070
NOUS42 KMFL 252010
PNSMFL
FLZ063-066>075-168-172>174-260815-

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Miami FL
410 PM EDT Fri Oct 25 2024

...NWS Damage Survey for the Hurricane Milton Tornado Event - Update #5...

.Update...Updated to correct a couple instances of swapped starting and
ending location lat/lon pairs.

.Overview...A total of 15 tornadoes were documented, with multiple tornadoes
being produced by the same supercell in some cases. The day ended with Glades
and Palm Beach counties experiencing 4 tornadoes each and each county had a
separate tornado with a peak intensity of EF-3 (Lakeport & Palm Beach Gardens).
A total of 2 EF3`s, 6 EF1`s, 3 EF0`s, and 4 EFU`s. EFU`s are of unknown
intensity as they were either confirmed with tornadic debris signatures and/or
spotter photos/video, with no damage indicators present.


.Florida City/Homestead...

Rating:                 EF1
Estimated Peak Wind:    87 mph
Path Length /statute/:  2.94 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   75 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             10/09/2024
Start Time:             04:27 AM EDT
Start Location:         3 SW Florida City / Miami-Dade County / FL
Start Lat/Lon:          25.4327 / -80.5209

End Date:               10/09/2024
End Time:               04:40 AM EDT
End Location:           2 WNW Florida City / Miami-Dade County / FL
End Lat/Lon:            25.475 / -80.5144

Survey Summary:
This was one of the first supercells that produced a tornado associated
with Hurricane Milton. It was in a cluster of a few small supercells and
produced a brief tornado that was able to attain EF 1 intensity. While
the tornado never produced a tornadic debris signature, it did have a
couple instances of gate to gate rotation. Most of the damage was
characterized by light fence, tree, or yard damage. The worst damage
was essentially abeam Florida City where several trees were reported down.


.US 41/Tamiami Trail ...

Rating:                 EF0
Estimated Peak Wind:    80 mph
Path Length /statute/:  9.04 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   N/A
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             10/09/2024
Start Time:             08:45 AM EDT
Start Location:         4 SSW Fortymile Bend / Miami-Dade County / FL
Start Lat/Lon:          25.7157 / -80.8679

End Date:               10/09/2024
End Time:               08:49 AM EDT
End Location:           2 ESE Dade-Collier Train / Miami-Dade County / FL
End Lat/Lon:            25.8471 / -80.8679

Survey Summary:
This was the first damage report associated with a long track supercell that
would go on to produce 4 tornadoes from Tamiami Trail through Hendry and Glades
counties, and one of the 2 tornadoes near Lakeport. While a discernible TDS was
not noted with the storm at this point, a strong gate to gate signature was present
in the area where damage was found during a survey.


.Miccosukee...

Rating:                 EFU
Estimated Peak Wind:    N/A
Path Length /statute/:  13.52 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   N/A
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             10/09/2024
Start Time:             09:42 AM EDT
Start Location:         3 S Miccosukee Indian Reservation / Collier County / FL
Start Lat/Lon:          26.1261 / -80.8774

End Date:               10/09/2024
End Time:               10:06 AM EDT
End Location:           4 ENE Big Cypress Semino / Hendry County / FL
End Lat/Lon:            26.3195 / -80.9145

Survey Summary:
From the same storm that produced a brief tornado across US 41,
a new tornado was first spotted southwest of the Miccosukee Rest
Area on exit 49 along Interstate 75 just west of the Collier-
Broward County line. Florida Department of Transportation traffic
cameras and numerous public videos showed the progress of a large
tornado across Interstate 75 and north-northwestward over rural
portions of eastern Collier County to the west of Snake Road. The
tornado was spotted entering the Big Cypress Seminole Indian
Reservation around 953 AM EDT. A video of a large tornado with
debris aloft crossing Josie Billie Highway just east of Big
Cypress Seminole Village at 959 AM EDT was also provided.


.I-75 East...

