Tornadoes · United States · Florida · 2019

EF0 tornado, Mossy Head to De Funiak Springs, Florida, March 3, 2019

Name: EF0 tornado, Mossy Head to De Funiak Springs, Florida, March 3, 2019
Start: 2019-03-03T22:28:00.000Z
End: 2019-03-03T22:41:00.000Z
Location: Mossy Head to De Funiak Springs, Florida

From Mossy Head to De Funiak Springs, this EF0 tornado ran 11.9 miles across Walton County on March 3, 2019, touching down at 4:28 PM CST and reaching 400 yards wide. It killed nobody.

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 mphthis tornado
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mph
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: EF0
Date: March 3, 2019
Touchdown: 4:28 PM CST (22:28 UTC)
Lifted: 4:41 PM CST (22:41 UTC)
On the ground: 13 minutes
Path length: 11.9 miles (19.2 km)
Path width: 400 yards (366 m)
Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
County: Walton County
Touchdown point: 30.655, -86.316
Lift-off point: 30.708, -86.124
Record number: 1903031628-01

What the Weather Service recorded

This event featured all modes of severe weather in our forecast area, including 13 tornadoes, numerous reports of straight-line wind damage, and even large hail. The 13 tornadoes consisted of 1 EF3, 2 EF2s, 6 EF1s, and 4 EF0s. This is a very high number of tornadoes for our forecast area for a single event. This compares with 7 tornadoes in the 1/22/17 event, 8 tornadoes in the 1/2/17 event, and 10 tornadoes in the 3/1/07 event. This may have been the most tornadoes for a single event in our area since the Hurricane Ivan tornadoes back in 2004. The synoptic pattern was characterized by a fast-moving upper trough through relatively zonal flow. The forecast area was under the favorable right entrance region of the upper jet with lots of upper level divergence. An 850 mb jet near or in excess of 50 knots was also present, which is another typical ingredient for severe weather in this part of the country in the cool season. Cool season levels of shear (0-1 km shear > 30 knots and 0-6 km shear > 50 knots) were overlaid with moderate levels of instability (SBCAPE 1500 j/kg), as opposed to more typical winter SBCAPE < 500 j/kg. Without this strong low-level jet, the low-level shear values would have been weaker and we would have probably seen less tornadoes.

An EF-0 tornado touched down on Eglin AFB property in Walton County. The tornado produced scattered tree damage before exiting the base near Pleasant Ridge Road. The tornado continued northeast, crossing I-10 just west of the U.S. 331 exit, and then dissipating just southwest of Defuniak Springs. Damage was primarily confined to trees.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

The warnings

4 minutes of warning. NWS TAE issued a tornado warning for this county at 22:24 UTC, 4 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 23:00 UTC.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 17:25 UTC and running to 00:06 UTC.

Issued (UTC)	Expired	Product	Office
17:25 UTC	00:06 UTC	Tornado Watch	TAE
17:42 UTC	18:15 UTC	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TAE
18:04 UTC	18:30 UTC	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TAE
18:26 UTC	18:40 UTC	Tornado Warning	TAE
21:37 UTC	22:15 UTC	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TAE
22:04 UTC	22:45 UTC	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TAE
22:24 UTC	23:00 UTC	Tornado Warning	TAE
22:37 UTC	23:30 UTC	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TAE

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 20:00 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 Tallahassee, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at Mar 3, 2:33 PM CST, 1 hour 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 3, 2:33 PM CST, 1 hour 55 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tallahassee FL
333 PM EST Sun Mar 3 2019

...ONGOING OUTBREAK OF SEVERE WEATHER TO CONTINUE INTO TONIGHT...

.NEAR TERM [Through Tonight]...

