Highlands County weather alerts
There are no active weather alerts for Highlands County, FL right now.
Since 2016 the National Weather Service has issued about 432 alerts that included Highlands County, roughly 43 a year. The most common is the dense fog advisory (71 from 2016 to 2025). The last tornado warning was issued on October 9, 2024. 49 tornadoes have touched down in the county since 1950.
Updated from the National Weather Service · lists refresh hourly; the live map loads current alerts directly from the NWS
No warnings, watches or advisories include Highlands County at the moment. This page updates automatically when the National Weather Service issues one. Check neighboring Glades County, DeSoto County, Hardee County, Okeechobee County.
Highlands County alert history
Alert events that included Highlands County or its forecast zones, from the NWS warning archive.
| Alert type | 2016–2025 | 2026 | Last issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dense Fog Advisory | 71 | 5 | February 12, 2026 |
| Heat Advisory | 61 | 15 | August 20, 2026 |
| Flood Advisory | 49 | 8 | November 2, 2026 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Warning | 47 | 6 | August 26, 2026 |
| Red Flag Warning | 31 | 2 | April 21, 2026 |
| Tornado Watch | 27 | 0 | October 9, 2024 |
| Tornado Warning | 25 | 0 | October 9, 2024 |
| Cold Weather Advisory | 21 | 10 | February 24, 2026 |
| Flood Watch | 17 | 1 | November 1, 2026 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Watch | 12 | 0 | May 15, 2024 |
| Frost Advisory | 9 | 1 | February 25, 2026 |
| Freeze Warning | 9 | 6 | February 24, 2026 |
| Freeze Watch | 8 | 4 | February 24, 2026 |
| Fire Weather Watch | 7 | 2 | April 21, 2026 |
| Tropical Storm Warning | 7 | 0 | September 24, 2024 |
| Wind Advisory | 7 | 1 | January 31, 2026 |
| Tropical Storm Watch | 6 | 0 | November 7, 2022 |
| Flash Flood Warning | 6 | 3 | November 2, 2026 |
| Flood Warning | 3 | 1 | November 2, 2026 |
| Hurricane Watch | 3 | 0 | October 7, 2024 |
| Hurricane Warning | 3 | 0 | October 7, 2024 |
| Extreme Heat Warning | 3 | 0 | August 13, 2023 |
| Extreme Cold Watch | 0 | 1 | February 1, 2026 |
| Extreme Cold Warning | 0 | 1 | February 1, 2026 |
Tornado history in Highlands County
49 tornadoes have been recorded in Highlands County since 1950, killing 2 people and injuring 19. That ranks 28 of 67 counties in Florida. The most recent was on October 9, 2024 (rated EF0).
Strongest tornadoes in Highlands County
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2, 1983 | F2 | Highlands County | 1 mi | 40 yd | 1 | 6 |
| October 9, 2024 | EF2 | Highlands County | 2.9 mi | 300 yd | 0 | 1 |
| June 18, 1971 | F2 | Highlands County | 1 mi | 20 yd | 0 | 0 |
| June 17, 1982 | F2 | Highlands County | 1 mi | 200 yd | 0 | 9 |
| March 9, 1998 | F1 | Hardee County | 15.5 mi | 200 yd | 0 | 0 |
Most recent tornadoes
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 9, 2024 | EF0 | Highlands County | 0.6 mi | 75 yd | 0 | 0 |
| October 9, 2024 | EF1 | Highlands County | 0.5 mi | 50 yd | 0 | 0 |
| October 9, 2024 | EF1 | Highlands County | 0.6 mi | 100 yd | 0 | 0 |
| October 9, 2024 | EF2 | Highlands County | 2.9 mi | 300 yd | 0 | 1 |
| October 9, 2024 | EF1 | Highlands County | 6.8 mi | 500 yd | 0 | 0 |
About Highlands County
- Population: 109,778 (2024 estimate)
- State: Florida
- NOAA Weather Radio SAME code: 012055 (how to use it)