South Florida tornadoes of March 17, 1983

On March 17, 1983, a significant severe weather event affected the southern Florida peninsula, including the Miami metropolitan area. A total of at least five tornadoes affected the region; while as many as 17 were reported, only two were confirmed in the official National Weather Service records. The strongest tornado produced F2 damage on the Fujita scale and skipped across the Everglades region from the eastern Big Cypress National Preserve through the Everglades and Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area to Lighthouse Point—a path length of nearly 53 mi (85 km). An F1 tornado also affected Naples and Golden Gate. Additionally, unconfirmed tornadoes affected an RV park southeast of East Naples, as well as the Stuart and Jupiter areas, respectively. In addition to tornadoes, severe thunderstorms produced hail to 1 in (2.5 cm) in diameter, as well as rainfall totals of 1 to 2 in (25 to 51 mm) in some areas.[1][2][3][4][5][nb 1][nb 2][nb 3]

March 1983 South Florida tornado outbreak
DurationMarch 17, 1983
Tornadoes
confirmed		2 confirmed
Max. rating1F2 tornado
Areas affectedSouth Florida
1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale

Background

On Thursday, March 17, 1983, a large and intense surface low pressure area over the Gulf of Mexico produced gale-force winds over the southern Florida peninsula. Above the surface, a strong low-level jet stream coupled with a large negative geopotential height—with heights measuring more than five standard deviations below normal—produced sufficient lifting and wind shear, both conditions conducive to severe weather. Due to the favorable conditions for severe weather, the National Weather Service office in Miami issued a tornado watch for South Florida, effective the morning of March 17. The watch was canceled at 9:30 a.m. EST (14:30 UTC), but then was reissued and extended to 5:00 p.m. (22:00 UTC) as more storms formed over the Everglades. Forecasters expected the low pressure area in the Gulf of Mexico to bring a cold front across Florida on Friday, March 18.[1][3][18][19][20]

The tornadoes occurred during a strong occurrence of El Niño—a condition known to enhance severe weather over Florida.[21][22][23]

Confirmed tornadoes
Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 Total
 ? 0 1 1 0 0 0 ≥ 2*
  • At least three unconfirmed tornadoes were reported, two of them in Martin County:
•A tornado reportedly affected the Hitching Post 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.[2]
•Another possible tornado touched down around 8:35 a.m. (13:35 UTC) in southern Stuart, damaging trees, downing branches, and destroying portions of tree trunks. The possible tornado also destroyed a screen house. Florida Power and Light crews removed branches from electrical wires.[1]
•A third 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]

March 17 event
Confirmed tornadoes – Thursday, March 17, 1983[nb 4][nb 5]
F# Location County / Parish State Start
coord.		 Time (UTC) Path length Max. width Summary
F1 Naples to Golden Gate Collier FL 26.13°N 81.80°W / 26.13; -81.80 (Naples (March 17, F1)) 12:15–? 7 miles (11 km) 40 yards (37 m) This tornado, the first of the day, touched down near Naples and moved northeast across the Naples airport, flipping a plane on its back. In Naples, the tornado also uprooted many trees. Next, the tornado tore the roof from a store in Golden Gate, blew an awning 600 ft (200 yd), snapped power poles, and downed wires. In Golden Gate, 1,800 residents lost electrical services for 40 minutes. After striking Golden Gate, the tornado apparently dissipated over rural, swampy areas. The touchdown may have occurred at 6:45 a.m., or more than one tornado was involved.[25][26][2][3]
F2 Trailtown to Lighthouse Point Collier, Dade, Broward FL 26.13°N 81.80°W / 26.13; -81.80 (Trailtown (March 17, F2)) 12:49–? 52.5 miles (84.5 km) 60 yards (55 m) See section on this tornado

Everglades–Trailtown–Sunrise–Lauderhill–North Lauderdale–Margate–Pompano Beach–Lighthouse Point, Florida
Everglades–Trailtown–Sunrise–Lauderhill–North Lauderdale–Margate–Pompano Beach–Lighthouse Point, Florida
F2 tornado
Max. rating1F2 tornado
Fatalities2 injuries
1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale

The second tornado of the day was a long-tracked tornado that was probably a family of up to five tornadoes. The tornado, or the first member of its family, touched down near Trailtown at about 7:49 a.m., though it may have formed farther southwest in the Everglades, as one person reportedly sighted a tornado as early as 7:30 a.m. Upon touching down, the tornado damaged two bungalows owned by Seminole Indians. One trailer was destroyed, and a service station lost its roof when the tornado crossed Tamiami Trail, about 20 mi (32 km) east of Ochopee. Phone service was disrupted at the service station, where losses were estimated near $30,000. Two vehicles, one of which was a refueling van, were overturned, injuring two people. Additionally, electrical wires were damaged and a dumpster was thrown 50 ft (17 yd).[19][2][3][4][27][26]

