Hi everybody and welcome! Can you believe it? Hurricane season is only about 2 months away and it seems like it just ended. Already, local emergency management officials are wiping the dust from the control rooms and getting ready for another 6 months of watching and tracking. The Atlantic hurricane season starts on June 1st. The names for this years storms are as follows: Alex, Bonnie, Charley, Danielle, Earl, Frances, Gaston, Hermine, Ivan, Jeanne, Karl, Lisa, Matthew, Nicole, Otto, Paula, Richard, Shary, Tornas, Virginie and Walter.
So far, the month of March has been living up to its reputation of being the windiest month of the year. A high-pressure area sitting in the Atlantic set the stage for strong gusty winds and tremendous amounts of beach erosion. Most of the serious erosion was confined to areas to our south. Some of the highest winds from the event were recorded in the Florida Keys. Gusts of around 45 mph were recorded in the Marathon area with wind gusts around 40 mph common throughout the lower and middle keys. The highest winds were recorded on March 25th and 26th. Here at my weather station, I recorded winds of around 17 mph with a few gusts near 20 mph.
The weather this weekend promises to be less breezy, but there is a 30% chance of showers.
Now, on to the Time Capsule….
April 4, l966 -- One of the deadliest tornado outbreaks in Central Florida History. Tornadoes some of the strongest on record in Florida, moved in from the Gulf of Mexico and tracked from the Tampa Bay area to Brevard County, killing 11 and injuring over 500. Tornadoes first struck in Pinellas county near St. Petersburg and Clearwater, damaging 36 homes, then moved across Tampa Bay through Hillsborough Co. damaging a junior high school and destroying 150 homes - killing three. Tornadoes next moved through Polk County where the most severe damage was at Gibsonia and Galloway where nearly a hundred homes were destroyed and seven people were killed. Other tornadoes were reported in Lake Juliana, Lakeland, and north of Haines City where many trailers were destroyed. A woman was killed in a trailer near Davenport. Tornadoes were next reported in Osceola Co. at Kissimmee and St. Cloud. Another tornado moved from Holopaw to Rockledge to south Merritt Island and Cocoa Beach. In Cocoa Beach 150 trailers were ripped apart, causing over 100 injuries. Over 20 frame homes and a shopping center were destroyed.
April 5, l907 -- Escambia/Santa Rosa Counties -- Tornado destroyed two homes and seven barns. A man was carried 200 yards in the air. Tornado described as "smoke mixed with steam and sounding like three passenger trains." Five injuries were reported.
April 5, l9l7 -- Hillsborough Co., S. Tampa -- Tornado destroyed three small homes and a church. A boy was killed in Mango as the roof fell into his house. Three injuries were reported.
April 5, l925 -- Dade Co., Miami, and Biscayne Bay -- Deadliest south Florida Tornado –The tornado moved about l5 mph and became stationary for five minutes. The funnel was visible for almost an hour. Fifty homes were destroyed or damaged. One man was killed in the destruction of a restaurant. Four other deaths were reported on a dairy farm. 35 injuries. Large hail fell along a 12-mile path with this storm causing considerable damage.
April 5-14, 1948 -- northwest Florida -- Record flooding on much of the Suwannee River and its tributaries. All-time record flood crests on Suwannee River at Branford on the 11th, Dowling Park on the 8th, and Ellaville on the 7th, Fowlers Bluff, Manatee Springs, and Wilcox on the 14th. Record crests on the Ochlocknee River at Havana on the 4th, the Withlacoochee River at Pinetta on the 5th, and the Santa Fe River at Three Rivers Estates and Highway 129 Bridge on the 12th.
April 5, l974 -- Volusia Co., Daytona Beach Shores --Lightning killed a visitor from Canada while standing on the beach.
April 5, l993 -- south Florida -- Severe weather outbreak. A squall line that developed over the Gulf of Mexico on the 4th moved rapidly eastward across the southern Peninsula. At least 10 tornadoes affected eight counties during the 4-hour period it took for the squall line to pass. Severe thunderstorm winds resulted in many homes and businesses being damaged, outbuildings and screen enclosures being destroyed, cars and boats being damaged, and downed power lines and trees. Fortunately only five injuries were reported. Worst hit were the Port Charlotte, Fort Myers, and Fort Lauderdale areas where the injuries occurred.
April 6, l976 -- Collier Co. -- Strong thunderstorm winds and a small
tornado hit Marco Island and damaged an equipment compound belonging to Deltona
Corp.
April 7, l877 -- Escambia County -- A waterspout/tornado destroyed several small shacks and unroofed a large home as it moved inland near Pensacola. Beams from the roof were driven four feet into the ground. A small child was killed. Three large sailing ships were also destroyed.
April 8, l989 -- Columbia Co., Lake City -- Thunderstorm winds uprooted large trees and damaged a house.
April 9, l937 -- Dade Co., SW Miami -- Tornado destroyed three small homes and unroofed seven. Five injuries.
April 9, l961 -- St. Johns Co., St. Augustine. -- Tornado unroofed three packing plants and four homes. Some barns were destroyed. A car was picked up and set down 60 ft away. Two people injured.
April 9, l983 -- Citrus Co. Inverness, Lecanto -- Tornado damaged a mobile home park, demolished a service station, overturned a large truck onto two cars, blew down trees, and power lines. One person was killed when thrown from car while airborne, two others crushed to death on impact.
April 9, l984 -- central/south Florida -- Severe weather outbreak. Tornadoes struck Inverness in Citrus Co., Tarrytown in Sumter Co., North Ft. Lauderdale and Pompano Beach in Broward Co., Boca Raton in Palm Beach Co., and Mascotte in Lake County - damaging roofs, carports, and screen enclosures. No serious injuries reported. 2.75" hail fell near Pembroke Pines in Broward County causing little damage.