Small tornado touched down in St. Petersburg during Tuesday weather, forecasters say
A line of rough weather plowed through the Tampa Bay area Tuesday afternoon with heavy rain, high winds and at least one confirmed tornado.
While crews were still assessing damage from the storms Wednesday morning, it appears much of the Tampa Bay area was spared the worst of the winter storm’s potential. The National Weather Service confirmed one small EF-0 tornado touched down in south St. Petersburg Tuesday afternoon, but damage was minimal.
The threat of flooding Tuesday night prompted hand-wringing in flood-prone areas like the beaches, Riviera Bay and Shore Acres in St. Petersburg, where hundreds of residents are still recovering after flooding during Hurricane Idalia and another strong storm system in December.
Forecasters said up to 3 feet of flooding was possible Tuesday and had issued a coastal flood warning. However, the weather service has not received reports of significant flooding as of Wednesday morning.
Forecasters had warned that this system could be reminiscent of the December storm, which caused flooding to homes and businesses in Pinellas County from Shore Acres to Gulfport to the beaches. But early indications show only minor flooding in those areas.
Even if the damage from this storm is less severe than that, it certainly caused a great disruption in normal life on Tuesday: Pasco County closed schools for the day, though Hillsborough and Pinellas counties kept them open. Thousands of people lost power, though fewer than 200 customers were without power Wednesday morning. And roaring waves sloshed onto the Howard Frankland Bridge, splashing cars and slowing traffic to a near-standstill at one point in the afternoon.
Many Tampa Bay residents also received weather alerts on their phones, including tornado warnings in the Palm Harbor, Tarpon Springs, Citrus Park, Pinellas Park and St. Petersburg areas that all eventually expired.
The weather system spawned more damaging storms and suspected tornadoes in north Florida, where a section of Panama City Beach showed parts of roofs blown away, furniture, fences and debris strewn about and a house that was tilted on its side, leaning on another home.
The Walton County sheriff’s department in the Panhandle posted photos of power lines draped across a road, damage to a gas station and large pieces of building materials littering the area. About 70 miles northeast, in Jackson County, photos were posted showing damage to a campground and RV park in Marianna.
The National Weather Service office in Tallahassee is planning to send out three tornado survey teams on Wednesday — to examine suspected tornado damage in Walton, Bay and Jackson counties in Florida — and two more on Thursday — to look at Houston County, Alabama, and Calhoun County, Georgia.
If you’re wondering why we’ve gotten so much cold, wet and severe weather over the last few months, forecasters predicted it would happen. There’s a strong El Niño weather pattern this winter, which leads to more of that kind of weather.
Forecasters say there may be more days like Tuesday in our near future, including anothe weather system that could bring more severe weather to the Tampa Bay area on Friday.
Here’s how the day of rough weather unfolded Tuesday:
9 a.m. A look back at the storm
Severe weather and gusty winds Tuesday afternoon led the way for a chilly Wednesday morning. While many lawns were littered with branches and debris, much of the Tampa Bay area was spared from the weather system.
The National Weather Service confirmed one small tornado touched down in South St. Petersburg, in the area of Bartlett Park. The EF-0 tornado — which can produce 3 second gusts of up to 85 mph — peeled shingles from an apartment complex on Sixth Street South.
The weather service said it is investigating other reports of damage in the Palm Harbor and Oldsmar areas.
While gusty winds and tornados were one of the biggest threats of the storm, the possibility of flooding loomd large over residents in low-lying areas.
High tide was scheduled to peak late Tuesday. While some coastal areas saw some flooding, much of it was minor. By Wednesday morning, the weather service had not received any reports of significant flooding.
Michaela Mulligan, Times staff
8:50 p.m.: Power gradually being restored around bay area
The number of customers without power in the Tampa Bay area was slowly ticking down Tuesday evening.
Just before 9 p.m., Tampa Electric Co. reported over 400 customers without power in Hillsborough County, down from roughly 1,700 earlier in the evening when the storms passed through.
Duke Energy Florida reported about 800 customers without power in Pinellas County and 600 in Pasco County.
Emily Wunderlich, Times staff
7:25 p.m.: Tornado watch lifted as severe weather threat winds down
The National Weather Service has canceled the tornado watch for the Tampa Bay area as the threat for severe weather continues to wind down. But a coastal flood warning remains in effect until 7 a.m. Wednesday for much of the area. Flood risks include road closures, water in low-lying areas and some shoreline erosion, according to the weather service.
