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F2 tornado in Hillsborough County, Florida

Tornado December 7, 1996 · Hillsborough County, Florida

F2
Rating
2.0 mi
Path length
83 yd
Path width
1
Death
$100K
Damage as recorded
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

NOAA recorded where this tornado touched down but not where it lifted, so it appears as a point. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What F2 means. This tornado was rated on Fujita’s original scale, used until 2007. F2 meant considerable damage: roofs torn off well-built houses, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted; the scale paired it with winds of 113–157 mph, figures later judged too high, especially toward the top of the scale, and revised downward in the Enhanced Fujita scale. Ratings then, as now, came from the damage.

The wider storm

A short-lived but strong tornado touched down one eighth of a mile east of Interstate 75 and one half mile north of Big Bend Road in Riverview where it snapped a dozen tree tops. The tornado moved east and descended into the Cowley Cove mobile home complex where it widened to 250 feet and damaged nine mobile homes and snapped an additional dozen trees.Three mobile homes were completely leveled, two were severely damaged, one moderately damaged and three incurred minor damage, all on Cowley Cove Court. One human fatality, a 50 year old male, and three dogs, occurred when the occupants mobile home was lifted up by the tornadic winds and tossed nearly a 100 feet from its foundation where it disentegrated on impact. At least five parked vehicles where damaged by the tornado along with several sheds and outbuildings. Most of the damage occurred along a 3/16 mile path in the Cowley Cove mobile home complex before it lifted, moved east and sporatically touched down in rural southern Hillsborough county. The tornado dissipated nearly two miles east of it's initial touchdown north of Dixon Drive.Of note, a parked undrivable vehicle that was in the direct path of the tornado had most of it's contents sucked from the hatchback storage compartment including a removed 100 pound transmission.Inspection of the vehicle found that the hatchback skin was buckled, bowed and pushed outward from the inside of the vehicle by the transmission casing that eventually smashed upward and out through the rear hatchback window.

Began near Tampa (27.8300, -82.3000).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 5580101. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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