Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Florida, January 3, 1994

Name: Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Florida, January 3, 1994
Start: 1994-01-03T12:50
End: 1994-01-03T17:50
Location: Florida

January 3, 1994 · 11 events in 9 counties and zones

6 tornado, 5 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 1
Property damage: $626,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Events: 11

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

Event by event

6 tornado, 5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sarasota

When: January 3, 12:50 PM EST
Where: Sarasota County, South Pointe to Shores
Property damage: $500
Coordinates: 27.183, -82.365 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong wind gusts damaged a screened pool enclosure.

Tornado, Polk

When: January 3, 2:45 PM EST
Where: Polk County, Frostproof
Rating: F1
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 15 yd
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $500,000
Crop damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 27.949, -81.698 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A tornado touched down four times causing $50 thousand damage to cars, buildings, signs and traffic signals as well as uprooting citrus trees. A 12-year old boy was cut by flying debris. Damage included windows blown out of ten vehicles and two stores as well as destruction of roof air conditioners.

Tornado, Polk

When: January 3, 2:45 PM EST
Where: Polk County, Waverly
Rating: F0
Path length: 1 mi
Path width: 15 yd
Property damage: $5,000
Crop damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 27.949, -81.698 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Eyewitnesses reported a funnel cloud touched down in an orange grove. Along a one mile path, the tornado blew roof tiles off several small buildings and did minor damage to cars.

Tornado, Alachua

When: January 3, 5:05 PM EST
Where: Alachua County, Near Lacrosse to Gainesville
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.1 mi
Path width: 10 yd
Property damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 29.675, -82.358 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Sheriff reported a brief tornado which did minor damage to two mobile homes and blew down large tree limbs.

Tornado, Bradford

When: January 3, 5:08 PM EST
Where: Bradford County, E of Brooker to Gainesville
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.1 mi
Path width: 10 yd
Property damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 29.950, -82.169 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A brief tornado touchdown tore up a few sheds and blew shingles off some houses.

Tornado, Baker

When: January 3, 5:09 PM EST
Where: Baker County, S of Macclenny to Jacksonsville
Rating: F0
Path length: 2 mi
Path width: 10 yd
Property damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 30.331, -82.285 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several houses were damaged and tops of 60 foot pine trees were twisted off along a two mile path.

Thunderstorm Wind, Clay

When: January 3, 5:30 PM EST
Where: Clay County, Gainesville
Property damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 29.983, -81.858 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Power lines were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Duval

When: January 3, 5:30 PM EST
Where: Duval County, Jacksonsville
Property damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 30.335, -81.648 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winds blew a large "Lotto" sign onto a pickup truck.

Tornado, Duval

When: January 3, 5:30 PM EST
Where: Duval County, Jacksonsville
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.1 mi
Path width: 10 yd
Property damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 30.335, -81.648 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A tornado heavily damaged a mobile home and downed trees on the west side of Jacksonville.

Thunderstorm Wind, Nassau

When: January 3, 5:30 PM EST
Where: Nassau County, Jacksonsville
Property damage: $500
Coordinates: 30.611, -81.771 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm winds tore the roof off a pump house.

Thunderstorm Wind, St. Johns

When: January 3, 5:50 PM EST
Where: St. Johns County, Jacksonsville
Coordinates: 29.912, -81.410 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Trees were blown down near a Dog Track on U.S. Highway #1.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

Every storm in Florida in 1994 Every state in 1994 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Florida, 1994 Warnings in Florida, January 1994

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 10319830, 10319894, 10319895, 10318068, 10318146, 10318130, 10317677, 10317769, 10317770, 10320126, 10319121.