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Storms tear through Florida

The weather destroys homes in Lake City and Daytona Beach and rips up a mobile home park.

By CRISTINA SILVA
Published December 26, 2006

The powerful storm wave that created a devastating tornado Monday in Pasco County also buffeted the state with unseasonably heavy rains and strong winds.

In Pasco, an unusually strong storm cell spawned a category F2 tornado, meaning its wind speeds were between 113 and 157 mph, said the National Weather Service.

The storm also left a wake of damage across Florida.

Near Lake City, about 60 miles west of Jacksonville, at least two homes were destroyed and at least 10 damaged. One person was treated for lacerations suffered from the storm, according to the Associated Press.

Fifty planes at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach were damaged and some had wings torn off, said Jim Hampton, a spokesman for the school. The administration building and student center also sustained damage.

Six Daytona Beach residents were taken to hospitals, five with minor injuries, after their apartment complex was hit by the storm. A mobile home park in West Volusia County also has significant damage, authorities said.

The storm made it one of the wettest Decembers in recent memory for the Tampa Bay region, as 1 to 2 inches of rain poured down throughout Central Florida, leaving behind more water than many cities had seen all month. Winds averaged around 36 mph, said the National Weather Service in Ruskin.

While such a storm was unexpected during this time of year, the strong weather was considered a normal consequence of an approaching cold mass of air slowly inching down from the Mississippi Valley around Tennessee, said Ernie Jillson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

Moderate pressure from El Nino, the warm water phenomenon in the Pacific that affects weather across the globe, helped push the cold air south, Jillson said.

El Nino traditionally peaks from December to April, which could mean more rain is in store, but it's hard to predict local weather effects, forecasters said. A weak to moderate El Nino can help end droughts, but strong El Ninos have been linked to violent storms.

Monday's rain was about twice the amount Tampa Bay saw last year around the same period.

Up until the weekend, Tampa had about 1.75 inches of rain in December. Another 1.71 inches was dumped there Monday, bringing the total inches of rain this month up to 3.46. In December 2005, the total was 1.18 inches.

Authorities expect the same violent storm will hit South Florida by early this afternoon, leaving behind much cooler weather in Tampa Bay. Today, temperatures will stay in the 70s until nightfall, when they will dip low into the 40s and remain there through Wednesday morning. Highs will be in the 60s for the rest of the week.

The skies should be clear.

"The worst of it is over," Jillson said.

Times staff writer Janet Zink contributed to this report, which used information from the Associated Press. Cristina Silva can be reached at csilva@sptimes.com or 727 893-8846.

[Last modified December 25, 2006, 23:48:56]