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1998 Central Florida tornado outbreak

Tornado outbreak in Central Florida, US, on February 22–23, 1998

Tornado outbreak in Central Florida, US, on February 22–23, 1998

FieldValue
name1998 Central Florida tornado outbreak
image1998 Central Florida tornadoes map.jpg
captionThe tornado tracks of the 1998 Central Florida tornado outbreak
durationFebruary 21–23, 1998

| fujita-scale = F3 $205.65 million (2025 USD)

On February 21–23, 1998, a devastating tornado outbreak affected portions of the Southeastern United States, primarily the U.S. state of Florida. It was the deadliest tornado event in Florida history. In all, 15 tornadoes touched down, one of which was long lived and tracked for nearly 40 mi. Affecting mainly the Interstate 4 (I-4) corridor of Central Florida, including the Greater Orlando area, the tornadoes—among the strongest ever recorded in Florida—produced near-violent damage, killed 42 people, and caused 259 injuries. This outbreak is sometimes referred to as "The Night of the Tornadoes".

One of the tornadoes was initially rated an F4 on the Fujita scale—among only two others officially so designated in the State of Florida, in 1958 and 1966—but was subsequently downgraded to a high-end F3; with 25 fatalities, most of which occurred in and near Kissimmee, this tornado featured the deadliest single-tornado death toll in Florida history, the previous such record being 17 on March 31, 1962. Two other F3s and a couple of additional strong tornadoes occurred over portions of Central Florida during the outbreak, killing an additional 17 people and injuring 109 others.

As the most intense activity of the outbreak occurred after sunset, concentrated either shortly prior to or after midnight, and affected densely populated portions of the I-4 corridor, including numerous mobile home and recreational vehicle (RV) parks, many sleeping residents became casualties; of the 42 deaths, 40 occurred in manufactured housing or trailers, including 15 at the Morningside Acres mobile home park and eight at the Ponderosa RV Park, both of which were located in Kissimmee.

Background

On February 22, 1998, data from both NEXRAD and weather satellites indicated that a bow echo and associated outflow boundary bisected portions of the Florida Panhandle and northernmost peninsular Florida, including the First Coast. Along the boundary, a vigorous squall line with embedded supercells—the initial nexus of severe weather—developed over the eastern Gulf of Mexico and headed eastward, toward the Tampa Bay Area. Ahead of the squall line, a retreating warm front coincided with robust atmospheric instability due to diurnal heating. By 7:00 p.m. EST, a low-pressure area near Mobile, Alabama, was linked to a cold front that extended southward, just off the west coast of Florida, while a trough in the middle to upper troposphere generated a strong subtropical jet maximum of up to 140 kn. This upper-level jet streak intersected a strengthening low-level wind field, with winds locally in excess of 50 kn just above the surface, and thereby yielded conducive conditions to tornadogenesis.

During the evening and the overnight hours of February 22–23, 1998, this volatile environment—known to be common in the El Niño phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) during the Florida dry season (November 1 – April 30)—eventually produced seven tornadoes between about 11:00 p.m. EST on February 22 and 2:30 am. EST on the following morning. During El Niño the jet stream is typically stronger and displaced southward near or over Florida during meteorological winter and spring, thereby augmenting the likelihood of significant severe weather and tornado activity. During February 1998 one of the strongest El Niño episodes on record was ongoing, rivaling a similar episode in 1982–83 that had also contributed to elevated tornado activity over Florida. By October 1997, the National Weather Service (NWS) in Melbourne, Florida, highlighted the potential for enhanced severe weather over the coming months due to El Niño.

By 6:00 am. EST (11:00 UTC) on February 22, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) had issued a convective outlook for day one indicating a moderate risk of severe thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes over portions of North and Central Florida. At 11:55 am. EST (16:55 UTC), the NWS in Melbourne also issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook (HWO) highlighting a "significant" threat of tornadoes, hail, and destructive winds. By 1:44 pm. EST (18:44 UTC), the SPC issued its first tornado watch covering portions of the threatened area in Central Florida. Numerous, long-lived supercells with persistent mesocyclones would eventually evolve during the evening and track generally east-northeastward or northeastward over Central Florida, generating tornadoes that killed 42 people and seriously injured at least 259 others, making the outbreak the deadliest in Florida's history, surpassing another that killed 17 people on March 31, 1962, in Santa Rosa County.

