The National Weather Service confirmed Wednesday that a tornado briefly touched down in Northwest Miami-Dade with an estimated peak wind speed of 85 mph, causing minor damage to several homes in its path.
In the Palm Springs North community on Tuesday, the tornado whipped across a lake and a couple of residential blocks, according to weather service meteorologist Ana Torres-Vazquez. The twister traveled for about half a mile around 4:45 p.m. and was brought on by a severe thunderstorm.
But the tornado “quickly lifted back up,” Torres-Vazquez said.
Storm surveyors spotted some damage to residents’ trees and fences, she said. Backyard patio items got tossed around. Other residents reported minor damage to their roofs, gutters and awnings.
“There were a couple houses that were spotted with some blue tarping on top as a result of the damage yesterday, but it was mostly minor damage in nature,” she said.
Johnn Baptista, who lives in the area, shared footage with the Miami Herald that showed the storm tearing his awning off the ground and tossing a children’s play set and other items across his yard.
While these types of tornadoes don’t happen often in South Florida, it’s important for people to have multiple ways to receive warnings and advisories to remain informed about what’s happening in their neighborhood and to stay safe, Torres-Vazquez said.
Storms are expected to stick around through Friday in South Florida, according to the weather service.
