EF1 tornado in Hillsborough County, Florida

The area around the Tampa Port Authority and Progress Village suffered extensive damage from an EF1 tornado. Numerous roofs were blown off and 40 feet long storage containers were overturned around the Tampa Port Authority. There were 118 homes and businesses with minor damage in Progress Village, and 40 that sustained major damage. In addition, 245 homes are being assisted with tree damage in the Progress Village area.

A stalled frontal boundary was in place across central Florida. As the boundary began to lift north drawing in abundant warm moist air over the area, an upper level disturbance moved over the area and a squall line developed and quickly moved across the northern half of the area. Several areas of damaging winds and a tornado resulted from this fast moving line on March 30th. The warm front continued to lift north over northern Florida as a developing low pressure system shifted into the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. As this system moved across northern Florida, the cold front pushed into the local area and another series of squall lines moved across the area through the day on March 31st. Several tornadoes and areas of damaging winds occurred across the greater Tampa Bay area.