The tornado moved northeast at 50 mph (80 km/h) across the Everglades, entering northwest Dade County and then southwest Broward County. Subsequently, the tornado struck the communities of Sunrise, Lauderhill, North Lauderdale, Margate, Pompano Beach, and Lighthouse Point. It first hit several homes and a recreation center in Sunrise, causing extensive damage. As it moved through Sunrise, the tornado downed power poles, wires, screen enclosures, trees, and mailboxes. Doors at the Sunrise city hall were blown open, allowing debris inside that covered the first floor of the building. Damage was widespread throughout the city, particularly along and near Oakland Park Boulevard. At least three funnel clouds were reported in Sunrise, and at least one tornado touchdown was alleged. Windows were broken in hundreds of homes, while trees and power lines were prostrated. The mayor of the town of Sunrise, John Lomelo, declared a state of emergency in the town at 8:15 a.m., upon hearing of damage to city hall and across the city. Next, the tornado blew a porch from a home in Lauderhill. In North Lauderdale, the tornado damaged 30 to 40 homes in a four-block area, blowing awnings loose and uprooting trees. In Margate, the tornado affected the 600 and 700 blocks along SW 51st Avenue. A home was unroofed, another home lost most of its roof, and trees and power lines were downed. The tornado tore a bedroom door from its hinges, broke glass, and snapped a 40-foot-tall (12 m) Norfolk Island pine tree in half.[19][28][3][4][29][30][26]

After hitting Margate, the tornado struck the Pompano Beach Service Plaza on Florida's Turnpike, overturning an 18-wheeler tractor trailer, uprooting trees, and blowing away signs. In this area, the tornado was estimated to have been 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 mi (0.40 to 0.80 km) wide. After hitting the service plaza, the tornado continued northeast to Golf View Estates, a mobile-home park north of Palm-Aire Country Club, damaging about 15 mobile homes, of which six to eight had major damage. Several mobile homes were unroofed. Near the intersection of Copans Road and Northeast Third Avenue, the tornado struck another mobile-home park, where its winds overturned a mobile home and moved another off its foundation. Trees in the park were snapped "like toothpicks," and a downed tree landed on a mobile home. Nearby, the tornado also broke glass in a two-story home. As it continued across north Pompano Beach, the tornado destroyed a satellite dish at a restaurant. The tornado continued northeast to Lighthouse Point, where a department store on Federal Highway had its roof damaged. Flying debris from the store also damaged nearby apartments. Nearby, windows were shattered in a public library, and a supermarket delivery truck carrying frozen food was overturned. The Lighthouse Point section of the path was described as having been being done by a separate tornado.[3][19][28][31]

The Everglades–Lighthouse Point tornado featured the second-longest path recorded south of Lake Okeechobee; only one tornado in 1968 featured a longer path of 65 mi (105 km) in southern Florida.[4]

Non-tornadic effects

Unusually cool temperatures in the upper levels of the atmosphere contributed to large hail in portions of South Florida, including the Miami area. Hail of 3⁄4 to 1 in (1.9 to 2.5 cm) in diameter was reported in Dade County—an unusually large size for hail in South Florida. In Miami Beach, hail larger than marble size fell, causing cuts and bruises to one person, who was treated for minor injuries. Up to 2 in (51 mm) of rain fell in Miami, while Fort Lauderdale received 1 in (25 mm). The heavy rains caused traffic congestion, and several accidents occurred. Severe winds were also reported elsewhere in the state, particularly near Daytona Beach. In Broward County, the strong winds downed live power lines and smashed cars' windows.[3][19][4][26]

