A “a brief landspout/tornado” likely happened in the area of Jessica Clinton Park on Aug. 23, causing minor damage, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne.
The NWS at 7:45 p.m. issued a statement shortly after a tornado warning for southeastern St. Lucie and northeastern Martin counties expired at 7:00 p.m. A landspout is a short-lived tornado that occurs near the ground, according to William Ulrich, warning coordination meteorologist at the weather service.
“We are aware of damage reported in Port St. Lucie this evening,” according to the statement from Ulrich. “Based on preliminary information from St. Lucie and Martin County Emergency Management, storm spotter calls, and video submitted to local media, a brief landspout/tornado likely occurred in the vicinity of the Jessica Clinton Park near Southbend Boulevard and Southeast Navy Avenue, lofting a small amount of debris and producing minor damage.”
The NWS reported they are working to communicate with public safety officials and to gather more information to get a better understanding of the “extent and nature of the damage.”
“Once additional information is available, we will determine whether a storm survey is warranted Monday (Aug. 24) morning,” Ulrich stated.
An earlier NWS bulletin issued at 7:25 p.m. indicating the landspout/tornado likely occurred in the area of the Treasure Coast Square Mall in Jensen Beach, but it was updated and changed to reflect the Jessica Clinton Park location in Port St. Lucie.
Ulrich stated a landspout is a typically “short-lived tornado that develops from a shallow circulation near the ground beneath a growing thunderstorm, rather than from a well-organized rotating storm.”
“Because the rotation is often confined to the lowest levels, the radar signature can be subtle or absent,” Ulrich stated.
The NWS in Melbourne issued a flash flood warning until 10 p.m. for Martin County communities including Jensen Beach, North River Shores and Rio.
An earlier weather alert indicated 1 to 2 inches of rain and possible minor flooding could occur in areas including Stuart, Palm City, Jensen Beach, Florida Power & Light Co.’s St. Lucie Nuclear Plant on Hutchinson Island, Sewall’s Point, North River Shores, Ocean Breeze Park, Indian River Estates, Nettles Island and Rio.
Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Landspout/tornado likely occurred in Florida
Reporting by Will Greenlee, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Will Greenlee, Treasure Coast Newspapers | USA TODAY Network
