3 tornadoes confirmed in Tallahassee after severe weather; woman killed
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — Friday was a destructive time for Tallahassee as three tornadoes moved through the city, causing destruction and one fatality along the way.
According to the National Weather Service, three different twisters, two of which were EF-2 tornadoes, touched down on May 10. An EF-1 tornado also touched down within the Woodville area.
The Leon County Sheriff’s Office said a 47-year-old woman was killed after a tree fell on her home. She was at least the fifth death caused by severe weather in the United States last week.
Despite the destruction, the tornadoes weren’t the strongest ones to have hit Leon County. Two EF-3 tornadoes moved through the county in the past, the NWS’ tornado database showed.
NWS posted photos showing the full-scale of the two tornadoes. Data shows that both of the EF-2 tornadoes were on the ground for “quite some time, even at the same exact time.”
The NWS said their paths would eventually meet at the Capital City County Club Golf Course, where the first tornado would dissipate.
Here’s what we know about Friday’s twisters:
First EF-2 tornado track as it impacted Tallahassee
Rating: EF-2 (significant tornado with 111-135 mph winds)
Estimated peak wind: 115 mph
Estimated Path length: 19.58 miles
Estimated Path width: 900 yards
Start tome: 6:38 a.m.
End time: 7:03 a.m.
Second EF-2 tornado track as it impacted Tallahassee
Rating: EF-2 (significant tornado with 111-135 mph winds)
Estimated peak wind: 115 mph
Estimated Path length: 27.22 miles
Estimated Path width: 1,400 yards
Start time: 6:50 a.m.
End time: 7:14 a.m.
EF-1 tornado track as it impacted Tallahassee
Rating: EF-1 (moderate tornado with 86-110 mph winds)
Estimated peak wind: 110 mph
Estimated Path length: 31.69 miles
Estimated Path width: 1,100 yards
Start time: 6:50 a.m.
End time: 7:13 a.m.
“Last but not least, a third tornado would occur at the same time as the other two. This tornado would stay south of the Tallahassee metro impacting areas near and within Woodville,” the National Weather Service of Tallahassee wrote on social media.
City officials in Tallahassee said wind gusts of 80 to 100 mph (128 to 161 kph), speeds that exceed hurricane intensity, were reported in Florida’s capital city. Images posted on social media showed mangled metal and other debris from damaged buildings littering some areas.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency for 12 counties in the northern part of the state affected by the storm.
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A statement on the Tallahassee government’s website said crews were scrambling to repair 100 broken power poles while half the homes and businesses were left without electricity in a city of 200,000 people. It said the National Weather Service was assessing paths of three potential tornadoes.
“Our area experienced catastrophic wind damage,” Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey said on the social platform X.
Crews have told customers in the dark that the restoration may take days. City officials expect the work to restore power will go through the weekend.
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City spokesperson Alison Faris told The Tallahassee Democrat that the extent of the damage has made restoration hard-going because crews are focused on fixing the transmission infrastructure before they can start work on the distribution of power that energizes homes and businesses.
“Transmission first and then we restore circuits which impacts distribution,” Faris told the Democrat. “All hands are on the transmission. We should start seeing some circuits repaired here shortly.”
The first wave of more than 215 personnel from 20 utilities in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia and South Carolina has arrived to help crews as they work to repair the electric system.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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