Hi everybody and welcome. You know, just this morning I was thinking how quiet the week has been weather wise. Right around lunchtime on Thursday, March 27, the clouds began to roll in and the sky was beginning to get that murky gray color that usually signifies rain is on the way. I knew the quiet weather was soon to end. At around 2:00 pm the rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance along with some light rain that was falling. The heavy rain did not start until about 2:45 along with the gusty winds. I recorded wind gusts in the range of 25 – 28 mph at the Stuart K Mart garden center at around 3:20 pm. Since my portable weather station does not have a rain gauge I could not get the exact measurement of precipitation. By the time I left work at 5:00 pm, the temperature had dropped to a rain cooled 65 degrees from a high of 81 just a few hours prior.
At 2:28 pm on March 27th three miles north of Naples, a tornado warning was issued. A tornado was reported by the Collier County EOC and the Naples air traffic control tower. The tornado touched down and caused a 200-yard wide swath of damage, mostly to trees and shrubs. Several funnel clouds were also sighted in the Wellington area of Palm Beach and also in Palm Beach gardens. Several tornados were also reported in the Miami area. In Liberty City, multiple buildings were damaged along with a complete collapse of at least one residence. Vehicles and tractor-trailers were also reported overturned. That report was from the Miami-Dade Fire Department. One person was known dead and an unknown number injured. Heavy street flooding was reported in the Miami area.
At my weather station near St. Lucie West, I only recorded .31 inches of rain with a top wind gust of 7.6 mph from the east at around 6:27 pm on March 27th. This compares to 0.00 inches of rain and a top wind speed of 10 mph on the same date last year.
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.
April 09, 1996 -- Monroe Co., 10 miles east southeast of Key West -- Thunderstorm wind gusts capsized an 18 - foot pleasure boat near American Shoals Lighthouse, plunging four persons into the water. The Coast Guard rescued the four persons. Key Vaca -- A 37 - foot sailboat was blown aground by thunderstorm wind gusts near the entrance to Banana Bay Resort.
April l0, l956 -- Broward Co., W. Hollywood & Dania -- A tornado destroyed a jai-alai building and several mobile homes and damaged the roof of the Dania Elementary School and a motel. Twenty people were injured.
April 10, l99l -- Pinellas Co., Weedon Island -- Thunderstorm winds overturned a l7 ft boat. Two occupants thrown overboard. An elderly man drowned, his wife was rescued.
April 10, 1995 -- Flagler Co., Flagler Beach -- A 54-year-old male drowned while attempting to rescue a couple caught in a rip current 30 yards offshore Flagler Beach.
That’s all for this weeks Time Capsule. I hope you enjoyed it. I love to hear from you! Please e-mail me your ideas and suggestions to JOESDISCOWEATHER@AOL.COM. As always, for the latest in severe weather updates and now winter weather updates from your hometown go to JOESDISCOWEATHERCENTRAL.COM! You can also join me for a free cup of coffee and a free copy of The Hometown News at the Stuart K Mart garden center every Saturday morning!