Washington County Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Florida Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Washington County is about the same as Florida average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Washington County is about the same as Florida average and is higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #59
| Washington County | 0.00 |
| Florida | 0.01 |
| U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #1
| Washington County | 0.0000 |
| Florida | 0.0000 |
| U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #20
| Washington County | 179.54 |
| Florida | 185.89 |
| U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 4,734 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Washington County were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 0 | Cold: | 12 | Dense Fog: | 1 | Drought: | 28 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 374 | Hail: | 1,000 | Heat: | 9 | Heavy Snow: | 8 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 4 | Ice Storm: | 4 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 20 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 2,756 | Tropical Storm: | 22 | Wildfire: | 33 | Winter Storm: | 3 | Winter Weather: | 6 |
| Other: | 454 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Washington County.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Washington County.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Washington County.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 46 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Washington County.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 6.8 | 1963-04-30 | 2 | 30°43'N / 86°03'W | 30°31'N / 85°03'W | 61.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Walton |
| 8.7 | 2001-03-15 | 2 | 30°36'N / 85°33'W | 30°38'N / 85°29'W | 7.00 Miles | 350 Yards | 1 | 21 | 1.5M | 0 | Washington |
| Brief Description: An F2 tornado touched down in the Sunny Hills subdivision near Gin Lake in southeast Washington County, and raced northeast into southwest Jackson County. The tornado struck the Country Oaks, Buckhorn Creek, and Highview Acres communities. The hardest hit area was Highview Acres where 20 homes were damaged or destroyed. One man was killed when his mobile home was destroyed. 21 people were injured. Hundreds of trees were uprooted and debris scattered over several miles along the tornado's path. Numerous downed power lines affected 4,500 customers. Reported by the Washington County EMA. | |||||||||||
| 12.5 | 2000-12-16 | 2 | 30°46'N / 85°40'W | 30°48'N / 85°38'W | 3.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 750K | 0 | Holmes |
| Brief Description: 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. | |||||||||||
| 14.4 | 1967-12-10 | 2 | 30°46'N / 85°46'W | 30°51'N / 85°38'W | 9.90 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Holmes |
| 16.6 | 2001-03-15 | 2 | 30°38'N / 85°25'W | 30°41'N / 85°22'W | 3.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 500K | 0 | Jackson |
| Brief Description: The F2 tornado that touched down near Wausau in southeast Washington County, raced northeast across the Washington-Jackson County line and hit the Round Lake community just south of Alford before it dissipated. Fifteen homes were severely damaged and two homes were destroyed. A gift shop on U.S. Highway 231 was destroyed. There were numerous downed trees and power lines. Reported by the Jackson County EMA. | |||||||||||
| 18.5 | 1953-11-22 | 2 | 30°24'N / 85°52'W | 0 | 22 | 25K | 0 | Bay | |||
| 18.6 | 1954-04-16 | 2 | 30°20'N / 85°40'W | 2.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 3 | 25K | 0 | Bay | |
| 18.9 | 1997-01-15 | 2 | 30°33'N / 85°21'W | 30°33'N / 85°21'W | 0.50 Mile | 150 Yards | 0 | 1 | 50K | 1K | Calhoun |
| Brief Description: A tornado completely destroyed a frame home badly injuring a man. Other nearby homes received minor damage. Scores of trees were snapped or uprooted. | |||||||||||
| 20.6 | 1953-04-12 | 2 | 30°22'N / 85°27'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Bay | |||
| 22.6 | 1975-01-12 | 2 | 30°10'N / 85°42'W | 30°25'N / 85°23'W | 25.60 Miles | 50 Yards | 1 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Bay |
| 24.6 | 1975-01-12 | 2 | 30°25'N / 85°23'W | 30°38'N / 85°08'W | 21.10 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Calhoun |
| 25.4 | 1972-06-25 | 2 | 30°58'N / 85°36'W | 0.50 Mile | 27 Yards | 1 | 2 | 3K | 0 | Holmes | |
| 28.8 | 1999-01-02 | 2 | 30°11'N / 85°48'W | 30°12'N / 85°42'W | 3.80 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 7 | 4.0M | 0 | Bay |
