Overview
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A severe weather outbreak occurred in the Deep South on Easter Sunday (4/19) when a potent 500 mb shortwave trough swung across the southern Plains, lower Mississippi Valley, and into the southeastern US. During the first portion of the outbreak, there were 26 tornadoes produced (preliminary total) across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. There were also 38 hail reports and 156 wind reports that day across the Deep South. The potent shortwave continued to swing across the southeastern states Monday morning (4/20), lifting northeastward off the mid-Atlantic coastline that evening. In the second half of this event, there were 3 tornadoes produced in north-central Florida, including an EF-0 tornado south of Ocala, FL. There were also 5 wind reports in the Jacksonville area. |
 SPC Summary of reports from the tornado outbreak across the southeast April 19-20, 2020. The NWS Jacksonville forecast area was highlighted in a slight risk in the day 4 outlook issued on 4/16 and an enhanced risk from the day 3 outlook issued on 4/17 through the day 1 outlook on 4/19. |
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 MRMS Radar Loop from 5-11 AM EDT the morning of April 20, 2020. The S Ocala tornado lasted from 9:40-9:55 AM EDT. |
Tornado:
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Tornado - S Ocala, FL
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The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:
| EF0 Weak 65-85 mph |
EF1 Moderate 86-110 mph |
EF2 Significant 111-135 mph |
EF3 Severe 136-165 mph |
EF4 Extreme 166-200 mph |
EF5 Catastrophic 200+ mph |
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Photos & Video
Clinch County, GA Gustnado - 4/19/2020
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| Tree damage from gustnado (Will Joyce, Clinch County Emergency Manager) |
Tree damage from gustnado (Will Joyce, Clinch County Emergency Manager) |
Tree damage from gustnado (Will Joyce, Clinch County Emergency Manager) |
S Ocala, FL Tornado - 4/20/2020
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| Tree damage west of I-75 (NWS Damage Survey) |
Tree damage west of I-75 (NWS Damage Survey) |
Tree damage west of I-75 (NWS Damage Survey) |
Tree and fence damage west of I-75 (NWS Damage Survey) |
Radar
Clinch County, GA Gustnado - 4/19/2020
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| KVAX reflectivity and velocity data at 20:20Z shows a cell in Berrien County, GA moving into Atkinson County, GA, which has produced a SW-NE oriented outflow boundary in SE Berrien County. A second outflow boundary from storms further north is perpendicular, stretching across southeast GA. | By 20:29Z, the perpendicular outflow boundaries had both pushed further south. | Around 20:38Z, small showers began to develop along the west-east oriented boundary in the northern portion of Clinch County, GA. | The shower that developed around 20:38Z moved north of the boundary by 20:50Z, with another small shower developing south of it west of Homerville, GA. This second shower produced the "gustnado" that caused some tree damage shown in the "Photos & Video" tab at left around the time of this radar image (4:50 PM EDT). |
S Ocala, FL Tornado - 4/20/2020
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| KVAX reflectivity and velocity data at 13:30Z show a severe thunderstorm moving through western Marion county. | Around 13:40Z (or 9:40 AM EDT), the tornado touched down west of I-75 near mile marker 340. KVAX reflectivity and velocity data is shown for the estimated touch down time. The tornado is in the range folded (purple colored) area of the velocity. | KVAX reflectivity and velocity data at 13:47Z. At this time step, the tornado would be in the Belleview area. The velocity data at that location is still range folded although less severely so. | The tornado lifted around 13:55Z (9:55 AM EDT). KVAX reflectivity and velocity data at this time step and location are finally readable. Note that the area with broad rotation is actually west of where the tornado would have lifted. |
Storm Reports
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORTS
National Weather Service Jacksonville FL
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0440 PM HAIL 2 N PEARSON 31.33N 82.85W
04/19/2020 M0.25 INCH Atkinson GA PUBLIC
0450 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG 1 NW HOMERVILLE 31.05N 82.77W
04/19/2020 Clinch GA EMERGENCY MNGR
TREE BLOWN DOWN AND LARGE LIMB DAMAGE ALONG TOMILSON
STREET IN HOMERVILLE. TIME OF DAMAGE WAS BASED ON RADAR.
HOMERVILLE AIRPORT AND EMA OFFICE MEASUED WIND GUSTS OF
20-25 MPH WHEN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY AND SHOWER MOVE ACROSS
THE AREA.
0500 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG 1 NW HOMERVILLE 31.05N 82.77W
04/19/2020 Clinch GA EMERGENCY MNGR
A GUSTNADO IMPACTED TOMILSON STREET IN HOMERVILLE WHERE A
SHOWER AND OUTFLOW BOUNDARY CONVERGED. TIME OF DAMAGE WAS
BASED ON RADAR. HOMERVILLE AIRPORT AND EMA OFFICE MEASUED
WIND GUSTS OF 20-25 MPH WHEN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY AND SHOWER
MOVE ACROSS THE AREA. SEVERAL RESISDENCES ALONG THE
STREET HAD TREE DAMAGE, INCLUDING ONE TREE DOWN ON AN
UNOCCUPIED HOME.
