F2 Tornado — Hillsborough, Florida

1996-12-07 · near Tampa, Hillsborough, Florida

Wider weather episode

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.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (27.8300, -82.3000)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5580101. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.