2007 Groundhog Day tornado outbreak

None May 2025 March 2012 2007 Groundhog Day tornado outbreak Track of the 2007 Central Florida tornadoes.jpg A map displaying the path of the three tornadoes. Tracks of the three tornadoes in Florida February 2, 2007 4 EF3 4 hours, 54 minutes 21 fatalities; 76 injuries $218 million (2007 US$)Storm Event database National Climatic Data Center http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~storms July 10, 2009 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20080328072232/http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~storms March 28, 2008 mdy Central Florida The 2007 Groundhog Day tornado outbreak was a localized but devastating tornado event that took place in central Florida early on February 2, 2007. Early morning temperatures had risen well above average for the season; combined with increased moisture and a powerful jet stream, this created enough instability and wind shear for thunderstorms to rotate and spawn tornadoes. Due to the conditions, a long-tracked supercell formed and produced three tornadoes over one hour and seventeen minutes. The supercell resulted in a 70-mile (110-kilometer) trail of damage. Twenty-one people were killed and 76 others were injured in the outbreak. The first tornado damaged 1,145 homes and destroyed 200 others in Sumter County before hitting the Lady Lake area where it killed eight people. A total of 180 homes were damaged and 101 homes were destroyed in Lake County.Chris Bonanno Severe weather awareness week well-timed http://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2015/01/30/weather-wise-severe-weather-awareness-week-timed/22602229/ Florida Today Melbourne, Florida 3A, 8A January 31, 2015 February 2, 2015 The second tornado killed 13 people in the Lake Mack area and damaged or destroyed over 500 homes and other structures during its existence, including the 1500 ft m off us on tall transmission tower of WCFB FM.http://cflradio.net/94.5_WCFB_FM_Tower_Collapse.htm WCFB-FM 94.5 Tower Collapse cflradio.net 2016-09-30 The final tornado damaged roofs, car ports and garage doors along its path through New Smyrna Beach. The outbreak was the second deadliest on record for Florida and caused an estimated $218 million in damage. Synopsis thumb|left|Radar animation of the line of thunderstorms that produced the tornado|alt=A long east–west line of various colors indicates the strength of the storm as it moves across the Floridian peninsula. Boxes indicate the warnings issued by the Nation Weather Service. A particularly violent section of the storm, the part which caused the tornadoes, is signified by deep red. It is followed across the state by NWS warnings. In east central Florida, a warm sector, a region of warm surface air between a cold front and a warm front,NOAA's National Weather Service – Glossary National Weather Service http://forecast.weather.gov/glossary.php?word=warm%20sector July 6, 2009 was positioned ahead of a progressing cold front. Large scale lift was supported by a very strong jet stream aloft, with strong vertical shear evident, conducive for rotating thunderstorms and tornadoes. Instability increased overnight with temperatures and dew points increasing through the pre-dawn hours. For example, northwest of Orlando, temperatures were still at 75 °F °C, which was about 3 degrees warmer than the average high for the day and 14 degrees warmer than the average low. The conditions helped several thunderstorm cells to develop ahead of the cold front in a line, in the Gulf of Mexico. One of these thunderstorm cells matured into a supercell thunderstorm that remained intact, while other cells to its north failed to sustain themselves. The supercell had strong rotation visible on radar as it approached the western Florida Coast before it produced three tornadoes, two rated EF3 from Sumter County to the coastal waters of Volusia County during the early morning hours of February 2, 2007. After moving offshore, the main tornado-producing supercell quickly weakened and decayed into a bunch of showers, while another supercell produced an EF0 tornado four hours after the main supercell moved offshore.National Weather Service in Melbourne, Florida The Groundhog Day Tornado Outbreak http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mlb/?n=020207 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration https://web.archive.org/web/20160304075908/http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mlb/?n=020207 4 March 2016 dead At 3:06 am EST (0806 UTC), the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a tornado warning for northern Lake County until 4:00 am EST (0900 UTC).National Weather Service Melbourne Weather Forecast Office February 2, 2007 July 6, 2009 Tornado Warning http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mlb/surveys/020207/products/tor/tor_020304.txt https://web.archive.org/web/20070402002146/http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mlb/surveys/020207/products/tor/tor_020304.txt April 2, 2007 At 3:10 am EST (0810 UTC), the first tornado touched down near The Villages and traveled at 55 mph km/h into Lake County.February 2, Weather Event #17515 (Tornado) https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/storm-events-database/event-details/17515 April 23, 2023 National Climatic Data Center Five minutes after the tornado touched down, a severe weather update bulletin was issued by the NWS stating that there was a high likelihood of an extremely dangerous tornado and people in the path were in a life-threatening situation.National Weather Service Melbourne Weather Forecast Office February 2, 2007 July 7, 2009 Severe Weather Statement http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mlb/surveys/020207/products/svs/svs_020317.txt