March 1983 South Florida tornado outbreak

The March 1983 South Florida tornado outbreak affected southern Florida on March 17, 1983. A total of at least two tornadoes affected the region. Seventeen tornadoes were reported,^[1] but only two events were confirmed in the official National Weather Service records.^[2] The strongest tornado produced F2 damage on the Fujita scale and skipped from the Everglades and Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area to Lighthouse Point, Florida, which is a path length in excess of 50 miles (80.5 km).^[3] A F1 tornado also affected Naples and Golden Gate. Additionally, three unconfirmed tornadoes affected an RV park southeast of East Naples,^[4] as well as the Stuart and Jupiter areas,^[1] respectively. Severe thunderstorms produced hail to one inch (2.54 cm) in diameter, as well as rainfall of 1–2 inches (25–51 mm) in some areas.^[5] The outbreak occurred during an El Niño event.^[6]

Summary

On March 17, a low pressure area over the Gulf of Mexico supported conducive conditions for severe weather.^[1] The first tornado touched down near Naples and moved northeast, where it tore the roof from a store in Golden Gate. In Golden Gate, 1,800 residents lost electrical services for 40 minutes.^[4] Trees were uprooted by the tornado in Naples.^[5] The second tornado touched down near Trailtown,^[2] and two bungalows owned by Seminole Indians incurred damage.^[4] One trailer was destroyed, and a service station lost its roof when the tornado crossed Tamiami Trail. Phone service was disrupted at the service station, which was the only disruption recorded in Collier County on the date. The service station losses were estimated near $30,000.^[4] A refueling van was overturned, injuring one person. Additionally, electrical wires were damaged and a dumpster was thrown for 50 feet (16.6 yards).^[4] The tornado moved traversed the Everglades and moved northeast, where it entered northwestern Dade County and southwestern Broward County.^[2] Subsequently, the tornado struck Sunrise, Margate, and Pompano Beach. Windows were broken in hundreds of homes, while trees and power lines were prostrated. The mayor of the town of Sunrise declared a state of emergency in the town.^[5] One home was destroyed on Copans Road in Pompano Beach. The tornado continued northeast to Lighthouse Point, where a school bus was briefly lifted. A portion of the roof of a department store was destroyed, while windows were destroyed in a public library. Additionally, one supermarket delivery truck was overturned.^[5] The Lighthouse Point section of the path was described as a separate tornado,^[5] suggesting the tornado may have been a tornado family. The tornado featured the second longest path recorded south of Lake Okeechobee; only one tornado in 1968 featured a longer path of 65 miles (105 km) in southern Florida.^[2] Unusually cool temperatures in the upper levels of the atmosphere contributed to large hail in portions of south Florida, including the Miami area.^[5] Two inches (51 mm) of rain fell in Miami, while Fort Lauderdale received one inch (25 mm). The precipitation contributed to traffic jams, and several accidents occurred.^[5]

Three unconfirmed tornadoes were reported. One event affected an RV resort near East Naples, causing $6,000 in damages to one trailer. Trees, phone lines, and electrical lines were knocked down. 300 people lost electricity for four hours.^[4] Two possible tornadoes were reported in Martin County.^[1] One possible tornado touched down around 8:35 a.m. (EST), where it damaged trees, downed branches, and destroyed portions of trunks near Stuart. Florida Power and Light crews removed branches, which presented hazards to electrical services in southern Stuart. Additionally, one screen house was destroyed by the possible tornado.^[1] Another possible tornado overturned a vehicle north of Jupiter, injuring one woman. The person was transported to a hospital, where she was treated and released.^[1]

Tornado table

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

Tornadoes

Confirmed tornadoes

List of confirmed tornadoes
F#	Location	County	Time (UTC)	Path length	Damage
Florida
F1	Naples to Golden Gate	Collier	1215	7 miles (11.3 km)	See above
F2	Trailtown area to Lighthouse Point	Collier, Dade, Broward	1230[4]	≥52 miles (83.7 km)	See above
Sources: NCDC Storm Events Database, SPC Storm Data

Unconfirmed tornadoes

List of confirmed tornadoes
F#	Location	County	Time (UTC)	Path length	Damage
Florida
F?	SE of East Naples[4]	Collier	Unknown	Unknown	See above
F?	Stuart area[1]	Martin	1330[1]	Unknown	See above
F?	N of Jupiter[1]	Martin	Unknown	Unknown	See above
Sources:[1][4]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} Crankshaw, Joe (1983). Two Twisters Touch Down, Treetops Fall (March 18, 1983). The Miami Herald.
2. ^ ^{a b c d} National Climatic Data Center. "Storm Events Database". NOAA. http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwEvent~Storms. Retrieved 2008-10-25. 
3. ^ National Weather Service (1983). "Storm Data: March 1983". National Climatic Data Center. http://www7.ncdc.noaa.gov/IPS/sd/sd.html. Retrieved 2008-10-25. 
4. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} Leen, Jeff (1983). Tornados Rip Through Three Collier County Areas (March 18, 1983). The Miami Herald.
5. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Arnold, John (1983). Wrath of the Storms: Tornados Sweep South Florida (March 18, 1983). The Miami Herald.
6. ^ Climate Prediction Center. "Warm and Cool Episodes by Season". NOAA. http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/ensostuff/ensoyears.shtml. Retrieved 2008-10-26.