Strong Thunderstorms Sweep Florida Panhandle Coast Tuesday Afternoon
The National Weather Service issued three back-to-back alerts Tuesday as slow-moving thunderstorms threatened Florida’s Panhandle coast with 40 mph wind gusts.
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA — The National Weather Service in Tallahassee issued multiple Special Weather Statements Tuesday afternoon as strong thunderstorms moved through Florida’s Panhandle and Big Bend coastline, threatening gusty winds capable of downing tree limbs and scattering unsecured objects.
Storms Tracked Across Multiple Coastal Communities
At 1:05 p.m. EDT, NWS Tallahassee reported Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Eastpoint that was nearly stationary. That storm prompted warnings for a wide swath of communities along the Panhandle coast, including St. George Island, Eastpoint, Port St. Joe, Apalachicola, Franklin, Nine Mile, High Bluff, Eleven Mile, St. Joseph State Park, St. George Island State Park, Thirteen Mile, Odena, Cape San Blas, Indian Pass, Tilton, Beverly, Jones Homestead, Ward Ridge, Green Point, and Bay City.
By 1:29 p.m. EDT, radar was tracking a separate strong thunderstorm near Fowlers Bluff, approximately 13 miles west of Chiefland. That storm was also nearly stationary and threatened the communities of Horseshoe Point, Suwannee, Horseshoe Beach, Yellow Jacket, and Shired Island.
Apalachicola Storm Moving Southwest
At 1:31 p.m. EDT, NWS Tallahassee identified a third strong thunderstorm, this one tracked over Apalachicola and moving southwest at 10 mph. Radar-indicated wind gusts of up to 40 mph were associated with that storm.
Communities in the path of the Apalachicola storm included Eastpoint, Apalachicola, Franklin, Nine Mile, Eleven Mile, Thirteen Mile, Odena, Cape San Blas, Indian Pass, Tilton, Bay City, Apalachicola Airport, Creels, and Simmons Bayou, according to the NWS.
Wind Gusts the Primary Hazard
All three Special Weather Statements identified the same primary hazard: wind gusts up to 40 mph, with the source listed as radar-indicated in each case. The NWS cautioned that gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects.
Residents and visitors in affected areas were advised to secure loose outdoor items and stay alert for rapidly changing conditions throughout the afternoon.