Emily Wunderlich, Times staff
6:42 p.m.: Thousands without power around bay area
Power outages started to climb in the Tampa Bay area soon after winds started whipping on Tuesday morning. There were as many as 8,000 customers without power in the morning, though that number dropped to about 2,000 by midafternoon.
However, the numbers spiked again when the worst of the storms passed through in the late afternoon. By about 6:30 p.m., 5,000 customers were without power in the Tampa Bay area.
Duke Energy Florida reported about 3,000 customers without power, with about 2,000 of those in the Palm Harbor area, which was under a tornado warning for some time Tuesday afternoon. About 400 customers in the St. Petersburg area were without power Tuesday evening, and another 600 were without power in the Clearwater area.
In Hillsborough County, Tampa Electric Co. reported about 1,700 customers without power early Tuesday evening.
Chris Tisch, Times staff
When is high tide?
The tide was still rising just before 4:30 p.m., when most of Pinellas County was enduring gusty winds and thunderstorms as a squall ripped through the peninsula.
High tide is scheduled to peak at 11:21 p.m. Tuesday evening in St. Petersburg, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Peak high tide in downtown Tampa is 12:20 a.m. Wednesday morning.
As tides continue to rise, low-lying neighborhoods with a history of flooding could see a buildup of water, and coastal areas are particularly at risk. The timing of tides and storms could be the difference-maker for whether an area sees flooding.
Max Chesnes, Times staff
5:23 p.m.: No confirmed reports of tornadoes yet, weather service says
Emergency signals rang out across Tampa Bay on Tuesday afternoon as multiple tornado warnings blasted residents’ phones.
The National Weather Service said it did not have any confirmed reports of tornadoes as of 5 p.m. The weather service had a few unverified reports of damage in portions of Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. However, there were no reports of significant damage so far. Any reports of damage will be further investigated, the weather service said.
Michaela Mulligan, Times staff
5:09 p.m.: Fallen power lines in St. Petersburg
On Sixth Street South in St. Petersburg, residents say within minutes of receiving a tornado warning, the power lines behind their houses fell, igniting some electrical sparks.
Residents who live in a nearby apartment complex say their power went out and they could feel shaking from the impact. Myra Austin and Joe Bailey immediately called 911 and Duke Energy.
A couple of minutes after the power lines fell, St. Pete Fire Rescue showed up at the scene, evacuating all residents out of the building. Residents were informed by firefighters at the scene not to go back inside until Duke Energy was able to disconnect the power temporarily.
“As soon as the weather got a little better, my priority was to come outside, evaluate and call all these companies to make sure they’ll come out here for the safety of everyone in the building,” Bailey said. “Because the wires are down and sparking, it could hit my building, it could hit the next building on the other side. I just went into complete safety mode.”
Residents say this isn’t the first time power lines have fallen after a storm at their buildings. Bailey said Duke Energy showed up 30-40 minutes after he made some calls.
Lesley Cosme Torres, Times staff
2:52 p.m.: Pasco County declares local state of emergency
The Pasco Board of County Commissioners issued a local state of emergency Tuesday afternoon ahead of the potential severe weather.
The declaration allows the county administrator and emergency management director to waive everyday procedures and “do what they believe is necessary to ensure the health, safety and welfare of our community,” the county said in a news release.
The local state of emergency is in effect for seven days or until it is rescinded by the county administrator.
Hernando County followed suit with their own local state of emergency, coinciding with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ emergency declaration.
“This declaration provides Hernando County Government the authority to take action as needed to ensure the health, safety and welfare of our community,” the county said in a news release. “This includes making emergency purchases, obtain additional resources, renting equipment, hiring workers, utilizing volunteers, etc.”
Like Pasco’s, Hernando’s state of emergency will be in effect for seven days or until it is rescinded.
Emily Wunderlich, Times staff
2 p.m. Storms to start arriving midafternoon
Much of Central Florida, including all of the Tampa Bay area, was put under a tornado watch Tuesday afternoon that will last until 9 p.m. tonight.
A tornado watch means conditions are ripe for a tornado. Forecasters suggest people pay close attention to forecasts during a watch and stay inside. During a warning, a tornado is imminent or has already occurred, and people should take more action such as moving to an interior room away from windows. For more on the differences between a watch and warning, see here.
The expected timing of the severe weather has varied a bit over the last few days, but forecasters at Spectrum Bay News 9 said Tuesday that the line of severe weather is inching closer to Tampa Bay this afternoon and may first arrive in our northern counties around 3 p.m.
