A band of showers and thunderstorms moved across southwest Florida ahead of a cold front. One of these storms produced an EF-2 tornado and severe wind gusts in Lee county.
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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.
The episode as NWS TBW wrote it up.
A band of showers and thunderstorms moved across southwest Florida ahead of a cold front. One of these storms produced an EF-2 tornado and severe wind gusts in Lee county.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Tampa Bay, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 9, 2:45 PM EST, 3 hours 55 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL 245 PM EST SAT JAN 9 2016 .SHORT TERM (TONIGHT-SUNDAY)... AN INTENSIFYING AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OVER THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL LIFT NORTHEAST TO THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY LATE TONIGHT. AN ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT OVER THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO WILL PUSH ACROSS THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO AND FLORIDA PENINSULA TONIGHT. AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED EARLIER TODAY OVER THE CENTRAL GULF IN REGION OF STRONG U/L JET DYNAMICS. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO THIS AFTERNOON...AND MOVE ONSHORE THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA LATE THIS AFTERNOON/EARLY THIS EVENING. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO WEAKEN AS THEY APPROACH THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA DUE TO COMBINATION OF BEST U/L FORCING LIFTING WELL NORTH OF THE FORECAST AREA AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY MOVING OVER THE COOLER MORE STABLE SHELF WATERS ALONG THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA...WHERE WATER TEMPERATURES ARE IN THE LOWER TO MID 60S. MAIN AREA OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL EXIT THE NORTHERN/CENTRAL FORECAST AREA BETWEEN MIDNIGHT TO 3 AM...AND SHOULD CLEAR SOUTHWEST FLORIDA LATE TONIGHT. MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES WILL PERSIST ON SUNDAY WITH DRIER COOLER AIR BEGINNING TO ADVECT ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA IN THE WAKE OF THE COLD FRONT ON NORTHWEST WINDS. .LONG TERM (SUNDAY NIGHT-NEXT SATURDAY)... A MID-LEVEL TROUGH DIGS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES BEFORE SHIFTING NORTHEAST LATE SUNDAY INTO MONDAY MORNING. THIS WILL HELP PUSH A SURFACE FRONT ACROSS THE PENINSULA OF FLORIDA...WITH DRIER AIR ENTERING MOST OF THE AREA MONDAY NIGHT/TUESDAY MORNING. THE DRY TREND WILL BE SHORT-LIVED AS ANOTHER MID-LEVEL TROUGH PUSHES ACROSS THE GULF AND COMBINES WITH MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE REMNANT FRONTAL BOUNDARY TO PRODUCE SOME RAIN CHANCES BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING. EVENTUALLY...THE FRONT CLEARS BACK EAST AND SOUTH ALLOWING FLORIDA TO DRY OUT TUESDAY NIGHT. WEDNESDAY SHOULD REMAIN A DRY DAY WITH THE NEXT GULF SYSTEM DEVELOPING WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY...REACHING FLORIDA ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING. A TRAILING MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH COULD ENABLE A SECOND ROUND OF CONVECTION THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. WHILE IT IS CURRENTLY PRETTY FAR OUT IN THE FORECAST PERIOD...THE PROGRESS OF THIS LATE WEEK SYSTEM SHOULD BE MONITORED FOR POTENTIAL SEVERE WEATHER. BEHIND THE SYSTEM...DRIER AIR RETURNS TO USHER IN THE WEEKEND. TEMPERATURES WITH THE DRIER AIR MASSES WILL BE SEASONABLY CHILLY. GUIDANCE DOES HAVE SOME TYPICAL DIFFERENCES IN THE TIMING OF SYNOPTIC FEATURES IN THEIR SOLUTIONS BUT NOTHING THAT AFFECTS THE FORECAST PICTURE TERRIBLY MUCH. && .AVIATION... NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND ISOLD THUNDERSTORMS WILL SPREAD OVER WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA AND WILL LIKELY IMPACT ALL TERMINALS OVERNIGHT WITH AREAS OF MVFR CIGS/VSBYS AND LCL IFR CIGS/VSBYS ASSOCIATED WITH THUNDERSTORMS. && .MARINE... A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE WATERS TONIGHT WITH NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WHICH MAY PRODUCE LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS AND ROUGH SEAS. WINDS WILL INCREASE TO NEAR ADVISORY LEVELS IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT ON SUNDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE WATERS SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY WITH WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDING. && .FIRE WEATHER... NO FIRE WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED ON SUNDAY AS LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL BE SUFFICIENT TO KEEP AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES ABOVE CRITICAL LEVELS. MUCH DRIER AIR ADVECTING ACROSS THE REGION ON MONDAY WILL LIKELY ALLOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES TO DROP BELOW 35 PERCENT FOR OVER FOUR HOURS MONDAY AFTERNOON OVER PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... TPA 66 68 48 64 / 70 10 0 0 FMY 68 77 54 70 / 60 20 10 0 GIF 65 71 47 65 / 60 10 0 0 SRQ 68 70 51 65 / 70 10 0 0 BKV 63 66 40 63 / 70 10 0 0 SPG 66 69 52 63 / 70 10 0 0 && .TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...NONE. GULF WATERS...NONE. && SHORT TERM/AVIATION/MARINE/FIRE WEATHER...13/OGLESBY LONG TERM/DECISION SUPPORT...57/MCMICHAEL
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL 540 AM EST SAT JAN 9 2016 FLZ043-050-052-056-057-061-139-142-148-149-151-155-160-162-165- 239-242-248-249-251-255-260-262-265-GMZ830-836-850-853-856-870- 873-876-101045- SUMTER-PINELLAS-POLK-HARDEE-HIGHLANDS-DESOTO-COASTAL LEVY- COASTAL CITRUS-COASTAL HERNANDO-COASTAL PASCO- COASTAL HILLSBOROUGH-COASTAL MANATEE-COASTAL SARASOTA- COASTAL CHARLOTTE-COASTAL LEE-INLAND LEVY-INLAND CITRUS- INLAND HERNANDO-INLAND PASCO-INLAND HILLSBOROUGH-INLAND MANATEE- INLAND SARASOTA-INLAND CHARLOTTE-INLAND LEE-TAMPA BAY WATERS- CHARLOTTE HARBOR AND PINE ISLAND SOUND- COASTAL WATERS FROM TARPON SPRINGS TO SUWANNEE RIVER FL OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM ENGLEWOOD TO TARPON SPRINGS FL OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM BONITA BEACH TO ENGLEWOOD FL OUT 20 NM- WATERS FROM TARPON SPRINGS TO SUWANNEE RIVER FL OUT 20 TO 60 NM- WATERS FROM ENGLEWOOD TO TARPON SPRINGS FL OUT 20 TO 60 NM- WATERS FROM BONITA BEACH TO ENGLEWOOD FL OUT 20 TO 60 NM- 540 AM EST SAT JAN 9 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ...THUNDERSTORM IMPACT... SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO AND FLORIDA PENINSULA. SOME STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE MAIN HAZARDS BEING DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL...AND POSSIBLY A TORNADO. IN ADDITION OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING STRIKES AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE AS THE STORMS MOVE TO THE NORTH AND NORTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 MPH. ...DENSE FOG/SMOKE IMPACT... AREAS OF PATCHY DENSE FOG WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO A QUARTER MILE OR LESS IN SOME LOCATIONS THROUGH SUNRISE THIS MORNING AND A DENSE FOG ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR DESOTO...SARASOTA...CHARLOTTE AND LEE COUNTIES UNTIL 9 AM EST THIS MORNING. IF DRIVING...SLOW DOWN...USE YOUR LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS...AND LEAVE PLENTY OF DISTANCE BETWEEN YOU AND THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF YOU. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. ...THUNDERSTORM IMPACT... SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE LATE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY AS ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM AND ATTENDANT COLD FRONT APPROACH FROM THE WEST. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. MCMICHAEL
The Tampa radar (KTBW), 134 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:40 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Lee County Emergency Management reported some roof and carport damage to a home on Pine Island.
NWS Storm Survey revealed EF-2 tornado damage in the western sections of Cape Coral. The tornado damaged 178 structures in total. One home was completely destroyed while 14 sustained major damage and another 163 sustained minor damage. The minor damage mainly consisted of roof damage and destroyed pool cages. Over 100 power poles were knocked down along the tornado's path along with many trees. The tornado injured three people while it was on the ground for about 7 minutes.
A home weather station recorded a 68 knot thunderstorm wind gust.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Florida, 2016Warnings in Florida, January 2016
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: 607557, 607553, 607345.