VIDEO: Tornado rips through Fort Lauderdale Beach

No injuries have been reported due to the storm as of Saturday evening

Tornado spotted at FTL beach (Courtesy: Lauren Analetto) (WPLG)

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – There were reports of a tornado in South Florida on Saturday, and some of it was caught on camera by Local 10 viewers, according to News 6 partner WPLG.

The tornado formed over land and touched down just west of Las Olas and the Intracoastal Waterway just before 6 p.m. Saturday evening, according to Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue.

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Authorities said the tornado made contact with some structures, power lines and marine vessels in that immediate area, before appearing to move quickly to the east until it reached the ocean -- no longer impacting land or the Intracoastal.

On social media, multiple observers posted cellphone video of a tornado moving over the water on Fort Lauderdale Beach, taken from various angles.

The National Weather Service sent a tornado alert around 5:45 p.m. and has seen reports and radar indicating that the tornado was spotted near Federal Highway and Las Olas Boulevard.

Local 10 viewers have reported seeing power flashes and heavy winds in the area.

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Todd Sabata sent cellphone video to Local 10 News of the tornado hurtling east of downtown Fort Lauderdale.

No injuries have been reported due to the storm as of Saturday evening.

A Local 10 News crew was in Fort Lauderdale for the aftermath of the storm where trees were down in some areas, but it didn’t appear as if there was any major damage caused by the tornado.

Fire rescue crews told Local 10 News they are currently assessing damage in the area which appears to be minor.

A Local 10 viewer captured video of a fence bowed out with a downed powerline and a massive uprooted tree near Southeast 25th Avenue in Fort Lauderdale.

Fort Lauderdale officials are advising people to be cautious of debris and downed power lines.

It is unclear how many people are suffering from power outages at this time.

Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis posted a video on Instagram showing that his boat had been damaged by the tornado.

Local 10 News has reached out to his office for comment.


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About the Authors

Ryan Mackey is a Digital Journalist at WPLG. He was born in Long Island, New York, and has lived in Sunrise, Florida since 1994.

Samiar Nefzi joined the Local 10 News team in August of 2023.

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