of very heavy rainfall rates associated with the core of the storm led to flash flooding during the overnight period (Oct 9 - 10).||The heavy rain that fell as a result of the storm also led to a long-term river flood event along the St. Johns. At Deland, the river rapidly rose to major flood stage on Oct 11, peaking at 5.49 ft on Oct. 14. Downstream at Astor, the river was already in minor flood stage at the beginning of the event and quickly rose to major the morning of…

  5. Sep 26, 2004Strong Wind, Lake$8.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    As the center of Hurricane Jeanne crossed Okeechobee County and moved into west Central Florida, wind gusts to near 80 mph crossed the county. No direct wind or pressure observations were available in the county from Jeanne. Winds gusting to hurricane force damaged and destroyed residences and mobile homes, damaged roofs and out buildings. Damage estimates were near $10 million. In Osceola County gusts to hurricane strength damaged and destroyed residences with an estimated $11 million in damage. Agricultural damage, mainly to citrus, was $8 million. Orange County was also hit hard by the rain bands on the north side of Hurricane Jeanne. Extensive damage to residences, businesses…

  6. Sep 4, 2004High Wind, Lake$6.3 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    The center of category 2 Hurricane Frances reached the Florida East near Sewall's point in Martin County early on September 5th but began spreading hurricane force wind gusts across most of Central Florida by 11 pm on September 4th. Frances entered Central Florida moving west northwest at 7 mph and maintained hurricane strength as it crossed the east half of the Florida Peninsula. Frances was downgraded to a tropical storm in the afternoon on the 5th when it was about 50 miles east of Tampa Bay. In Okeechobee County, little direct observational wind data is available, but wind estimates from the Hurricane Research Division show sustained hurricane force winds over most of the…

  7. Sep 20, 2007Tornado$6.2 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    A tornado touched down in the Town of Eustis at the northern end of West Crooked Lake. The tornado quickly intensified to EF1 strength as it moved north northwest through Eustis. The track was just under two miles long and had a maximum width of 300 yards. The tornado destroyed 7 homes. Twenty seven homes received major damage and 81 homes reported minor damage. There were no serious injuries and property damage was set at $6.2 million.

  8. Sep 28, 2022Flood$4.5 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    Rainfall totals averaging between 5 to 7 inches, with locally higher amounts of up to 9 inches were reported, resulting in areas of urban and poor drainage flooding throughout the county. A NWS Storm Survey, combined with county drone and helicopter footage, captured major river flooding along the river in Astor, including the Astor Landing Campground, with water entering numerous structures. A damage assessment report from the county indicates 27 structures affected, 61 with minor damage, and 49 with major damage. Total estimated damage is approximately $4.5M primarily due to flooding. The St. Johns River reached record crests at both Astor (4.71 ft. on Oct. 1) and Deland (6.33…

  9. Oct 26, 2025Flash Flood$2.8 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    A stalled thunderstorm lingered over the Eustis, Mount Dora, and Sorrento area for several hours, producing an extreme amount of rainfall. Over approximately 6 hours, between 15 to 19 inches of rainfall fell over the area, specifically between State Road 44 and US-441. The highest storm total accumulation was from a mesonet station in Eustis, which measured 19.70 inches of rainfall. During this time, three Flash Flood Warnings were issued, including a Flash Flood Emergency. At least fifty homes and businesses were impacted, with water entering structures. Flooding led to the closure or washout of several roadways, including Britt Road, Wolf Branch Road, Timberlake Drive, Limit…

  10. Oct 9, 2024Tropical Storm, Lake$1.4 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    Lake County Emergency Management reported numerous downed trees and powerlines as a result of the wind associated with Hurricane Milton, which surface observations indicate wind gusts reached between 55 to 75 mph. Rainfall totals ranged from 6 to 11 inches, which produced significant freshwater street, urban, and low-lying flooding in parts of the county. The St. Johns River quickly entered major flood stage at both Astor and Deland, with the river cresting at a new (preliminary) record of 4.8 ft. at Astor on Sat. Oct. 12. A damage assessment reported a total of 285 structures affected, 216 with minor damage, 66 with major damage, and 7 destroyed, with a cumulative residential and…

  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.

Weather records

From Lisbon, 11 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1958.

All-time high
101°F3 times, most recently Jul 31, 2025
All-time low
16°F3 times, most recently Jan 22, 1985
Warmest night
83°F2 times, most recently Jun 20, 1984
Coldest day
35°F4 times, most recently Jan 10, 2010
Wettest day
7.20 inSep 15, 2001
Hottest year
1990mean 73.2°F
Coldest year
2010mean 68.3°F
Wettest year
195967.58 in
Driest year
200029.26 in
Average monthly high and low temperature and precipitation, last 30 years, Lisbon 32°F 68° 46° 2.3 Jan 72° 50° 2.4 Feb 77° 54° 3.0 Mar 82° 59° 2.2 Apr 87° 66° 3.2 May 89° 71° 7.0 Jun 90° 73° 6.8 Jul 90° 74° 6.5 Aug 88° 72° 6.2 Sep 82° 64° 2.9 Oct 75° 55° 2.0 Nov 70° 50° 2.4 Dec Precipitation, inches
Average daily high and low by month, and average monthly precipitation, over the last 30 years.
Days reaching 95°F per year 1976: 4 1979: 13 1980: 23 1981: 34 1982: 6 1983: 16 1984: 8 1985: 17 1986: 21 1987: 23 1988: 8 1989: 37 1990: 53 1991: 65 65 1992: 2 1993: 6 1994: 11 1995: 2 1996: 2 1997: 2 1999: 5 2000: 7 2001: 1 2002: 6 2003: 0 2004: 6 2005: 17 2006: 14 2007: 11 2008: 2 2010: 13 2011: 25 2012: 4 2013: 0 2014: 2 2015: 8 2016: 15 2017: 7 2018: 1 2019: 9 2020: 7 2021: 4 2024: 19 2025: 18 19761988199920102020
Days reaching 95°F each complete year, last 50 years. Thirty-year average: 7.9.