0752 PM HAIL 7 SSE PEARSON 31.20N 82.83W
04/19/2020 M0.25 INCH Atkinson GA EMERGENCY MNGR
DIME TO PEA SIZE HAIL WAS OBSERVED IN SOUTH CENTRAL
ATKINSON COUNTY.
0804 PM HAIL AXSON 31.27N 82.74W 04/19/2020 M0.25 INCH ATKINSON GA EMERGENCY MNGR
0324 AM TSTM WND DMG 5 NNW BROXTON 31.69N 82.92W
04/20/2020 Coffee GA EMERGENCY MNGR
TREE DOWN ON LINDSEY MERRITT ROAD. TIME BASED ON RADAR.
0327 AM TSTM WND DMG 4 W RAYBON 31.27N 82.04W
04/20/2020 BRANTLEY GA AMATEUR RADIO
TREE DOWN, POWER POLE AND LINES DOWN AROUND
AREA OF RAYBON RD W OF HWY 301.
0333 AM TSTM WND DMG HORTENSE 31.33N 81.95W
04/20/2020 BRANTLEY GA AMATEUR RADIO
TREE DOWN ACROSS HWY 32 IN HORTENSE.
0345 AM TSTM WND DMG 4 NW DOCK JUNCTION 31.25N 81.55W
04/20/2020 Glynn GA EMERGENCY MNGR
TREE DOWN NEAR THE SHADY ACRES MOBILE HOME PARK. TIME OF
DAMAGE BASED ON RADAR DATA.
0354 AM TSTM WND DMG NICHOLLS 31.52N 82.64W
04/20/2020 COFFEE GA EMERGENCY MNGR
TREE DOWN IN THE NICHOLLS AREA NEAR FLYNN ROAD.
0841 AM TSTM WND DMG NE ST. GEORGE 30.52N 82.04W
04/20/2020 Charlton GA PUBLIC
PUBLIC SUBMITTED PHOTOS OVER SOCIAL MEDIA OF OUTDOOR YARD
PROPERTY KNOCKED OVER ON THEIR SIDES AFTER A STORM. TIME
OF DAMAGE BASED ON RADAR DATA.
0936 AM TSTM WND DMG 7 SSW SANTOS 29.02N 82.15W
04/20/2020 Marion FL LAW ENFORCEMENT
FLORIDA STATE WATCH OFFICE REPLAYED A REPORT OF PINE
TREES BLOCKING THE RIGHT AND CENTER SOUTHBOUND LANES OF
INTERSTATE 75 NEAR MILE MARKER 340 IN SOUTHERN MARION
COUNTY NEAR MARION OAKS. TIME OF DAMAGE BASED ON RADAR
DATA.
0937 AM TSTM WND DMG 8 SSW SANTOS 28.99N 82.14W
04/20/2020 Marion FL EMERGENCY MNGR
MARION COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTS A STATIONARY
CONSTRUCTION TRAILER THROWN ACROSS INTERSTATE 75 AT THE
OCALA WEIGH STATION NEAR BELLEVIEW. TIME OF DAMAGE BASED
ON RADAR DATA.
0937 AM TORNADO 9 SSW SANTOS 28.99N 82.14W
04/20/2020 Marion FL BROADCAST MEDIA
FOX-13 NEWS IN TAMPA BROADCAST A VIDEO OF A TORNADO
CROSSING INTERSTATE 75 IN THE VICINITY OF BELLEVIEW NEAR
THE OCALA WEIGH STATION. TIME OF EVENT BASED ON RADAR
DATA.
0940 AM TORNADO 7 SSW SANTOS 29.01N 82.15W
04/20/2020 Marion FL PUBLIC
MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SUBMITTED THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA A
VIDEO OF A TORNADO CROSSING INTERSTATE 75 IN THE VICINITY
OF BELLEVIEW NEAR MILE MARKER 341.
0941 AM TSTM WND GST OCALA AIRPORT 29.17N 82.22W
04/20/2020 M52.00 MPH Marion FL AWOS
PEAK GUST OF 52 MPH RECORDED AT THE OCALA INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT.
0951 AM TSTM WND GST OCALA AIRPORT 29.17N 82.22W
04/20/2020 M46 MPH MARION FL AWOS
PEAK GUST OF 46 MPH RECORDED AT THE OCALA INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT.
0956 AM TSTM WND DMG 1 SE SILVER SPRINGS SHO 29.09N 81.99W
04/20/2020 Marion FL 911 CALL CENTER
FLORIDA STATE WATCH OFFICE REPORTS ROOF DAMAGE AND
WINDOWS BLOWN OUT ALONG SAPPHIRE RUN NEAR SILVER SPRINGS
SHORES. TIME OF DAMAGE BASED ON RADAR DATA.
