NWS Melbourne May 19, 2009 Storm Survey

Casselberry Tornado May 19, 2009

Above: Depiction of surface low pressure (left) and radar velocity couplet (right). The tight gradient of green next to red indicates rotation occurring in the storm that touched down as a tornado.
Overview: A nearly stationary upper-level low over the Gulf of Mexico combined with a weak surface low near south Florida produced favorable shear conditions for shallow rotation within several onshore-moving showers and thunderstorms. One of these cells produced a brief EF0 tornado touchdown, removing large portion of roofs from several homes in Casselberry and carrying debris downstream. A EF0 tornado touched down briefly (0.8 mile track) and removed the roofs from a single family home and mobile home. Portions of the roofs and other debris were carried downstream, with large metal pieces deposited in trees. Another 8 homes sustained minor damage.
Products Issued by the NWS office in Melbourne: WFUS52 KMLB 200335 TORMLB FLC069-095-117-200400- /O.NEW.KMLB.TO.W.0010.090520T0335Z-090520T0400Z/ BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 1135 PM EDT TUE MAY 19 2009 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MELBOURNE HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO WARNING FOR... CENTRAL LAKE COUNTY IN FLORIDA... NORTHWESTERN ORANGE COUNTY IN FLORIDA... THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...ZELLWOOD...WINTER PARK...WINTER GARDEN...WINDERMERE...PINE HILLS...OCOEE...MAITLAND...LOCKHART... LAKE APOPKA...FAIRVIEW SHORES...APOPKA... WESTERN SEMINOLE COUNTY IN FLORIDA... THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...WINTER SPRINGS...WEKIVA SPRINGS... LONGWOOD...LAKE MARY...GOLDENROD...FOREST CITY...CASSELBERRY... ALTAMONTE SPRINGS... * UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT. * AT 1134 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR CASSELBERRY...MOVING WEST AT 40 MPH. * THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR... ALTAMONTE SPRINGS...WEKIVA SPRINGS AND FAIRVIEW SHORES BY 1140 PM EDT... LOCKHART...WEKIWA SPRINGS STATE PARK...PINE HILLS AND FOREST CITY BY 1145 PM EDT... APOPKA BY 1150 PM EDT... OCOEE BY 1155 PM EDT... LAKE APOPKA BY MIDNIGHT EDT... PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A STRONG BUILDING ON THE LOWEST FLOOR...IN AN INTERIOR ROOM SUCH AS A BATHROOM OR CLOSET. KEEP AWAY FROM WINDOWS. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY. EVACUATE MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES FOR MORE SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS. ABANDON YOUR VEHICLE IF THE TORNADO IS NEARBY. && LAT...LON 2841 8167 2880 8168 2877 8125 2859 8123 TIME...MOT...LOC 0335Z 083DEG 33KT 2867 8136 $$ 52 WWUS52 KMLB 200344 SVSMLB SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 1144 PM EDT TUE MAY 19 2009 FLC069-095-117-200400- /O.CON.KMLB.TO.W.0010.000000T0000Z-090520T0400Z/ ORANGE-SEMINOLE-LAKE- 1144 PM EDT TUE MAY 19 2009 ...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT FOR CENTRAL LAKE...WEST CENTRAL SEMINOLE AND NORTHWESTERN ORANGE COUNTIES... AT 1142 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR ALTAMONTE SPRINGS...MOVING WEST AT 40 MPH. THE TORNADO WILL MOVE ACROSS AREAS NEAR FOREST CITY AND PIEDMONT NEAR STATE ROAD 436 AND U.S. 441 TO BETWEEN CLARCONA AND APOPKA. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR...IT MEANS THAT STRONG ROTATION HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A TORNADO MAY ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND...OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM...MOVE INDOORS AND TO THE LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF DRIVING...DO NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS. && LAT...LON 2871 8138 2861 8133 2841 8167 2880 8168 TIME...MOT...LOC 0341Z 083DEG 33KT 2866 8142 $$ 52 WWUS52 KMLB 200356 SVSMLB SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 1156 PM EDT TUE MAY 19 2009 FLC069-095-117-200406- /O.EXP.KMLB.TO.W.0010.000000T0000Z-090520T0400Z/ ORANGE-SEMINOLE-LAKE- 1156 PM EDT TUE MAY 19 2009 ...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CENTRAL LAKE...WEST CENTRAL SEMINOLE AND NORTHWESTERN ORANGE COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT MIDNIGHT EDT... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THE SEVERE STORM AND TORNADO THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAD WEAKENED AND NO LONGER APPEARED CAPABLE OF PRODUCING TORNADOES OR OTHER SEVERE WEATHER...THUS THE WARNING HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE. HOWEVER...HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE. LAT...LON 2871 8138 2861 8133 2841 8167 2880 8168 TIME...MOT...LOC 0356Z 083DEG 33KT 2864 8158 $$ 52

NWS Storm Survey of 5/20/09 revealed an EF0 tornado occurred (esimated winds ~65 mph). Width was 50 yards and Path length was 0.08 miles near Lake Shore Drive and Lake Drive. A sampling of damage caused by the tornado

National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office