Leon County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Leon County: 2.
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. Oct 10, 2018Hurricane (Typhoon), Leon$100 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hurricane Michael started as typical weak October Caribbean tropical system. However, after approximately a week of slow development, the system moved into warm Gulf of Mexico waters and rapidly intensified into a major hurricane as it moved north towards the Florida Panhandle. After a 2-day long intensification period over the eastern Gulf, Michael made landfall as an unprecedented (for the region) high-end category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale in the Florida Panhandle with maximum sustained wind speed of 155 mph and a minimum pressure 919 mb. Based on wind, Michael is the fourth most powerful hurricane to hit the United States, behind the Labor Day…

2. May 10, 2024Tornado$92.1 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado touched down in Lake Talquin State Park at Williams Landing, promptly producing EF-1 damage snapping numerous softwood and hardwood trees. The tornado would then continue trekking east-southeast before making a hard right and traveling due east as it passed the intersection of Blountstown Highway and Ft. Braden Trail Road, producing damage consistent with an EF-1 rating by snapping numerous hardwood and softwood trees along the way. The tornado would then continue east, paralleling Blountstown Highway as it then impacted Lake Talquin State Recreational Area where it would continue producing EF-1 damage by snapping trees. The tornado would then shift its trajectory to…

3. May 10, 2024Tornado$92.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   This is a continuation of the Gadsden county tornado. The Leon county portion of this tornado is rated EF2. Extensive tree damage was noted at a mobile home park on Emily Loop where several homes were damaged by falling trees. The tornado caused roof and siding damage to a hotel and shopping center near the intersection of Capital Circle Northwest and U.S. 90. The tornado appears to have intensified as it moved southeast after crossing Capital Circle and approaching Blountstown Highway. EF-2 damage was noted to an automotive repair building along Blountstown Highway, along with intense tree damage, with a swath of nearly every pine tree snapped at approximately 75 feet above the…

4. Aug 22, 2008Tropical Storm, Leon$35.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Rainfall from Fay varied from ten to 24 inches. Numerous trees and power lines were down throughout the county. Numerous state and county roads were closed by flood waters. There were a few road collapses, which included a portion of Capital Circle NE just south of Mahan Drive. The Timberlake subdivision east of Tallahassee was cut off by flood waters during the storm, which affected 230 homes. The total number of homes affected by flooding countywide was 450. Twenty homes were damaged and 14 were destroyed by fallen trees and flooding. Flooding was observed along the Ochlockonee River and Munson Slough. The crest at Havana was 33.71 feet, which was at major flood stage and 1.4…

5. Sep 1, 2016Tropical Storm, Leon$30.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hurricane Hermine impacted the Florida big bend in early September with significant storm surge along the coast and strong winds inland which downed numerous trees and power lines, resulting in extended power outages in Tallahassee. The following inundation values (height above mean higher high water) were estimated along the coast. Panama City Beach: 1.71 ft, Panama City Marina: 1.60 ft, Apalachicola: 3.04 ft, Curtis Mill (US-319): 5.29 ft, Spring Creek Entrance: 5.91 ft, Town of Saint Marks: 5.08 ft, Saint Marks Lighthouse: 6.28 ft, Nutall Rise (Aucilla River): 6.07 ft, Econfina River: 7.17 ft, Spring Warrior Creek: 8.57 ft, Jabo Road (Taylor county): 7.94 ft, Keaton Beach: 7.57…

6. Jun 11, 2001Flash Flood$20.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Intense rainbands from the remnants of Tropical Storm Allison dumped up to 11 inches of rain in a 24-hour period. The official 24-hour rainfall total at the Tallahassee Regional Airport of 10.13 inches broke the previous record of 9.47 inches set in 1969. Federal disaster aid was declared for Leon County where nearly 600 residences, mobile homes, apartments and businesses were damaged or destroyed by floodwaters. There were numerous reports of people stranded in their vehicles on flooded streets and intersections in Tallahassee and surrounding areas. Several people were rescued from their flooded homes and apartments. One man drowned when his vehicle was swept into a culvert near…

7. Sep 26, 2024Hurricane (Typhoon), Leon$14.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Residential initial damage assessment results include 3 destroyed, 27 major damage, 47 minor damage, and 56 affected. Infrastructure impact estimates include an additional $10,450,000 to restore electricity and remove 100,000 to 125,000 cubic yards of debris. At the peak, roughly 53,000 City of Tallahassee Utility customers and 35,000 Talquin Electric customers (63%) were without power.

8. Aug 23, 2008Flash Flood$10.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous roads were flooded throughout much of the county, including Tallahassee. A few roads were undermined by flooding. The Timberlake subdivision east of Tallahassee was cut off by flood waters, which impacted 230 homes. Nearly 450 homes throughout the county were impacted. Rainfall amounts varied from six over western portions of the county, to as much as twenty inches over eastern portions. Flooding was observed along the Ochlockonee River and Munson Slough.

9. Sep 10, 2017Tropical Storm, Leon$7.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hurricane Irma brought numerous impacts to the Florida Big Bend, southwest Georgia and southeast Alabama including widespread downed trees and power lines, roads blocked by trees, power outages, and trees on homes. Two people died during the event - one due to a car crash (Liberty County, FL) and another that had a heart attack (Worth County, GA). Two indirect deaths also occurred due to carbon monoxide from a generator (Taylor County, FL). While many counties across the Florida Big Bend and southwest Georgia were impacted, the greatest impacts were across the eastern portion of the area near the I-75 corridor. There were over 6.5 million customers without power in Florida, over…

10. Aug 30, 2023Tropical Storm, Leon$5.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    Approximately 54,405 residents, or 35% of the county lost power. There was debris on the following roadways: Oak Ridge Road East to Capital Circle SW, post Road, Taylor Road, Raymond Diehl Road, Baum Road, Wadesboro Road, Mary���s Drive, New Monticello Road, St. Augustine Road, Waukeenah Highway, Hawkins Road, Carter Road, Cap Tram Road, and Ace High Stables Road. Debris was reported on Interstate 10 westbound at mile marker 196 and eastbound at Exits 196 and 199 and at mile marker 213. Debris was also found on U.S. 319 southbound at Interstate 10. FAMU, FSU and TCC all closed with an unknown number of students evacuating. Three homes suffered major damage, 18 had minor…

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

105°FJun 15, 2011

All-time low

6°FJan 21, 1985

Warmest night

81°FJul 15, 1980

Coldest day

28°FJan 21, 1985

Wettest day

8.86 inSep 21, 1969

Snowiest day

2.4 inFeb 12, 1958

Hottest year

2015mean 71.8°F

Coldest year

1979mean 65.5°F

Wettest year

1964104.18 in

Driest year

195430.98 in

Snowiest season

2.8 in1957-58

Station Tallahassee (USW00093805), 177 ft elevation, 5.9 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1940 to October 26, 2026; 99.9% 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 USW00093805.
• 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.