EF0 Tornado — Polk, Florida

2024-08-04 · near Bowling Green, Polk, Florida

Event narrative

Continuation of the tornado track that originated in Hardee County after a long-lived supercell embedded within an outer rainband associated with Tropical Storm Debby tracked north-northwestward across much of interior southwest Florida, including parts of Lee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties, before a tornado was spotted west of Bowling Green and reported via a picture submitted by a NWS volunteer, around 12:25 EST. The tornado crossed into Polk County at 12:26 EST before it was estimated to have dissipated shortly thereafter north of County Line Rd, after traversing a mostly rural area. Maximum winds were estimated around 75 mph.

Wider weather episode

Hurricane Debby made landfall north of the local area along the Big Bend region of Florida near Steinhatchee around 7 AM EST on August 5th as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph and a minimum pressure of 979 mb. Despite Debby's track west of the Florida peninsula, impacts overspread the area from coastal locations spreading inland.

Storm surge affected the immediate coast from Ft. Myers northward through Cedar Key, where water levels peaked over 4 feet above normally dry ground across the upper Nature Coast and the Cedar Key area. Wind gusts of up to 60 to 70 mph affected much of the western Florida coast, with the strongest winds occurring along immediate coastal areas from around Tampa and St. Petersburg northward across Nature Coast locations, producing generally minor damage along with power outages. Torrential rainfall accompanied Debby as the rainbands east of its center moved across the area. Totals as high as 15 to 20 inches were reported, with hardest hit west-central and southwest Florida areas requiring numerous water rescues from flooded vehicles and homes as a result of extensive flash flooding and subsequent river flooding, and at least one official river gauge site established a new record crest. Multiple supercells embedded within outer rain bands east of Debby's center produced at least 3 tornadoes across the area, however, associated damage remained relatively minor.

Debby's overall impacts across the western Florida peninsula resulted in 2 direct fatalities and 3 indirect fatalities, with numerous homes and additional businesses receiving damage from freshwater flash and river flooding.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (27.6462, -81.8535)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1225281. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.