Waterspout — Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound, Gulf of Mexico

2022-01-16 · near Punta Rassa, Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound, Gulf of Mexico

Event narrative

A waterspout identified in videos posted to social media just northwest of Fort Myers Beach moved ashore as a tornado and pushed through the Iona area near Fort Myers producing EF-2 damage with peak winds estimated around 118 mph, destroyed or damaged over 200 residences, and caused an estimated $10 million USD in damages.

Wider weather episode

A strong cold front and line of storms moved across the west Florida coastal waters during the early morning producing multiple strong marine wind gusts and waterspouts that would move ashore causing significant damage.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (26.4717, -81.9950)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 996435. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.