2012 Tropical Storm Debby tornado outbreak: Difference between revisions

 

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From June 23 to 25, 2012, [[Tropical Storm Debby (2012)|Tropical Storm Debby]] produced a significant [[tornado outbreak]] across the [[Florida Peninsula]]. Throughout the entire event, 25 tornadoes touched down across the state, making the outbreak the second largest on record in Florida, behind only that spawned by [[Hurricane Agnes]], which produced 28 tornadoes from [[1972 Hurricane Agnes tornado outbreak|June 18 to 19, 1972]].{{cite web|title=SPC National Severe Weather Database Browser|url=http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/online/sp3/plot.php|publisher=Storm Prediction Center|accessdate=25 June 2012}} At least ten of the tornadoes—the largest 24-hour total in South Florida since [[Hurricane Isbell (1964)|Hurricane Isbell]] produced eight in 1964—had been confirmed in four South Florida counties by the [[National Weather Service]] [[weather forecasting|forecast]] office in [[Miami, Florida|Miami]].{{cite web|title=Summary of Tornado Reports Over South Florida: June 23-24, 2012|url=http://www.srh.noaa.gov/images/mfl/news/TornadoOutbreakJune23-24.pdf|publisher=NWS Forecast Office, [[Miami, Florida]]|accessdate=25 June 2012}}

From June 23 to , 2012, [[Tropical Storm Debby (2012)|Tropical Storm Debby]] produced a significant [[tornado outbreak]] across the [[Florida Peninsula]]. Throughout the entire event, 25 tornadoes touched down across the state, making the outbreak the second largest on record in Florida, behind only that spawned by [[Hurricane Agnes]], which produced 28 tornadoes from [[1972 Hurricane Agnes tornado outbreak|June 18 to 19, 1972]].{{cite web|title=SPC National Severe Weather Database Browser|url=http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/online/sp3/plot.php|publisher=Storm Prediction Center|accessdate=25 June 2012}} At least ten of the tornadoes—the largest 24-hour total in South Florida since [[Hurricane Isbell (1964)|Hurricane Isbell]] produced eight in 1964—had been confirmed in four South Florida counties by the [[National Weather Service]] [[weather forecasting|forecast]] office in [[Miami, Florida|Miami]].{{cite web|title=Summary of Tornado Reports Over South Florida: June 23-24, 2012|url=http://www.srh.noaa.gov/images/mfl/news/TornadoOutbreakJune23-24.pdf|publisher=NWS Forecast Office, [[Miami, Florida]]|accessdate=25 June 2012}}

==Meteorological synopsis==

==Meteorological synopsis==

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On June 19, 2012, an [[Low-pressure area|area of low pressure]] formed over the [[Yucatán Peninsula]] and slowly moved north-northeast. Concurrently, a [[tropical wave]] approached from the east and merged with the low on June 22 which led to the formation of a [[Trough (meteorology)|trough]] across the southern [[Gulf of Mexico]]. Over the next day the system became increasingly organized and developed into Tropical Storm Debby around 8:00 a.m. [[Eastern Time Zone|EDT]] ([[UTC−04:00]]) on June 23.{{cite report|first=Todd B.|last=Kimberlain|publisher=National Hurricane Center|date=January 7, 2013|accessdate=July 24, 2023|title=Tropical Storm Debby (AL042012)|series=Tropical Cyclone Report|url=https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL042012_Debby.pdf|format=PDF}} A prominent [[Convergence zone|convergence]] band developed east of the circulation center and posed a minimal risk of tornadic activity over the [[Florida Keys]] and southwestern [[Florida Peninsula]]. Ample low-level moisture and air temperatures above {{convert|80|F|C|abbr=on}} created [[Convective Available Potential Energy]] (CAPE) of 2,000 J/kg. The first tornadoes occurred more than 40 hours before [[landfall]] and were in the city limits of [[Naples, Florida|Naples]] within [[Collier County, Florida|Collier County]] at 3:35 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. EDT; both were rated EF0.{{sfn|Martinaitis|2017|pp=169, 172}} This was atypical to the majority of tropical cyclone tornado events in which the bulk of activity occurs within hours of landfall and after.{{sfn|Novlan and Gray|1974|p=478}} By 4:44 EDT, weak thunderstorm cells were noted over Collier and [[Monroe County, Florida|Monroe]] Counties; however, they were not considered as significant as normal tropical cyclone-produced [[supercell]]s.{{cite report|last1=Edwards|last2=Weiss|publisher=Storm Prediction Center|date=June 23, 2012|accessdate=July 24, 2023|title=Mesoscale Discussion 1252|url=https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/md/2012/md1252.html}} Activity in the nighttime hours shifted to potential [[waterspout]]s moving onshore in southwestern counties.{{cite report|last1=Hurlbut|last2=Mead|publisher=Storm Prediction Center|date=June 24, 2012|accessdate=July 24, 2023|title=Mesoscale Discussion 1254|url=https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/md/2012/md1254.html}} Conditions became more conducive for tornadic activity by the late-morning hours of June 24 as Debby’s broad circulation meandered generally northeast. Storm-relative…