SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – An EF-2 tornado touched down Monday morning in Seminole County, traveling across part of the county for more than five minutes and reaching peak winds of 120 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
The tornado damaged several residences, destroyed a two-story home in a Longwood subdivision and snapped oak trees.
[RELATED: Damage across Central Florida as severe weather hits the area]
The NWS said the tornado touched down at 9:35 a.m. in Wekiwa Springs and traveled 4 miles across the county, ending at 9:41 a.m. in Lake Mary.
Path of EF-2 tornado
According to a NWS damage survey, the tornado touched down around 9:35 a.m. near the southeastern edge of Wekiwa Springs State Park with peak winds of 80-90 mph. It then headed northeast, crossing into the Wingfield Reserve subdivision of Longwood.
In these areas, the NWS said the only damage seen was downed trees in the state park and the Wingfield Reserve subdivision.
The tornado then tracked into the Whispering Winds subdivision, where the more substantial damage was seen, according to the NWS.
Several homes in the subdivision had “numerous blown out windows, damage to garage doors, as well as the loss of part of their roofs and awnings,” according to the damage report.
The NWS said the tornado likely peaked at this point, reaching winds of up to 120 mph. A two-story home on Blue Iris Place within the subdivision collapsed due to the intensity, the damage survey said.
The tornado’s circulation weakened at this point as it moved across Markham Woods Road and toward Interstate 4, where traffic stopped briefly as drivers waited for it to pass.
It then dissipated at 9:41 a.m.
A rare tornado
News 6 Chief Meteorologist Candace Campos said tornadoes of this magnitude are very rare in Central Florida. Typically, we see tornadoes ranging from EF-0 to EF-1.
Monday’s tornado was the strongest to hit Seminole County since the EF-3 on Feb. 23, 1998.
Compared to hurricane-force winds, Monday’s tornado had peak winds of 120 mph fall, which falls within the parameters of a major Category 3 hurricane. A Category 3 storm has 111-129 mph winds.
Here’s how tornadoes are classified:
- EF-0: 65-85 mph
- EF-1: 86-110 mph
- EF-2: 111-135 mph
- EF-3: 136-165 mph
- EF-4: 166-200 mph
- EF-5: >200 mph
Debris detector radar
One of the biggest radar signatures of Monday morning came around 9:40 a.m. when a well-defined “debris ball” was spotted crossing over I-4. This is a pattern that shows up as a bright round spot when a tornado has touched down, picking up debris from the ground.
This process works as the radar can detect not just rain or wind but anything that is airborne, including storm debris like roofing shingles and tree branches.
When paired with a velocity tracker, a debris ball can help confirm the location and intensity of a potential tornado on the ground.
Tornado safety
During severe weather or hurricane season, it’s important to know where the safe room is in your home.
Whether it’s your bathroom or closet, you want to find the most interior room on the lowest level to put the most walls between you and the outside of your home.
“Take this moment and take this as an example to just find that safe room, talk about it with your family,” News 6 Chief Meteorologist Candace Campos recommends.