Rating:                 EFU
Estimated Peak Wind:    N/A
Path Length /statute/:  4.68 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   N/A
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             10/09/2024
Start Time:             10:04 AM EDT
Start Location:         9 W Weston / Broward County / FL
Start Lat/Lon:          26.1268 / -80.5309

End Date:               10/09/2024
End Time:               10:15 AM EDT
End Location:           11 WNW Weston / Broward County / FL
End Lat/Lon:            26.1921 / -80.5515

Survey Summary:
Tornado captured on traffic camera and via storm chaser. No
visible damage, area where tornado was on the ground inaccessible
and unpopulated.


.Clewiston...

Rating:                 EF1
Estimated Peak Wind:    95 mph
Path Length /statute/:  16.97 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   N/A
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             10/09/2024
Start Time:             10:42 AM EDT
Start Location:         10 E Devils Garden / Hendry County / FL
Start Lat/Lon:          26.5841 / -80.96340000000001

End Date:               10/09/2024
End Time:               11:20 AM EDT
End Location:           4 E Moore Haven /  / FL
End Lat/Lon:            26.8212 / -81.0321

Survey Summary:
The supercell that produced tornadoes further south near I-75 and US 41,
a new tornado spawned and moved through rural portions of eastern Hendry
County until it entered the City of Clewiston and moved across the area
of the Sky Valley neighborhood around 1110 AM EDT. Public video and photo
reports from the area around Clewiston Walmart show a large tornado with
debris crossing Sugarland Highway/US 27 near Sky Valley. The tornado then
dissipated as it entered sugarcane fields in southeastern Glades County.


.Ortona...

Rating:                 EF1
Estimated Peak Wind:    110 mph
Path Length /statute/:  29.89 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   N/A
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             10/09/2024
Start Time:             11:27 AM EDT
Start Location:         8 SSE Devils Garden / Hendry County / FL
Start Lat/Lon:          26.4952 / -81.1237

End Date:               10/09/2024
End Time:               12:11 PM EDT
End Location:           4 ESE Palmdale / Glades County / FL
End Lat/Lon:            26.9135 / -81.2528

Survey Summary:
The storm that ended up producing this tornado took on supercellular
characteristics as it exited Collier county and moved north into extreme
southeast Hendry county around 11:00 AM. This storm did not have any eye
witness reporting of a tornado, however the survey team was able to find
scattered areas of utility pole damage. Coincident with one area of pole
damage was a tornadic debris signature (TDS) as the tornado crossed SR 80
at the Hendry/Glades line. The TDS disspipated and the last damage was
identified just south of Palmdale.


.Belle Glade...

Rating:                 EF0
Estimated Peak Wind:    74 mph
Path Length /statute/:  15.39 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   N/A
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             10/09/2024
Start Time:             11:40 AM EDT
Start Location:         5 NE Belle Glade / Palm Beach County / FL
Start Lat/Lon:          26.7291 / -80.5905

End Date:               10/09/2024
End Time:               12:08 PM EDT
End Location:           2 SSE Port Mayaca /  / FL
End Lat/Lon:            26.9515 / -80.6149

Survey Summary:
This tornado was spawned from a supercell that earlier produced a tornado
near the I-75 and US 27 intersection in central Broward county. A storm
chaser witnessed the initial touchdown of this tornado just south of US 98
before briefly lifting and then remaining on the ground for at least 10 minutes.
The only damage indicator found with this tornado was just as it was about to
exit Palm Beach county on the eastern edge of Lake Okeechobee between Sand Cut
and Port Myaca. Damage to a large hardwood tree was used for the classification
of this tornado.


.Lakeport West Side...

