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F1 tornado in Palm Beach County, Florida

Tornado January 2, 1999 · Palm Beach County, Florida

F1
Rating
3.2 mi
Path length
30 yd
Path width
$5.9M
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 F1 means. This tornado was rated on Fujita’s original scale, used until 2007. F1 meant moderate damage: roofs badly stripped, mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned, windows broken; the scale paired it with winds of 73–112 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.

What the National Weather Service wrote

A tornado touched down just east of I-95 and north of Blue Heron Blvd. and travelled toward the east southeast for more than three miles before dissipating over the intracoastal waterway near the Port of Palm Beach. A total of 460 buildings suffered damage, including portable classrooms at JFK Middle School. A four block section around 5th Avenue North was hardest hit. In addition, cargo containers at the Port of Palm Beach were ripped open, a tractor trail was overturned, a concrete utility pole was snapped off and more than 13000 electrical customers lost power.

Began near Riviera Beach (26.7700, -80.0500).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 5679250. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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