Outbreak statistics

RegionLocaleDeathsInjuriesDamagesSourceUnited StatesTotal42259Multiple sources:
Alabama00Multiple sources:
Florida42259Multiple sources:
Georgia00Multiple sources:
Texas00Multiple sources:

Confirmed tornadoes

February 21 event

F#LocationCounty / ParishStateStart
coord.Time (UTC)Path lengthMax. widthSummary
storm}}F0N of Santa CruzDuvalTX23:05–?0.1 mi10 ydA brief tornado was reported south of Rios.
storm}}F0S of San DiegoDuvalTX23:18–?0.1 mi10 ydA brief tornado was reported.
storm}}F0Seven SistersDuvalTX00:00–?0.1 mi10 ydA brief tornado was reported.

February 22 event

F#LocationCounty / ParishStateStart
coord.Time (UTC)Path lengthMax. widthSummary
storm}}F0TaylorHoustonAL14:00–?0.3 mi50 ydThis short-lived, weak tornado, visible as a funnel cloud, affected 52 homes in a subdivision of Taylor, damaging or downing sheds, fencing, awnings, porches, shingles, power lines, and trees. Losses totaled $75,000.
storm}}F0HollisterPutnamFL20:45–?0.2 mi30 ydA brief, weak tornado felled several large trees. Losses totaled $4,000.
storm}}F0N of ToledoCharltonGA22:05–?0.5 mi30 ydOccurring south-southwest of Folkston, a weak tornado downed several large trees, snapped power lines, and damaged a mobile home. Losses totaled $5,000. Tornado ended near Chesser Island in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.
cat1}}F1IndialanticBrevardFL22:20–?1 mi50 ydThis tornado originated as a waterspout over the Indian River and headed northeast at 30 mi/h, proceeding ashore a short distance north of U.S. Highway 192 in Indialantic. One home was unroofed and 10 others received damage. Pool screens, awnings, carports, and several trees were damaged or downed as well. Losses totaled $200,000.
storm}}F0ColemanSumterFL02:50–?0.1 mi5 ydA brief, weak tornado developed near the intersection of U.S. Highway 301 and County Road 468, damaging or downing trees, a pair of power poles, two sheds, and a mobile home. Losses totaled $20,000.
cat2}}F2SW of Daytona Beach to South DaytonaVolusiaFL03:55–04:058 mi150 yd1 death – The first significant (F2 or stronger) tornado of the outbreak formed from the same supercell as the preceding tornado in Sumter County, touching down on Route 92 and killing a 41-year-old man in a mobile home before tracking over the intersection of I-95 and I-4, overturning four semi-trailer trucks. Afterward, the tornado passed just south of Daytona International Speedway and Daytona Beach International Airport, damaging or destroying 64 homes and 150 mobile homes in the Pelican Bay development and the Colonial Colony South trailer park, respectively, along with numerous cars. In all, the tornado destroyed or damaged 600 structures. Three people were injured and losses totaled $4 million.
cat3}}F3S of Orange Mountain to SE of PiedmontLake, OrangeFL04:37–05:0018 mi200 yd3 deaths – The first of three intense (F3 or stronger) tornadoes in the outbreak began south-southeast of Clermont, downing trees across rural portions of Lake County, before moving into the Winter Garden–Ocoee area, where 500 buildings were destroyed or damaged, including those at a mobile home park and an apartment complex. 70 people were injured and losses totaled $15 million. The tornado ended north-northwest of Lockhart.
cat3}}F3Longwood to NNW of Palm ShadowsSeminole, VolusiaFL05:10–05:2816 mi200 yd13 deaths – This tornado formed from the same storm as the Winter Garden–Ocoee F3, heading northeast at 45 mi/h. It severely damaged neighborhoods and mobile home parks in southeastern Sanford, resulting in 12 fatalities there. A total of 625 structures were damaged or destroyed. The tornado killed a 53-year-old man 4 mi south of Osteen before ending just west of Lemon Bluff. 36 people were injured and losses totaled $31 million.
cat3}}F3SSW of Campbell to W of Port St. JohnOsceola, OrangeFL05:40–06:3838 mi250 yd25 deaths – See section on this tornado – This, the deadliest tornado in Florida history, was initially rated F4. At least 150 people were injured and losses totaled $55 million.
cat2}}F2S of Creighton to ArielVolusiaFL05:45–05:525 mi150 ydA strong tornado formed from the same storm as the Sanford F3, passing through the Oak Hill area. A few barns and several trees were downed, while a pair of houses and 10 mobile homes received damage. Losses totaled $500,000.

February 23 event

F#LocationCounty / ParishStateStart
coord.Time (UTC)Path lengthMax. widthSummary
cat1}}F1Southern TitusvilleBrevardFL06:38–?1 mi100 ydA brief tornado developed from the same storm as the long-tracked Kissimmee F3, passing northwest of the Titusville Airport. Four houses were damaged and trees were downed. Losses totaled $500,000.
cat1}}F1Cape CanaveralBrevardFL07:30–?1 mi75 ydA brief tornado hit Port Canaveral from the west, damaging 30 structures. The tornado formed over the Banana River and dissipated over the Atlantic Ocean. Losses totaled $1 million.