Rating:                 EF1
Estimated Peak Wind:    110 mph
Path Length /statute/:  6.23 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   N/A
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             10/09/2024
Start Time:             11:44 AM EDT
Start Location:         3 ENE Lakeport / Glades County / FL
Start Lat/Lon:          26.9877 / -81.0847

End Date:               10/09/2024
End Time:               11:59 AM EDT
End Location:           3 WSW Brighton Seminole / Glades County / FL
End Lat/Lon:            27.0749 / -81.1118

Survey Summary:
From the same storm that produced tornadoes across the Everglades
and Clewiston, a new tornado was spawned across the western portions
of the lake where it was captured by the Harney Pond WeatherSTEM camera
between 1135 AM EDT and 1144 AM EDT. The tornado emerged over the
Herbert Hoover Dike and entered the Miller Drive/Friendship Drive
neighborhood where it damaged several manufactured homes and vegation
before crossing Florida State Road 78 and advancing down Click Drive
where it damaged several manufactured homes, rolled an outbuilding
off its foundation, and snapped a wooden utility pole at its
base. Click Drive appeared to have some of the highest damage
indicators attributable to building damage with this tornado
damage survey.

The tornado proceeded into fields to the west of the Harney Pond
Canal before entering the Brighton Seminole Indian Reservation.
Residents reported seeing the tornado to the west of the Harney
Pond Canal from the embankment as it crossed several cattle
pastures before entering the Red Barn area to the west of Brighton
Seminole Village. Several mature hardwood trees were uprooted or
suffered a loss of their crowns along Red Barn Road. The tornado
likely dissipated as it crossed the canal or just after in the
pastures to the north.

NWS Miami would like to thank the Florida Department of
Transportation, the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida,
Collier County Emergency Management, Hendry County Emergency
Management, the City of Clewiston, Glades County Emergency
Management and the Seminole Tribe of Indians of Florida for their
hospitality and assistance during the damage survey.


.CR 833 North Side...

Rating:                 EF0
Estimated Peak Wind:    60 mph
Path Length /statute/:  1.27 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   N/A
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             10/09/2024
Start Time:             02:15 PM EDT
Start Location:         11 NW Big Cypress Semino / Hendry County / FL
Start Lat/Lon:          26.4503 / -81.0533

End Date:               10/09/2024
End Time:               02:17 PM EDT
End Location:           11 SE Devils Garden / Hendry County / FL
End Lat/Lon:            26.4673 / -81.0454

Survey Summary:
This was one of three brief touchdowns from a cluster of 3 supercells across
interior Hendry county in the afternoon. Minor tree damage was noted during
a storm survey and was time matched with a velocity couplet.


.Wilson Way...

Rating:                 EF1
Estimated Peak Wind:    102 mph
Path Length /statute/:  1.26 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   N/A
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             10/09/2024
Start Time:             02:19 PM EDT
Start Location:         10 NW Big Cypress Semino / Hendry County / FL
Start Lat/Lon:          26.4311 / -81.0388

End Date:               10/09/2024
End Time:               02:21 PM EDT
End Location:           10 NNW Big Cypress Semino / Hendry County / FL
End Lat/Lon:            26.444 / -81.0243

Survey Summary:
This was one of three brief touchdowns from a cluster of 3
supercells across interior Hendry county in the afternoon. Damage to
a large utility pole was noted along Wilson Way just west of CR 833
during a storm survey, and was time matched with a velocity couplet.


.CR 833 South Side...

Rating:                 EF1
Estimated Peak Wind:    107 mph
Path Length /statute/:  1.73 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   N/A
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             10/09/2024
Start Time:             02:21 PM EDT
Start Location:         9 NW Big Cypress Semino / Hendry County / FL
Start Lat/Lon:          26.419 / -81.0366

End Date:               10/09/2024
End Time:               02:23 PM EDT
End Location:           9 NNW Big Cypress Semino / Hendry County / FL
End Lat/Lon:            26.4335 / -81.0137

Survey Summary:
This was one of three brief touchdowns from a cluster of 3 supercells across
interior Hendry county in the afternoon. Minor tree damage was noted during
a storm survey and was time matched with a velocity couplet.


.Lakeport East Side...