1027 AM TSTM WND DMG 1 E PALM COAST 29.57N 81.19W
04/20/2020 Flagler FL EMERGENCY MNGR
FLAGLER COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTS A TREE DOWNED
ALONG PALM HARBOR DRIVE IN THE VICINITY OF THE HAMMOCK
DUNES BRIDGE. TIME OF DAMAGE BASED ON RADAR DATA.
1028 AM TSTM WND GST 2 E PALM COAST 29.57N 81.19W
04/20/2020 M45 MPH Flagler FL MESONET
FLAGLER COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT RELAYED A REPORT FROM
THE WEATHERSTEM STATION AT HAMMOCK DUNES BRIDGE THAT
MEASURED A PEAK GUST OF 45 MPH.
1042 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 WNW FORT CAROLINE 30.39N 81.52W
04/20/2020 M42 MPH Duval FL OTHER FEDERAL
NATIONAL OCEAN SERVICE COASTAL MARINE STATION AT BLOUNT
ISLAND MEASURED A PEAK WIND GUST OF 42 MPH.
1051 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 NNE MAYPORT 30.42N 81.40W
04/20/2020 M50 MPH AMZ452 FL MESONET
THE WEATHERFLOW STATION AT HUGUENOT PARK MEASURED A PEAK
WIND GUST OF 50 MPH.
1132 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 4 SE SAINT AUGUSTINE 29.86N 81.26W
04/20/2020 M43 MPH AMZ454 FL C-MAN STATION
CMAN SAUF1 MEASURED A GUST TO 43 MPH / 37 KNOTS FROM THE
SOUTHWEST.
Synoptic Environment
A potent mid and upper level shortwave trough swung across the southern Plains, lower Mississippi Valley, and into the southeastern US on April 19th, swinging across the southeastern states on the morning of the 20th, and lifting northeastward off the mid-Atlantic coastline that evening. Enhanced upper-level divergence occurred out ahead of this shortwave, leading to increased upward motion and significant pressure drops. At the surface, a quasi-stationary frontal boundary was draped across southern Georgia on the 19th, wavering north and south throughout the daytime and evening hours. In the early morning hours of the 20th, the front began to make southeastward progress as a cold front moving through northeast and north-central Florida.
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| Figure 1: Loop of WPC surface analysis from 4/19/2020 12Z to 4/21/2020 00Z. | Figure 2: Loop of 850 mb analysis from 4/19/2020 12Z to 4/21/2020 00Z. | Figure 3: Loop of 500 mb analysis from 4/19/2020 12Z to 4/21/2020 00Z. | Figure 4: Loop of 300 mb analysis from 4/19/2020 12Z to 4/21/2020 00Z. |
Mesoscale Environment
As the deep low pressure system approached the region, the environment became increasingly favorable for severe weather. The JAX soundings and 12Z on 4/19 and 00Z on 4/20 show instability (particularly lower level instability) surged, with SBCAPE rising from near 600 J/kg to over 2000 J/kg and 0-3 km lapse rates rising from 4.3 C/km to 7.2 C/km. The loop of SBCAPE analysis shows values of 3000-4000 J/kg moving in from the Gulf across portions of north-central Florida late Sunday night/early Monday morning. There was also a significant increase in wind shear as the system approached and moved through. The loop of 0-1 km SRH shows a bullseye of 300+ m2/s2 over northeast and north-central Florida on Monday morning. Soundings at 12Z on 4/20 confirmed this with the JAX sounding showing 0-1 km SRH of 571 m2/s2 and the TBW sounding showing 0-1 km SRH of 337 m2/s2, both over the 300 m2/s2 analysed by the RAP. With strong low level instability, shear, and helicity late Sunday night and early Monday morning, the environment was favorable for tornadic development.
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| Figure 5: 4/20 00 KJAX Sounding | Figure 6: Loop of RAP SBCAPE and CIN analysis from 4/19 12Z through 4/20 12Z. | Figure 7: Loop of RAP 0-1 km shear analysis from 4/19 12Z through 4/20 12Z. | Figure 8: Loop of RAP effective shear analysis from 4/19 12Z through 4/20 12Z. |
A widespread tornado outbreak occurred across the Deep South on 4/19, with 26 tornado reports located almost solely within SPC's moderate risk area on the day 1 outlook. Locally, however, the environment was more favorable in those late night and early morning hours overlapping the 4/19 and 4/20 outlooks. In mesoscale discussion #419 ahead of the S Ocala tornado, they highlighted steep mid-level lapse rates and strong vertical shear, including at the lower levels, indicating that although the main anticipated threats with storms was damaging winds and hail, it mentioned that a tornado could not be ruled out. In the end, 3 tornadoes were reported in north central Florida- our Marion County tornado, as well as one in Citrus County and one in Seminole County.
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| Figure 9: SPC Day 1 Severe Weather Outlook for 4/19 | Figure 11: SPC Day 1 Severe Weather Outlook for 4/20 | Figure 12: SPC Mesoscale Discussion #419 |
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