PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — A violent EF-2 tornado came quickly Wednesday in Pinellas County and it left buildings destroyed and large 2-ton boats were thrown about.
Thursday, the National Weather Service inspected the damage in Pinellas, Hillsborough and Polk counties to determine how strong the tornadoes were on the Enhanced Fujita scale.
The intensity of a tornado can be determined only after the event when the NWS can examine structural damage. After the survey is complete, the tornado is given this value from the Enhanced Fujita Scale, ranging from EF-0 to EF-5.
The two areas impacted most severely were Pinellas Park and a Polk County neighborhood just east of US Highway 98 North.
The NWS said:
“Low pressure in the Gulf of Mexico moved into the Florida Panhandle Wednesday with a trailing cold front moving through west central Florida in the afternoon. A surge of moisture ahead of the front created a brief opportunity for strong and locally severe storms. The strongest thunderstorm cell tracked from central Pinellas County to north of Plant City, then into north Lakeland, dropping a tornado sporadically along its path.”
Pinellas County Tornado
Here's the NWS report on the tornado:
RATING: EF2
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 125 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 13.1284 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 300 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: 12/16/2020
START TIME: 03:49 PM EST
START LOCATION: 2 NE SEMINOLE / PINELLAS COUNTY / FL
START LAT/LON: 27.8637 / -82.7524
END DATE: 12/16/2020
END TIME: 04:11 PM EST
END LOCATION: 3 SSW TAMPA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT / / FL
END LAT/LON: 27.9345 / -82.5532
The survey from the NWS found that a thunderstorm over the Gulf of Mexico was rotating and weakened as it moved onshore. The storm spun up again quickly and dropped a violent tornado in parts of the Bayou Club, then crossed Belcher Road and hit an industrial park where the greatest damage was observed.
Buildings had uplift and removal of roof decking and outer walls collapsed. Two buildings were destroyed and five had major damage. Several buildings in a boat storage facility had major damage and large 2-ton boats were thrown about.
The damage became much more spotty as it approached U.S. Highway 19. Insulation debris collected on a fence near St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport.
Video on social media showed the tornado crossing the Howard Frankland Bridge (Interstate 275) with debris and a light pole dropping in front of the observer.
Lakeland Tornado
Here's the NWS report on the tornado:
RATING: EF1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 110 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 12.9467 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 250 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: 12/16/2020
START TIME: 04:53 PM EST
START LOCATION: 4 N PLANT CITY / HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY / FL
START LAT/LON: 28.061 / -82.1662
END DATE: 12/16/2020
END TIME: 05:15 PM EST
END LOCATION: GIBSONIA / POLK COUNTY / FL
END LAT/LON: 28.1203 / -81.965
The survey from the NWS found that the rotation from the tornado was elevated at the treetop level or higher for most of its path. The most significant damage was to a home in north Lakeland just north of Lake Gibson on Gibson Shores Drive.
Video on social media showed a wedge tornado north of plant city. Numerous trees were downed in this area in addition to two small barns that were destroyed.
EF SCALE
The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:
EF0...WEAK......65 TO 85 MPH
EF1...WEAK......86 TO 110 MPH
EF2...STRONG....111 TO 135 MPH
EF3...STRONG....136 TO 165 MPH
EF4...VIOLENT...166 TO 200 MPH
EF5...VIOLENT...>200 MPH
Find out how unusual EF-2 and stronger tornadoes are for Florida here.
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