Tornadoes · United States · Florida · 2024
EF0 tornado, Miramar to Oakland Park, Florida, February 18, 2024
From Miramar to Oakland Park, this EF0 tornado ran 3.4 miles across Broward County on February 18, 2024, touching down at 3:33 PM EST and reaching 350 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $15,000 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 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
- February 18, 2024
- Touchdown
- 3:33 PM EST (20:33 UTC)
- Lifted
- 3:41 PM EST (20:41 UTC)
- On the ground
- 8 minutes
- Path length
- 3.4 miles (5.5 km)
- Path width
- 350 yards (320 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $15,000
- County
- Broward County
- Touchdown point
- 26.070, -80.260
- Lift-off point
- 26.110, -80.230
- Record number
- 2402181433-01
The damage survey
18 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS MFL, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF0. The highest wind the damage implies is 85 mph.
- Damaged fence along Taft Street
- Assorted vegetation damage near Tree Tops Park
- Large branches and damaged fencing downed
- Another shallow rooted uproot
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 low-topped supercell embedded within a line of showers moved across a portion of Broward and Miami-Dade Counties on the afternoon of February 18th, 2024 in association with a cold front moving through the area. During several different cycles in the lifetime of this low-topped supercell, tornadic activity was reported. Due to the cyclic nature of this low-topped supercell, these tornadoes' paths were discontinuous.
A tornado was observed in the cities of Miramar and Pembroke Pines as showers passed in the mid-afternoon. Most damage observed along the path was minor and mainly to vegetation and fencing. The tornado was rated as an EF-0 with an estimated maximum winds near 75 mph. The tornado had a non-continuous damage path length of 3.6 miles with a maximum width of 100 yards. Damage amount is estimated.
A tornado was observed in portions of Cooper City, Davie, and Plantation as showers passed in the mid-afternoon. Damage was mainly to vegetation, including hardwood trees, which impacted some structures. There were public reports of tree damage and metal siding debris at the Bamford Sports Complex in Davie. The tornado was rated as an EF-0 with estimated an maximum winds near 80 mph. The tornado had a non-continuous damage path length of 3.4 miles with a maximum 350 yards. Damage amount is estimated.
The broadcast media and public described, via social media posts and pictures, a tornado occurred within a residential neighborhood in the city of Oakland Park. There were pictures of flipped cars and damaged trees. Time, path length, and path width are estimated based on radar and satellite imagery. Due to an inability to survey the area, maximum wind speeds and EF rating are unknown. Damage amount is estimated.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
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 Miami, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at Feb 18, 2:12 PM EST, 1 hour 21 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 18, 2:12 PM EST, 1 hour 21 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Miami FL
212 PM EST Sun Feb 18 2024
...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM, MARINE, BEACHES...
.SHORT TERM...
(Rest of today through Monday)
Issued at 138 PM EST Sun Feb 18 2024
With the retreat of the boundary northward late this morning into
the early afternoon, convection has started to overspread the
peninsula including a few embedded cells. With the development of
the passing low pressure, there could be several hours of rainfall
to go today. Temperatures have made it into at least the lower 70s
across most of the area with some mid to upper 70s sneaking into
southern Miami-Dade County where the environment is slightly more
favorable for more stout convection.
As the surface low pressure slides into the Atlantic waters,
increasing westerly to northwesterly wind will allow for drier,
cooler air to start entering the region. Clouds will linger into
Monday with the potential for some lingering convection along the
east coast that should move into the Atlantic waters before the
end of the morning. Temperatures will be chilly, struggling to
reach the upper 60s to lower 70s. Depending on the track of the
low, the wind could be strong enough to warrant the consideration
of a Wind Advisory for portions of the area on Monday. The latest
guidance is trending towards windier conditions due to a more
southerly low track and the potential of a wake low developing.
&&
.LONG TERM...
(Monday night through next Saturday)
Issued at 138 PM EST Sun Feb 18 2024
The majority of the rest of the week should remain fairly stable
as broad and deep high pressure firmly establishes over the SE
CONUS, with little to no rain expected each day. Temperatures will
remain near or just below normals through the middle of the week
as cool air advection prevails. Expect highs to remain in the
upper 60s north to low 70s elsewhere through Wednesday, then
gradually warming up into the mid-upper 70s towards the weekend.
