F2 Tornado — Polk, Florida

1998-03-09 · near Lake Wales, Polk, Florida

Wider weather episode

A tornado (F0) touched down in rural semi-wooded swampland, seven miles southeast of Lake Wales in Southwest Polk County. Ground survey indicated that the tornado moved northeast across Lake-In-The-Water Road and caused sporadic minor damage to the roofs of a few homes and downed trees and branches in the Oakwood Drive subdivision. The tornado continued northeast, widened to 250 yards and intensified to F2 strength where it destroyed or severely damaged several structures along Doherty Drive.Two mobile homes that took a direct hit from the F2 tornado along Doherty Drive were completely disintegrated with only frame rails and tie downs intact. Meanwhile, in close proximity to the crushed mobile homes, a well-built home, with rebar-poured concrete, reinforced cinder block walls and a hip roof, suffered minor structural and roofing tile damage after taking a direct hit by the F2 tornado on Doherty Drive. A pick-up truck parked adjacent to the well-built home was pushed 30 feet from its original resting place by the tornadic wind.Residents along Doherty Drive reported the sound of the tornado resembled that of a large freight train. One severely injured resident on Doherty Drive was tossed over 50 feet into the street from his mobile home that was destroyed by the tornado.A storage facility with unsupported cinder block walls and a high unsupported roof span was demolished by the tornadic wind. Tornado ground survey indicated that a large ten foot plus wide wood door entrance failed and allowed the tornadic wind to enter the commercial structure and exert extreme pressure on the outer load bearing walls which collapsed outward.Aerial survey indicated that the tornado weakened to F1 strength and continued northeast across rural pasture and semi-wooded swampland where it caused severe damage to a few mobile homes, barns, fences and sheds before it crossed State Road 60, one quarter mile west of Tiger Lake Road, or 11.5 miles east of Lake Wales.The tornado downed large power lines along State Road 60 and continued northeast where it snapped tree tops and branches before it lifted and dissipated along the southwest shore of Lake Kissimmee.The tornado in all destroyed or severely damaged twelve homes, caused moderate to slight damage to an additional fourteen homes, severely damaged four commercial buildings and damaged two recreational vehicles. The tornado also snapped several large power poles, downed numerous power lines and uprooted or snapped several large trees. Tornado damage to structures was estimated at one million dollars while damage to the electrical infrastructure was estimated at one million dollars.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (27.8300, -81.5000)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5647929. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.