Florida Tornadoes: What You Need to Know

TAMPA, FL — As one of the strongest El Nino weather patterns in recent history continues to wreak havoc in the Tampa Bay area, tornadoes are becoming a part of this winter’s landscape.

Storms that ripped through the region early Sunday morning produced several tornadoes. One tornado that touched down in Duette around 4 a.m. Jan. 17 is believed to have been an EF2 in strength, claiming two lives and injuring four children and one adult. Another tornado also caused damage in the Sarasota and Siesta Key areas.

Florida technically leads the nation in the number of tornadoes reportedly annually. The figure is bolstered by the number of summertime waterspouts that crop up, National Weather Service meteorologist Robert Garcia told Patch in an earlier interview.

Larger tornadoes, such as the ones that have touched down in Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Duette and Sarasota in January, are more common in the wintertime, especially when an El Nino weather pattern is present, forecasters say.

“This is the type of damage we can expect from El Nino type tornadoes,” weather service meteorologist Tyler Fleming said after Jan. 17’s tornadoes. “When this weather pattern is present, it’s “very common for these tornadoes to happen in the middle of the night.”

See Also:

• Victims Identified After 2 Killed in Tampa Bay Tornado
• Severe Storms, Tornadoes in Tampa Bay’s Winter Forecast
• Photos: Cape Coral Tornado Damage
• Weather Radios: Deals On Tools For Tracking Florida’s Severe Storms

“Generally, for Florida an El Nino winter means cooler than normal temperatures and wetter than normal (conditions),” weather service meteorologist Rick Davis said in an earlier interview.

The El Nino weather pattern arises when the sea surface temperatures rise in the equatorial Pacific Ocean and impact the northern hemisphere, Davis explained. When that happens, the southern branch of the Jetstream becomes more active. That enables systems to move across the Pacific, across the southern states, through the Gulf of Mexico and into Florida.

“Because the storm systems have a more southern latitude, they’re expected to produce more rain for us and then with that southern storm track more cold fronts (could move in), increasing the chances for severe weather,” Davis said.

About Florida’s Tornadoes

Florida tends to see the formation of four different types of tornadoes. They include:

• Waterspouts – These generally stay over water, but came sometimes move onto land. Typically, they are rather weak, but that’s not always the case
• Supercell tornadoes – These typically form in the wintertime and are similar to the larger storms that the Midwest is known for
• Mini-supercells – These storms go along with hurricanes and thunderstorms and can create quite a bit of damage
• Small line – When these storms form, they are typically weak and short lived

By far, Garcia said, waterspouts are the most common in the Sunshine State.

“If we have 10 reports (of tornadoes), eight to nine of them are going to be related to waterspouts.”

As it does in categorizing hurricanes, the National Weather Service has a scale developed to classify tornadoes by their strength. The “Enhanced F Scale” classifies storms as follows:

• EF0 – Wind gusts between 65 to 85 mph
• EF1 – Wind gusts between 86 and 110 mph
• EF2 – Wind gusts between 111 and 135 mph
• EF3 – Wind gusts between 136 and 165 mph
• EF4 – Wind gusts between 166 and 200 mph
• EF5 – Wind gusts over 200 mph

The weather service classifies “significant” tornadoes as those rated EF2 or higher, but notes that “no tornado is necessarily insignificant. Any tornado can kill or cause damage.”

Staying Safe During Storms

The best advice, Garcia said, is for people to avoid tornadoes by keeping an eye on the weather and moving to a safe location should one form. They do tend to move erratically, so it’s important for people to be aware of the weather and the likelihood of severe storms.

Boaters, especially, need to keep an eye out for waterspouts and move to safe harbor should they develop.

Forecasters also recommend Tampa Bay area residents have and use NOAA weather radios and smartphone apps to keep up with breaking weather alerts, such as those issued when tornado activity is detected. Weather radios receive advisory broadcasts and emergency alerts without the need for paying a monthly subscription. They are generally battery operated or draw solar energy so they can function in poor weather conditions. The radios are designed to send audible alerts when hazardous weather is imminent, generally loud enough to wake people up in the middle of the night if the need arises, forecasters have said.

Other tips from the National Weather Service for tornado safety include:

• Move to a safe room in a home if tornado activity is imminent; a small, windowless interior room or hallway on a building’s lowest level is the best with underground shelters not readily available in Florida
• Abandon mobile homes for sturdier shelter immediately
• Those caught outdoors should get to safety immediately

For other tips, visit the weather service online.

Photo of Jan. 17, 2016, tornado damage courtesy of Sarasota County’s Facebook page