Station Lisbon (USC00085076), 68 ft elevation, 11.0 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1958 to October 27, 2026; 95.3% 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.

Federal disaster declarations

37 since 1953. The most recent: Hurricane Milton, October 11, 2024.

Federal disaster declarations
Oct 11, 2024HurricaneHurricane MiltonMajor disasterDR-4834-FL
Oct 7, 2024HurricaneHurricane MiltonEmergencyEM-3622-FL
Aug 10, 2024Tropical StormHurricane DebbyMajor disasterDR-4806-FL
Aug 3, 2024Tropical StormTropical Storm DebbyEmergencyEM-3605-FL
Aug 31, 2023HurricaneHurricane IdaliaMajor disasterDR-4734-FL
Aug 28, 2023Tropical StormTropical Storm IdaliaEmergencyEM-3596-FL
Dec 13, 2022HurricaneHurricane NicoleMajor disasterDR-4680-FL
Nov 8, 2022Tropical StormTropical Storm NicoleEmergencyEM-3587-FL
Sep 29, 2022HurricaneHurricane IanMajor disasterDR-4673-FL
Sep 24, 2022HurricaneTropical Storm IanEmergencyEM-3584-FL
Jul 4, 2021Severe StormTropical Storm ElsaEmergencyEM-3561-FL
Mar 25, 2020BiologicalCovid-19 PandemicMajor disasterDR-4486-FL
Mar 13, 2020BiologicalCovid-19EmergencyEM-3432-FL
Aug 30, 2019HurricaneHurricane DorianEmergencyEM-3419-FL
Sep 10, 2017HurricaneHurricane IrmaMajor disasterDR-4337-FL
Sep 5, 2017HurricaneHurricane IrmaEmergencyEM-3385-FL
Oct 8, 2016HurricaneHurricane MatthewMajor disasterDR-4283-FL
Oct 6, 2016HurricaneHurricane MatthewEmergencyEM-3377-FL
Aug 24, 2008Severe StormTropical Storm FayMajor disasterDR-1785-FL
Aug 21, 2008Severe StormTropical Storm FayEmergencyEM-3288-FL
May 2, 2007FireDeland Fire ComplexFire managementFM-2687-FL
Feb 3, 2007Severe StormSevere Storms and TornadoesMajor disasterDR-1679-FL
Sep 5, 2005HurricaneHurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergencyEM-3220-FL
Sep 26, 2004HurricaneHurricane JeanneMajor disasterDR-1561-FL
Sep 16, 2004HurricaneHurricane IvanMajor disasterDR-1551-FL
Sep 4, 2004HurricaneHurricane FrancesMajor disasterDR-1545-FL
Aug 13, 2004HurricaneTropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane CharleyMajor disasterDR-1539-FL
Feb 5, 2001FreezingSevere FreezeMajor disasterDR-1359-FL
May 19, 2000FireWithlacoochee Fire ComplexFire managementFM-2299-FL
Oct 15, 1999HurricaneTropical Storm Irene - FloridaEmergencyEM-3150-FL
Jun 18, 1998FireExtreme Fire HazardMajor disasterDR-1223-FL
Jan 6, 1998Severe StormSevere Storms, High Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1195-FL
Mar 13, 1993TornadoTornadoes, Flooding, High Winds & Tides, FreezingMajor disasterDR-982-FL
Jan 15, 1990FreezingSevere FreezeMajor disasterDR-851-FL
Mar 18, 1985FreezingSevere FreezeMajor disasterDR-732-FL
Mar 29, 1984FreezingFreezing TemperaturesMajor disasterDR-698-FL
Jan 31, 1977FreezingSevere Winter WeatherMajor disasterDR-526-FL

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.

How this compares

Where Lake County stands among 67 counties in Florida and 3,143 in the United States.

Ranks
Tornadoes since 19506323 / 67219 / 3,143
Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger32 / 67571 / 3,143
Tropical cyclones within 50 mi6923 / 6765 / 3,143
Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi1847 / 67106 / 3,143
Wildfire acres since 198470,69626 / 67386 / 3,143
Flood insurance claims47042 / 67522 / 3,143
Flood insurance paid$7.3 million46 / 67568 / 3,143
Disaster declarations3752 / 67159 / 3,143
Flood events since 19961761 / 672,630 / 3,143
Hail and wind events since 199622533 / 671,749 / 3,143
Winter storm events since 1996135 / 673,050 / 3,143
Reported damage since 1996$182 million44 / 67322 / 3,143
River crests at major flood stage1221 / 67432 / 3,143
High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years0.0——
Months in severe drought since 18951654 / 67636 / 3,143
Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years3.833 / 673,089 / 3,143
Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 19000——
Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 19730——

Neighbouring counties

Neighbouring counties
Marion County637353,632250
Orange County7073121,8642,271
Osceola County4475348,9881,032
Polk County17168214,3121,671
Seminole County31603,5921,562
Sumter County186620,637123
Volusia County10978250,62012,577

Sources and vintage

Every number on this page comes from these public records.

  • 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 USC00085076.
  • 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.
  • Landslides USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0 (2025).
  • 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.