Lows will likely drop into the 40s/50s through Thursday and then
warming up on Friday as the high shifts to the east and southerly
flow returns.
&&
.AVIATION...
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 1236 PM EST Sun Feb 18 2024
Sub-VFR through much of the period with bouts of IFR/LIFR cigs and
vsbys. TS possible this afternoon which may require short-fused
TEMPOs. Gusty winds with convection today will become breezy and
northwesterly tonight into Monday morning. Gradual improvement out
of IFR/LIFR may take longer than current forecast period at some
sites.
&&
.MARINE...
Issued at 138 PM EST Sun Feb 18 2024
Increasing westerly to northwesterly wind in the wake of the
passing area of low pressure will result in hazardous conditions
developing with seas up to 12 feet in the Gulfstream and frequent
wind gusts to Gale force over the Atlantic waters. A Gale Warning
is now in effect for the Atlantic waters with Small Craft
Advisories elsewhere. Elevated seas could linger into mid-week
with conditions gradually improving.
&&
.BEACHES...
Issued at 138 PM EST Sun Feb 18 2024
An elevated rip current risk will continue along the Atlantic
beaches through a good portion of the week. The rip current risk
will increase along the Gulf beaches in the wake of the cold front
today into early portions of the week as well.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Miami 60 70 53 71 / 70 20 10 0
West Kendall 58 72 49 72 / 70 20 10 0
Opa-Locka 59 72 52 73 / 70 20 10 0
Homestead 59 72 51 72 / 80 20 10 0
Fort Lauderdale 59 70 53 71 / 70 20 10 0
N Ft Lauderdale 60 70 53 71 / 80 20 10 0
Pembroke Pines 59 72 52 72 / 70 20 10 0
West Palm Beach 57 68 51 70 / 70 30 10 10
Boca Raton 59 71 51 72 / 70 30 10 10
Naples 56 68 50 69 / 70 10 0 0
&&
.MFL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...None.
AM...Small Craft Advisory from 7 PM this evening to 10 AM EST Monday
for AMZ610.
Small Craft Advisory from 1 AM Monday to 1 AM EST Tuesday for
AMZ630.
Small Craft Advisory until 1 AM EST Monday for AMZ650-651-670-
671.
Small Craft Advisory from 1 AM to 7 PM EST Tuesday for AMZ650-
651-670-671.
Gale Warning from 1 AM Monday to 1 AM EST Tuesday for AMZ650-651-
670-671.
GM...Small Craft Advisory from 7 PM this evening to 8 AM EST Monday
for GMZ656-657-676.
&&
SHORT TERM...RAG
LONG TERM....Rizzuto
AVIATION...RAGHazardous weather outlook, Feb 18, 8:08 AM EST, 7 hours 25 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Miami FL 808 AM EST Sun Feb 18 2024 AMZ610-630-650-651-670-671-FLZ063-066>075-168-172>174-GMZ656-657-676- 191315- Lake Okeechobee-Biscayne Bay- Coastal waters from Jupiter Inlet to Deerfield Beach FL out 20 NM- Coastal waters from Deerfield Beach to Ocean Reef FL out 20 NM- Waters from Jupiter Inlet to Deerfield Beach FL from 20 to 60 NM- Waters from Deerfield Beach to Ocean Reef FL from 20 to 60 NM excluding the territorial waters of Bahamas-Glades-Hendry- Inland Palm Beach County-Metro Palm Beach County- Coastal Collier County-Inland Collier County-Inland Broward County- Metro Broward County-Inland Miami-Dade County- Metropolitan Miami Dade-Mainland Monroe-Coastal Palm Beach County- Coastal Broward County-Coastal Miami Dade County-Far South Miami- Dade County- Coastal waters from Chokoloskee to Bonita Beach FL out 20 NM- Coastal waters from East Cape Sable to Chokoloskee FL out 20 NM- Waters from Chokoloskee to Bonita Beach FL from 20 to 60 NM- 808 AM EST Sun Feb 18 2024 ...Strong to Severe Showers and Thunderstorms Today... ...Developing Hazardous Marine and Beach Conditions... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for Atlantic coastal waters, southeast Florida, southern Florida, southwest Florida and Gulf of Mexico. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Rip Currents: There is a moderate risk of rip currents for the Palm Beaches and Gulf coast. Heavy Rainfall: Widespread showers and isolated thunderstorms are expected to impact the area through most of the morning and afternoon hours today. Localized flooding could be an issue, especially for low-lying or poor drainage areas of the east coast metro. 