| Brief Description: A tornado initially struck at Panama City Beach damaging several homes and a few hotels within a four-block area surrounded by Sunset Ave-Thomas and Holiday Dr. The tornado again touched down two miles to the north at the Hathaway Bridge (U.S. Highway 98) where a six-car pileup injured seven. Finally, the tornado lifted over St. Andrews Bay and descended about a mile further north into a residential area surrounded by Big Daddy-Marina Dr. and Bay Circle where numerous homes and businesses were damaged. Scattered power outages affected several thousand customers in West Panama City and Panama City Beach. | |||||||||||
| 28.9 | 1953-12-21 | 2 | 30°12'N / 85°48'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Bay | |||
| 29.1 | 1960-04-03 | 2 | 30°11'N / 85°43'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Bay | |||
| 29.9 | 1960-02-18 | 2 | 30°10'N / 85°51'W | 30°12'N / 85°44'W | 7.60 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Bay |
| 30.2 | 1952-02-20 | 2 | 30°10'N / 85°42'W | 1.50 Miles | 73 Yards | 0 | 4 | 25K | 0 | Bay | |
| 30.2 | 1953-04-06 | 2 | 30°10'N / 85°42'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Bay | |||
| 30.4 | 2004-09-15 | 2 | 30°43'N / 85°10'W | 30°52'N / 85°14'W | 8.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 3 | 3.0M | 0 | Jackson |
| Brief Description: A strong F2 tornado touched down about four miles west of Cypress. It damaged 10 mobile homes and destroyed 25 others in the Gold Drive Trailer Park. Three occupants were injured. The tornado moved northwest and damaged 10 mobile homes in the Brogdon Lane Trailer Park on U.S. Highway 90 just east of Marianna. It caused significant damage to the Federal Correctional Institution and destroyed eight vehicles. Before lifting, the tornado destroyed the Sykes Enterprise facility and some vehicles near the Marianna Municipal Airport. Reported by the Jackson County EMA. | |||||||||||
| 31.4 | 1960-09-15 | 2 | 30°09'N / 85°36'W | 0.50 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Bay | |
| 31.9 | 1967-12-10 | 3 | 30°36'N / 86°12'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Walton | |||
| 32.8 | 2000-12-16 | 2 | 31°01'N / 85°54'W | 31°04'N / 85°51'W | 4.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 1 | 9 | 2.5M | 0 | Geneva |
| Brief Description: An F2 tornado touched down on West Hendrix Avenue, just north of Highway 27 South, then tore through the Devco Community, Geneva, AL and continued on through the Bellwood Community just east of Highway 85 before lifting. In its wake, the tornado damaged up to 100 homes and destroyed five mobile homes, damaged or destroyed 15 vehicles, and downed numerous trees and power lines. About 6,000 county businesses and homes were without power until the following day. One woman was killed when her mobile home was hurled about 200 feet and destroyed. Nine others were injured, one of them seriously. Geneva County was declared a federal disaster area. Reported by the Geneva County EMA. F35MH | |||||||||||
| 34.1 | 1967-12-10 | 3 | 30°04'N / 85°34'W | 30°10'N / 85°33'W | 7.10 Miles | 250 Yards | 1 | 50 | 2.5M | 0 | Bay |
| 34.2 | 1967-12-10 | 2 | 30°30'N / 85°06'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Calhoun | |||
| 34.3 | 1980-04-12 | 2 | 31°02'N / 86°06'W | 31°07'N / 85°35'W | 31.10 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Geneva |
| 34.8 | 2004-09-15 | 2 | 30°30'N / 85°03'W | 30°34'N / 85°07'W | 7.00 Miles | 600 Yards | 4 | 5 | 2.5M | 0 | Calhoun |
| Brief Description: The supercell thunderstorm which spawned tornadoes in Franklin and Liberty counties, produced a strong F2 tornado, which touched down just southeast of Van Lierop Road, a few miles east of Highway 69. It crossed Highway 69 near the Stafford Creek Bridge, and peeled roofs from dozens of homes, uprooted trees, and scattered debris. The tornado then struck the Macedonia Community at Highway 69-A and Parrish Lake Road. It demolished three trailers and damaged 30 homes. The tornado picked up two neighboring mobile homes. One was thrown across a road and killed its two occupants. Another was slammed into a neighbor's house, which killed its two occupants and injured five others. Reported by the Calhoun County EMA. M55PH, F35PH, M41PH, F37PH | |||||||||||
| 34.9 | 2001-03-15 | 2 | 30°16'N / 85°15'W | 30°16'N / 85°12'W | 2.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 50K | 0 | Calhoun |
