Tornadoes

Sarasota Tornado SARASOTA COUNTY Date 10/11/2023 EF Rating EF-0 Est. Peak Winds 85 mph Start Time (Local) 10:59 PM EDT Start Location Gator Creek Estate Sarasota County Path Length 0.19 miles Max Width 50 yards End Time (Local) 11:00 PM EDT End Location 1 NNW Gator Creek Estate Sarasota County Injuries/Deaths 0/0 Tornado Damage Report Location Map

Oldsmar Tornado PINELLAS COUNTY Date 10/12/2023 EF Rating EF-0 Est. Peak Winds 85 mph Start Time (Local) 12:13 AM EDT Start Location 1 S Oldsmar Path Length 0.27 miles Max Width 50 yards End Time (Local) 12:15 AM EDT End Location 1 S Oldsmar Injuries/Deaths 0/0 Tornado Damage Report Location Map

Clearwater Beach→Dunedin Tornado PINELLAS COUNTY Date 10/12/2023 EF Rating EF-2 Est. Peak Winds 115 mph Start Time (Local) 1:47 AM EDT Start Location 2 N Clearwater Beach Path Length 4.96 miles Max Width 300 yards End Time (Local) 1:55 AM EDT End Location 2 S Palm Harbor Injuries/Deaths 0/0 Tornado Damage Report Location Map

Crystal River Tornado CITRUS COUNTY Date 10/12/2023 EF Rating EF-2 Est. Peak Winds 125 mph Start Time (Local) 2:08 AM EDT Start Location 3 SW Crystal River Airport Path Length 5.59 miles Max Width 300 yards End Time (Local) 2:19 AM EDT End Location 2 WSW Pine Ridge Injuries/Deaths 0/0 Tornado Damage Report Location Map

Trinity Tornado PASCO COUNTY Date 10/12/2023 EF Rating EF-0 Est. Peak Winds 80 mph Start Time (Local) 2:17 AM EDT Start Location 2 SW Odessa Path Length 0.11 miles Max Width 16 yards End Time (Local) 2:17 AM EDT End Location 2 SW Odessa Injuries/Deaths 0/0 Tornado Damage Report Location Map

Belleair Tornado PINELLAS COUNTY Date 10/12/2023 EF Rating EF-0 Est. Peak Winds 80 mph Start Time (Local) 11:34 AM EDT Start Location 1 WSW Belleair Bluffs Path Length 0.42 miles Max Width 16 yards End Time (Local) 11:5 AM EDT End Location Belleair Bluffs Injuries/Deaths 0/0 Tornado Damage Report Location Map

The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:

EF0 Weak 65-85 mph	EF1 Moderate 86-110 mph	EF2 Significant 111-135 mph	EF3 Severe 136-165 mph	EF4 Extreme 166-200 mph	EF5 Catastrophic 200+ mph

Photos

Clearwater Beach → Dunedin EF-2 Tornado:

Photo Credit: NWS Tampa Bay	Photo Credit: NWS Tampa Bay	Photo Credit: NWS Tampa Bay	Photo Credit: NWS Tampa Bay

Crystal River EF-2 Tornado:

Photo Credit: NWS Tampa Bay	Photo Credit: NWS Tampa Bay

Radar:

Below is a radar loop from 8 PM EDT on October 11, 2023 to 4 AM EDT October 12, 2023, showing the Base Reflectivity and Velocity during the peak of the event.  

KTBW WSR-88D Radar 0.5 degree elevation of Reflectivity and Velocity

Clearwater Beach→Dunedin - Pinellas County - October 12, 2023:

TTPA Terminal Doppler Radar 0.3° elevation: Reflectivity & Storm Relative Velocity

Clearwater Beach-Dunedin - Pinellas County EF-2 Tornado Start Loop Stop Loop

Crystal River - Citrus County - October 12, 2023:

KTBW WSR-88D Radar 0.5° elevation: Reflectivity & Storm Relative Velocity

Crystal River - CR County EF-2 Tornado Start Loop Stop Loop

Sarasota - Sarasota County - October 11, 2023:

KTBW WSR-88D Radar 0.5° elevation: Reflectivity & Storm Relative Velocity

Sarasota - Sarasota County EF-0 Tornado Start Loop Stop Loop

Oldsmar - Pinellas County - October 12, 2023:

