TORNADO WATCH Issued for Tampa Bay Region Until 9 p.m.
By Tampa Bay Living Magazine staff
A TORNADO WATCH has been issued for Tampa Bay area counties until 9 p.m. ET, indicating favorable weather conditions for tornadoes to develop Tuesday afternoon and evening.
Forecasters are warning of a continued threat of tornadoes this afternoon, around 3–4 p.m. into the evening, with severe storms extending southward from the Florida peninsula to the Florida Keys. The highest-risk areas are near Tampa and north-central Florida.
Forecasters are warning of a continued threat of strong (EF2+) tornadoes. Tampa Bay meteorologists and local officials are advising residents and visitors to have multiple ways to receive weather alerts this afternoon and evening in the event of tornado warnings or severe thunderstorm warnings.
What is a TORNADO WATCH?
The Storm Prediction Center issues a tornado watch when conditions are ripe for tornadoes to develop within a broad region. During a watch, tornadoes are possible but have not been observed yet. This means it's time to review emergency plans, check supplies and ensure you can access an interior room away from windows, a basement or a tornado shelter if a warning is issued.
What is a TORNADO WARNING?
The National Weather Service issues a tornado warning when a tornado is sighted or detected by radar in a particular area, indicating an impending threat to life and property. A tornado warning is the more severe of the two alerts. It indicates that a tornado has been sighted or identified by radar, and there is imminent danger to life and property. When a warning is issued, it's crucial for people in the affected area to seek shelter immediately, as the warning typically lasts for about 30 minutes and can be issued without a prior watch.
The NWS also issues high-level alerts known as "particularly dangerous situations" (PDS) tornado warnings and tornado emergencies to indicate severe tornado threats, but they denote different levels of urgency and potential impact.
A PDS tornado warning is issued when there is strong evidence of a powerful tornado or multiple tornadoes that are expected to be long-lived and capable of causing significant damage. This type of warning is often associated with major tornado outbreaks and is intended to convey the seriousness of the threat to the public. It emphasizes that the tornado is not only confirmed but also particularly intense and hazardous.
A tornado emergency, on the other hand, is an even higher level of alert and is issued when a confirmed large, destructive tornado is moving into a densely populated area, posing a severe threat to human life and catastrophic damage to property. A tornado emergency is an explicit call to action, signaling that those in the path of the tornado need to seek immediate shelter to protect their lives.
Both warnings are meant to communicate extreme situations where immediate action is necessary to protect life and property. However, a tornado emergency is used sparingly and only in situations where a tornado is causing direct impacts on people and communities.
If you are in an area under either a PDS tornado warning or a tornado emergency, it is crucial to take immediate shelter in a safe location, such as a storm cellar, basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows. Mobile homes and vehicles are not safe during tornadoes, and if you are in either, you should move to the nearest sturdy shelter immediately.
Credits: Florida Divison of Emergency Management
To protect yourself during a tornado warning, follow these steps:
Take shelter in the lowest level of your home, such as a basement or storm cellar, or an interior room away from windows and exterior walls.
Stay informed on the situation through local news channels or a battery-powered weather radio, following instructions from local authorities.
Mobile home residents need to identify a sturdy structure nearby in advance of any storm system where they can take shelter during a tornado warning.
Gather essential supplies, such as food, water, medication, flashlights, batteries and a first aid kit, to stay self-sufficient during and after the tornado.
Protect yourself by covering yourself with a mattress or heavy blankets and wearing sturdy shoes and helmets.
Stay away from windows, as they can shatter during high winds, and move to an interior room without windows if possible.
Stay calm and reassure others to prevent panic and make sound decisions in critical situations.
The threat extends to waterspouts, which are tornadoes that form over water or move from land to water. These phenomena share characteristics with their land-based counterparts and can accompany severe thunderstorms, bringing high winds, large hail and dangerous lightning. Tornadic waterspouts, in particular, can be as hazardous as land tornadoes, causing significant damage and posing a threat to life and property. In October, two waterspouts that came ashore as F-2 tornadoes occurred in Clearwater and Crystal River, causing severe damage.
Boaters should be aware of special marine warnings and avoid waterspouts by moving at a 90-degree angle to their apparent movement, never attempting to navigate through them. If a waterspout moves onshore, the National Weather Service will issue a tornado warning.
To prepare for waterspouts, boaters in Tampa Bay should listen to NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts.
Waterspouts can quickly become tornadoes as they come onshore in Tampa Bay.