Tornado touches down in Hillsborough County, NWS confirms

The National Weather Service confirmed that a waterspout briefly moved onshore in the Bay Port Colony neighborhood of Town ‘n’ Country.

TOWN ‘N’ COUNTRY, Fla. — A tornado briefly touched down in Town ‘N’ Country during Sunday evening’s storms, causing minor damage in the Villages of Bayport community but leaving no injuries behind.

According to the National Weather Service, a waterspout moved onshore at 6:58 p.m. near Schooner Way and Galleon Way. It produced winds of up to 79 mph and measured about .36 miles long and 75 yards wide.

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The tornado was rated EF-0, the weakest rating on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which classifies tornadoes based on estimated wind speeds and damage.

Residents spent Monday cleaning up debris scattered across yards and canals. Damage included torn screen enclosures, downed branches and patio furniture blown into the water. A large tree was also knocked over, though neighbors said it narrowly missed nearby homes.

Neighbors in the community said the storm intensified quickly.

“It was kinda nasty, the wind was blowing, rain was coming down sideways,” resident Tony Sclafani said. “It really picked up at one point.”

One resident captured a picture of the tornado as it moved through the neighborhood.

“Just before the tornado formed, thunderstorm convergence was taking place along the Florida west coast as sea breeze boundaries collided,” National Weather Service meteorologists wrote in a preliminary report. “Several thunderstorms developed along a line extending from Sarasota Bay, through Manatee County, and into Tampa Bay.”

Residents said the worst of the storm only lasted about 30 to 45 seconds.

“We were sitting out on the patio, the screened area, it was already starting to storm, but all of a sudden, you saw debris start flying sideways across the canal,” resident Rolando Chang said.

Chang said patio chairs and kayaks in his backyard were lifted by the storm.

“The chairs and kayaks that were in my backyard started flying, and I kinda figured out what was going on; it was possibly a twister, and I had everybody get inside as quickly as they could,” Chang said.

The National Weather Service reported damage to a pool cage and several additional structures in the Bay Port Colony community.

Despite the damage, residents said they are grateful the tornado was not stronger.

“I think we’re just incredibly lucky that we just had some minor damage, furniture, nothing that can’t be replaced,” Chang said.