Recent Major Storm Days in Florida: History & Research
By StormAuditor Editorial Team · Published 2026-07-19 · Updated 2026-09-23
Based on public NOAA and National Weather Service records, published under StormAuditor's methodology and data-source standards. Radar-derived hail sizes are estimates unless attributed to a ground report.
Damage-threshold ranges in this article are general guidance synthesized from industry and federal research — IBHS building-performance research, NWS severe criteria, and product standards such as UL 2218 (hail impact resistance) and ASTM D3161/D7158 (shingle wind ratings). Actual performance depends on product rating, age, installation quality, exposure, and impact characteristics — thresholds describe when damage becomes possible, not when it occurs.
Florida's climate makes it prone to severe weather, including thunderstorms with high wind gusts. Understanding past severe weather patterns is crucial for property owners and professionals.
Florida gets frequent thunderstorms, most of all in the warmer months. They bring strong wind gusts and, at times, hail. Homeowners, contractors, adjusters, and attorneys need to know the past severe weather at a specific place. It matters for property assessments and date-of-loss research.
What Makes a Storm "Major"?
By "major" we mean storms that meet or beat the National Weather Service (NWS) severe thunderstorm criteria:
- hail 1.00 inch (quarter size) or larger, or
- wind gusts of 58 mph (50 knots) or more.
Storms that meet the "significant severe" criteria bring even larger hail (2.00 inches or more) or stronger gusts (75 mph or more). They can cause wider or worse damage.
Florida storms often bring strong thunderstorm gusts. What wind and hail can do to a roof:
- On aged or poorly fastened asphalt roofs, shingles can lift with gusts of 46–57 mph.
- Shingle loss is possible from 58 mph, and widespread roof-covering loss is possible from about 74 mph. The Wind Speed Guide shows each band.
- Metal roofs can dent from hail too small to fracture an asphalt shingle. Whether a dent is cosmetic or lets water in depends on gauge, panel type, and condition.
How StormAuditor Estimates Florida's Storm History
Wind. Our SAWE-2 (the Storm Auditor Wind Estimate) system starts from the NWS analysis of record (URMA) for each day's peak gusts. High-resolution rapid refresh (HRRR) is the fallback. We then run a two-pass objective analysis. It adds gusts measured at ASOS/AWOS stations and NWS Local Storm Reports (LSRs) marked as measured. We never use LSRs marked as estimated as final wind values.
Hail. Our SAHE-2 (Storm Auditor Hail Estimate v2) system puts radar hail swaths first: the Maximum Estimated Size of Hail (MESH), shown on Hail Explorer with a size estimate for each grid cell over a property. We check it against Storm Prediction Center (SPC) storm reports and NWS severe thunderstorm warnings. A radar estimate is reported "at location" when the address sits inside the ~1-km radar cell.
Sources. We draw on NWS/NOAA warnings, SPC reports, IEM archives, the NCEI Storm Events Database, MRMS MESH data, and NOAA ASOS/AWOS station data. The result is a fact-based storm history for any Florida address.
Practical Guidance for Florida Property Owners and Professionals
Storm history matters to everyone involved:
- homeowners checking for damage,
- contractors planning repairs,
- adjusters reviewing a claim, and
- attorneys preparing a case.
A StormAuditor report shows the weather on a specific date. That gives a strong base for the rest of the investigation. If a recent or past storm may have damaged your property, a storm history report helps you plan next steps.
StormAuditor gives estimates of weather conditions, not measurements. We do not give legal, insurance, or engineering advice. Qualified inspectors or engineers should decide what caused the damage.
How to Research a Date of Loss in Florida
To find storm details for any Florida address:
- Use Address Lookup: Enter an address and a date range. You get a property-level weather history with wind, hail, and NOAA warnings. Try it at Address Lookup.
- Research a date of loss: For a deeper look at one event, our Date of Loss Weather Research workflow walks you through finding severe weather. Visit Date of Loss Weather Research.
- See the weather on a date: For statewide or regional conditions on one day, see Weather on This Date.
Recent Notable Storm Days in Florida
Recent severe weather reports from Florida:
- July 18, 2026 — 2 E Alligator Point — 63.0 mph thunderstorm wind gust
- July 18, 2026 — Shell Point — 58.0 mph thunderstorm wind gust
- July 18, 2026 — 2 E Alligator Point — 57.0 mph thunderstorm wind gust
Limitations
Every data source has limits:
- Weather stations are not everywhere. Peak gusts between stations can be higher than reported. Microbursts, for example, are very local.
- Radar hail estimates (MESH) can under-estimate wet hail. They can over-estimate where reflectivity is very high.
- Being inside a warning area means your location was under a warning during the storm. It does not prove it got the storm's peak.
- We report estimates, not measurements. We cannot prove that weather caused property damage.
For the full list, see Limitations.
Related StormAuditor Tools
- Property Level Severe Weather Reports
- Florida Wind History Explorer
- Florida Hail History Explorer
- StormAuditor Methodology: Wind
- StormAuditor Methodology: Hail
- Sample StormAuditor Report
FAQ
Q: When was the last major wind storm in Florida?
A: It depends on the location. StormAuditor's recent data shows severe thunderstorm gusts in Florida on July 18, 2026, with reported gusts up to 63.0 mph near Alligator Point. Find the history for any address with our Address Lookup.
Q: How do I find storm history for my Florida address?
A: Use StormAuditor's Address Lookup tool. Enter your address and the date range you want.
Q: What is considered a severe wind gust in Florida?
A: The National Weather Service defines a severe thunderstorm gust as 58 mph (50 knots) or more. Gusts at or above this level can cause damage.
Q: Can StormAuditor tell me if hail or wind damaged my roof?
A: StormAuditor gives weather estimates of hail size and wind gusts at your location. We show what weather occurred. We do not give legal, insurance, or engineering advice, and we cannot decide what caused property damage. That takes qualified inspectors or engineers.
Q: What sources does StormAuditor use for Florida storm data?
A: NWS/NOAA severe weather warnings, SPC storm reports, IEM archives, the NCEI Storm Events Database, MRMS MESH radar data, and NOAA ASOS/AWOS station data. See Data Sources for the full list.