TTPA Terminal Doppler Radar 0.3° elevation: Reflectivity & Storm Relative Velocity

Oldsmar - Pinellas County EF-0 Tornado Start Loop Stop Loop

Trinity - Pasco County - October 12, 2023:

KTBW WSR-88D Radar 0.5° elevation: Reflectivity & Storm Relative Velocity

Trinity - Pasco County EF-0 Tornado Start Loop Stop Loop

Belleair - Pinellas County - October 12, 2023:

KTBW WSR-88D Radar 0.5° elevation: Reflectivity & Storm Relative Velocity

Belleair - Belleair County EF-0 Tornado Start Loop Stop Loop

Rainfall:

The entire region saw some rain as the storms moved through, with many areas from around Tampa Bay north across the Nature Coast receiving over 2 inches. Further south amounts were lower, but still generally between 0.50 and 1.50 inch.

Environment

An environment characterized by strong low-level wind shear and moderate instability was supportive of a broken line of supercells forming over the eastern Gulf of Mexico in the warm sector ahead of a surface low pressure system centered over the north-central Gulf of Mexico.   

A strongly veered atmosphere existed within the warm sector as the line approached the west coast of Florida – with backed surface winds out of the south-southeast around 10-15 knots, a low-level jet at 850 mb out of the south-southwest around 30-35 knots, and 500 mb winds out of the southwest around 50-60 knots – leading to effective deep-layer shear of 45-55 knots and effective storm relative helicity of 200-300 m2/s2, both of which strongly supported supercell development. Furthermore, most of the storm relative helicity was focused over the lowest 1 km of the atmosphere, with available mesoanalysis depicting 150-200 m2/s2 of 0-1 km storm relative helicity over the west-central FL coast, and approaching 250 m2/s2 across the Nature Coast.  

While moderate instability was present as indicated by MLCAPE values of 1500-2500 J/kg, warm moist advection via the low level jet helped offset the diurnal phase of the overnight hours that otherwise would have favored increased low-level stability and stymied storm development. Surface observations from around the time the supercells were approaching the coast suggested this as well, as temps hovered in the upper 70s to around 80 degrees while dew points climbed into the mid to upper 70s. Additionally, 3CAPE (CAPE over the lowest 3 km) values of 150-175 J/kg indicated the presence of strong low-level instability, which ultimately proved very efficient in assisting in the stretching and tilting process of the impressive low-level horizontal shear profile into the vertical as the supercell updrafts matured, thus aiding in tornadogenesis.  

This ACARS sounding was captured just a few minutes before the first tornado moved into Pinellas County. Aircraft arriving and departing from Tampa International Airport were able to provide Meteorologists with a powerful snapshot of the atmosphere just ahead of supercells moving onshore.   

As the sounding above shows, the magnitude of shear combined with more than adequate instability provided a very favorable environment for rotating supercells to develop and produce waterspouts over the open gulf before subsequently moving ashore and becoming tornadoes, with a few tornadoes forming after the supercells moved ashore. The tornado threat diminished through the remainder of the morning of the 12th as the surface low moved east across the panhandle with low level flow becoming increasingly veered as the associated cold front approached the area from the west.  

Event Comparison

How Does this Event Compare to Past Events?

The events of October 11 and 12 rank in the top 20 for most tornadoes produced. The six confirmed tornadoes ties the event for 15th with several other events as noted below.  

Tornado Event Rankings

Storm Reports

Map:

Text Listing:

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1059 PM     Tornado          1 NNW Gator Creek Estat 27.27N 82.38W
10/11/2023                   Sarasota           FL   Public           

            DELAYED REPORT: Loss of roof covering 
            material (<20%), damage to gutters, awnings. 
            Destroyed pool cage on back of house. Around 
            10 miles southeast of downtown Sarasota. 

1214 AM     Tornado          1 S Oldsmar             28.03N 82.67W
10/12/2023                   Pinellas           FL   Public           

            DELAYED REPORT: Experienced partial roof 
            removal along southward facing side, with 
            the northern shore of Safety Harbor across 
            the street to the south. Southward facing 
            windows on both floors appeared intact 
            following the storm. Likely along eastern 
            fringe of circulation, per radar. 

