1966 Tampa tornado family

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The 1966 Tampa tornado family was a deadly tornado family that affected the central Florida corridor from the Tampa Bay area to Brevard County on April 4, 1966. Two tornadoes affected the region, each of which featured a path length in excess of 100 miles (160 km). One of the tornadoes produced estimated F4 damage on the Fujita scale; it remains one of only two F4 tornadoes to strike the U.S. state of Florida, the other of which occurred in 1958.[1] Both F4 tornadoes occurred during El Niño years.[2] Eleven people were killed across the state, including three in the city of Tampa and seven in Polk County. It remains the fourth deadliest tornado event recorded in Florida; only tornadoes on March 1962, February 2007, and February 1998 caused more deaths in the state.[3] All of the events were induced by non-tropical cyclones.[4]

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[edit] Summary

A squall line affected the central Florida peninsula on April 4, and both tornadoes originated as waterspouts over the Gulf of Mexico.[5] The two tornadoes were spawned from a single thunderstorm that entered the Tampa Bay region, and they are believed to have represented a tornado family.[3] The first tornado touched down around 8:00 a.m. near Largo, Florida in Pinellas County. It damaged 36–40 houses in the Saint Petersburg and Clearwater area.[6][5] Later, it continued across the northern side of Tampa, where it demolished 158 homes and caused significant damages to 186 residences.[5] The tornado also caused damage to a junior high school.[6] It moved east-northeast into Polk County and progressed over the northern side of Lakeland and Saint Cloud. Gibsonia and Galloway received the most severe damages in Polk County; more than 100 homes were demolished in the area, and seven deaths occurred. The tornado also destroyed several trailers from the Lake Juliana area near Auburndale to north of Haines City.[6] It eventually moved over the Cocoa area and lifted between Courtenay and Merritt Island. The tornado produced F4 damage, and it was significantly more damaging than the second one; total damages reached $5–50 million (1966 USD). The second tornado touched down fifteen minutes later than its predecessor near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, where it lifted a 23 foot (7 m) trailer and an automobile.[5] It moved inland over central Florida and closely paralleled the path of the more powerful first tornado. It crossed Winter Haven and lifted near the Rockledge area in Brevard County. Total damages reached $50–100,000, and no deaths occurred. The funnel remained aloft for most of its life span, and maximum damage was typical of an F2 tornado. In the Cocoa Beach area, 150 trailers were destroyed, resulting in more than 100 injuries. 20 frame structures and a shopping center were also demolished.[6] Widespread looting was reported in some localized areas after the passage of the tornadoes in Hillsborough and Polk counties; a total of 200 National Guardsmen were deployed to the two counties, while a "smaller number" were ordered to the city of Cocoa.[5] Damage in the Lakeland area was compared to the aftermath of the Normandy invasion during World War II.[5]

[edit] Tornado table

Confirmed
Total		 Confirmed
F0		 Confirmed
F1		 Confirmed
F2		 Confirmed
F3		 Confirmed
F4		 Confirmed
F5
2 0 0 1 0 1 0

[edit] Confirmed tornadoes

F# Location County Time (UTC) Path length Damage
Florida
F4 Largo to N of Merritt Island Pinellas, Hillsborough, Polk, Osceola, Orange, Brevard 1300 135.8 miles
(218.6 km)		 The tornado remained on the ground for 90 percent of its life span. 11 fatalities occurred and 300 people received injuries.[7]
F2 S of Saint Petersburg to SE of Cocoa[6] Pinellas, Hillsborough, Polk, Osceola, Brevard 1315 ≥123.3 miles
(198.4 km)		 The tornado was aloft throughout most of its life, producing no deaths.
Source: Tornado History Project storm data for April 4, 1966

[edit] References

  1. ^ The New Smyrna Beach Tornado - 11/2/97. National Weather Service Melbourne, Florida office. Retrieved on 2008-05-28.
  2. ^ Wilson, Jennifer et al (1998). Quick Response Report #110. Retrieved on 2008-05-28.
  3. ^ a b The Tornado History Project. The Most "Important" US Tornadoes by State. Retrieved on 2008-05-28.
  4. ^ Hagemeyer, Bartlett C. et al. Thirty Years After Hurricane Agnes - The Forgotten Florida Tornado Disaster. American Meteorological Society. Retrieved on 2008-05-28.
  5. ^ a b c d e f The Associated Press (1966). Tornado Toll: 9 Dead, Hundreds Hurt. The Morning Herald. Retrieved on 2008-05-28.
  6. ^ a b c d e Florida's Top 10 Weather Events of the 20th Century. National Weather Service Tallahassee, Florida office. Retrieved on 2008-06-09.
  7. ^ The New York Times (1988). Tornado in Florida Leaves 4 Dead and 15 Injured. Retrieved on 2008-05-28.