Tornado Struck Miami Area: National Weather Service

MIAMI SPRINGS — A tornado struck parts of Miami Springs and Hialeah not far from downtown Miami early Monday morning.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue warned motorists and pedestrians to exercise caution in weather-impacted neighborhoods.

"Watch for flooded areas and downed power lines," fire officials said on Monday afternoon. "Watch for debris on the road."

According to the National Weather Service, the tornado reached peak winds of 107 miles per hour over a 2.3 mile swath that was slightly wider than a football field.

Miami-Dade spokesman Mike Hernandez said that the county is offering assistance to Miami Springs and other municipalities that suffered damage as a result of the storm.

As of Monday afternoon, Florida Power and Light was still reporting thousands of customers without power in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

The National Weather service said the tornado struck Miami Springs at 3:49 a.m. and Hialeah at 4:15 a.m. The tornado is classified under the Enhanced Fujita scale as an EF-0 to EF-1.

"The survey team has tentatively verified that a tornado touched down in the Miami Springs area just east of the Palmetto Expressway, between NW 55th Street and NW 48th Street," according to the National Weather Service. "The tornado took a path to the east northeast, causing damage in multiple locations in Miami Springs, and then Hialeah, near the water plant. The damage path ended around the intersection of W 2nd Avenue and W 12th Street."

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez toured the area shortly before 2 p.m. on Monday.

Weather officials said that the tornado varied in strength between EF-0 to EF-1, which is considered weak based on tornado standards. A strong tornado would be considered one with winds of at least 111 miles per hour.

Photos courtesy National Weather Service