Tornado Threat from Hurricane Irma for Southeastern Florida

Posted on September 9, 2017

Tornado threat from Hurricane Irma

Hurricanes are known to spawn tornadoes especially on the northeast side of the storm. Some hurricanes spwan many more tornadoes than others. Hurricane Ivan spawned 117 tornadoes over a 3 day period in 2004. Hurricane Harvey resulted in hundreds of tornado warnings for the Houston metropolitan area. Some of these tornadoes caused damage. Hurricane spawned tornadoes tend to be much weaker and shorter lived than the powerful torndaoes in the plains but they can still cause damage.

The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has a discussion about the possibility of a watch being issued later today. The watch is not yet in effect. It may be issued as stronger bands starting rotating into southeastern Florida from the southeast. The area of concern includes southeast Florida and the Florida Keys.

The SPC says in Mesoscale Discussion 1631, " Isolated, weak cyclonic-shear areas already have been apparent in a few embedded cells, manifesting a marginal but still more-favorable mesoscale environment. More such cells with stronger horizontal rotational velocity should appear gradually in the next few hours with closer approaches to the coast and Keys and increasing potential for their inland survival, with accompanying threat for a sporadic tornado or two."

Image: SPC