At 19Z, regional radar imagery shows a quasi- linear convective
system (QLCS) stretching southwestward from east- central AL down
to southwest AL and along the MS and southeast LA coastline. Ahead
of this line, several discrete supercells have formed in
southeast AL and southwest GA. Our 18Z TAE sounding showed SBCAPE
of 1600 J/kg, with over 25 kts of 0-1 km shear and over 35 kts 0-6
km shear. In this environment, the main threat for the afternoon
and evening will be tornadoes in the supercells ahead of the QLCS
as well as the potential for tornadoes embedded in the QLCS when
it pushes eastward into the area tonight. The supercells ahead of
the line will also be capable of producing hail and thunderstorms
along the line will be capable of producing damaging wind gusts in
excess of 58 mph. The SPC has highlighted the vast majority of
the tri-state area in enhanced and slight risks for severe
thunderstorms. There is a tornado watch in effect for southeast AL
along with southwest and south-central GA and most of the FL
Panhandle through 8 PM this evening.

.SHORT TERM [Monday Through Tuesday Night]...

The cold front will exit the forecast area Monday morning with
drier and much cooler air moving in behind it. The main focus for
this period continues to be the potential freeze Tuesday night. A
light freeze is forecast across most inland counties with
durations of perhaps 2-3 hours north of U.S. Route 84. There
hasn't been a freeze since January 31. Any plants or crops that
got an early start due to the very warm February will be
susceptible to damage from this freeze.

.LONG TERM [Wednesday Through Sunday]...

The chilly air mass will remain in place through Thursday with
another light freeze possible that morning. The next frontal
system will bring increasing rain chances to the forecast from
Friday night through the weekend.

&&

.AVIATION...
[Through 18Z Monday]

MVFR CIGs will lift this afternoon. Showers and thunderstorms
will develop ahead of a cold front. A Tornado Watch is in effect
until this evening. A squall line will move through the region
late this afternoon and into tonight. Overnight IFR CIGs will
return before dry air moves into the region in the morning.

&&

.MARINE...

Onshore winds will increase to cautionary levels ahead of a cold
front and then shift to offshore with frontal passage later
tonight into Monday morning. Winds will diminish somewhat Monday
night before increasing to advisory levels behind another cold
front Tuesday night. These offshore winds will then drop below
headline criteria by Wednesday afternoon before shifting to the
east for Thursday. Onshore winds return Friday.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...

Red flag conditions are not expected for the next several days.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...

Areas north of U.S. 84 remain in a slight risk for excessive
rainfall. However, this would be isolated in areas that get good
rain rates in any training thunderstorms. Antecedent dry conditions
should keep the rivers in check for the most part. The Kinchafoonee
Creek and Apalachicola River are the only ones forecast to reach
flood stage at this time.

&&

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is requested. Spotters should safely report
significant weather conditions and/or damage by calling the office or
tweeting us @NWSTallahassee.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...

Tallahassee   50  64  43  60  33 /  80  20  20  20   0
Panama City   48  61  43  56  36 /  80  20  20  10   0
Dothan        41  56  37  53  29 /  90  10  10   0   0
Albany        44  59  39  55  30 / 100  10  10   0   0
Valdosta      52  63  43  58  32 /  90  20  10  20   0
Cross City    62  70  46  62  34 /  60  30  10  20   0
Apalachicola  53  64  46  59  37 /  80  20  20  20   0

&&

.TAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...High Rip Current Risk until 1 AM EST /midnight CST/ Monday for
     Coastal Bay-Coastal Franklin-Coastal Gulf-South Walton.

GA...None.
AL...None.
GM...None.
&&

NEAR TERM...Nguyen
SHORT TERM...Wool
LONG TERM...Wool
AVIATION...Nguyen
MARINE...Wool
FIRE WEATHER...Harrigan
HYDROLOGY...Wool

In the hours before

Local storm report, Mar 3, 1:56 PM CST, 2 hours 32 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
256 PM EST SUN MAR 3 2019

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0255 PM     HAIL             ASHBURN                 31.71N 83.65W
03/03/2019  E1.00 INCH       TURNER             GA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            QUARTER SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN ASHBURN
            GEORGIA.

&&

EB

Local storm report, Mar 3, 2:16 PM CST, 2 hours 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
316 PM EST SUN MAR 3 2019

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0310 PM     HAIL             2 SW REBECCA            31.79N 83.51W
03/03/2019  E1.75 INCH       TURNER             GA   PUBLIC

            GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL REPORTED SW OF REBECCA.
            QUARTER AND GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL COVERED AND
            ACCUMULATED ON HIGHWAY 112.