1-3 inches of rainfall is expected with localized higher totals possible. Thunderstorms: There could be a few isolated strong to severe thunderstorms this afternoon, with highest risk across southern portions of the area. Wind: The strongest thunderstorms could contain wind gusts up to 60 mph especially across the southern areas. Tornado: An isolated tornado cannot be ruled out with the strongest thunderstorms mainly across the southern portion of the peninsula. Waterspouts: An isolated waterspout is possible with the strongest thunderstorms in the Atlantic and Gulf waters. Marine: Southwesterly winds will become northwesterly and will increase to 20 to 25 kts this afternoon across the Atlantic waters. Winds will also increase over the Gulf and Lake Okeechobee waters tonight creating hazardous marine conditions. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. The rip current risk will be increasing across the Atlantic beaches during the early to middle portion of the week. An elevated risk of rip currents will continue on Monday for the Gulf beaches. High surf will develop along the Atlantic beaches, particularly off the Palm Beaches for Monday. Hazardous marine conditions will continue over the Atlantic waters through the middle of the week as winds remain elevated and seas continue to build due to a developing northeasterly swell. Wind gusts to gale force are possible early Monday morning through Monday night. Wave heights in the Gulfstream could build in excess of 10 feet. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather spotters are encouraged to report high wind, hail, and flooding to the National Weather Service forecast office in Miami.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Feb 18, 2:54 PM EST, 39 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Miami FL
254 PM EST Sun Feb 18 2024
FLZ073-074-173-182030-
Metropolitan Miami Dade FL-Inland Miami-Dade County FL-
Coastal Miami Dade County FL-
254 PM EST Sun Feb 18 2024
...A gusty shower will impact portions of northern Miami-Dade County
through 330 PM EST...
At 253 PM EST, National Weather Service meteorologists were tracking
a gusty shower over Miccosukee Resort, or 8 miles northwest of
Kendall, moving northeast at 45 mph.
HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
Miami, Hialeah, Homestead, Coral Gables, South Miami, Homestead
General Airport, The Redland, Kendall, Miami Gardens, North Miami,
Doral, North Miami Beach, Miami Lakes, Hialeah Gardens, Pinecrest,
Opa-Locka, Miami Springs, Sweetwater, West Miami, and Medley.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
These winds can down small tree limbs and branches, and blow around
unsecured small objects. Seek shelter in a safe building until the
storm passes.
&&
LAT...LON 2595 8035 2594 8020 2549 8039 2548 8058
2575 8062 2594 8052 2595 8041
TIME...MOT...LOC 1953Z 237DEG 37KT 2574 8047
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
MFLSpecial weather statement, Feb 18, 3:17 PM EST, 16 minutes before
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</html>The surface observations
Fort Lauderdale - Hollywood (FLL), 8 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00:00 UTC |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2024 tornado in FloridaEvery tornado in Florida since 1950Warnings in force in Florida nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of February 18, 2024
4 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 18 | 1:02 PM EST | EF0 | Monroe, FL | 4.6 | 120 | $75,000 | ||
| February 18 | 2:57 PM EST | Unrated | Miami-Dade, FL | 0.6 | 30 | |||
| February 18 | 3:20 PM EST | EF0 | Broward, FL | 3.4 | 100 | $10,000 | ||
| February 18 | 3:55 PM EST | Unrated | Broward, FL | 0.2 | 50 | $40,000 |
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.