17 tornadoes confirmed in Central Florida, Tampa during Hurricane Milton: NWS
FLORIDA - At least 17 confirmed tornadoes touched down in Central Florida and the Tampa Bay region in the hours before Hurricane Milton made landfall along Florida's Gulf Coast, according to the National Weather Service.
More than 120 tornado warnings were issued across the state on Wednesday, Oct. 9 – the most tornado warnings ever issued in the state within 24 hours, the NWS said. At least 5 people were hurt, and six people killed in the tornadoes, according to law enforcement and the NWS Melbourne and Tampa preliminary reports.
Here is what we know about each tornado, including size, touchdown, track, and EF rating.
#1 | Rural Okeechobee County, near Dixie Ranch Acres
A tornado touched down near Okeechobee County Airport around 2:04 p.m. and traveled along US Highway 98 and through Dixie Ranch Acres. A manufactured home was destroyed, and two people were hurt, the NWS said. Several homes in Dixie Ranch Acres were damaged, including one home that lost 20% of its roof, according to NWS.
- Date: 10/09/2024
- Time: 2:04-2:20 p.m. (16 minutes)
- EF Rating: EF-2 tornado
- Peak winds: 115 mph
- How far did the tornado travel? 8.5 miles
- How wide was the tornado? 250 yards max
- How many people injured? 2
- How many people killed? 0
#2 | Interstate 95 near Port St. Lucie
A tornado touched down near SW Martin Highway and I-95 around 2:05 p.m. and traveled 18 miles along the interstate. A tractor-trailer was flipped over and several trees were torn down. Homes in the Rosser Reserve suburb suffered "minor to moderate damage." In hidden Oaks, a home's roof was significantly damaged.
- Date: 10/09/2024
- Time: 2:05-2:40 p.m. (35 minutes)
- EF Rating: EF-0 tornado
- Peak winds: 75-85 mph
- How far did the tornado travel? 18.1 miles
- How wide was the tornado? 200 yards max
- How many people injured? 0
- How many people killed? 0
#3 | Rural NE Okeechobee County
A tornado touched down around 2:10 p.m. in a rural part of Okeechobee County – east of the previous tornado near Okeechobee County Airport -- and traveled some 17 miles. It touched down south of SR-70 and flipped irrigation equipment over, uprooted trees and damaged a roof near NE 120th Street and Sunshine Grove. The Pine Creek Sporting Club had outbuildings destroyed, the NWS said.
- Date: 10/09/2024
- Time: 2:10-2:39 p.m. (29 minutes)
- EF Rating: EF-1 tornado
- Peak winds: 110 mph
- How far did the tornado travel? 17.1 miles
- How wide was the tornado? 300 yards max
- How many people injured? 0
- How many people killed? 0
#4 | Okeechobee County, near C & M Rucks Dairy
A tornado touched down near NW 144th Avenue around 2:27 p.m. It partially damaged a steel barn at C & M Rucks Dairy and downed nearby power poles, the NWS said.
- Date: 10/09/2024
- Time: 2:27-2:32 p.m. (5 minutes)
- EF Rating: EF-2 tornado
- Peak winds: 115 mph
- How far did the tornado travel? 2.6 miles
- How wide was the tornado? 100 yards max
- How many people injured? 0
- How many people killed? 0
#5 | St. Lucie County, Port St. Lucie to Fort Pierce
A tornado touched down around 2:59 p.m. as Hurricane Milton's outer rainbands moved through the Treasure Coast, the NWS said. Homes in the Crane Landing, Sawgrass Lakes, and Tulip Park subdivisions suffered "minor…damage," such as missing shingles and damaged trees. A metal canopy was significantly damaged at the Lucie County Sheriff's Office in Fort Pierce.
- Date: 10/09/2024
- Time: 2:59-3:13 p.m. (14 minutes)
- EF Rating: EF-1 tornado
- Peak winds: 80-90 mph
- How far did the tornado travel? 11.8 miles
- How wide was the tornado? 150 yards max
- How many people injured? 0
- How many people killed? 0
#6 | Osceola County, East to North of Holopaw
A tornado touched down around 3:28 p.m. in remote areas of Osceola County, about 5 1.2 miles east of Kenansville, Florida, the NWS said. It traveled through mostly unpopulated areas.
- Date: 10/09/2024
- Time: 3:28-4:07 p.m. (39 minutes)
- EF Rating: EF-0 tornado
- Peak winds: 65 mph
- How far did the tornado travel? 21.5 miles
- How wide was the tornado? 100 yards max
- How many people injured? 0
- How many people killed? 0
#7 | Martin County, First Stuart
A tornado touched down around 4:03 p.m. south of U.S. 1 in Martin County. A camper home was tossed, and one person inside was hurt, the NWS said. Mobile homes in the Colonial Heights subdivision were moved off their foundations. Homes were also damaged in New Monrovia and near Murray Middle School. The tornado became a waterspout as it moved over the St. Lucie River.
