Tornadoes · United States · Florida · 2018
EF1 tornado, New Port Rw Pasco Ar to Greenfield, Florida, November 2, 2018
From New Port Rw Pasco Ar to Greenfield, this EF1 tornado ran 0.8 miles across Pasco County on November 2, 2018, touching down at 3:24 PM EDT and reaching 125 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $27,000 of property damage.
The rating scale
Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.
EF065 to 85 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
EF2111 to 135 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.
EF3136 to 165 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
EF5over 200 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
- EF1
- Date
- November 2, 2018
- Touchdown
- 3:24 PM EDT (19:24 UTC)
- Lifted
- 3:25 PM EDT (19:25 UTC)
- On the ground
- 1 minutes
- Path length
- 0.8 miles (1.3 km)
- Path width
- 125 yards (114 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $27,000
- County
- Pasco County
- Touchdown point
- 28.333, -82.470
- Lift-off point
- 28.341, -82.479
- Record number
- 1811021324-01
The damage survey
1 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS TBW, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF0. The highest wind the damage implies is 65 mph.
Survey points are preliminary and are the raw material the published rating was built from. Source: NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit.
What the Weather Service recorded
A strong cold front pushed through the Florida peninsula during the afternoon hours on the 2nd. A squall-line associated with the front produced widespread damaging wind gusts along with multiple tornadoes embedded within the fast-moving line.
Seven homes were damaged on Block Player Dr. in Port Richey. One sustained major damage with 4 others sustaining some structural damage. There were also numerous downed trees in the area.
A brief tornado occurred just north of State Road 52 in Pasco County. A barn sustained damage to the roof in which half of the roof was destroyed.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The warnings
8 minutes of warning. NWS TBW issued a tornado warning for this county at 19:16 UTC, 8 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 19:45 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18:42 UTC | 19:15 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TBW |
| 19:15 UTC | 20:00 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TBW |
| 19:16 UTC | 19:45 UTC | Tornado Warning | TBW |
| 19:45 UTC | 20:15 UTC | Tornado Warning | TBW |
| 19:47 UTC | 20:15 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TBW |
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 Marginal Risk. The outlook in force was issued at 16:27 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.
The 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
7.4 hours before the tornado, 71 km from the path. November 2, 2018.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 125 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -31 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 371 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 693 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 39 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 13 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 109 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 139 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.1
- Supercell composite
- 2.9
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 4.1 K/km
Tampa Bay, FL (KTBW), 00:00Z
4.6 hours after it, 71 km from the path. November 3, 2018.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 12 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -16 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 8 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 497 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 49 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 33 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -68 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- -48 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 4.4 K/km
The surface observations
Brooksville (Asos) (BKV), 15 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17:25 UTC | 190° 11 kt | 1012.5 | ||||
| 17:30 UTC | 190° 11 kt | 1012.5 | ||||
| 17:35 UTC | 210° 13 kt | 1012.5 | ||||
| 17:40 UTC | 190° 16 kt | 1012.5 | ||||
| 17:45 UTC | 190° 14 kt | 1012.5 | ||||
| 17:50 UTC | 200° 13 kt | 1012.2 | ||||
| 17:53 UTC | 82 | 72 | 200° 14 kt | 19 | 1012.2 | |
| 17:55 UTC | 200° 13 kt | |||||
| 18:00 UTC | 15 kt | 1012.2 | ||||
| 18:05 UTC | 13 kt | 1012.2 | ||||
| 18:10 UTC | 13 kt | 18 | 1012.2 | |||
| 18:15 UTC | 190° 13 kt | 1011.9 | ||||
| 18:25 UTC | 190° 14 kt | 20 | 1011.9 | |||
| 18:30 UTC | 200° 16 kt | 1011.9 | ||||
| 18:35 UTC | 190° 17 kt | 1011.9 | ||||
| 18:40 UTC | 190° 13 kt | 1011.5 | ||||
