JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The severe storms have swept offshore and we are in for moderate rain and occasional lightning for another hour or two. We will dry out as we head into the evening hours. You can expect windy conditions turning chilly tonight.
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6:15 p.m. A National Weather Service damage survey confirmed an EF0 tornado touched down about noon near Georgia Highway 40 West in Camden County, snapping several pine trees along its path as it moved west-southwest toward Georgia Highway 110. According to the NWS, the tornado was 10 yards wide, had peak wind of 80 mph and traveled nearly half a mile.
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2:17p.m. In Starke a tree reportedly fell on a home, with no injuries reported.
In Baker County a tree reportedly fell on a home in Macclenny.
In Duval a tree is down on a power line and is blocking the road on Pineacres and Loretto Rd.
In Flagler County trained storm spotters recorded 40-50 mph wind gusts near St Johns Park to the west of Bunnell.
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1:31 p.m. A tree is down on a house in Lakeside along West 9th Street. A powerline is down in Fruit Cove on Scott Mill Road. In Normandy there are powerlines down along Cedar Oaks Drive.
In Glynn County the National Weather Service reports photos of a funnel cloud near Country Club Estates. A tractor trailer vehicle overturned on the Causeway to the Island.
In Camden County the Cumberland Island weather station measured a peak wind gust of 53 mph.
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1:12 p.m. A tree is reported to be down in Jacksonville Beach causing a small fire. There is a tree down on a powerline blocking the road in Mandarin. A tree branch came down through a roof at Blanding and 103rd in Duval county. The Blount Island reported a peak wind gust of 47 mph. Huguenot Park measured a wind gust of 60 mph. NAS Jax measured a wind gust of 52 mph. Craig airfield measured a 45 mph wind gust.
In Nassau tress are reported down on US 1 in Callahan. In Hilliard there are reports of trees snapped and hanging on the powerlines.
In Gainesville there are multiple trees down in the downtown area, blocking the roadways along NW 34th St and NW 16 th Ave, and NW 8th Ave.
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12:44 p.m. Baker Coounty Emergency Management reports numerous trees and powerlines down throughout the county. Trees that feel down on US 90 casued a car to swerve to avoid the tree.
At the Ocala Airport they measured a gust of 54 mph and a storm spotter measured a wind gust of 54 mph along SW 83rd Place.
St Simons Island Airport measured a wind gust of 52 mph.
Significant damage to a Babcock Furniture store in Kingsland has been reported.
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12:23 p.m. In Waycross a tree was split in half at the intersection of Dorothy St and Ware St.
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12:16 p.m. In Jesup a gas pump was blown over at a gas station and there is a small fire. Trees are also down near Broadhurst.
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12:08 p.m. At the airport in Jacksonville at peak wind gust was measured at 52 mph, breaking the previous record for today of 50 mph.
Glynn & Brantley counties reporting 3-4 trees down in Hoboken near Why 520
Appling County reports trees down at Spring branch Road and King Drive and also at Carter Cemetery Rd and Spring Branch rd.
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11:54 a.m.Damage reports - Appling county Emergency management reports tree down at Lennox and sandy Rd. Two roofs were blown off of shelters on Red oak Rd.
In Screven there are reports of trees and powerlines down on Broadhurst Rd.
Clinch County reports the roof of a mobile home near the intersection of US Hwy 84 and Leland Rd,
The Gainesville Airport reported a peak wind gust of 53 mph and The Univeristy of Florida has a tree down on campus at Museum Rd and Radio Rd.
11:20 a.m. - Damage reports - Coffee county emergency management reports trees and power lines down on Highway 158 near the county line. Atkinson Emergency management reports numerous trees and powerlines down in the northeastern portion of the county. The Ware county airport measured a wind gust of 46 mph.
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Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Appling, Brantley, Charlton, Pierce, Ware, and Wayne counties through noon. At 11:12 severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from Baxley to near Stephen Foster State Park, moving northeast at 55 mph.
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11:10 Tornado Warning issued through 11:15 a.m. for Baker, Columbia, Jeff Davis and Appling counties.
Suwannee county reports a tree down through a home east of Live Oak. Tree and power outages down throughout the county.
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10:34a.m. The Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been extended Eastward and now includes Waycross and Alma. The warning is for Appling, Bacon, Charlton, Clinch, Jeff Davis and Ware counties through 11:30 a.m. This strong line of thunderstorms will pack 40-50 mph with gusts of 60-70mph. Downed trees and power outages expected
A severe storm is moving into Lake City, expect 60-70mph winds, downed trees and power outages possible.
Echols County reporting numerous trees down near Statenville, power outages reported in Dupont, Georgia. Trees down reported in Cogdell, GA.
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10:15 a.m. - A Tornado Watch has been issued for our entire viewing area through 4 p.m. A watch means severe conditions are possible, a warning means a tornado or rotation has been spotted on the radar or on the ground.
There are numerous reports of trees down in Hamilton County, which is just north and west of Lake City.
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10 a.m. update: Line of heavy storms have passed through Tallahassee and they had winds gust to 45 mph with briefly heavy rain. Total rainfall about 1/2".
Forecast models are now split. High resolution (short term) forecast models are unsure of how it will play out for Jacksonville. Most likely our worst weather will be between 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. The line of storms (if you download the WJXT Weather Authority APP you can easily follow these storms as the approach NEFL/SEGA) will weaken and new storms will develop along I-95. Read earlier updates below.
Still waiting to here from the Storm Prediction Center on whether we will be placed under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch or Tornado Watch for this afternoon.
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5 a.m. update: Latest forecast models suggest that the line of storms that is prompting the Weather Authority Alert Day will fade slightly as they approach Jacksonville on Friday afternoon. Unfortunately, the same models are suggesting that as these storms fade after passing I-75 (Lake City to Gainesville) the energy will transition to rapidly developing storms along I-95 (east to area beaches.)
Numerous severe storms possible this afternoon with rainfall rates averaging 1.00 inch with some areas seeing 2-3 inches. A squall line will push through this afternoon with numerous storms producing wind 45 to 60 mph, stronger storms up to 70 mph. Isolated tornadoes will be possible along the squall line. Skies will clear mainly after 6 pm turning cool, breezy and sunny Saturday.
Stay alert!
Despite this "better news" the threat for severe weather in the form of high storm winds and hail, possible tornadoes will remain and it is very likely we will be under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch starting in the mid morning until early evening. See more below.