Rating:                 EF3
Estimated Peak Wind:    140 mph
Path Length /statute/:  15.25 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   250 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               3

Start Date:             10/09/2024
Start Time:             02:24 PM EDT
Start Location:         5 NE Moore Haven /  / FL
Start Lat/Lon:          26.8897 / -81.0386

End Date:               10/09/2024
End Time:               02:42 PM EDT
End Location:           2 NW Brighton Seminole / Glades County / FL
End Lat/Lon:            27.1075 / -81.0815

Survey Summary:
This was a violent EF-3 tornado that at peak
produced an estimated 140 mph wind in the Sarasota Colony
neighborhood of Glades County.

The earliest images of this tornado were captured
over the western Lake Okeechobee littoral shelf from the Harney
Pond WeatherSTEM camera around 230 PM EDT. The debris from the
littoral shelf and associated vegetation was lofted in the air
producing a tornadic debris signature detectable by the distant
Miami radar by 235 PM EDT.

The first observed property damage attributable to this tornado
was in the Sarasota Colony neighborhood of Lakeport where the
tornado demolished the second story dwellings of three well-built
homes and then proceeded to cross Florida State Road 78 into the
Fishermans Lane neighborhood where it destroyed the roofs and
broke windows of 1920s-era Florida homes, lofted and tossed
several manufactured homes and travel trailers, flipped a Ford
Focus station wagon, and deposited debris over two blocks from
their original location into the bottom of a retention pond behind
the neighborhood. One manufactured home chasis was observed
wrapped 15 to 20 feet above the ground around a hardwood tree
located across the street from its original location with the
contents of the home located in the pond almost 200 yards
downstream. Three residents were injured while taking shelter in
their homes. Damage from multiple vorticies was observed at this
location including one swath that reached EF-1 intensity to the
east of the main EF-3 damage path.

The tornado then proceeded north-northwest to the east of the
Harney Pond Canal into the Brighton Seminole Indian Reservation. A
tornadic debris signature was detectable on Miami radar at 248 PM
EDT as the tornado entered the southern limits of the reservation.
As the tornado continued NNW, it damaged trees and pulled metal
panels from roofing of assorted outbuildings from different
homesteads on the south side of the reservation. The tornado
entered the Brighton Seminole Village causing tree and chickee hut
roof damage in the Knotts Landing neighborhood before moving into
the Sports Complex where it demolished the spectator and dugout
areas of some of the baseball fields. The tornado likely lifted
behind one of the baseball fields around 249 PM EDT. Miami radar
continue to detect a tornadic debris signature through 250 PM EDT
as the storm moved north along Reservation Road.

NWS Miami would like to thank Glades County Emergency Management
and the Seminole Tribe of Indians of Florida for their hospitality
and assistance during the damage survey.

.US 98 West Side...

Rating:                 EFU
Estimated Peak Wind:    N/A
Path Length /statute/:  16.35 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   N/A
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             10/09/2024
Start Time:             02:49 PM EDT
Start Location:         6 W Lion Country Safari Park / Palm Beach County / FL
Start Lat/Lon:          26.7294 / -80.4646

End Date:               10/09/2024
End Time:               03:11 PM EDT
End Location:           5 SE Indiantown / Martin County / FL
End Lat/Lon:            26.964 / -80.4241

Survey Summary:
The cell responsible for this tornado began displaying supercellular
characteristics as it exited Broward county near US 27. A storm chaser reported
the tornado first touched down just north of US 98 and remained on the ground in
excess of 10 minutes before it moved out of their sight. A tornadic debris signature
(TDS) was noted as it moved north of SR-700 and was visible up to the Palm Beach/Martin
county line.


.US 98 East Side...