Kissimmee, Florida

| fujita-scale = F3

This devastating, long-tracked tornado was initially assigned an F4 rating, but NWS assessments later reduced this to high-end F3 intensity. The tornado began near Intercession City, only 8 mi southeast of Walt Disney World, and moved northeastward. It first did some minor damage to homes in the Campbell–Poinciana area. As it moved into Kissimmee, it leveled part of The Shops at Kissimmee shopping center and crossed the northern part of Lake Tohopekaliga.

The tornado subsequently crossed U.S. Route 441 and reached its maximum intensity as it struck the Ponderosa Pines RV park. In the RV park, at least 10 people died and almost all of the 200 residences, including both RVs and mobile homes, were destroyed. Many of these residences had their frames thrown, stripped, and wrapped around trees. Many trees were snapped and uprooted as well. Nearby, the Morningside Acres mobile home park was devastated as well. Upon leaving the Ponderosa Pines and Morningside areas, the tornado heavily damaged homes next to a school in the Lakeside Estates subdivision of Buenaventura Lakes.

After devastating the Kissimmee area, the tornado mostly impacted rural, swampy areas in Orange and Brevard counties, though it hit a few lakeside homes in Lake Hart and Lake Mary Jane. It lifted over the Tosohatchee Wildlife Management Area, 8 mi east-southeast of Christmas, west of Port St. John—just before the Great Outdoors RV Park, which, according to the NWS, was "one of the largest in the United States, housing 1,000 recreational vehicle lots." Along the entire path, 1,000 structures were damaged or destroyed, including several well-built homes that were nearly leveled. At least one new home, built of stucco and CBUs, was flattened except for its front entryway and part of a wall.Multiple sources:

Notes

References

Sources

References

  1. (April 26, 2000). "The United States' Worst Tornadoes". Environmental Films.
  2. (2002). "Thirty Years After Hurricane Agnes: the Forgotten Florida Tornado Disaster". [[American Meteorological Society]].
  3. (March 5, 2015). "Enhanced F Scale for Tornado Damage". Storm Prediction Center.
  4. (June 6, 2013). "Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF-Scale)".
  5. (2016). "The International Tornado Intensity Scale".
  6. (March 5, 2015). "The Online Tornado FAQ (by Roger Edwards, SPC)". [[Storm Prediction Center]].
  7. "22–23 February 1998 – Central Florida Tornado Outbreak". [[University of Wisconsin–Madison]].
  8. (2000). "Development of an index of storminess as a proxy for dry season severe weather in Florida and its relationship with ENSO". [[National Weather Service]].
  9. (1998). "Significant Extratropical Tornado Occurrences in Florida During Strong El Niño and Strong La Niña Events". National Weather Service.
  10. (September 1998). "The 22–23 February 1998 East-Central Florida Tornado Outbreak Chronology of Events". National Weather Service.
  11. "NSSL SWAT Case Study – 23 February 1998 Central Florida Tornadoes". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
  12. (November 24, 2009). "The Central Florida Tornado Outbreak of February 22nd & 23rd, 1998". [[National Weather Service]].
  13. (1998). "1.2 Significant Tornado Events Associated with Tropical and Hybrid Cyclones in Florida". American Meteorological Society.
  14. (1995). "Florida Tornado Outbreaks Associated With Tropical Cyclones". American Meteorological Society.
  15. {{harvnb. Storm Data Publication. 1998
  16. {{harvnb. Storm Data Publication. 1998
  17. {{harvnb. Storm Data Publication. 1998
  18. {{harvnb. Storm Data Publication. 1998
  19. {{harvnb. Storm Data Publication. 1998
  20. {{harvnb. Storm Data Publication. 1998
  21. {{harvnb. Storm Data Publication. 1998
  22. {{harvnb. Storm Data Publication. 1998
  23. "Tornadoes Hit Daytona Beach, Florida Just Before '98 Bike Week".
  24. {{harvnb. Storm Data Publication. 1998
  25. {{harvnb. Storm Data Publication. 1998
  26. {{harvnb. Storm Data Publication. 1998
  27. {{harvnb. Storm Data Publication. 1998
  28. {{harvnb. Storm Data Publication. 1998
  29. {{harvnb. Storm Data Publication. 1998
  30. (November 4, 1998). "Quick Response Report #110". [[University of Colorado Boulder]].
  31. {{harvnb. Storm Data Publication. 1998
  32. {{harvnb. Storm Data Publication. 1998
  33. {{harvnb. Storm Data Publication. 1998
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