Tornadoes strike Florida as Hurricane Ian intensifies
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Photo: Tom Pendas/TourHelicopter.com
Several tornadoes were reported to have struck Florida after Hurricane Ian rapidly intensified on Tuesday night.
The big picture: Ian's outer bands spawned tornadoes along the east coast of Florida as it reached Category 3 intensity Tuesday ahead of an expected ramp-up to a Category 4 on Wednesday. The tornado threat to southeast Florida counties continued overnight as the major hurricane moved closer.
Details: There were reports of a tornado damaging buildings and vehicles in Palm Beach County's Kings Point community late Tuesday.
- Earlier in the evening, at least two tornadoes were reported in Broward County.
- One tornado moved north toward Cooper City, prompting a warning from the National Weather Service to residents in Davie, Plantation and Lauderdale Lakes to take cover immediately, the Miami Herald reports.
- About an hour later, another tornado was confirmed "very close" to the path of the first one, per the Miami Herald.
What they're saying: One of the tornadoes passed over North Perry Airport, causing significant damage to several aircrafts and hangars, according to Broward County Mayor Michael Udine.
- Tom Pendas from TourHelicopter.com told Axios in a phone interview he was "quite surprised" by the damage the tornado caused.
- "We didn't think it was gonna be that substantial," he said, but added the team was prepared so it wasn't as bad as it could have been.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with reports of a tornado in Palm Beach County and the continued tornado threat overnight.
