1997 Miami tornado
F1 tornado which touched down in Miami, Florida
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
On May 12, 1997, a rare and weak F1 tornado touched down in Miami, Florida. The tornado, also known as the 1997 Miami tornado, or the Great Miami tornado,[1] was captured by an elevated camera operated by the local television station WPLG.[2]
Radar imagery of the storm that spawned the tornado | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1:53 p.m. EDT (UTC−04:00) May 12, 1997 |
| Dissipated | 2:08 p.m. EDT (UTC−04:00) May 12, 1997 |
| Duration | 15 minutes |
| F1 tornado | |
| on the Fujita scale | |
| Highest winds | 110 mph (180 km/h) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 12 |
| Damage | $525,000 |
| Areas affected | Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Power outages | 21,000 people |
Tornado summary
The tornado formed at 1:53 p.m. EDT, initially touching down in the Silver Bluff Estates area.[3] It then swept through Downtown Miami bypassing the city's skyscrapers. It crossed the MacArthur Causeway and the Venetian Causeway towards Miami Beach, sideswiping the cruise ship MS Sovereign of the Seas. The tornado lifted from the water halfway through Biscayne Bay and touched down briefly again in Miami Beach, flipping over a car and then dissipating. The Storm Prediction Center in Oklahoma had noted the possibility for tornadoes in the area and warned that there might be more to come. The tornado ultimately caused 12 injuries and $525,000 in damage,[4] though no injuries were serious.[5] The tornado's passage also cut power to 21,000 people.[5]
