NWS Confirms: Lakeland Airport Hit By Tornado

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Key Takeaways:

  • An EF-1 tornado with 95 mph winds hit the Lakeland airport on Thursday.
  • The tornado's path was just over half a mile long and 30-40 yards wide.
  • 70-75 mph straight-line winds from a downburst thunderstorm also impacted the area.
  • The National Weather Service confirmed the tornado and released a full report.
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The National Weather Service confirmed in a report released on Friday that a category EF-1 tornado hit the Lakeland airport on Thursday about noon time. The tornado had top winds estimated at 95 mph, a path length of just over a half mile, and a path width of about 30 to 40 yards. The NWS report also confirmed the impact of 70 to 75 mph “downburst thunderstorm severe straight-line winds,” with the tornado impacting the west end of the runway about 12:05 p.m. The full NWS report is available online (PDF).

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