See also

Notes
  1. An outbreak is generally defined as a group of at least six tornadoes with no more than a six-hour gap between individual tornadoes; however, the threshold varies slightly according to local climatology. On the Florida peninsula, an outbreak consists of at least four tornadoes occurring relatively synchronously—no more than four hours apart.[6][7][8][9]
  2. The Fujita scale was devised under the aegis of scientist T. Theodore Fujita in the early 1970s. Prior to the advent of the scale in 1971, tornadoes in the United States were officially unrated.[10][11] While the Fujita scale has been superseded by the Enhanced Fujita scale in the U.S. since February 1, 2007,[12] Canada utilized the old scale until April 1, 2013;[13] nations elsewhere, like the United Kingdom, apply other classifications such as the TORRO scale.[14]
  3. Historically, the number of tornadoes globally and in the United States was and is likely underrepresented: research by Grazulis on annual tornado activity suggests that, as of 2001, only 53% of yearly U.S. tornadoes were officially recorded. Documentation of tornadoes outside the United States was historically less exhaustive, owing to the lack of monitors in many nations and, in some cases, to internal political controls on public information.[15] Most countries only recorded tornadoes that produced severe damage or loss of life.[16] Significant low biases in U.S. tornado counts likely occurred through the early 1990s, when advanced NEXRAD was first installed and the National Weather Service began comprehensively verifying tornado occurrences.[17]
  4. All dates are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time and dates are split at midnight CST/CDT for consistency.
  5. Prior to 1994, only the average widths of tornado paths were officially listed.[24]

References
  1. Crankshaw, Joe (March 18, 1983). "Two Twisters Touch Down, Treetops Fall". Miami Herald. Miami, Florida.
  2. Leen, Jeff (March 18, 1983). "Tornados Rip Through Three Collier County Areas". Miami Herald. Miami, Florida.
  3. Arnold, John (March 18, 1983). "Wrath of the Storms: Tornados Sweep South Florida". Miami Herald. Miami, Florida.
  4. National Climatic Data Center. "Storm Events Database". NOAA. Archived from the original on 2010-05-06. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
  5. National Weather Service (1983). "Storm Data: March 1983". National Climatic Data Center. Archived from the original on 2011-05-03. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
  6. Hagemeyer 1997, p. 400
  7. Hagemeyer 1997, p. 401
  8. Hagemeyer, Bartlett C.; Spratt, Scott M. (2002). Written at Melbourne, Florida. Thirty Years After Hurricane Agnes: the Forgotten Florida Tornado Disaster (PDF). 25th Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology. San Diego, California: American Meteorological Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2008. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  9. Grazulis 2001a, p. 206
  10. Grazulis 1993, p. 141.
  11. Grazulis 2001a, p. 131.
  12. Edwards, Roger (5 March 2015). "Enhanced F Scale for Tornado Damage". The Online Tornado FAQ (by Roger Edwards, SPC). Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  13. "Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF-Scale)". Environment and Climate Change Canada. Environment and Climate Change Canada. 6 June 2013. Archived from the original on 25 February 2016. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  14. "The International Tornado Intensity Scale". Tornado and Storm Research Organisation. Tornado and Storm Research Organisation. 2016. Archived from the original on 25 February 2016. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  15. Grazulis 2001a, pp. 251–4.
  16. Edwards, Roger (5 March 2015). "The Online Tornado FAQ (by Roger Edwards, SPC)". Storm Prediction Center: Frequently Asked Questions about Tornadoes. Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  17. Cook & Schaefer 2008, p. 3135
  18. d'Oliveira, Stephen (March 17, 1983). "Warning: Keep a raincoat handy". Fort Lauderdale News. Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
  19. Ann Frank; Stephen d'Oliveira (March 17, 1983). "At least 4 tornadoes tear through county". Fort Lauderdale News. Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
  20. "NOAA NWS NCEP reanalysis data". College Park, Maryland: National Centers for Environmental Prediction. 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  21. Hagemeyer, Barlett C. (2000). Written at Melbourne, Florida. Development of an index of storminess as a proxy for dry season severe weather in Florida and its relationship with ENSO (PDF). 20th Conference on Severe Local Storms. Orlando, Florida: National Weather Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 February 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  22. Hagemeyer, Barlett C. (1998). Written at Melbourne, Florida. Significant Extratropical Tornado Occurrences in Florida During Strong El Niño and Strong La Niña Events (PDF). 19th Conference on Severe Local Storms. Minneapolis: National Weather Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 February 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  23. Climate Prediction Center. "Warm and Cool Episodes by Season". NOAA. Retrieved 2008-10-26.
  24. Brooks 2004, p. 310.
  25. Storm Data Publication 1983, #10000901
  26. Storm Data 1983, p. 13.
  27. Storm Data Publication 1983, #10000902
  28. Brannigan, Martha (March 18, 1983). "Five cities hit by tornadoes". Fort Lauderdale News. Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
  29. Storm Data Publication 1983, #10000903
  30. Storm Data Publication 1983, #10000905
  31. Schulte, Fred (March 17, 1983). "Storm pummels block; winds flip tractor-trailer on its side". Fort Lauderdale News. Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Sources
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