Videos Show Tornado Hitting Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Tearing Up Sailboats and Striking Power Lines The coastal city features 165 miles of navigable waterways and is called the "Venice of America."
By Erin Davis
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Winter storms affected much of the U.S. on Sunday, per the National Weather Service, with some regions in the Northeast seeing a foot of snow.
But some winter storms have nothing to do with shoveling.
The National Weather Service has confirmed that an EF-Zero tornado touched down Saturday evening in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The neighborhoods of Rio Vista and Las Olas Isles were hit the hardest, with several videos showing the tornado whip across the water, destroying several boats in its path. Fort Lauderdale consists of 165 miles of waterways and is a popular yachting hub.
Sparks can be seen on the ground as powerlines collapse.
The tornado was on the ground for about a mile-and-a-half, per the NWS, and had a maximum width of 100 yards and a max speed of 80 mph.
Our survey team today gathered some data from yesterday's tornado with an initial estimated touch down at 5:47pm near the Lauderdale Yacht Club where it then progressed NE across the intracoastal waterway into the Las Olas Isles. pic.twitter.com/YBq6N7y3sY
— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) January 7, 2024
"The maximum winds estimated were 80 mph, however most of the damage was likely in the 60-70 mph range," the NWS said. "Therefore, the tornado has been rated as an EF-0."
More extreme weather is expected this week in the U.S., including "ferocious blizzard conditions" expected in the Plains and Midwest through Tuesday.
Tornado just east of downtown Ft Lauderdale this afternoon. Was watching the signature on the radar and it looked like it would be close.
— Craig Setzer, CCM (@CraigSetzer) January 6, 2024
Boy was it. From what I could tell, @NWSMiami issued the warning just in time. pic.twitter.com/k74EbBqwTg
