Tornadoes have been spotted in parts of South Florida as Hurricane Milton draws closer, prompting authorities to urge residents to safety.
As of Wednesday morning, October 9, 2024, multiple tornadoes were reported across South Florida. The National Weather Service Miami-South Florida (NWS Miami) office issued urgent warnings as more severe weather, fueled by the approach of Hurricane Milton, sweeps across several counties.
Tornadoes have been confirmed in areas including the Everglades, Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation, and locations near major highways. South Floridians were advised to stay alert as more tornadoes may be expected.
At 10:03 a.m. (EST), NWS Miami posted a warning of a tornado on the ground over the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation on their X (formerly Twitter) account, urging people in the vicinity to take shelter. Images of the phases of the tornado’s early sighting were retweeted..
Another post followed, featuring a photo of a tornado crossing I-75. “Seek shelter NOW!” the caption urged.
By 10:21 a.m. (EST), another sighting was reported, showing a video of a tornado west-northwest of the Miccosukee Service Plaza.
Users responded to these messages with pictures and videos of their own. “Outside Weston. Just took this,” a resident posted at 10:26 a.m. (EST). Another netizen from the area added a picture and wrote, “From my window in Weston…”
Other outlets have posted footage of the natural phenomena as well. One clip shared on WPLG Local 10’s YouTube channel captures a tornado passing through West Pembroke Pines.
In another video, a tornado is seen moving through the Everglades near Alligator Alley in Boward County, with dark clouds swirling overhead. A different clip, taken in Southwest Ranches, shows a tornado caught on cellphone video.
At 10:56 a.m. (EST), NWS Miami issued a reminder, emphasizing that multiple tornadoes had already been confirmed, with three active warnings in effect. “Additional tornadoes remain possible,” the agency warned as Hurricane Milton approached landfall.
At 11:46 a.m. (EST), the NWS issued an urgent update, reporting another meso-vortex tornado on the western side of Lake Okeechobee near Lakeport. The alert included four active tornado warnings covering areas such as Naples Metro, Pahokee/Canal Point, Lakeport, and Ortona, and urged residents to seek shelter immediately.
At 12:41 p.m. (EST), the NWS posted another alarming update, “🚨 Storm Surge Threat Beginning🚨 Views from the Naples Pier this afternoon indicate that #Milton’s surge is beginning to arrive across coastal southwestern Florida with water levels steadily rising during what should be low tide Stay alert!”
Later in the afternoon, at 1:30 p.m. (EST), they provided a radar update, “A large convective band of Hurricane #Milton continues to rotate across southwestern Florida. A new Tornado Warning is in effect 1:45 p.m. for Collier and Hendry counties.”
By 1:37 p.m. (EST), a storm surge warning remained in effect for coastal Collier and Mainland Monroe counties. The NWS indicated that winds were shifting to a more southerly onshore direction with estimates of 3–8 feet of storm surge possible in affected areas.
At 2 p.m. (EST), they confirmed Hurricane Milton’s sustained winds had reached 130 mph, with tornado warnings and storm surge threats continuing across southwestern Florida.
The danger escalated further by 2:40 p.m. (EST) as the NWS reported that the large convective band of Hurricane Milton continued rotating through South Florida. “We have 4 active Tornado Warnings ongoing,” they posted. “We have issued 39 Tornado Warnings today as of 2:45 p.m.” This tally underscored the relentless severity of the storm.
At 3 p.m. (EST), the NWS provided an overview of all tornado warnings issued by NWS offices in Tampa Bay, Miami, and Melbourne. As of that time, 53 total tornado warnings had been issued throughout the day, 41 of them by NWS Miami alone. “Please remain aware for current and future tornado warnings!” the agency emphasized.
Just minutes later, at 3:05 p.m. (EST), reports of structural damage in Lakeport, FL, emerged as the most recent tornado-warned storm moved through. This marked the seventh confirmed tornado of the day, and the second to hit Lakeport.
By 3:46 p.m. (EST), the NWS clarified expected storm surges, warning of 5–8 feet from Bonita Beach to Chokoloskee, and 3–5 feet from Chokoloskee to Flamingo.
As the storm progressed, the situation continued to worsen, with reports of street flooding arriving by 4:20 p.m. (EST) in southwestern coastal communities. The NWS warned, “Given #Milton’s fast forward speed, the increase in water levels may be sudden. DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH SALTWATER!”
At 4:48 p.m. (EST), the NWS provided a critical visual update, “Visual on the ongoing Tornado near Wellington! SEEK SHELTER IF YOU ARE IN A TORNADO WARNING!” This alerted residents in the area to take immediate action to protect themselves.
Just minutes later, at 4:55 p.m. (EST), they posted another urgent message, “ONGOING TORNADO heading toward populated areas (Loxahatchee Groves and the Acreage).”
By 5:15 p.m. (EST), the storm surge threat had worsened. The NWS posted, “Surge continues to rise rapidly at the North Naples Bay Tide Gauge! Communities are starting to flood across coastal Collier, Seek higher ground now!”
This was followed by another warning at 5:13 p.m. (EST), with reports of rough Gulf waters and rapidly rising storm surge levels. “PLEASE stay away from the Naples Pier and all beaches along the Gulf coast,” they urged.
At 5:24 p.m. (EST), the NWS added more information, “LARGE MULTI-VORTEX TORNADO REMAINS ON THE GROUND NOW MOVING INTO MARTIN COUNTY.”
Just three minutes later, at 5:27 p.m. (EST), they wrote, “DAMAGING LARGE TORNADO HAS NOW MOVED OUT OF PALM BEACH COUNTY.”
Around the same time, the National Hurricane Center provided its own key message, warning of life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force winds expected on the west Florida Peninsula.
By 6:00 p.m. (EST), NWS Miami announced that 55 tornado warnings had been issued by them alone, with a total of 98 warnings issued across Tampa Bay, Melbourne, and Miami. At least nine confirmed tornadoes had hit the Miami area as of this time, highlighting the unprecedented nature of the storm’s impact on South Florida.
Their following post around the same time further confirmed the ongoing storm surge. They warned, “🚨 Storm Surge Ongoing 🚨 Water levels continue to rapidly increase across southwestern Florida as #Milton’s surge moves in.”
Residents are urged to continue monitoring the latest updates from trusted sources and seek safety immediately. Stay informed, stay safe, and take the necessary precautions to protect yourself and your family during this extreme weather event.
