Have you wondered where the Tornado Alley begins and ends?
I live in Florida and believe that Florida is located along Tornado Alley.
Is Florida part of Tornado Alley?
Although
Florida is not one of the states on tornado
geographical location, the state is among the states that record the highest cases of tornadoes per square mile.
Tornadoes have visited every state at different times, but it is more frequent in the southern states of America.
The frequency of tornadoes every 10,000 square miles on the coastline between
Tampa Bay
and Fort Myers is high, just like the western panhandle and other places along the Atlantic Coast.
Is Florida part of Tornado Alley?
No,
Tornado alleys are the midwestern states, and Florida is not one of them.
However, this did not save the state from experiencing frequent tornadoes of high intensity.
A
part of Florida
is most affected by a higher rate of tornadoes.
Whenever a tornado is mentioned,
places like Kansas
come to mind.
This is not only because of Dorothy, Toto, and the Wizard of Oz, but because it is one of the tornado alleys.
Florida Part of Tornado Alley?” width=”1125″ height=”750″ /> Is Florida Part of Tornado Alley?
When I talk about tornado alleys, I am talking about states in the central United States where there are frequent tornado cases.
It may surprise you that
Florida is more tornado-prone than tornado
alley.
There is both high-frequency and severe impact of tornadoes in Florida.
It causes much damage whenever it comes calling.
The tornadoes we are talking about are not at the center of America but towards the southwestern side of the country.
The issue is that over time, there has been a perpetual increase in the rate of tornadoes visiting Florida.
This is why some people ask, “is Florida in the middle of a new Tornado Alley”?
Tampa is the side of Florida that experiences tornadoes the most.
Tornadoes
visit Tampa
about 5 times a year, while tornadoes visit Florida about 12 times a year.
This shows that about 41% of the tornadoes visiting Florida go to Tampa alone.
Tampa Bay and Tornadoes
From 1950 till now, there have been 349 tornadoes in Tampa, the one that came sometime in 2020 being the most destructive.
Although the tornado was massive, damaging homes and businesses, no life was lost, nor did anyone sustain any injuries.
Tampa experienced its worst tornado in history on 16 December 2020.
The local weather reporters were alerted by the combination of a warm front from the south and a cold front from the north.
It began its formation close to the Gulf Loop area, and before long, it came to the land and continued to increase in size.
This tornado caused much damage in three Tampa counties,
Polk
Pinellas
Hillsborough
The tornado triggered other more destructive tornadoes, cutting some counties off the national grid for close to 24 hours.
The case of multiple tornadoes and their devastating effect ranked among the
biggest in the history of Florida
, although there was no loss of life nor any injury sustained.
The tropical climate and frequency of big storms in Tampa are the reasons the city experiences many tornadoes.
The city is linked to the Gulf of Mexico through a natural harbor and therefore receives more storms than other cities in Florida.
Tampa is a city in Florida that is known for many thunderstorms.
The city experiences thunderstorms almost daily, and it comes in different sizes.
The closeness of the city to the Gulf of Mexico, which is about 500 miles, is the reason for these many thunderstorms.
The climate in the
Gulf of Mexico
is tropical, which is why tropical storms are common experiences there.
This storm moves to Tampa city in Florida.
Tornadoes are triggered by these storms, chiefly because of wind speed and rotation.
A stronger storm gets more warm air swept up into the storm cloud.
In the sky, the warm air, which comes from the ground, meets the cold air, resulting in a collision.
The differing wind temperatures will form a cone, which becomes a tornado as it reaches the ground.
Tornado Safety Tips
Florida can experience a tornado anytime, so you have to be ready for it.
Taking shelter and adequately preparing are the two most important things to do to be
safe anytime a tornado comes calling in Florida
.
To be safe during a tornado, you have to put your plans in place in advance.
Modern technology makes it easier to predict tornadoes, but they can still come without notice.
If this happens, you will have little or no time to stock up on supplies and stay informed throughout troubled times.
First, you have to be sure of where you will take shelter.
Ensure the shelter is not close to a window or under things like a stairwell.
The next thing you will do is to get ready your tornado emergency kit.
The things that should be in this kit are,
Food and water rations
A battery-powered TV or radio to listen to updates
A list of emergency numbers
Emergency blankets and sleeping bags
On the other hand, a tornado may strike when you are not at home.
If that is the case, the first thing to do is to take cover.
For instance, if you were driving, get out of the car immediately and run anywhere you can find a low land.
Some of the recommend places outdoor you can run to for shelter are,
Ravines
Ditches
Culverts
As soon as you get to low land, lie down flat, and use your hands to cover your neck.
Carefully wake up and go back to your car when the tornado subsides.
Do not drive off immediately, stay and listen to the radio for situation updates.
FAQs
Has Florida ever had an f5 tornado?
No, there has never been an EF5/F5 tornado in Florida.
Panhandle in Lubbock, Texas, is the place in the furthest west where an F5 tornado has been documented, and that was in 1970.
What part of Florida is safest from hurricanes?
.
The safest side of Florida when it comes to hurricanes is
Northeast Florida
.
As large as the area is, it has witnessed just 26 hurricanes.
Only one was a Category 3, since 167 years ago when the scale was introduced.
In the actual sense, the average number of times a hurricane has visited Northeast Florida is about 6.
5 years.
Does anywhere in Florida not get hurricanes?
No, be prepared to deal with hurricanes and tropical storms if you have to
live in Florida
, especially in coastal areas.
The Sunshine State experiences hurricanes every year non-stop.
The situation is the same whether you live in South Florida, Miami, the
Florida panhandle
, Jacksonville, Southwest Florida, or anywhere.