| 18:45 UTC | 200° 9 kt | 1011.5 | ||||
| 18:50 UTC | 190° 10 kt | 1011.2 | ||||
| 18:53 UTC | 80 | 70 | 200° 11 kt | 1011.2 | ||
| 18:55 UTC | 10 kt | 1011.2 | ||||
| 19:00 UTC | 180° 11 kt | 16 | 1011.2 | -RA | ||
| 19:05 UTC | 170° 13 kt | 1010.8 | RA | |||
| 19:10 UTC | 170° 9 kt | 1010.8 | -RA | |||
| 19:15 UTC | 170° 10 kt | 1010.5 | ||||
| 19:16 UTC | 77 | 71 | 170° 10 kt | 1010.5 | VCTS | |
| 19:20 UTC | 160° 9 kt | 1010.2 | ||||
| 19:24 UTC | 77 | 71 | 160° 9 kt | 1010.2 | TS | |
| 19:25 UTC | 150° 10 kt | 1010.2 | ||||
| 19:30 UTC | 140° 6 kt | 1010.2 | ||||
| 19:35 UTC | 160° 8 kt | 1010.5 | ||||
| 19:40 UTC | 18 kt | 1011.2 | RA | |||
| 19:41 UTC | 74 | 70 | 230° 18 kt | 25 | 1011.2 | +TSRA BR |
| 19:45 UTC | 14 kt | 1012.2 | +RA BR | |||
| 19:49 UTC | 69.8 | 66.2 | 290° 17 kt | 25 | 1012.9 | +TSRA BR |
| 19:50 UTC | 300° 21 kt | 1012.2 | +RA BR | |||
| 19:53 UTC | 70 | 67 | 300° 19 kt | 30 | 1012.9 | +TSRA BR |
| 19:55 UTC | 69 | 67 | 300° 15 kt | 30 | 1012.5 | +TSRA BR |
| 19:59 UTC | 68 | 66 | 330° 12 kt | 30 | 1011.9 | VCTS RA BR |
| 20:00 UTC | 340° 11 kt | 1011.9 | RA BR | |||
| 20:01 UTC | 68 | 66 | 340° 9 kt | 1011.9 | VCTS RA BR | |
| 20:05 UTC | 330° 7 kt | 1011.9 | RA BR | |||
| 20:10 UTC | 330° 6 kt | 1011.9 | -RA | |||
| 20:15 UTC | 0° 0 kt | 1011.5 | -RA | |||
| 20:16 UTC | 67 | 65 | 360° 3 kt | 1011.5 | -RA | |
| 20:20 UTC | 30° 3 kt | 1011.2 | -RA | |||
| 20:25 UTC | 20° 3 kt | 1011.2 | -RA | |||
| 20:30 UTC | 230° 3 kt | 1011.5 | -RA | |||
| 20:35 UTC | 210° 5 kt | 1012.2 | -RA | |||
| 20:40 UTC | 210° 5 kt | 1011.9 | RA | |||
| 20:45 UTC | 200° 3 kt | 1011.5 | -RA BR | |||
| 20:50 UTC | 170° 3 kt | 1011.5 | -RA | |||
| 20:53 UTC | 68 | 66 | 150° 3 kt | 1011.5 | -RA | |
| 20:55 UTC | 150° 3 kt | 1011.9 | -RA | |||
| 21:00 UTC | 140° 3 kt | 1011.9 | -RA | |||
| 21:05 UTC | 140° 3 kt | 1011.9 | -RA | |||
| 21:10 UTC | 160° 5 kt | 1011.9 | ||||
| 21:15 UTC | 190° 5 kt | 1012.5 | -RA | |||
| 21:20 UTC | 68 | 67 | 210° 7 kt | 1012.9 | -RA | |
| 21:20 UTC | 210° 7 kt | 1012.9 | -RA |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The Tampa radar (KTBW), 71 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 19:25 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.
What was reported nearby
Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Report | Where | County | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19:05 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Sse Highpoint | Pinellas, FL | PUBLIC REPORTS A FEW TREE LIMBS DOWN AT CORNER OF 49TH ST. AND ULMERTON RD. |
| 19:18 UTC | TORNADO 1 | 5 Ese New Port Richey | Pasco, FL | CORRECTED LOCATION AND RATED AS EF1 TORNADO. 7 HOMES WERE DAMAGED ON 3400 BLOCK PLAYER DRIVE IN NEW PORT RICHEY, IN THE FAIRWAY SPRINGS SUBDIVISION. 1 HOME HAD MAJOR DAMAGE, 4 WITH STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. |
| 19:18 UTC | TORNADO | New Port Richey | Pasco, FL | 7 HOMES WERE DAMAGED ON 3400 BLOCK PLAYER DRIVE IN NEW PORT RICHEY, IN THE FAIRWAY SPRINGS SUBDIVISION. 1 HOME HAD MAJOR DAMAGE, 4 WITH STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. |
| 19:22 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 N Spring Hill | Hernando, FL | EMERGENCY MANAGER REPORTED TWO ROOFS BLOWN OFF HOUSES ON LARENDALE CIRCLE IN SPRING HILL. OTHER HOMES IN AREA HAD PARTIAL ROOF DAMAGE. |
| 19:22 UTC | TORNADO 1 | 2 N Spring Hill | Hernando, FL | THUNDERSTORM WIND DAMAGE CHANGED TO TORNADO. EMERGENCY MANAGER REPORTED TWO ROOFS HAD MAJOR DAMAGE TO HOUSES ON LARENDALE CIRCLE IN SPRING HILL AND 17 HOMES HAD ROOF DAMAGE OVERALL. DAMAGE PATH 0.70 MILES. |
| 19:24 UTC | TSTM WND GST 60 | 3 W Macdill Air Force | Gmz830, FL | MESONET STATION OPTF1, 3 W MACDILL AIR FORCE. |
| 19:25 UTC | TORNADO | 1 Ese Land O' Lakes | Pasco, FL | ROOF DAMAGE TO HOME ALONG BELL LAKE RD. RELAYED VIA PASCO COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR 3:18-3:26 PM EDT. |
| 20:07 UTC | TSTM WND GST 65 | Lal Lakeland Linder Air | Polk, FL | 65 MPH WIND GUST IN SOUTH LAKELAND AND LAKELAND HIGHLANDS AREA. |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2018 tornado in FloridaEvery tornado in Florida since 1950Warnings in force in Florida nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of November 2, 2018
7 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2 | 3:13 PM EDT | EF1 | Pinellas, FL | 1.7 | 75 | 1 | $300,000 | |
| November 2 | 3:17 PM EDT | EF1 | Pasco, FL | 0.3 | 50 | $500,000 | ||
| November 2 | 3:22 PM EDT | EF1 | Hernando, FL | 0.7 | 100 | $500,000 | ||
| November 2 | 4:22 PM EDT | EF1 | Pasco, FL | 1.2 | 75 | $100,000 | ||
| November 2 | 7:14 PM EDT | EF2 | Halifax, VA | 1.7 | 300 | $500,000 | ||
| November 2 | 8:19 PM EDT | EF2 | Howard, MD | 5.5 | 400 | $900,000 | ||
| November 2 | 9:42 PM EDT | EF1 | City of Baltimore, MD | 2.7 | 150 | 2 | 1 | $15,000 |
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.