https://web.archive.org/web/20070211211248/http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mlb/surveys/020207/products/svs/svs_020317.txt February 11, 2007 The tornado received an EF3 rating on the Enhanced Fujita Scale and had a track length of 16.5 mi km. Initially, the tornado was thought to have still been on the ground and a third bulletin was released at 3:34 am EST (0834 UTC). At this time, Doppler radar indicated that a tornado was forming or was on the ground roughly 5 mi km north of Umatilla.National Weather Service Melbourne Weather Forecast Office February 2, 2007 July 7, 2009 Severe Weather Statement http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mlb/surveys/020207/products/svs/svs_020336.txt https://web.archive.org/web/20070211211308/http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mlb/surveys/020207/products/svs/svs_020336.txt February 11, 2007 thumb|right|A radar image of the supercell that produced the EF3 Paisley–DeLand tornado at 3:49 am EST (08:49 UTC). The mesocyclone that produced the first tornado restrengthened and formed another tornado near Paisley at 3:37 am EST (0837 UTC) in Lake County. A second tornado warning was issued at 3:52 am EST (0852 UTC) for Volusia County as the tornado was tracking toward the area.National Weather Service February 2, 2007 July 7, 2009 Tornado Warning http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mlb/surveys/020207/products/tor/tor_020352.txt https://web.archive.org/web/20070402000523/http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mlb/surveys/020207/products/tor/tor_020352.txt April 2, 2007 It went east northeast toward the Lake Mack area, exceeding 50 mph km/h.February 2, Weather Event #650106 (Tornado) National Climatic Data Center http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~650106 https://archive.today/20090723051354/http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~650106 dead July 23, 2009 July 8, 2009 The tornado received an EF3 rating on the Enhanced Fujita Scale and traveled a total of 26 mi km. A third tornado warning was issued in Volusia County at 4:13 am EST (0913 UTC), nearly ten minutes before the third tornado touched down.National Weather Service Melbourne Weather Forecast Office February 2, 2007 July 7, 2009 Tornado Warning http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mlb/surveys/020207/products/tor/tor_020413.txt https://web.archive.org/web/20070402095411/http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mlb/surveys/020207/products/tor/tor_020413.txt April 2, 2007 The supercell produced its last tornado east of I-95 at 4:22 am EST (0922 UTC) and dissipated five minutes later at the Intracoastal Waterway, 3 mi km from where it touched down. The tornado had a maximum width of 100 yd m around the time it reached peak intensity.February 2, Weather Event #19002 (Tornado) https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/storm-events-database/event-details/19002 April 23, 2023 National Climatic Data Center The tornado was rated EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale and traveled for 3 mi km. Confirmed tornadoes 4 1 1 0 2 0 0 yes February 2 event + List of confirmed tornadoes – Friday, February 2, 2007All dates are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time for consistency. note Date/TimeEF#LocationCounty / ParishStateStart Coord.Time (UTC)Path lengthMax widthSummary EF3E of Wildwood to E of Lady LakeSumter, LakeFL28.8815 -82.0457 Wildwood (Feb. 2, EF3)08:10–08:2516.17 mi km on on450 yd m on on8 deaths – The first tornado from the main supercell began near Wildwood and moved across the south side of The Villages, where numerous frame homes were damaged or destroyed. The tornado then struck the neighboring town of Lady Lake, where numerous mobile homes were obliterated and Lady Lake Church was completely destroyed. Numerous trees were snapped and uprooted, and several greenhouses were destroyed further along the path before the tornado dissipated. 1,246 homes and mobile homes were damaged, and 301 others were destroyed. In addition to the fatalities, an additional 25 people were injured. This was the first tornado to occur after implementation of the Enhanced Fujita Scale. The tornado caused $114 million in damage.National Centers for Environmental Information 2007 December 8, 2021 Florida Event Report: EF3 Tornado https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/storm-events-database/event-details/17515National Centers for Environmental Information 2007 December 8, 2021 Florida Event Report: EF3 Tornado https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/storm-events-database/event-details/18948 EF3SW of Paisley to E of DeLandLake, VolusiaFL28.9588 -81.5871 Paisley (Feb. 2, EF3)08:37–09:1026.03 mi km on on450 yd m on on13 deaths – After the previous EF3 tornado had dissipated, the supercell produced a second EF3 tornado, the deadliest of the outbreak (the third deadliest tornado in Florida's history behind the Milton F3 tornado in 1962 with 17 fatalities and the Kissimmee tornado of 1998 with 25 fatalities), at 3:37 a.m. EST (08:37 UTC). The high-end EF3 tornado first touched down southwest of Paisley, snapping numerous trees and toppling a radio tower before moving east and striking Lake Mack. Numerous mobile homes and RVs were obliterated, and numerous trees were snapped and debarked, some of which had mobile home frames wrapped around them. The tornado continued east and tore through the south side of DeLand before dissipating. Numerous mobile homes, frame homes, and apartment buildings were damaged or destroyed in DeLand. In all, 421 homes and mobile homes were damaged, and 192 others were destroyed. A total of 51 people injured. Damage totaled $98 million.http://www.weather.gov/media/mlb/surveys/020207.pdf The Groundhog Day Tornado Outbreak