EF1 Tornado — Santa Rosa, Florida

2024-01-09 · near Baddad Jct, Santa Rosa, Florida

Event narrative

A supercell thunderstorm moved onshore the Escribano Point Wildlife Management Area producing an EF1 tornado along Choctaw Field Road and crossing Grassy Point Road. This tornado likely began earlier; however, ground survey crew could only reach a point just south of Choctaw Field Road due to available road networks. Where ground survey crew was able to survey, mid to high end EF1 damage was observed along the entirety of the path with numerous softwood and hardwood uproots/snaps in a convergent damage pattern.

Update 1/23/2024: After coordination with Eglin AFB Natural Resources and Northwest Florida Water Management it was determined the tornado began by moving onshore along the north shore of East Bay and the tornado ended at catfish basin. The tornado was EF1 intensity as it moved onshore snapping multiple pines. The end point of the tornado was also EF1 intensity crossing WMD 10 where multiple large pines were uprooted and blocking the road.

Wider weather episode

Multiple rounds of severe thunderstorms moved across the Florida Panhandle starting during the early morning hours of January 9th. This system produced one EF-1 tornado in Florida.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (30.4986, -87.0123)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1156690. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.