EF-1 Tornado Hit Downtown Sarasota, Damaged Cars, Buildings: NWS

SARASOTA, FL — An EF-1 tornado hit downtown Sarasota, just north of the Sarasota Police Department’s headquarters, on Wednesday afternoon, the National Weather Service in Tampa Bay confirmed.

“This was very brief (looks to be around 45 seconds), but we have enough information to conclude that EF-1 damage (90mph),” the agency tweeted.

A tornado’s damage intensity is often rated on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, the NWS said. Their rating is based on estimated wind speeds and related damage, with the lowest being an EF-0 with three-second gusts 65 to 85 mph and the strongest being an EF-5 with gusts more than 200 mph.

EF-1 tornado gusts range from 86 to 110 mph.

Just before 2 p.m. on Wednesday, the NWS tweeted that a “strong storm” was approaching Sarasota and Manatee counties.

A Sarasota Police Department employee captured the tornado around 2:15 p.m., the agency shared on social media.

The tornado was filmed by the department’s network administrator, David Hubbard, after it was spotted near the police headquarters, which is located in Sarasota’s downtown core at 2099 Adams Lane.

“Definitely, the video shows a tornado. There’s definitely no question about that piece,” Austen Flannery, a meteorologist with the NWS, told Patch.

Based on the video, he said the tornado seems to have touched down for about 30 to 45 seconds.

“Obviously, enough time to do some damage,” he said.

NWS meteorologists will now work to determine the intensity of the tornado, evaluating pictures and videos from the twister and the storm that produced it.

After the tornado hit, officers responded to reports of damages in the 2000 block of 10th Street, police said. No injuries were reported.

The tornado hit 10 Street and the end of Apricot Avenue, The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime shared to its Facebook page.

“There was damage to the cars at the end of Apricot Ave. Nothing happened to The Bazaar or our end of the street. Everyone on our street is safe. It was quick and short. I hope nothing happened to anyone else,” the Bazaar wrote.

One commenter on SPD’s Facebook post also said that “Margaret Street was pretty damaged. Tree and power lines down. Fire pits and yard décor broken.”

Another resident of the area told SPD, “We have cars damaged by a roof that blew off another business.”

“I saw this from the (ninth) floor of the courthouse. Half amazing, half terrifying,” another commenter said.