Gusty winds had already picked up Tuesday, and forecasters warned of damaging winds of up to 50 mph when the worst of the storms move through. The weather service had already recorded wind gusts up to 53 mph in Clearwater and 40 mph in Tampa on Tuesday.
Paul Close, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Tampa Bay Office, said the system could bring up to an inch of rain and produce isolated tornadoes.
All of Pinellas County and portions of coastal Hillsborough and Pasco counties are under a coastal flood warning ahead of the stormy weather. The weather service said up to 3 feet of flooding is possible in coastal areas.
The storms will likely be south of the Tampa Bay area by 7 p.m., but gusty winds could stick around later into the night.
Michaela Mulligan, Times staff
1:58 p.m.: FHP: ‘Stay off the roads’ if you can
Both the Howard Frankland and Sunshine Skyway bridges remained open just before 2 p.m. as weather conditions deteriorated in the Tampa Bay area Tuesday, according to Sgt. Steve Gaskins of the Florida Highway Patrol.
The Highway Patrol was monitoring conditions on both bridges, Gaskins said. The Highway Patrol in the past has closed the Skyway if sustained winds reach 40 mph.
”People need to use caution for the next several hours and stay off the roads if they can help it,” Gaskins told the Tampa Bay Times.
Max Chesnes, Times staff
1:45 p.m.: Power outages reported in Tampa Bay area
Ahead of the worst of Tuesday’s storms, more than 2,000 customers were without power across Tampa Bay as of 1:45 p.m.
In Pinellas and Pasco Counties, more than 1,000 people were without power, according to Duke Energy. Similarly, Tampa Electric Co. reported more than 1,000 customers without power in Hillsborough County.
The power outages Tuesday afternoon were actually down from the morning, when more than 6,000 Duke Energy customers in the region were without power, including about 3,000 between Tarpon Springs and New Port Richey. Another Duke outage in the Tanglewood neighborhood in St. Petersburg left nearly 2,000 without electricity in the morning, while Tampa Electric reported a morning outage in Riverview that affected nearly 2,000 customers.
Jack Prator and Michaela Mulligan, Times staff
1:30 p.m.: Two deaths attributed to storm in South
At least two deaths in the South were attributed to the storm system approaching Tampa Bay on Tuesday.
Near Cottonwood, Alabama, a small city near the Georgia and Florida borders, 81-year-old Charlotte Paschal was killed when her mobile home was tossed from its foundation, the Houston County coroner said. A suspected tornado had touched down in the area.
Police in Clayton County, south of Atlanta, say a man died during heavy rain when a tree fell on his car on a state highway in Jonesboro.
Storm-related injuries were reported in Florida, but no deaths.
Read more here.
Associated Press
1 p.m.: DeSantis addresses storms in news conference
Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a 1 p.m. news conference that at least 87,000 Floridians were without power due to the storm. The state knows of at least four tornadoes that have touched down in the Panhandle area since Monday night.
As of the news conference, 21 counties were under a tornado watch and two counties were issued a tornado warning. Thirty-four school districts are closed today, and schools in Jackson County will be closed Wednesday.
On Monday, the governor activated more than 30 members from the Florida State Guard to respond to the storm, he said.
Florida Highway Patrol troopers were deployed to the Panhandle and are actively exporting critical equipment and personnel into areas that were hit.
Minor injuries have been reported during the storm, but no deaths have been reported yet.
The Florida Department of Commerce has activated the state’s business damage assessment survey to help assess the needs of affected businesses.
DeSantis did not address why the emergency announcement was issued several hours after tornadoes and other damaging weather had already impacted the Panhandle.
Justin Garcia, Times staff
1:25 p.m.: Waves bash Howard Frankland Bridge
Waves were battering the eastbound lanes of the Howard Frankland Bridge on Tuesday afternoon just before 1:30 p.m. as a squall of storms swept closer to the Tampa Bay area.
Traffic cameras around Mile Marker 33, facing Interstate 275, showed traffic was still flowing in both directions of the bridge, but heavy winds were causing water from an angry Tampa Bay to spray onto the low-lying road.
There also were reports that traffic was slowing.
During Hurricane Idalia in August, water from the bay swept over the Howard Frankland.
