Tornado Warned Storm in East Central Florida

Tour Type: Tornado - QuickFlight Chase (non-scheduled tour)
Chase Date: 2008 FEB 26
Target Area: New Port Richey, Florida
Images: 7

Our first storm interception of 2008 happened in Pasco County, FL where we intercepted a tornado warned supercell shortly after sunset.   

The storm chasing conditions were not at all optimal (the roads were extremely “crowded” due to the winter population and tourist) and took a well thought out plan in order to intercept the storm near the coastal community of New Port Richey.   Although the storm was tornado warned (and not in a tornado watch box), it never actually produced a tornado.

 It did however show amazing storm structure and provided us with an amazing view of a rotating wall cloud just to the northeast of Holiday, FL along with some nickel and dime sized hail before the updraft base passed over head.

Just being able to intercept a storm at all on the highly overcrowded winter Florida highways is a feat in itself.  But, due to the excessive traffic and the fast forward motion of the storm, we were not able to keep pace with it for long.  We did however end the night on a good note, having intercepted our first jaw-dropping rotating supercell for 2008!

Here is the text of the tornado warning issued by the Ruskin, FL National Weather Service Warning Forecast Office:

<sup>WFUS52 KTBW 270304 TORTBW
FLC101-270330-/O.NEW.KTBW.TO.W.0008.080227T0304Z-080227T0330Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
1004 PM EST TUE FEB 26 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RUSKIN HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  WESTERN PASCO COUNTY IN FLORIDA.

* UNTIL 1030 PM EST

* AT 1004 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  TORNADO OVER NEW PORT RICHEY...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  NEW PORT RICHEY BY 1005 PM EST.
  JASMINE ESTATES BY 1010 PM EST.
  ODESSA BY 1020 PM EST.
  MOON LAKE ESTATES BY 1025 PM EST.
  LAND O' LAKES BY 1030 PM EST.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM! MOVE INTO THE INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING...AWAY FROM WINDOWS. COVER YOUR HEAD AND BODY WITH PILLOWS OR BLANKETS.

PLEASE REPORT TORNADOES OR FUNNEL CLOUDS...WINDS OF 58 MPH OR HIGHER...HAIL THE SIZE OF PENNIES OR LARGER...AND ANY WIND DAMAGE TO YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RUSKIN BY CALLING 813-645-2323.


&&

LAT...LON 2827 8275 2838 8244 2820 8238 2817 8251
      2817 8252 2817 8272 2825 8277 2827 8276
TIME...MOT...LOC 0304Z 250DEG 19KT 2819 8268

$$

CANTIN</sup>

Storm Chasing Photos

Radar Imagery

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