On December 24th, 2006, a low pressure system that formed over the Gulf of Mexico got caught up in the jet stream and created a squall line. This rapidly-moving storm front moved eastward into Florida. By Christmas afternoon, it had spawned five tornadoes.
Areas Affected by the 2006 Christmas Day Tornadoes in Florida
At 11:58am, an F-0 tornado warning was issued in the Leesburg area in Lake County. The funnel touched down 22 minutes later at 12:20pm. Wind speeds averaged around 70 mph. A mobile home park was hit where awnings and carports were torn from many homes. There were no injuries or deaths.
A second tornado developed south of Leesburg and headed towards DeLand in Volusia County. The weather station issued a tornado warning at 12:39pm and the funnel touched down 51 minutes later at 1:30pm. This tornado was rated as an F-2 with wind speeds ranging from 120 to 150 mph. Two mobile home parks suffered severe damage. There were 10 people who suffered injuries.
After leaving DeLand, the same storm caused severe damage in the Tiger Bay area of Volusia County.
Another tornado warning was issued for Eastern Volusia County around 1:25pm with a predicted touchdown in the vicinity of Daytona Beach. Twenty minutes later, at 1:45pm, an F-2 tornado struck the Daytona Beach International Airport and blew the roofs off three nearby apartment buildings.
The 120 mph winds tossed light aircraft at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. As a result, over 75 planes were damaged. A hanger collapsed and a small fire broke out in a support building.
North of Tampa, along the Gulf Coast in Pasco County, over 80 homes were damaged or destroyed by an F-2 tornado. These homes were mainly located at the Tampa Bay Golf and Country Club. In the village of San Antonio, a roof was blown off a home and many trees were knocked down.
Approximately 60 miles west of Jacksonville, in Columbia County, there were ten homes damaged by the storm and two homes completely destroyed. An unrated tornado touched down in Lake City and destroyed several homes.
Aftermath of the 2006 Christmas Day Tornadoes in Florida
There were a total of four F-2 tornadoes in Florida. One touched down in Columbia County, two landed in Volusia County and another one in Pasco County. In areas that were not hit directly by a tornado, there was still extensive property damage due to high winds and heavy rain. Lake County was struck by an F-0 tornado.
As reported in a preliminary survey by National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, “damage was estimated at $30M in Daytona Beach, and at $2.5M in DeLand.”
It was very fortunate that no people were killed by this tornado outbreak in Florida, though Christmas activities were spoiled for thousands of people.
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