Rating:                 EFU
Estimated Peak Wind:    N/A
Path Length /statute/:  19.62 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   N/A
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             10/09/2024
Start Time:             04:33 PM EDT
Start Location:         5 WSW Lion Country Safari Park / Palm Beach County / FL
Start Lat/Lon:          26.6907 / -80.4445

End Date:               10/09/2024
End Time:               05:00 PM EDT
End Location:           7 WNW Caloosa / Martin County / FL
End Lat/Lon:            26.9622 / -80.3477

Survey Summary:
A storm chaser provided photographic evidence of a tornado on the ground with
visible debris and reported watching the tornado move north as it crossed
Southern Blvd. AMX radar then picked up a couple different TDS signatures with
this supercell before it crossed into Martin county and moved east of Indiantown.


.Palm Beach Gardens...

Rating:                 EF3
Estimated Peak Wind:    140 mph
Path Length /statute/:  29.14 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   457 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               7

Start Date:             10/09/2024
Start Time:             04:43 PM EDT
Start Location:         9 SSW Wellington / Palm Beach County / FL
Start Lat/Lon:          26.5559 / -80.3321

End Date:               10/09/2024
End Time:               05:21 PM EDT
End Location:           1 NW Philo Farms / Martin County / FL
End Lat/Lon:            26.9567 / -80.1868

Survey Summary:
Damage Update
* Palm Beach Gardens/Avenir: 12 structures destroyed, 48 with major
damage, 152 with minor damage.
* Wellington: 1 destroyed, 20 with major damage, 59 with minor damage
* Loxahatchee Groves: 2 destroyed, 2 with major damage, 17 with minor
damage.
* Unicorporated PBC: 5 with major damage, and 18 with minor damage.

Previous discussion
Considerable structural damage was observed over a large portion
of this tornado track. The southernmost point of this survey is
marked by a double wide mobile home on Deer Path Lane in the Rustic
Ranches section of Wellington which was left practically
unrecognizable, and rated an EF-3. The track continued NNE over the
far western portion of Wellington, across the Lakefield West,
Meadowwood, and Binks Forest communities, where EF-1 and EF-2 damage
was noted to homes and trees.

The tornado crossed Southern Boulevard/US 98, then continued NNE
across Loxahatchee Groves and The Acreage where EF-1 to isolated
EF-2 damage was observed to homes, trees, and outbuildings.

The tornado intensified as it approached Northlake Boulevard on the
north end of The Acreage, then did its most considerable damage in
the Avenir community of Palm Beach Gardens. At the beginning of this
community, a large portion of the roof collapsed of a Publix
supermarket building which was recently completed and set to open in
the near future, and rated EF-3. Considerable structural damage rated
EF-2 and EF-3, including heavy roof damage, impact-resistance windows
which were shattered and blown in, vehicles lifted and moved at least
100 yards, was observed in the communities in Avenir.

The tornado then moved just west but very close to North Palm Beach
County General Aviation Airport, where a wind gust of 92 mph from
the SSW was measured at the AWOS around 510 PM. The tornado crossed
Bee Line Highway/SR 710 where tree damage was observed, then entered
Jupiter Farms where EF-1 to EF-2 damage was noted to trees,
outbuildings, and power poles. Footage from a Florida Turnpike highway
camera showed the tornado moving north past Jupiter Farms to the
Martin County line, where it likely continued into Martin County.

Path width was 200-300 yards for much of the track, with only a few
places where the circulation may have briefly lifted.

The radar circulation of the tornado was seen well south of
Wellington in the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, and a video
of the tornado was captured in this area from western Delray Beach.
The track length indicated here is only for the surveyed portion, and
if the track is extended southward to the refuge where the radar
circulation suggested the tornado may have begun, then it would have
exceeded 30 miles.

NWS Miami would like to thank the Palm Beach County Division of
Emergency Management, Palm Beach County Sheriff`s Office, and
Palm Beach Gardens PD for their assistance in providing data and
ground survey access.

&&

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

EF0.....65 to 85 mph
EF1.....86 to 110 mph
EF2.....111 to 135 mph
EF3.....136 to 165 mph
EF4.....166 to 200 mph
EF5.....>200 mph

NOTE:
The information in this statement is preliminary and subject to
change pending final review of the events and publication in
NWS Storm Data.


$$