| Brief Description: An F2 tornado touched down just south of Kinard on the west side of SW J.A. Daniels Road. It damaged two sheds and two barns. It tracked northeast and crossed State Road 73, two-tenths of a mile south of Mark Barbee Lane, and uprooted numerous trees. From Mark Barbee Lane, the tornado continued its northeast track and severely damaged two vacant structures on SW Clayton Shiver Road, and then dissipated. Damage surveyed by the NWS Tallahassee WCM and reported by the Calhoun County EMA. | |||||||||||
| 37.1 | 1981-10-25 | 2 | 30°27'N / 85°03'W | 30°33'N / 85°03'W | 6.90 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 12 | 2.5M | 0 | Calhoun |
| 38.6 | 1975-01-12 | 2 | 30°38'N / 85°08'W | 30°47'N / 84°55'W | 16.50 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 15 | 250K | 0 | Jackson |
| 39.5 | 1972-05-08 | 2 | 30°34'N / 85°00'W | 0.30 Mile | 27 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Calhoun | |
| 39.7 | 1960-03-30 | 2 | 30°51'N / 86°16'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Walton | |||
| 39.8 | 1973-05-26 | 2 | 30°50'N / 86°25'W | 30°54'N / 86°06'W | 19.40 Miles | 10 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Walton |
| 40.6 | 1983-02-01 | 2 | 30°51'N / 86°17'W | 0.30 Mile | 30 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Walton | |
| 41.3 | 1997-12-24 | 2 | 31°12'N / 85°38'W | 31°12'N / 85°38'W | 3.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 5 | 500K | 0 | Houston |
| Brief Description: Tornado skipped through a mobile home park along County Road 9 and Market Street. Two mobile homes destroyed with more than a dozen damaged. Large power poles and trees toppled. Winds overturned small airplane off County Road 81 near Harmon School. A large tree blown onto a house on County Road 75. Residence destroyed on Alabama Highway 84 West in Wicksburg. | |||||||||||
| 41.4 | 2003-03-20 | 2 | 30°42'N / 85°03'W | 30°46'N / 84°55'W | 8.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 3 | 500K | 0 | Jackson |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down in Cypress, just west of Grand Ridge, and traveled northeast before lifting to the north of Sneads. Two mobile homes and a single-family home were destroyed. 15 single-family and mobile homes were damaged. Numerous trees and power lines were down. One person was seriously injured and two sustained minor injuries. Reported by the Jackson County EMA and CAP/NWS aerial survey team. | |||||||||||
| 43.4 | 1996-12-01 | 2 | 30°28'N / 86°23'W | 30°28'N / 86°22'W | 0.40 Mile | 75 Yards | 0 | 0 | 500K | 0 | Okaloosa |
| Brief Description: A waterspout developed near Mid Bay Bridge along the north bank of Choctawhatchee Bay and moved ashore near exclusive Pippin Estates. The resulting tornado moved along Lake Drive for about 1/3 of a mile. Ten homes suffered roof damage, four of which had major structural damage. Numerous fifty to one-hundred year old Live Oak and other trees were blown down. Some of the trees fell across vehicles and homes. Several boats were also blown ashore and damaged. The tornado cut a path of about seventy-five yards wide and was estimated to be a weak F2. There were no injuries. | |||||||||||
| 43.5 | 1980-03-08 | 2 | 31°12'N / 85°38'W | 31°14'N / 85°22'W | 16.00 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Houston |
| 43.5 | 1961-06-20 | 2 | 31°08'N / 85°16'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Houston | |||
| 43.7 | 1956-09-24 | 2 | 30°06'N / 85°13'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Gulf | |||
| 45.0 | 1974-01-28 | 2 | 31°10'N / 85°17'W | 0.30 Mile | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Houston | |
| 45.2 | 1971-03-01 | 2 | 31°13'N / 85°24'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Houston | |||
| 46.3 | 1988-04-18 | 2 | 30°57'N / 85°10'W | 31°03'N / 84°54'W | 15.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Jackson |
| 47.1 | 2005-03-22 | 2 | 31°06'N / 85°10'W | 31°08'N / 85°07'W | 3.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 4 | 750K | 0 | Houston |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down about a half mile west of Firetower Road. As it traveled northeast, it destroyed three barns on County Road 81, and destroyed two large homes just north of Turnpike Road. Four people were injured and transported to a hospital in Dothan. Several mobile homes were damaged, with numerous trees and power lines down. The storm survey was conducted by the NWS Tallahassee WCM and SOO. | |||||||||||
| 47.4 | 1958-04-09 | 2 | 29°57'N / 85°25'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Bay | |||
| 48.7 | 1984-05-03 | 2 | 31°17'N / 85°36'W | 31°19'N / 85°29'W | 5.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Dale |
| 49.9 | 1967-12-10 | 2 | 30°00'N / 85°12'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Gulf | |||
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.