&&

EB

Local storm report, Mar 3, 3:02 PM CST, 1 hour 26 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
402 PM EST SUN MAR 3 2019

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0310 PM     HAIL             BLAKELY                 31.38N 84.94W
03/03/2019  E1.00 INCH       EARLY              GA   911 CALL CENTER

            QUARTER SIZE HAIL AT THE 911 CENTER AT THE
            EARLY COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE.

&&

DH

Local storm report, Mar 3, 3:15 PM CST, 1 hour 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
415 PM EST SUN MAR 3 2019

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0410 PM     HAIL             CHULA                   31.55N 83.55W
03/03/2019  E1.50 INCH       TIFT               GA   PUBLIC

            ACCUMULATED QUARTER TO PING PONG SIZE HAIL
            ON INTERSTATE 75 BETWEEN EXITS 67 AND 69.
            HAIL ACCUMULATED UP TO AN INCH ON THE SIDE
            OF A ROAD.

&&

EB

Local storm report, Mar 3, 3:35 PM CST, 53 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
435 PM EST SUN MAR 3 2019

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0410 PM     HAIL             3 SSW PINETTA           31.56N 83.38W
03/03/2019  E1.00 INCH       IRWIN              GA   PUBLIC

            QUARTER SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN THE PLEASURE
            LAKE AREA.

&&

DH

Local storm report, Mar 3, 3:55 PM CST, 33 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
455 PM EST SUN MAR 3 2019

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0450 PM     HAIL             ASHBURN                 31.71N 83.65W
03/03/2019  E1.00 INCH       TURNER             GA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            QUARTER SIZE HAIL IN ASHBURN GEORGIA.

&&

EB

The surface observations

DeFuniak (54J), 8 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)	Temp (°F)	Dew point (°F)	Wind	Gust (kt)	Pressure (mb)	Weather
20:55 UTC	72.5	68	210° 11 kt	24	1007.8
21:15 UTC	72	68.2	200° 10 kt	22	1007.8
21:35 UTC	72	68.2	200° 14 kt	20	1007.8	VCTS
21:55 UTC	72	68	220° 13 kt	19	1007.8	-TSRA
22:55 UTC	65.7	65	310° 15 kt	22	1008.5	TSRA

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The radar

The Eglin Afb radar (KEVX), 31 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 22:28 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
22:15 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	Gaskin	Walton, FL	SCATTERED TREES DOWN IN THE NORTHERN PART OF WALTON COUNTY.
22:30 UTC	TORNADO	5 Nw New Home	Walton, FL	SCATTERED TREES REPORTED DOWN IN THE COUNTY WITH A DUAL-POL TORNADIC DEBRIS SIGNATURE AT THIS LOCATION.
22:36 UTC	TSTM WND GST 61	5 N Valparaiso	Okaloosa, FL	61 MPH WIND GUST REPORTED ON EGLIN AFB.
22:40 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	1 Nne Pleasant Ridge	Walton, FL	ALL I-10 EASTBOUND LANES CLOSED NEAR MM 83 DUE TO DOWNED TREES.
22:43 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	1 Ene Pleasant Ridge	Walton, FL	BOB SIKES ROAD NEAR HIGHWAY 331 CLOSED WITH TREES OVER THE ROAD. DEBRIS NEAR WALMART.
22:45 UTC	LIGHTNING	4 W Belforest	Santa Rosa, FL	LIGHTNING STRIKE TO A HOME IN MILTON, FL. DAMAGE TO WIRING AND ELECTRICAL OUTLETS. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR.
22:45 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	Esto	Holmes, FL	POWER LINE DOWN IN ESTO.
23:20 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	Bonifay	Holmes, FL	TREE DOWN IN THE BONIFAY AREA.
23:30 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	1 E Sunny Hills	Washington, FL	REPORT OF A POWER LINE DOWN ON REX CIRCLE.
23:32 UTC	TSTM WND GST 62	6 Ne West Bay	Bay, FL	ECP, NORTHWEST FLORIDA - INTERNATIONAL APRT REPORTED 62 MPH WINDS.