Max Chesnes, Times staff
1 p.m.: Storms, tornadoes, damage in north Florida
The storms approaching the Tampa Bay area are part of a sprawling weather system that has brought more than a foot of snow to parts of the Midwest and also produced damaging winds and tornadoes in north Florida.
A violent storm with 55 mph winds and hail moved through the Florida Panhandle and into parts of Alabama and Georgia by sunrise Tuesday, along with at least several reports of radar-confirmed tornadoes, the National Weather Service said. A wind gust of 106 mph was recorded before dawn near the coast in Walton County.
A section of Panama City Beach showed parts of roofs blown away, furniture, fences and debris strewn about and a house that appeared tilted on its side, leaning on another home.
In Panama City, about 10 miles away, police early Tuesday asked residents to stay indoors and off the roads “unless absolutely necessary” as officers checked on damage from the storms, including downed power lines and trees.
The city is in Bay County, where there had been multiple reports of tornadoes on the ground, Sheriff Tommy Ford said in a brief Facebook Live post.
“We’ve rescued people out of structures,” he said.
Read the full story here.
Associated Press
12:45 a.m.: Shore Acres residents fear more flooding
St. Petersburg’s Shore Acres neighborhood endured terrible flooding during Hurricane Idalia last year. And the December storm caused more flooding for hundreds of homeowners.
Shores Acres resident Elizabeth Russell, 64, placed sand bags along the front door of her home on Tuesday while the screen door creaked and rattled against the strengthening winds. Across the street, waves crashed against a seawall.
After Idalia brought floodwaters toppling over that same seawall, Russell had to tear out her floors, appliances and drywall. She replaced water-logged doors and cabinets with solid wood, which she hopes will make them impervious to future warping and water damage.
Now remodeled, the midcentury home’s original terrazzo floors shine through once again. Unlike hardwood and vinyl, the cement-based flooring should hold up much better against flooding, she said. It’s a perk that she likes its vintage feel.
”We had plenty of people saying it’s old-fashioned,” Russell said. “Now it’s back in fashion.”
Russell said the home didn’t sustain any real damage from last month’s storm — just a few inches of water seeped into the garage. She’s hoping for another near-miss this time.
”Just got to keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best,” she said.
Jack Prator, Times Staff
11:31 a.m.: Gov. Ron DeSantis declares state of emergency
Just minutes before DeSantis took the stage to deliver his annual State of the State Address to the Florida Legislature, his office declared a state of emergency order for 49 Florida counties as the line of storms swept east.
The executive order said damaging wind gusts higher than 70 mph were expected, and while tornadoes are the main hazards, hail and flash flooding was also possible.
State of emergency orders are common ahead of tropical storms or hurricanes, and they help to streamline recovery efforts.
Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk counties were all included in the emergency order.
Max Chesnes, Times Staff
11:15 a.m.: Early school dismissals not planned in Pinellas, Hillsborough
While Pasco schools closed Tuesday, they remained open in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. Officials with both districts said there were no plans for widespread early dismissals as of late Tuesday morning.
The Pinellas schools superintendent said the directive to employees and parents is to make the best decision for their families, but everything so far is staying on schedule as planned.
In Hillsborough County, there will be different pickup line procedures at schools, as are practiced any time there is a storm.
Jeffrey S. Solochek and Marlene Sokol, Times staff
10:45 a.m.: Verizon says service restored
Tampa Bay residents expressed concern on social media Tuesday morning that their wireless Verizon service wasn’t working ahead of the storms.
“We are getting ready for severe weather and need to be notified by the schools,” one customer wrote on social media.
Verizon said in an email at 10:45 a.m. that service had been restored after a “disruption.”
Read the full story here.
Tony Marrero, Times staff
10:30 a.m.: St. Petersburg sandbag locations
St. Petersburg city officials have opened sandbag pickup locations, which are open today (weather permitting) from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m.
St. Petersburg traffic operations: 1744 Ninth Ave. N.
Mangrove Bay: 875 62nd Ave. NE.
Lake Maggiore shelter area: 3601 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. S.
Michaela Mulligan, Times staff
10 a.m.: Gulfport cancellations
Several Gulfport businesses were flooded during a strong storm that hit in December. Several events in the city planned for Tuesday were canceled.
City officials said the Gulfport Merchants Chamber of Commerce Tuesday Fresh Market in downtown Gulfport had been canceled, as were the Tuesday Ballroom Dance and the Tuesday Tango Dance at the Gulfport Casino, and all nighttime activities at the Gulfport Recreation Center.
Chris Tisch, Times staff
