TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Wednesday, February 7th, 2024 brings us into Day 3 of our Severe Weather Awareness Week for Georgia and Florida.
Wednesday's topic is tornadoes and thunderstorms, two weather events we are all too familiar with in both states.
Instead of breaking down the science of a tornado or thunderstorm or how they form (mostly because it is best done visually rather than via text), I am going to clear up some frequent questions I get about the two.
The first thing I would love for you to know is the difference between a WATCH and a WARNING.
A WATCH is issued by a the SPC (Storm Prediction Center) which is a department that is a part of NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
WATCHES are issued over a large area where the ingredients are there for the even to occur. The event is NOT occurring right at that moment. Sometimes the event (tornado, severe thunderstorm, flood, etc.) does not end up occurring at all, but this is the phase where you need to then be WATCHING the weather for the higher likelihood of a warning to be issued. This is the 'STANDBY' stage.
A WARNING is issued by your local NWS (National Weather Service) office. That would be NWS Tallahassee for our area in the Big Bend and South Georgia.
WARNINGS are issued in smaller areas that are directly impacted by the storm or event. This is the 'TAKE ACTION NOW' stage. A storm is directly impacting the area a warning is issued at that moment. If you are in that area (usually drawn as a polygon), you need to take appropriate action to keep yourself safe. You have minutes at times to take action. There are different actions to take for different event.
For flooding, do not drive through flooded areas, and take shelter on higher ground. Severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings you can usually take the same action which is find an interior room in the lowest point of a sturdy (usually with a foundation- not mobile) structure away from windows.
Florida:
According to FSU's Florida Climate Center, from 1950-2022 June produced over 500 tornadoes- by far the highest month of tornadoes for the state. On average, June produced about 7 tornadoes in Florida each year.
EF-0 tornadoes made up the majority of tornado's strength for each month.
February through April were the months that had the most EF-3+ tornado strength. These months are what we consider our 'severe' season here in the Big Bend and South Georgia. On average, about 3 tornadoes are recorded in February, 4-5 for March, and about 4 for May.
Tornadoes have been recorded in each month with the least occurring in November and December.
Georgia:
According to data from the NWS Peachtree City, data from 1950-2021 shows the highest occurrences of tornadoes in April. Just over 400 tornadoes were recorded during this period. June through October tend to be the times of less occurrences of tornadoes with only about 100-150 tornadoes during this observation period.
Remember: Mobile homes and automobiles are not safe during severe weather. Sturdy shelter or storm shelters are the safest place to take shelter. Have a predesignated safe space and plan before storms occur.