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.

This ground now

The live radar over the track Every 2019 tornado in Florida Every tornado in Florida since 1950 Warnings in force in Florida now The forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of March 3, 2019

44 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 3	12:55 PM CST	EF1	Washington, AL	0.2	300			$10,000
March 3	1:19 PM CST	EF0	Autauga, AL	0.6	70
March 3	1:37 PM CST	EF1	Washington, AL	2.6	100			$50,000
March 3	2:00 PM CST	EF4	Beauregard tornado, AL	68.0	1,600	23	90	$1.8 million
March 3	3:15 PM EST	EF2	Peach, GA	6.7	420		1	$200,000
March 3	2:27 PM CST	EF2	Macon, AL	29.1	1,300		1
March 3	2:34 PM CST	EF1	Butler, AL	0.3	50			$15,000
March 3	3:36 PM EST	EF0	Bibb, GA	1.1	150			$100,000
March 3	2:38 PM CST	EF1	Crenshaw, AL	2.6	50			$15,000
March 3	3:42 PM EST	EF1	Twiggs, GA	1.1	300			$50,000
March 3	4:05 PM EST	EF0	Telfair, GA	4.0	150			$50,000
March 3	4:09 PM EST	EF0	Telfair, GA	0.4	100			$30,000
March 3	3:15 PM CST	EF0	Bullock, AL	0.4	50
March 3	4:18 PM EST	EF1	Wilkinson, GA	3.1	630			$45,000
March 3	4:18 PM EST	EF0	Taylor, GA	6.6	630			$25,000
March 3	4:19 PM EST	EF1	Harris, GA	7.4	900			$150,000
March 3	4:24 PM EST	EF1	Washington, GA	0.6	200			$50,000
March 3	4:30 PM EST	EF0	Jeff Davis, GA	0.0	25
March 3	4:36 PM EST	EF1	Washington, GA	1.4	290			$35,000
March 3	4:43 PM EST	EF0	Peach, GA	6.4	300			$95,000
March 3	3:45 PM CST	EF2	Barbour, AL	6.7	700
March 3	4:55 PM EST	EF1	Washington, GA	0.2	85			$50,000
March 3	3:58 PM CST	EF2	Quitman, AL to GA	30.9	860			$415,000
March 3	5:22 PM EST	EF0	Wayne, GA	0.3	50
March 3	4:39 PM CST	EF0	Clay, AL to GA	10.8	75			$10,000
March 3	5:44 PM EST	EF2	Columbia, GA	1.5	100
March 3	4:51 PM CST	EF1	Geneva, AL	5.1	300			$100,000
March 3	5:53 PM EST	EF2	Edgefield, SC	5.0	200		7
March 3	6:03 PM EST	EF0	Orangeburg, SC	0.2	25
March 3	6:30 PM EST	EF1	Aiken, SC	0.4	150			$2,000
March 3	5:33 PM CST	EF1	Washington, FL	5.3	300			$105,000
March 3	6:53 PM EST	EF1	Lexington, SC	10.8	100
March 3	6:58 PM EST	EF1	Liberty, GA	7.8	350
March 3	7:02 PM EST	EF1	Miller, GA	4.1	150		1	$200,000
March 3	7:13 PM EST	EF1	Lexington, SC	1.9	50
March 3	7:13 PM EST	EF1	Richland, SC	1.5	150
March 3	7:18 PM EST	EF1	Decatur, GA	4.5	150			$20,000
March 3	7:33 PM EST	EF1	Richland, SC	0.6	200
March 3	7:41 PM EST	EF1	Gadsden, FL	2.1	275			$50,000
March 3	7:45 PM EST	EF1	Tift, GA	0.7	180			$50,000
March 3	7:54 PM EST	EF2	Grady, GA	2.7	800		2	$1.0 million
March 3	8:06 PM EST	EF0	Wakulla, FL	18.4	300			$5,000
March 3	8:18 PM EST	EF3	Leon, FL	8.8	700			$500,000
March 3	8:42 PM EST	EF0	Wakulla, FL	0.7	50

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.