The National Weather Service in Tallahassee confirmed yesterday that Saturday’s supercell produced two tornadoes that tore through the Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama.
The first was an EF-1, which displayed peak winds around 100 mph as it traveled over eight miles through Walton County. In the 13 minutes it was on the ground, the tornado uprooted trees, damaged roofs, and spewed debris across portions of I-10.
The last tornado exhibited peak winds around 115 mph, causing damage consistent with an EF-2 rating in parts of Holmes County. The town of Esto saw the most significant impacts: damage to a gas station, an overturned SUV and trailer, and roof damage to a home and small business. After carving more than a 15-mile path, the tornado lifted just north of Highway 4 in Geneva County.
The storm continued broadly rotating as it roamed northward through and out of our area Saturday afternoon.
