Florida, 2026

Tornadoes in Florida, May 12, 2026

May 12, 2026 · NWS TBW · 2 events in 1 county or zone

A quasi-stationary surface boundary draped west to east across the northern peninsula and an approaching upper-level disturbance created an environment of favorable shear and instability that produced 2 EF-0 tornadoes near Hudson and Shady Hills in Pasco County.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$250,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS TBW wrote it up.

A quasi-stationary surface boundary draped west to east across the northern peninsula and an approaching upper-level disturbance created an environment of favorable shear and instability that produced 2 EF-0 tornadoes near Hudson and Shady Hills in Pasco County.

What forecasters said that day

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 May 12, 7:24 AM EST, 5 hours 50 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Marginal risk of severe thunderstorms for eastern portions of the forecast area today and tomorrow afternoon.
  • Locally heavy rain possible this afternoon.
Area forecast discussion, May 12, 7:24 AM EST, 5 hours 50 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tampa Bay Ruskin FL
824 AM EDT Tue May 12 2026

...New AVIATION...

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Marginal risk of severe thunderstorms for eastern portions of
  the forecast area today and tomorrow afternoon.

- Locally heavy rain possible this afternoon.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 1205 AM EDT Tue May 12 2026
A stationary boundary persists across north Florida. An U/L
disturbance will continue to ride over the frontal boundary today
and tonight and will generate numerous to widespread showers and
isolated thunderstorms. An atmospheric river remains evident on
W/V imagery extending from the tropical eastern Pacific...across
the Gulf...and Florida peninsula. This will increase the risk for
locally heavy convective rainfall across the forecast area this
afternoon with a few 2 to 4 inch bullseye possible, with the best
chance over the interior. This is due to the continued onshore
west to southwest boundary layer flow which favors highest pops
over the interior and eastern Peninsula. An MCS which formed over
the central Gulf on Monday has been weakening as its pushed off
the loop current and is currently moving over the relatively
cooler eastern Gulf. However, there may be enough of this remnant
complex to hold together and move onshore the west central coast
of Florida around sunrise with a few showers and possibly a
thunderstorm...although satellite imagery indicates this area of
showers/storms has been dissipating rather quickly over the past
several hours. Will continue to monitor.

As the U/L disturbance exits the region tonight, the frontal
boundary across north Florida will sink south down the Florida
peninsula with winds veering to the north and northwest.
Shower/thunderstorm activity will also exit to the east.

On Wednesday, surface high pressure will begin to build over the
forecast area. Remnant deep layer moisture in the wake of the
exiting system will be sufficient to generate scattered showers
and thunderstorms mainly over the interior in region of max
heating and L/L convergence. NBM POPs appear to be a bit
overdone.

High pressure and drier air will become better established
Thursday through Saturday with overall dry conditions expected
with high temperatures generally in the mid 80s at the coast to
the lower 90s inland each day.

Low level moisture will recover a bit Sunday and Monday with a
chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms mainly south of
Tampa bay.

&&

.AVIATION...
(12Z TAFS)
Issued at 822 AM EDT Tue May 12 2026

Biggest weather concern today for our airports will be scattered
showers and storms that are expected to form in the afternoon and
evening. Storms should develop closer to the coast in the the
early afternoon before shifting to inland locations. Best chances
will be away from the coast. Winds will generally stay below 10
knots outside of thunderstorms.

&&

.MARINE...
Issued at 1205 AM EDT Tue May 12 2026
Relatively weak gradient will persist over the waters through the
period with no headlines expected. Main hazard today will be
isolated to scattered thunderstorms ahead of a frontal boundary
which will move across the waters today and tonight. The storms will
be capable of producing strong gusty winds and locally rough
seas. High pressure will build over the waters in the wake of the
front Wednesday, and will hold over the region through the
weekend.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 1205 AM EDT Tue May 12 2026
No fire weather hazards are expected through Thursday as
sufficient low level moisture will keep minimum relative humidity
values above critical levels through mid week. Dry air combined
with warm temperatures may create critical relative humidity
values over portions of the nature coast and interior Friday
afternoon.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
TPA  88  74  86  73 /  50  50  20  10
FMY  92  74  89  73 /  30  20  30  10
GIF  89  71  88  70 /  80  40  60  10
SRQ  90  73  87  72 /  30  30  30   0
BKV  88  66  87  66 /  70  50  30  10
SPG  91  75  87  75 /  40  40  20  10

&&

.TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...None.
Gulf waters...None.

&&

DISCUSSION/AVIATION/MARINE/FIRE WEATHER...Shiveley
DECISION SUPPORT...Close
UPPER AIR/CLIMATE...Pearce

The radar

The Tampa radar (KTBW), 78 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:13 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Pasco

When
May 12, 1:14 PM EST to 1:19 PM EST
Where
Pasco County, 0.85 mi SSW of Hudson to 0.72 mi ESE of Hudson
Rating
EF0
Path length
1.18 mi
Path width
400 yd
Property damage
$250,000
Reported by
NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates
28.349, -82.707

A storm exhibiting supercell characteristics for multiple hours while offshore moved ashore with a tornado estimated to have touched down around 1814 UTC (2:14 PM EDT) near Hudson in Pasco County, while continuing to exhibit a rotational signature via |KTBW WSR-88D and TTPA TDWR. Damage was initially observed along Saltwater Blvd, where a tree branch was snapped and fell onto a power line. Additional damage points were noted further east along Saltwater Blvd, with two homes suffering partial roof damage or loss. Additional homes suffered various degrees of roof, lanai or carport damage at points northward across Puffin, Heron and Curlew Lanes, while tree damage was noted across nearby Osprey and Gull Lanes. The tornado then crossed U.S. Hwy 19 before the radar signature became increasingly disorganized shortly thereafter, and it is likely that the tornado dissipated sometime around 1819 UTC (2:19 PM EDT) between Whitby Road and Lakeshore Blvd after traveling for just over one mile. Maximum peak wind of 85 mph.

Tornado, Pasco

When
May 12, 1:43 PM EST to 1:48 PM EST
Where
Pasco County, 3.76 mi ESE of Aripeka to 4.43 mi ESE of Aripeka
Rating
EF0
Path length
0.67 mi
Path width
250 yd
Reported by
NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates
28.401, -82.608

The development of a second circulation became apparent west of Shady Hills around 20 minutes after the circulation associated with the Hudson tornado weakened, and it is estimated that a tornado touched down near Gladwin Avenue to the west of East Road |at approximately 1843 UTC (2:43 PM EDT). Damage from this tornado consisted largely of snapped tree limbs and branches, although a large tree was uprooted and downed onto a mobile home along Eden Avenue near the intersection of East Road. The tornado moved very slowly east and east-southeast while appearing to exhibit a bit of a binary interaction with the remnant circulation that produced the Hudson tornado that was located to its east, before radar indicated it likely dissipated around 1848 UTC (2:48 PM EDT), less than one mile from where it is estimated to have touched down. Maximum peak wind of 85 mph.

What these are

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.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Florida in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Florida, 2026Warnings in Florida, May 2026

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: 1338347, 1338349.