2024 Florida Severe Weather Awareness Week: Wednesday - Thunderstorm and Tornado Awareness
Florida Division of Emergency Management sent this bulletin at 02/07/2024 09:12 AM EST
This update is intended for government and emergency response officials, and is provided for informational and situational awareness purposes only. Forecast conditions are subject to change based on a variety of environmental factors. For additional information, or for any life safety concerns with an active weather event please contact your County Emergency Management or Public Safety Office or local National Weather Service forecast office.
Florida’s Severe Weather Awareness Week takes place from February 5-9, 2024. Severe Weather Awareness Week is an opportunity for Floridians to learn about the various weather hazards that frequently impact the state and how families and businesses can prepare for these natural events.
Wednesday’s focus is on Thunderstorms and Tornadoes.
Thunderstorms occur frequently across Florida. In fact, Florida has the greatest number of thunderstorms in the United States. Florida averages over 70 thunderstorm days per year with much of the Gulf Coast experiencing over 80 to 105 days a year. Thunderstorms come in different forms. Sometimes a storm has only one thunderstorm cloud and sometimes thunderstorms have a group of clouds, or cells, associated with them.
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning will be issued by the National Weather Service when a thunderstorm detected by radar is producing or capable of producing straight-line winds in excess of 58 mph (strong enough to down trees or large limbs, move unsecured outdoor objects, rip screens) and/or hail larger than 1” in diameter (quarter-size or greater). Severe thunderstorms can also produce tornadoes with little or no advance warning. When severe thunderstorms threaten your location, go to an interior room on the lowest floor of your building and stay away from windows.
Tornadoes are not usually associated with the “Sunshine State”, but Florida ranks 4th nationally in the annual average number of tornadoes (from 1993-2022) and 6th in tornado fatalities with an annual average of 3 fatalities per year. If a Tornado Warning is issued for your area, seek shelter immediately! Seek shelter on the lowest floor in an interior hallway, closet, or small room of your home or office. The best safety advice is to get as many walls between you and the outside as possible. Stay away from windows and doors and use pillows to cover your head. Leave mobile homes and find a stronger building or house.
The National Weather Service and the Florida Division of Emergency Management will conduct a Statewide Tornado Drill today at 10:00 am EST/9:00 am CST.
1. Floridians are asked to consider themselves under a Tornado Watch during the morning.
2. At 10:00 am EST/9:00 am CST, the National Weather Service will issue a “Routine Weekly Test” message as an Exercise Tornado Warning instructing participants to enact their local tornado sheltering procedures.
3. The Tornado Drill will conclude around 10:30 am EST.
