12 1964 - morning hours - Central Florida - Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms associated with a vigorous squall line struck Duval, Marion, Polk, Volusia, Lake Counties. Many trees uprooted and antennas and signs blown down. Some damage occurred to windows and commercial buildings. No serious injuries.
15 - l8 l960 - north and central Florida - Citrus, Marion, Lake, Seminole, Brevard, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Sumter, Hernando, Pasco and Hillsborough Counties - Heavy Rain and Flood - Generally more than l0 inches of rain fell on a large section of central Florida during this 4-day period and the area of Pasco, Hernando, most of Sumter and the northern portion of Hillsborough counties received close to l5 inches of rain. Many points reported hail, high wind and tornadoes at some point during the period. Resulting high water and river overflow wreaked havoc on roads, bridges and agricultural crops. River overflow and/or accumulated waters in poorly drained areas forced many residents from their homes in several effected counties. Flood on the Hillsborough River considered worst since September l933. Total storm damage, including that of hail, wind, tornadoes, flood and other causes estimated near $20 million, half of which was sustained by agriculture.
19 l978 - l000 - Marion Co., Silver Springs Shores. Lightning killed a construction worker standing on a metal ladder.
23 l983 - morning to afternoon - Severe weather outbreak across north central Florida. Eleven tornadoes and l2 other severe thunderstorms struck from the big bend area to Jacksonville and Orlando, injuring 9 and causing considerable property damage. A tornado destroyed a 2-story beach house at Alligator Point in Franklin Co., and fifty mobile homes were damaged at Shell Point in Wakulla Co. Two people were injured when thunderstorm winds overturned a trailer at Mayo in Lafayette Co. A tornado struck Bell in Gilchrist Co., destroying several mobile homes and injuring 4. A tornado destroyed a brick home at Fort White in Columbia Co. Other tornadoes were reported in Bradford, Union, Duval, Clay, Marion, Lake, Volusia, and Orange Counties during the early afternoon.
25-26 l980 - Memorial Day Weekend - Entire State - Severe Weather Outbreak - A large area of thunderstorms developed over the Mississippi Delta during the evening of May 24th, and moved rapidly southeastward toward Florida while growing in size and intensity. Severe weather was experienced in virtually every section of Florida at some time on May 25th, and mostly over southern Florida again on May 26th. Widespread damage occurred with severe thunderstorm winds, hail, lightning, and heavy rain. Nine tornadoes (Manatee, Dade, Alachua, Suwannee, Marion, Hendry, Charlotte, Lee, and Monroe Counties) were reported and funnel clouds were sighted in practically every section of the state. Damage was widespread including airplanes flipped over, boats capsized, widespread power failures with lines down, trees blown over on houses and cars, broken windows, signs, and TV antennas blown down, and fires caused by lightning. Widespread crop damage occurred in the northern counties from hail and high winds. Wind gusts over 50 mph were common in many sections with reports of winds 75 to 80 mph in several areas. One death reported. A woman drowned when she was trapped under an overturned l6 foot boat off Pine Island along the lower southwest coast. The Coast Guard reported that 39 boats capsized along the lower southwest Florida coast alone during the weekend between Gasparilla and Marco Island. A 38-foot shrimp boat sank l5 miles offshore from Hudson, above Clearwater. In view of the widespread severe weather, it is miraculous that only one death and no serious injuries were reported in Florida.
28 l989 - l500 - Marion Co., Ocala - Lightning killed a girl and injured her mother at the edge of a lake in a wooded area.
31 1991 - morning to afternoon - central Florida - Severe Thunderstorms struck eight counties. Hail from nickle up to golfball size was reported in Pinellas, Putnam, Citrus, Marion, and Brevard Counties. The largest hail was in Putnam Co where it broke windows and tree limbs. Severe thunderstorm winds were reported in Sumter, Citrus, Marion, Levy, Alachua and Putnam Counties. Winds destroyed a carport and blew down trees and power lines in Sumter Co. and numerous trees and power lines were blown down in the other counties. A firefighter was injured by lightning at Largo in Pinellas County.
