Extreme weather: Recent storms remind us of EF-2 tornado that tore through Fort Myers
In the early morning hours of Jan. 16, 2022, National Weather Service meteorologists began monitoring a storm system offshore.
A line of thunderstorms arrived at the coast just before 6 a.m. As they pushed inland and across Florida with increasing intensity, numerous tornadoes tore across the peninsula, including in Southwest Florida.
According to the NWS, the six tornadoes on that day in Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties were the most in Southwest Florida during one weather event since record-keeping began in 1950. That day was front of mind for many here as powerful storms ripped through the Panhandle and portions of northern Florida earlier this month.
At 7:32 a.m. that morning, a supercell developed into a waterspout just north of Fort Myers Beach and moved ashore as the most powerful tornado of the day – an EF-2 twister, with winds up to 118 mph and 125 yards wide.
The tornado lasted an estimated 17 minutes and raked across Fort Myers for 8 destructive miles, including Point Breeze, Tropicana, and Century 21 mobile home parks. Those parks were devastated eight months later when Hurricane Ian came ashore.
Three were injured, but no deaths were reported.
Dozens of homes were destroyed, 90 sustained major damage and 93 had minor damage, while 100 other structures were otherwise affected by the storm. Damage was estimated at $10 million.
It was the first EF-2 tornado to hit the Fort Myers area since Jan 9, 2016.
Photos and videos show damage Fort Myers tornado left behind
2 tornadoes touched down in Collier County
Two tornadoes also touched down in Collier County – at the Victoria Falls community built by Habitat for Humanity in East Naples and near Everglades City – the NWS confirmed.
The tornado traveled about 15 miles through mostly uninhabited areas of the county, from the Gulf of Mexico to Interstate 75, where it overturned a tractor-trailer.
Damage from the EF-0 twister in Victoria Falls was confined to uprooted trees and damaged roofs and lanais.
A second Collier County tornado touched down in a much less developed area near Everglades City. Only a leaning telephone pole was reported.
Cape Coral tornado
The final SWFL tornado of the day hit Cape Coral at around 9 a.m. It was the shortest-lived and weakest of the bunch, the NWS said.
The EF-0 tornado, with winds estimated at around 65 mph, lasted 46 seconds and reportedly caused no significant damage or injuries.
Are winter tornadoes common for Southwest Florida?
Squall lines are not uncommon during the cool season across Southwest Florida. While they bring an increased risk for tornadoes through January, they are still rare, according to the National Weather Service.
Of 173 tornadoes recorded between 1950 and 2020 in Lee (116) and Charlotte (57) counties, only 12 happened in January and of the 12, five were EF-1 or greater, NWS said.
Support local journalism by subscribing to The News-Press or Naples Daily News.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida tornadoes: Powerful EF-2 twister struck Fort Myers in 2022