February 17, 2007 National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Melbourne, Florida National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration March 11, 2014National Centers for Environmental Information 2007 December 8, 2021 Florida Event Report: EF3 Tornado https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/storm-events-database/event-details/18950National Centers for Environmental Information 2007 December 8, 2021 Florida Event Report: EF3 Tornado https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/storm-events-database/event-details/19002 EF1New Smyrna BeachVolusiaFL29.0641 -80.9890 New Smyrna Beach (Feb. 2, EF1)09:22–09:273.1 mi km on on100 yd m on onMany homes sustained structural damage, mainly to roofs and chimneys. Carports, garage doors, and pool screens were damaged as well.National Centers for Environmental Information 2007 December 8, 2021 Florida Event Report: EF1 Tornado https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/storm-events-database/event-details/19002 EF0FrostproofPolkFL27.73 -81.53 Frostproof (Feb. 2, EF0)13:00–13:040.5 mi km on on50 yd m on onA house sustained shingle loss, two sheds were blown over, and several citrus trees were downed.National Centers for Environmental Information 2007 December 8, 2021 Florida Event Report: EF0 Tornado https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/storm-events-database/event-details/12846 Aftermath thumb|right|A severely damaged home in DeLand, Florida|alt=What was a brick two-story home has had its roof and parts of the second floor torn off. Debris and tree branches are strewn all over the surrounding lawn. The outbreak was the second-deadliest on record for Florida, behind one that killed 42 people in February 1998. Forbes Greg Gregory S. Forbes Deadly Florida Tornado Outbreak The Weather Channel February 3, 2007 http://www.weather.com/blog/weather/8_11687.html July 11, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20091210070646/http://www.weather.com/blog/weather/8_11687.html December 10, 2009 dead mdy-all Damages from the tornado outbreak totaled $218 million (2007 US$). Christopher Patton, spokesman for the Lake County emergency operations center, described the damage as "unlike even perhaps the hurricanes of 2004 when we had minor roof damage, screen damage, pool damage. This is way far more devastating." Reuters 14 killed by tornadoes in central Florida The Star February 2, 2007 http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/2/2/worldupdates/2007-02-02T205358Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_-286166-2&sec=Worldupdates July 7, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20110604024249/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2007%2F2%2F2%2Fworldupdates%2F2007-02-02T205358Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_-286166-2&sec=Worldupdates June 4, 2011 dead mdy-all The tornadoes were the first to be rated on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which replaced the original Fujita Scale.Associated Press Tornado to Be 1st Assessed by New Scale The Washington Post February 2, 2007 https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/02/AR2007020201570.html July 11, 2009 U.S. President George W. Bush signed a declaration to designate Sumter, Lake, Volusia and Seminole counties as disaster areas.Disaster aid coming for tornado-ravaged central Florida CBC Canada February 3, 2007 https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/disaster-aid-coming-for-tornado-ravaged-central-florida-1.649289 July 10, 2009 A state of emergency was declared by Governor Charlie Crist for the same counties.Sepulvado John Florida Death Toll Continues to Rise After Storms National Public Radio February 2, 2007 https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7138282 July 8, 2009 More than 400 American Red Cross volunteers from across several states went to help in central Florida. The Tampa Bay chapter of the American Red Cross sent six volunteers with emergency response vehicles to the main area of damage.Hackett Alexandra Volunteers descend on Central Florida WTSP 2007 http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=48717 July 10, 2009 The Walt Disney Company donated $50,000 to the American Red Cross to help aid victims and Feed The Children sent two truckloads of relief supplies to the central Florida area. The Salvation Army brought several mobile kitchens to offer relief to victims and Verizon Wireless helped by offering citizens the use of a wireless emergency communication center, in addition to cleaning and repairing cellular phones damaged by the storms. People, Corporations Across Nation Pledge Help WESH February 5, 2007 http://www.wesh.com/news/10922016/detail.html July 10, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20070208172436/http://www.wesh.com/news/10922016/detail.html February 8, 2007 dead mdy-all Katie Couric anchored the CBS Evening News from Lady Lake on February 2. The broadcast was slated to be from Miami, where Super Bowl XLI was held two days later as the game was to air on CBS. A moment of silence was held before Super Bowl XLI in Miami to honor the victims of the tornadoes.Associated Press Victims of central Florida storms remembered before Super Bowl ESPN February 4, 2007 https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=2754338 July 10, 2009 See also List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks 1966 Tampa tornado family Notes note References 30em External links Special Report: The Central Florida Tornadoes: One Year Later from the St. Petersburg Times Lady Lake tornado report 2007-02-02 02-02 2007-02-02 Category:Lake County, Florida Category:2007 natural disasters in the United States Category:2007 in Florida Category:February 2007 in the United States 2007-02-02