- Date: 10/09/2024
- Time: 4:03 p.m. - 4:12 p.m. (9 minutes)
- EF Rating: EF-1 tornado
- Peak winds: 95 mph
- How far did the tornado travel? 3 miles
- How wide was the tornado? 250 yards max
- How many people injured? 1
- How many people killed? 0
#8 | St. Lucie County, Fort Pierce
A tornado touched down around 4:14 p.m. near the Belcher Canal in Fort Pierce. It traveled across Treasure Coast International Airport, where "several small planes" were tossed. It intersected with another tornado an hour later.
- Date: 10/09/2024
- Time: 4:14 p.m. - 4:24 p.m. (10 minutes)
- EF Rating: EF-1 tornado
- Peak winds: 95 mph
- How far did the tornado travel? 6.75 miles
- How wide was the tornado? 150 yards max
- How many people injured? 0
- How many people killed? 0
#9 | St. Lucie and Indian River counties; Fort Pierce, Spanish Lakes, Vero Beach
A tornado touched down near Midway Road and traveled 21 miles, causing widespread damage in Fort Pierce and Vero Beach, the NWS said. It eventually moved offshore near Jaycee Park. Many mobile homes in Creekside and Sunnier Palms neighborhoods were destroyed, the NWS said. Six people were killed in the Spanish Lakes community, the NWS said. In Vero Beach, a car was flipped, roofs were damaged, and a Publix grocery store had broken windows, the NWS report said.
- Date: 10/09/2024
- Time: 4:59 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. (31 minutes)
- EF Rating: EF-3 tornado
- Peak winds: 155 mph
- How far did the tornado travel? 21.2 miles
- How wide was the tornado? 500 yards max
- How many people injured? Unknown
- How many people killed? 6
#10 | Martin County, second Stuart tornado
A tornado touched down near I-95 and US-1 in Stuart, Florida around 5:35 p.m. and caused damage in the Lost Lake subdivision and The Preserve. Several homes lost roof tiles, the NWS said. One resident in Mariner Sands was hurt after a wall collapsed, the report said. Nearly 30 homes were damaged in the Manatee Creek subdivision. It then became a waterspout near Rocky Point.
- Date: 10/09/2024
- Time: 5:35 p.m. - 5:46 p.m. (11 minutes)
- EF Rating: EF-2 tornado
- Peak winds: 120 mph
- How far did the tornado travel? 5.7 miles
- How wide was the tornado? 400 yards max
- How many people injured? 1
- How many people killed? 0
#11 | Brevard County, Cocoa Beach
The NWS said a tornado in Cocoa Beach likely started as a waterspout before coming ashore near Royale Towers Condominiums. Roofs and garages were damaged, the NWS said. It then crossed A1A removing the roof off a Wells Fargo building and into a neighborhood, where a home roof was partially damaged, windows broken, and trees downed, the NWS said. It became a waterspout again over the Banana River.
- Date: 10/09/2024
- Time: 5:53 p.m. - 5:56 p.m. (3 minutes)
- EF Rating: EF-1 tornado
- Peak winds: 95 mph
- How far did the tornado travel? 1 miles
- How wide was the tornado? 250 yards max
- How many people injured? 0
- How many people killed? 0
Tampa Bay tornadoes during Hurricane Milton
The National Weather Service in Tampa has confirmed at least six tornadoes touched down during Hurricane Milton. At least one person was hurt in one tornado, the NWS said. No deaths were reported.
Here is where those tornadoes touched down:
- Archbold (EF 1 tornado)
- Avon Park (EF 1 tornado)
- Lake Placid (EF 1 tornado)
- Venus (EF 1 tornado)
- Fort Myers (EF 2 tornado)
- Matlacha (EF 1 tornado)
What is an EF tornado? How are tornadoes rated?
Like hurricanes, tornadoes are given a rating – EF 0 to 5 – using their estimated wind speeds and damage. It's known as the Enhanced Fujita Scale, or the EF scale for short. Tornadoes are then rated as EF-0, EF-1, EF-2, EF-3, EF-4, EF-5.
The NWS surveys the damage (29 damage indicators), degrees of damage, and wind speeds to give each tornado a rating.
- EF-0 | 65-85 mph gusts
- EF-1 | 86-110 mph gusts
- EF-2 | 111-135 mph gusts
- EF-3 | 136-165 mph gusts
- EF-4 | 166-200 mph gusts
- EF-5 | 200+ mph gusts
The National Weather Service is the only federal agency that can assign a tornado an EF rating. It uses the highest wind speed during the damage path. Click here to read more.