Squall line pushes through, Tornado Watch remains
As the squall line pushes through, the Severe Thunderstorm Warning for the Tallahassee area has ended but a Tornado Watch and Wind Advisory remain until 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. respectively.
As of 1 p.m., outages in Tallahassee have ticked up to about 2,500 in the dark. Most of the powerless are customers affect by outages along North Meridian Road and near the convergence of Centerville and Miccosukee Roads.
Many of the power outages in Talquin-served areas have been dealt with and only about 1,000 customers remain without power. The majority of outages remain in the Woodville area.
Power outages climbing across north Florida and in Tallahassee
Sunday’s severe weather event extends across north Florida and into the peninsula and central Florida. According to our power outage tracker, almost 15,000 customers are without power as of 12:15 p.m.. About 35% of customers are offline in Liberty County and about 15% are in the dark in Gadsden County.
In Leon County, almost 4,000 customers are off the grid. The Talquin cooperative has more than 5,000 outages, about 10% of its customers without power. Tallahassee Utilities, meanwhile, is sitting at about 2,000 outages, according to the city’s outage map. The vast majority are part of an outage in southwest Tallahassee near Roberts Ave.
Track the latest power outages with our outage map here.
Severe Thunderstorm Warning extended across Leon County
Alongside a giant thunder boom in northeast Tallahassee, almost all of Leon County is now under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning until 12:45 p.m. Winds of up to 60 mph and pea-sized hail are possible.
“At 1142 AM EST, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from 6 miles west of Pelham to near Midway to 19 miles northwest of Carrabelle, moving east at 40 mph.”
“Remain alert for a possible tornado!” NWS forecasters wrote in the alert. “Tornadoes can develop quickly from severe thunderstorms. If you spot a tornado go at once into the basement or small central room in a sturdy structure. For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building.”
National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center says threat level edging upward
In an 11:15 a.m. alert, The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center warned that there has been “some increase in the damaging-wind and localized tornado threat is expected into early afternoon.” Forecasters have tracked an “increase in lightning activity noted over the last 2-3 hours.”
The agency says if a tornado spawns, it could pack 85 to 115 mph winds. Non-tornadic gusts could reach between 55 and 70 mph.
Meanwhile, the Severe Thunderstorm Warning, which includes parts of Leon County, has been extended till 12:30 p.m. Crawfordville and coastal Franklin and Wakulla counties are now also under a warning with the possibility of pea-sized hail and 60 mph winds.
The latest radar from Tallahassee
Parts of Leon County under Severe Thunderstorm Warning
As a squall line approaches, Severe Thunderstorm Warnings and Tornado Warnings are going up. At 10:45, a tornado warning was issued for Chattahoochee and parts of south Georgia. The alert for a radar indicated tornado and the possibility of pea-sized hail was to last until 11:15 a.m.
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was also hoisted for western Leon County, all of Gadsden County, much of Liberty County and Chattahoochee. The warning, which includes the possibility of 60 mph winds, also extends into south Georgia, and lasts until noon.
Forecasters say heavy winds could damage roofs, siding and trees. Locations in Tallahassee, Quincy, Havana, Blountstown, Bainbridge, Midway, Cairo, Whigham, Stonemill Creek, Chattahoochee, Greensboro, West Bainbridge, Tyndall Air Force Base, Orange, Wewahitchka, Sneads, Gretna, Bristol, Grand Ridge, and Attapulgus.
ORIGINAL STORY
Tallahassee and much of the Florida Big Bend are expected to see a round of potentially severe weather Sunday morning into the early afternoon as a fast‑moving line of thunderstorms sweeps east across the region, according to the National Weather Service.
At 8:40 a.m., a large swath of the Big Bend, including Leon County, were placed under a Tornado Watch until 3 p.m.
Forecasters have placed Tallahassee under a Slight Risk (Level 2 of 5) for severe weather, with damaging wind gusts and a few embedded tornadoes the primary concerns. The threat will be highest as a solid line of storms moves through the city late Sunday morning.
Timing: late morning for Tallahassee
The main line of storms is expected to reach the Tallahassee area between about 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., with the most likely arrival window centered around late morning. Conditions are expected to improve by early afternoon as the line pushes east toward the Suwannee Valley.
Ahead of the storms, gusty south winds will already be noticeable Sunday morning, with frequent gusts of 30 to 40 mph possible even outside of thunderstorms. Those winds could arrive before daybreak and persist into the afternoon.
While the strongest storms will move through relatively quickly, forecasters say impacts could be significant during the short window when the line is overhead.
Primary impacts: wind, brief tornado threat
The National Weather Service says damaging wind gusts in excess of 60 mph are the main hazard with Sunday’s storms. These winds could bring down tree limbs, damage roofs and siding, and cause spotty power outages, particularly where trees are already weakened.
A few tornadoes are also possible, especially within the line of storms as it crosses the Big Bend and south‑central Georgia. The tornado threat remains conditional but could increase if storms are able to tap into slightly warmer, more unstable air ahead of the line.
Forecasters note that while atmospheric instability is limited, strong wind shear in the atmosphere is sufficient to support rotating storms, making it important for residents to stay weather‑aware even if storms do not initially look intense.
Wind Advisory in effect
Outside of thunderstorms, a Wind Advisory is in effect for Tallahassee and the surrounding Florida Big Bend from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Sustained winds of 15 to 25 mph, with gusts up to 40 mph or higher, are expected. Those winds could make driving difficult for high‑profile vehicles and may blow around unsecured outdoor items such as trash cans, patio furniture and temporary signs.
Residents are urged to secure loose objects and prepare for the possibility of brief power interruptions.
Rain helpful, but not a drought fix
Forecasters have dialed back the amount of rain expected. Rainfall totals of three‑quarters of an inch to about 1.25 inches are likely across the Tallahassee area. While the rain will be beneficial, forecasters say it will not be enough to significantly improve longer‑term dry conditions.
“That’s about the amount of rain we need in a given week to keep from increasing the rainfall deficit across the region, so not much drought relief is expected with today’s system,” forecasters wrote in their morning discussion. “Our next chance for rain isn’t until Thursday.”
Flooding is not expected to be a major concern due to the fast‑moving nature of the system.
Coastal and marine impacts
Dangerous conditions are expected along the coast, even after storms move inland.
Small Craft Advisories are in effect for the northeastern Gulf, with hazardous marine conditions expected through Sunday and into Monday. A High Risk of Rip Currents is in place at area beaches, and a High Surf Advisory remains posted for the Emerald Coast.
Beachgoers are urged to stay out of the water, as rip currents can be life‑threatening even for experienced swimmers.
Stay alert
Because storms may arrive while many people are attending church services or running errands late Sunday morning, forecasters stress the importance of having multiple ways to receive weather warnings, including weather radios, smartphone alerts and local media.
Conditions should gradually improve later Sunday afternoon, though breezy winds may linger.
Portions of this weather report were generated automatically using information from the National Weather Service and a story written and reviewed by an editor.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee area severe weather recap: tornado watch, timing, impacts
Reporting by Staff reports, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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