Tornadoes · United States · Florida · 2004
F0 tornado, Auburndale, Florida, February 24, 2004
This F0 tornado ran 0.3 miles across Polk County on February 24, 2004, touching down at 1:45 PM EST and reaching 30 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $10,000 of property damage.
The rating scale
Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.
F040 to 72 mphthis tornado
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
F173 to 112 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
F2113 to 157 mph
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
F3158 to 206 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
F4207 to 260 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
F5261 to 318 mph
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unrated
The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.
The record
- Rating
- F0
- Date
- February 24, 2004
- Touchdown
- 1:45 PM EST (18:45 UTC)
- Path length
- 0.3 miles (0.5 km)
- Path width
- 30 yards (27 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $10,000
- County
- Polk County
- Touchdown point
- 28.050, -81.820
- Lift-off point
- 28.050, -81.820
- Record number
- 4
What the Weather Service recorded
Polk County Emergency Management completed a storm survey and found shingles stripped off a brick home and four mobile homes with minor damage, including damage to skirting, awnings, and attached shed. An eyewitness watch a thin tornado move through the area. The wind speed of the tornado was estimated at 70 mph.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The warnings
No tornado warning for this county appears in the archive as in force at the moment the tornado touched down.
Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.
The forecast that day
The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Slight Risk, with a 0.05 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 16:22 UTC.
SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, 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 tornado touched down at Feb 24, 10:43 AM EST, 3 hours 2 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 24, 10:43 AM EST, 3 hours 2 minutes before
WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 1043 AM EST TUE FEB 24 2004 UPDATED ZONES AND COASTALS AGAIN TO INCLUDE TORNADO WATCH. ALSO LOWERED MAX TEMPS A BIT IN THE NORTH WITH COOL POOL DEVELOPING NORTH OF CONVECTIVE BOUNDARY. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION BELOW. LOTS OF THINGS TO LOOK AT THIS MORNING. OVER THE NORTH...QUASI- STATIONARY BOUNDARY IS FOCUS FOR CONVECTION...WHICH CONTINUES TO TRAIN OVER HERNANDO COUNTY...FED BY MOIST...SOUTHERLY LOW LEVEL FLOW. BOUNDARY WILL WAFFLE AROUND A LITTLE THIS AFTERNOON...BUT SHOULD NOT MOVE A WHOLE LOT IN EITHER DIRECTION. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN TO CONTINUE AS SATELLITE SHOWS ACTIVITY CONTINUING TO FORM ALONG THE BOUNDARY OVER THE EASTERN GULF AND MOVE EASTWARD. FOR THE CENTRAL FA...LARGE BATCH OF LOW CLOUDS OVER THE GULF IS MOVING ONSHORE AND SHOULD BE FAIRLY STUBBORN THIS AFTERNOON. MOSTLY CLOUDY LOOKS GOOD WITH MORE BREAKS INLAND THAN NEAR THE COAST. DOWN SOUTH...MORE SUNSHINE WILL LET TEMPS SHOOT UP INTO THE 80S AWAY FROM THE COAST. OVERALL...CURRENT ZONES LOOK PRETTY GOOD. NO CHANGES PLANNED. SEVERE THREAT...HAVE HAD BRIEF PERIODS OF ROTATION WITH STORMS MOVING ALONG BOUNDARY THIS MORNING...BUT NOTHING PARTICULARLY ORGANIZED YET. ORGANIZATION MAY IMPROVE DURING THE DAY AS LOW LEVEL INSTABILITY INCREASES AND FEEDS INTO THE BOUNDARY...BUT STRONGEST UPPER LEVEL WIND FIELDS DONT GENERATE UNTIL TONIGHT. MARINE...SCEC WORKING OUT WELL SOUTH OF THE BOUNDARY...BUT WINDS MUCH LIGHTER OVER A GOOD PART OF THE NORTHERN LEG. WILL SEPARATE ZONES ACCORDINGLY AT 1030 AM UPDATE. && .TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SCEC BONITA BCH TO SUWANNEE RVR INCLUDING TAMPA BAY. ALSHEIMER
Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 24, 11:00 AM EST, 2 hours 45 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 1100 AM EST TUE FEB 24 2004 .AN OLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA THIS MORNING HAS PROVIDED A FOCUS FOR THUNDERSTORMS WHICH WILL REACH SEVERE LIMITS FROM LATE MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON FOR POTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA. FLZ039-055>057-060>062-065-242100- CHARLOTTE-DE SOTO-HARDEE-HIGHLANDS-LEE-LEVY-MANATEE-SARASOTA- 1100 AM EST TUE FEB 24 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY: SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL FORM DURING THE AFTERNOON. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS ALONG WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF SMALL HAIL. SOME OF THE HEAVIER STORMS MAY HAVE HEAVY RAINFALL WITH MINOR FLOODING POSSIBLE. @0006 FLZ042-043-048>052-242100- CITRUS-HERNANDO-HILLSBOROUGH-PASCO-PINELLAS-POLK-SUMTER- 1100 AM EST TUE FEB 24 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PART OF WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY: A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 PM EST FOR THE COUNTIES OF...CITRUS...HERNANDO...HILLSBOROUGH...PASCO...PINELLAS...POLK... AND SUMTER. DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL ARE THE MAIN THREATS UNTIL 400 PM. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR POSSIBLE WATCHES OR WARNINGS. SMALL TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE UNTIL 400 PM. TREES...POWER LINES...AND POORLY CONSTRUCTED BUILDINGS WILL BE MOST AT RISK. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR POSSIBLE WATCHES OR WARNINGS.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Feb 24, 9:50 AM EST, 3 hours 55 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 950 AM EST TUE FEB 24 2004 FLZ048-241530- HERNANDO- 950 AM EST TUE FEB 24 2004 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT HERNANDO COUNTY... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH...WILL AFFECT WEEKI WACHEE...BAYPORT AND BROOKSVILLE...UNTIL 1030 AM EST. GUSTY WINDS UP TO 40 MPH WILL OCCUR. FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS EXPECTED. IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE...CROUCH DOWN IN A LOW SPOT...AWAY FROM TALL OBJECTS.
Special weather statement, Feb 24, 12:02 PM EST, 1 hour 43 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 1202 PM EST TUE FEB 24 2004 FLZ049-050-241745- PASCO-PINELLAS- 1202 PM EST TUE FEB 24 2004 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT WEST PASCO AND NORTHWEST PINELLAS COUNTIES... STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH...WILL MOVE ONSHORE AND AFFECT AREAS NEAR HUDSON...PORT RICHEY...TARPON SPRINGS...NEW PORT RICHEY AND JASMINE ESTATES...UNTIL 1 PM EST. GUSTY WINDS UP TO 40 MPH AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS EXPECTED. TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS...AND MINOR FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.
Local storm report, Feb 24, 1:15 PM EST, 30 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
115 PM EST TUE FEB 24 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0930 AM HEAVY RAIN WEEKI WACHEE 28.52N 82.58W
02/24/2004 500 INCH HERNANDO FL TRAINED SPOTTER
IN A FIVE HOUR TIME FRAME
1210 PM TSTM WND GST 9 SSW BROOKSVILLE 28.43N 82.45W
02/24/2004 50 MPH PASCO FL TRAINED SPOTTER
1255 PM WATER SPOUT 2 NE FEATHER SOUND 27.93N 82.63W
02/24/2004 PINELLAS FL LAW ENFORCEMENT
NEAR THE HOWARD FRANKLIN BRIDGE ON THE PINELLAS COUNTY
SIDE. REPORTED BY PUBLIC THROUGH 911.
&&
NOAHLocal storm report, Feb 24, 1:35 PM EST, 10 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
135 PM EST TUE FEB 24 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1255 PM TSTM WND DMG 6 NW TAMPA 28.02N 82.55W
02/24/2004 HILLSBOROUGH FL FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
DOWNED POWERLINES AND DEBRIS IN ROUD BETWEEN THE 5800 AND
5900 BLOCK OF BENJAMIN ROAD.
1145 AM TSTM WND DMG 6 SSE FEATHER SOUND 27.83N 82.63W
02/24/2004 PINELLAS FL AIRPLANE PILOT
ROOF OFF A TRAILER.
1208 PM TSTM WND GST SAINT PETERSBURG 27.76N 82.67W
02/24/2004 50 MPH PINELLAS FL AWOS
MEASURED AT THE ALBERT WHITTED AIRPORT.
&&
NOAHThe air that afternoon
The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.
Tampa Bay, FL (KTBW), 12:00Z
6.8 hours before the tornado, 69 km from the path. February 24, 2004.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 348 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -28 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 237 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 782 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 49 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 19 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 206 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 237 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.4
- Supercell composite
- 1.9
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 5.0 K/km
Tampa Bay, FL (KTBW), 00:00Z
5.2 hours after it, 69 km from the path. February 25, 2004.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 45 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -104 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 15 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 583 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 75 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 28 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 195 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 324 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 3.3
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 5.1 K/km
The radar
The Tampa radar (KTBW), 69 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 18:43 UTC.
Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track
Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2004 tornado in FloridaEvery tornado in Florida since 1950Warnings in force in Florida nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of February 24, 2004
1 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 24 | 9:10 PM CST | F0 | Brazos, TX | 0.2 | 50 | $30,000 |
What this means
Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.
Sources
NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.