Thunderstorm Wind — Okeechobee, Florida

2017-04-06 · near Basinger, Okeechobee, Florida

Event narrative

A Kissimmee Prairie Preserve biologist reported that a storm flipped over two travel trailers, uprooted several large trees and caused sheet metal to become lodged in a tree. Two people within one of the trailers were injured, one suffered a punctured lung and several broken ribs and the other received very minor injuries. The damage was concentrated in the park from the equestrian campground to the family campground.

Follow-up information from Okeechobee Emergency Management and a NWS damage survey confirmed the impacts were the result of intense straight-line winds estimated near 80 mph, as a cluster of thunderstorms organized into a bow echo, then began to evolve into a supercell while continuing eastward.

Wider weather episode

During the early morning hours, a strong thunderstorm along a decaying squall line produced localized wind damage in the town of Lady Lake. Tree damage occurred, along with very minor damage to one home.

As the squall line continued to sag southward, it became reinvigorated toward mid morning. A cluster of strong storms formed into a bow echo as it approached the Kissimmee River near the border of southwest Osceola and northwest Okeechobee Counties. Very strong straight line winds destroyed two recreational vehicles within the Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park and resulted in two injuries. As the cell continued east, a tornado developed and impacted Fort Drum with EF-2 damage to several mobile homes and numerous trees.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (27.5835, -81.0553)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 696300. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.