March 1983 South Florida tornado outbreak

The March 1983 South Florida tornado outbreak was a significant severe weather event that affected the southern Florida peninsula, including the Miami metropolitan area, on March 17, 1983. A total of at least five tornadoes affected the region as many as 17 were reported,[1] only two were confirmed in the official National Weather Service records.[2] The strongest tornado produced F2 damage on the Fujita scale and skipped across the Everglades region from the eastern Big Cypress National Preserve through the Everglades and Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area to Lighthouse Point—a path length of nearly 53 miles (85 km).[2][3] An F1 tornado also affected Naples and Golden Gate. Additionally, unconfirmed tornadoes affected an RV park southeast of East Naples, as well as the Stuart and Jupiter areas, respectively.[1][4] In addition to tornadoes, severe thunderstorms produced hail to 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter, as well as rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inches (25 to 51 mm) in some areas.[5]

Meteorological synopsis

On Thursday, March 17, a large and intense surface low pressure area over the Gulf of Mexico produced gale-force winds over the southern Florida peninsula.[1] Above the surface, a strong low-level jet stream coupled with a large negative geopotential height—with heights measuring more than five standard deviations below normal—produced sufficient lifting and wind shear, both conditions conducive to severe weather.[1][6] Due to the favorable conditions for severe weather, the National Weather Service office in Miami issued a tornado watch for South Florida effective the morning of March 17.[1][5] The watch was canceled at 9:30 a.m. EST, but then was reissued and extended to 5:00 p.m. as more storms formed over the Everglades.[7] Forecasters expected the low pressure area in the Gulf of Mexico to bring a cold front across Florida on Friday, March 18.[8]

Tornado table

Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating
F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 Total
0 1 1 0 0 0 2

Tornadoes

Confirmed tornadoes

List of confirmed tornadoes
F#
Location
County
Time (UTC)
Path length
Damage
Florida
F1 Naples to Golden Gate Collier 1215 7 miles (11 km) This tornado, the first of the day, touched down near Naples and moved northeast across the Naples airport, flipping a plane on its back.[9] In Naples, the tornado also uprooted many trees.[5][9] Next, the tornado tore the roof from a store in Golden Gate, blew an awning 600 feet (200 yd), snapped power poles, and downed wires.[4][9] In Golden Gate, 1,800 residents lost electrical services for 40 minutes.[4] After striking Golden Gate, the tornado apparently dissipated over rural, swampy areas.[9] The touchdown may have occurred at 6:45 a.m., or more than one tornado was involved.[4][5]
F2 Trailtown to Lighthouse Point Collier, Dade, Broward 1249 52.5 miles (84.5 km) See section on this tornado – This tornado was probably a tornado family and may have formed earlier, at about 6:30 a.m.[4] At least two people were injured. The tornado path was 60 yards (55 m) wide.[9]
Sources: NCDC Storm Events Database, SPC Storm Data

Unconfirmed tornadoes

Three unconfirmed tornadoes were reported, two of them in Martin County.[1]

List of confirmed tornadoes
F#
Location
County
Time (UTC)
Path length
Damage
Florida
F? SE of Naples Manor Collier Unknown Unknown Reportedly affected the Hitching Post RV resort near East Naples, causing $6,000 in damages to one trailer. Trees, phone lines, and electrical lines were knocked down. 300 people lost electricity for four hours.[4]
F? S of Stuart Martin 1335 Unknown One possible tornado touched down around 8:35 a.m. in southern Stuart, damaging trees, downing branches, and destroying portions of tree trunks. The possible tornado also destroyed a screen house. Florida Power and Light crews removed branches from electrical wires.[1]
F? N of Jupiter Martin Unknown Unknown Another possible tornado overturned a vehicle north of Jupiter, injuring one woman. The person was transported to a hospital, where she was treated and released.[1]
Sources:Miami Herald news articles, March 18, 1983[1][4]

Notable tornadoes

Everglades to Lighthouse Point

The second tornado of the day was a long-tracked tornado that was probably a family of up to five tornadoes.[7] The tornado, or the first member of its family, touched down near Trailtown at about 7:49 a.m.,[2] though it may have formed farther southwest in the Everglades, as one person reportedly sighted a tornado as early as 7:30 a.m.[4] Upon touching down, the tornado damaged two bungalows owned by Seminole Indians.[4] One trailer was destroyed, and a service station lost its roof when the tornado crossed Tamiami Trail, about 20 mi (32 km) east of Ochopee.[4][5] Phone service was disrupted at the service station, where losses were estimated near $30,000.[4] Two vehicles, one of which was a refueling van, were overturned, injuring two people.[4][9] Additionally, electrical wires were damaged and a dumpster was thrown 50 feet (17 yd).[4]