1225 AM     Funnel Cloud     4 E Holiday             28.19N 82.68W
10/12/2023                   Pasco              FL   Trained Spotter  

            Corrects previous funnel cloud report from 4 
            E Holiday. Funnel cloud spotted crossing SR 
            54 at Little Road. 

0145 AM     Waterspout       3 NNW Belleair          27.98N 82.84W
10/12/2023                   GMZ853             FL   Public           

            Mutiple social media videos and pictures 
            show a waterspout just off Clearwater Beach. 
            Time estimated from radar. 

0148 AM     Tstm Wnd Gst     3 NNW Belleair          27.98N 82.83W
10/12/2023  M41 MPH          GMZ853             FL   Buoy             

            Buoy station CWBF1 Clearwater Beach Pier 60. 

0148 AM     Tornado          3 WSW Dunedin           28.00N 82.83W
10/12/2023                   Pinellas           FL   Emergency Mngr   

            FDEM reports damage in N Clearwater Beach 
            from tornado. Time estimated by radar. 

0159 AM     Tstm Wnd Gst     3 W Crystal River       28.90N 82.65W
10/12/2023  M42 MPH          Citrus             FL   Mesonet          

            Mesonet station 0212W 2.9 W Crystal River 
            (WEATHERSTEM). 

0212 AM     Tornado          2 SE Crystal River      28.88N 82.58W
10/12/2023                   Citrus             FL   Emergency Mngr   

            Emergency management reported a tornado at 
            US-19 and W Ford Island Tr. Roof damage and 
            powerlines have been reported down in the 
            vicinity. Time estimated from radar. 


0215 AM     Tornado          2 E Crystal River       28.90N 82.57W
10/12/2023                   Citrus             FL   Emergency Mngr   

            Emergency management reports debris blocking 
            the roadway on Hwy 44 in Citrus County. Time 
            estimated from radar. 


0217 AM     Tornado          2 WSW Odessa            28.19N 82.62W
10/12/2023                   Pasco              FL   Public           

            DELAYED REPORT: Home camera captured tornado 
            touchdown. lawn furniture thrown about, but 
            no significant structural damage. 

1053 AM     Tstm Wnd Gst     2 NW Feather Sound      27.92N 82.68W
10/12/2023  M40 MPH          GMZ830             FL   ASOS             

            ASOS station KPIE St Pete-Clearwater Int'l.
			
1134 AM     Tornado          1 WSW Belleair Bluffs   27.92N 82.83W
10/12/2023                   Pinellas           FL   Public             

            DELAYED REPORT: A very brief tornado was 
            observed over the intracoastal waterway 
            along the Belleair Beach causeway at 
            11:34AM (15:34Z). At 11:35AM (15:35Z), 
            the tornado moved onshore and damaged 
            the roof of an apartment building 
            before dissipating.			

1139 AM     Funnel Cloud     1 SSE Odessa            28.18N 82.58W
10/12/2023                   Pasco              FL   Trained Spotter  

            Brief funnel cloud reported with no damage 
            observed. 

1142 AM     Tstm Wnd Gst     3 W Palm River-Clair Me 27.93N 82.43W
10/12/2023  M42 MPH          GMZ830             FL   Mesonet          

            Mesonet station TSHF1 East Bay Causeway, FL. 

1236 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     3 NNW Belleair          27.98N 82.83W
10/12/2023  M44 MPH          GMZ853             FL   Buoy             

            Buoy station CWBF1 Clearwater Beach Pier 60. 

0140 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     7 NW Palmetto           27.60N 82.65W
10/12/2023  M46 MPH          GMZ830             FL   Mesonet          

            Mesonet station XSKY Skyway Fishing Pier. 

0235 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     23 SW Longboat Key      27.17N 82.92W
10/12/2023  M45 MPH          GMZ873             FL   Mesonet          

            Mesonet station 42013 22 SW Longboat Key. 

0249 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     6 NNW Anna Maria Island 27.61N 82.76W
10/12/2023  M46 MPH          GMZ853             FL   Mesonet          

            Mesonet station XEGM Egmont Channel. 


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