Tornado, Polk
- When
- May 21, 4:42 PM EST to 4:45 PM EST
- Where
- Polk County, Lakeland to 2 mi W of Lakeland
- Rating
- F1
- Path length
- 1.5 mi
- Path width
- 50 yd
- Property damage
- $1.0 million
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 28.020, -81.970
A tornado initially touched down in the Heatherwood Village Mobile Home Park and caused minor to moderate damage to the roofs, carports, lanais, and awnings of over 30 mobile homes. The tornado continued to move north along Harden Boulevard and caused minor to moderate roof damage to a gas/convenience store at the intersection of W. Ariana Street and Sikes Boulevard while a strip shopping mall north of the intersection suffered minor to moderate roof damage from the F1 tornado.The tornado continued north along Central Avenue and uprooted or snapped dozens of Live Oak and pine trees and downed at least two dozen power lines on either side of the road. Two additional mobile home rooftops were removed by tornadic wind on Inman Drive while a shed and carport were destroyed at the intersection of Dorothy Street and Central Avenue.The tornado snapped a large tree which fell atop and caused significant structural damage to a home at the intersection of Lime Street and Veterans Avenue. The tornado lifted and dissipated north of Central Avenue and the CSX railroad tracks near the Amtrak station.The tornado caused major roof and wall damage to two businesses while three others suffered minor damage. The tornado caused major roof, wall and chimney damage to 14 single family homes with minor to moderate roof damage to an additional 84 single family homes. The tornado caused minor to moderate roof, carport, lanais and awning damage to 36 mobile homes.