Florida Public Radio Emergency Network (FPREN) Storm Center | By Irene Sans
The atmosphere was primed for the storms that rolled over Central Florida on Monday morning. Plenty of upper-level sheer allowed the thunderstorms to grow and become tornadic in the morning.
The cold front that pushed over parts of Central Florida early Monday spun some thunderstorms, some of which turned severe. One of the many tornado warnings that were issued in the morning came shortly after 9:30 in Seminole County, just north of Orange County, where Orlando is located.
This cell was watched closely by the National Weather Service office in Tampa and the National Weather Service office in Melbourne. Both offices constantly monitor the weather over the Central Florida region. Specifically, the National Weather Service office in Melbourne watched this cell move from the Gulf onto Central Florida closely as it showed signs of rotation during the 9 o’clock hour. The cells moved rapidly to the east at about 20 to 25 mph. The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning around 9:35 AM as the cell approached closer to the I-4 corridor, just north of Wekiva Springs.
The thunderstorm moved for about 1.8 miles and had peak winds of 115 mph. It is preliminarily rated as an EF-2 tornado that likely touched down for 10 to 15 minutes. This report comes from a survey done by a meteorologist at the National Weather Service based in Melbourne, who still evaluates the damages during the afternoon hours. The details of the path traveled, and the rating can still change, and the final details will be released later today or on Tuesday.
Let’s remember that this is how tornadoes are rated. There’s no way to know how strong a tornado will be and no set recipe for where or when a tornado will touch down. The strength of a tornado is measured by the damage it produces. In this instance, a house collapsed just west of I-4 in Seminole County, and several roofs were peeled off from homes.
On Monday afternoon, the National Weather Service continues to evaluate damages near Markham Woods Road in the Lake Mary area. Several communities in this region report downed trees, damaged structures, and fallen signs. Luckily, the residents who lived in the collapsed house were not injured, as they heeded the tornado warning correctly and immediately sought shelter.
This is why having at least three ways of receiving weather alerts when severe weather threatens your area is essential. Residents should always stay informed about changing weather conditions, especially when storms could spin up tornadoes or cause damaging winds.
Tornadoes in Florida
Floridians are not strangers to tornadoes. Although hurricanes have been a big topic for many years, tornadoes have happened in the Sunshine State. The difference is that Florida tends to have lower-rated tornadoes like EF-0 or EF-1. Most of the time, these lower-rated tornadoes occur within the bands of a hurricane or tropical storm.
However, the most prolific and highest-rated tornadoes often occur in the late winter and early spring, as cold fronts push through the state or low-pressure systems impact the region.
Most recently, a record number of tornadoes were registered last season as Hurricane Milton’s rain band pushed through the state. However, in 2007, the Groundhog Day tornado outbreak occurred. There was a similar setup to what we had this Monday morning when morning temperatures were well above average for the time of year, and lots of moisture and jet streams were pushing through. Several supercell storms in one hour moved through Central Florida, north of Orlando, that February morning in 2007. There was a trail of damage of about 70 miles. One of the tornadoes traveled over Sumter County and hit the Lady Lake area, killing eight people, damaging over 1000 homes, and destroying 200 other buildings. The second tornado killed 13 people in the Lake Mack area, and there were over 500 homes damaged or destroyed. The third tornado that traveled through New Smyrna Beach in Volusia County damaged roofs, carports, and other structures. In total, 76 people were injured, and 21 people were dead, and damage was estimated at $218 million.
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