The deadliest time of the year for tornadoes is upon us. Most tornado-related casualties occur during meteorological spring (March to May), with a peak in April, especially when it comes to the most violent tornadoes.
Florida unfortunately has the highest average number of tornadoes in the southeast U.S. because of the frequent encounters with tropical storms and hurricanes. Although the numbers are high, most of the tornadoes are weak (F/EF-0 to F/EF-1) during those warmer months.
Recommended Videos
Such was the case with Tropical Storm Elsa that produced an EF1 tornado near the San Jose neighborhood and a stronger EF2 in St. Mary’s.
Florida’s tornado history reveals a pattern of more deadly tornadoes during the colder months when cold fronts add extra punch to thunderstorms. The frequent squall lines are accompanied with faster than average upper level winds which cause the shearing spin necessary for tornado development.
Florida’s strongest tornado happened in April 1966 when an EF4 tracked from the Clearwater area across central Florida to Merritt Island on the Atlantic east coast. The tornado happened before the advent of the tornado tracking doppler radar systems in the mid 90s. While it was not tracked by the sophisticated radar, it is believed to have remained on the ground during the entire trip across the state, injuring 540 people and killing eleven. But this early April tornado was not the deadliest in Florida.
That record goes to an EF3 tornado in 1998 that ripped through central Florida’s Intercession City killing 25. In all 15 people were killed in mobile homes, 8 people died in recreational vehicles, and 1 in an automobile. This horrible event underscored the imperative need for sturdy buildings when sheltering. Cars and mobile homes offer no safe option. In total 150 people were injured and over 1000 structures were damaged or destroyed.
A quick glance at Florida’s history reveals most tornado carnage happens between February through April.
In north Florida and south Georgia, including parts of southeast Alabama, the threat of dangerous tornadoes is always there during the winter, producing between 10 and 15 tornadoes events per year. But El Niño seasons can pose a significantly greater risk farther south in central and south Florida.
All of Florida’s major tornado outbreaks have occurred during El Niño years.
The average number of tornado reports nearly doubled during El Nino years according to NOAA’s Storm Data between 1950-2009 with 15 tornadoes expected per year under El Niño conditions, compared to Neutral and La Niña years.