8-9 l957 - afternoon-evening - north central Florida - A Tropical Storm moved in from the Gulf of Mexico and crossed northwest Florida, spawning a tornado outbreak and flooding rainfall. Five people drown in the Gulf of Mexico when a small fishing vessel capsized in high seas. A shrimp boat was sunk off Ft. Myers, and several other boats were driven assore south of Tampa. At least 9 Tornadoes were reported in Alachua, Marion, Clay, Putnam, and Duval counties (Jacksonville area). Tornadoes damaged roofs and uprooted trees. Heavy rains of up to 19" in 48 hours caused muched local flooding and considerable agricultural damage, closed many roads and washed out several small bridges. 200 people were evactuated from flooded residential areas in Taylor County.
ll l982 - l630 - Levy/Marion Counties - Dunnellon - Tornado destroyed a barn and leveled a new house. Trees were blown into trailers and a home shifted 5 feet.
21 l974 - l600 - Romeo, Marion County - A bolt of lightning struck a large tree killing l3 cattle standing under the tree.
27 1996 2100 - Marion Co., Ocala - Lightning started a roof fire at
the top of a mobile home. The fire burnt down and it was
determined that the resident died of smoke inhalation.
18 1956 - evening - Marion Co., Belleview - Lightning killed one person.
7 l962 - l600 - Marion Co., Lake Kerr - Lightning killed a fisherman near the shore of the lake.
l5 l984 - l620 - Marion Co., Anthony - Lightning killed a husband and wife in their back yard. No rain was falling at the time and they were not near anything metallic.
25 l974 - 1530 - Marion Co., Ocala - Lightning killed a seventeen year old boy and injured 5 when it struck the dock they were on.
30- 9/1 l985 - Statewide - Hurricane Elena - was named on August 28 while moving northwest over central Cuba. She stalled off the north-central Florida Gulf Coast for 24 hours before strengthening and moving northwest toward landfall in Mississippi. Highest winds were in the western panhandle, with 80 knots reported at Pensacola. A tree blown down onto a car killed a 37 year old man at Dayton Beach. The man's neck was broken by the tree. Storm surge of l0 ft was reported at Apalachicola. Rainfall ranged from 2 inches at Key West to ll inches at Apalachicola. Elena spawned 5 tornadoes in Pasco, Marion, Lake (2) and Glades Counties on the 3lst. The strongest tornado struck Leesburg (Lake Co.) in the morning destroying 70 trailers and damaged 52. No serious injuries.
0940 - Pinellas Co. - A tornado heavily damaged a mobile home park in Indian Rocks. An elderly lady was killed when her mobile home was demolished. 1028 - Pinellas Co. - Tornado/ Waterspout - moved inland about l/2 mile south of Treasure Island Causeway. It severely damaged the roof of an apartment complex and moved across the Isle of Palms, damaging roofs and uprooting trees. l030 - Pinellas Co. - Another tornado formed near the intersection of Hwy. #693 and the Seaboard Coast Line railroad, toppling trees south of the tracks. It then moved northeast severely damaging an apartment complex, continuing north it destroyed mobile homes and damaged homes. The tornado strengthened and moved across the Point Royale Village mobile home park. Many mobile homes were blown apart. Two people were killed as their mobile homes disintegrated. One woman was killed by falling debris as her garage roof collapsed on her. Other tornadoes were reported in Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando, Marion, Citrus and Levy counties without serious injury. Heavy rain with the low caused moderate to heavy flooding in northeast Florida, especially the Jacksonville area. High tides caused some minor coastal flooding and beach erosion on the Gulf coast.
20 l94l - l300 - Marion Co., Ocala - A tornado, spawned by a tropical storm, destroyed a two-story home and killed an infant girl. Another tornado in Gainesville injured 1.