The tornado moved northeast at 50 mph (80 km/h) across the Everglades, entering northwest Dade County and then southwest Broward County.[2][7] Subsequently, the tornado struck the communities of Sunrise, Lauderhill, North Lauderdale, Margate, Pompano Beach, and Lighthouse Point.[7][9] It first hit several homes and a recreation center in Sunrise, causing extensive damage.[9] As it moved through Sunrise, the tornado downed power poles, wires, screen enclosures, trees, and mailboxes. Doors at the Sunrise city hall were blown open, allowing debris inside that covered the first floor of the building.[7] Damage was widespread throughout the city, particularly along and near Oakland Park Boulevard. At least three funnel clouds were reported in Sunrise, and at least one tornado touchdown was alleged.[7][9] Windows were broken in hundreds of homes, while trees and power lines were prostrated. The mayor of the town of Sunrise, John Lomelo, declared a state of emergency in the town at 8:15 a.m., upon hearing of damage to city hall and across the city.[5] Next, the tornado blew a porch from a home in Lauderhill.[9] In North Lauderdale, the tornado damaged 30 to 40 homes in a four-block area, blowing awnings loose and uprooting trees.[10] In Margate, the tornado affected the 600 and 700 blocks along SW 51st Avenue. A home was unroofed, another home lost most of its roof, and trees and power lines were downed.[7][9] The tornado tore a bedroom door from its hinges, broke glass, and snapped a 40-foot (12 m) tall Norfolk Island pine tree in half.[7]

After hitting Margate, the tornado struck the Pompano Beach Service Plaza on Florida's Turnpike, overturning an 18-wheeler tractor trailer, uprooting trees, and blowing away signs. In this area, the tornado was estimated to have been .25 mi (0.40 km) to .5 mi (0.80 km) wide.[7][10] After hitting the service plaza, the tornado continued northeast to Golf View Estates, a mobile-home park north of Palm-Aire Country Club, damaging about 15 mobile homes, of which six to eight had major damage.[7][10] Several mobile homes were unroofed.[7][10] Near the intersection of Copans Road and Northeast Third Avenue, the tornado struck another mobile-home park, where its winds overturned a mobile home and moved another off its foundation. Trees in the park were snapped "like toothpicks," and a downed tree landed on a mobile home.[10] Nearby, the tornado also broke glass in a two-story home.[7] As it continued across north Pompano Beach, the tornado destroyed a satellite dish at a restaurant.[7][11] The tornado continued northeast to Lighthouse Point, where a department store on Federal Highway had its roof damaged. Flying debris from the store also damaged nearby apartments.[10] Nearby, windows were shattered in a public library, and a supermarket delivery truck carrying frozen food was overturned.[5][11] The Lighthouse Point section of the path was described as having been being done by a separate tornado.[5]

Non-tornadic effects

Unusually cool temperatures in the upper levels of the atmosphere contributed to large hail in portions of South Florida, including the Miami area.[5] Hail of 0.75 to 1 inch (19 to 25 mm) in diameter was reported in Dade County—an unusually large size for hail in South Florida.[2][5][9] In Miami Beach, hail larger than marble size fell, causing cuts and bruises to one person, who was treated for minor injuries.[9] Up to 2 inches (51 mm) of rain fell in Miami, while Fort Lauderdale received 1 inch (25 mm). The heavy rains caused traffic congestion, and several accidents occurred.[5] Severe winds were also reported elsewhere in the state, particularly near Daytona Beach.[2] In Broward County, the strong winds downed live power lines and smashed cars' windows.[7]

Oddities/records

The tornadoes occurred during a strong occurrence of El Niño.[12] The Everglades–Lighthouse Point tornado featured the second-longest path recorded south of Lake Okeechobee; only one tornado in 1968 featured a longer path of 65 mi (105 km) in southern Florida.[2]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Crankshaw, Joe (March 18, 1983). "Two Twisters Touch Down, Treetops Fall". Miami Herald. Miami, Florida.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 National Climatic Data Center. "Storm Events Database". NOAA. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
  3. ↑ National Weather Service (1983). "Storm Data: March 1983". National Climatic Data Center. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Leen, Jeff (March 18, 1983). "Tornados Rip Through Three Collier County Areas". Miami Herald. Miami, Florida.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Arnold, John (March 18, 1983). "Wrath of the Storms: Tornados Sweep South Florida". Miami Herald. Miami, Florida.
  6. ↑ "NOAA NWS NCEP reanalysis data". College Park, Maryland: National Centers for Environmental Prediction. 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Ann Frank; Stephen d'Oliveira (March 17, 1983). "At least 4 tornadoes tear through county". Fort Lauderdale News. Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
  8. ↑ d'Oliveira, Stephen (March 17, 1983). "Warning: Keep a raincoat handy". Fort Lauderdale News. Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena". Storm Data. Asheville, North Carolina: United States Department of Commerce. 25 (3): 13. March 1983.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Brannigan, Martha (March 18, 1983). "Five cities hit by tornadoes". Fort Lauderdale News. Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
  11. 1 2 Schulte, Fred (March 17, 1983). "Storm pummels block; winds flip tractor-trailer on its side". Fort Lauderdale News. Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
  12. ↑ Climate Prediction Center. "Warm and Cool Episodes by Season". NOAA. Retrieved 2008-10-26.
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