Trees Downed As 2 'Weak' Tornadoes Touch Down In 2 FL Counties

PALM HARBOR, FL — A strong storm system pounded parts of Florida on Tuesday evening, spawning water spouts off the coasts of Pinellas and Sarasota counties. And with the storm came at least two weak tornadoes which touched down near Palm Harbor and New Port Richey, according to the National Weather Service's Tampa Bay office in Ruskin.

Pasco County Fire Rescue confirmed that homes sustained minor damage in the Belvedere Terrace area of New Port Richey when trees were blown down, but firefighters said no injuries were reported.

In addition to the two weak tornadoes, the NWS said the storms:

• Produced hail along the west coast, from Port Charlotte north to Crystal River.
• Blew multiple wind gusts of more than 40 mph.
• Produced at least one gust of 60 mph at the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, that led to a brief closure by the Florida Highway Patrol.

The storms began rolling into Tampa Bay at 6:40 p.m. Tuesday and by 7:58 p.m., the National Weather Service issued a severe storm alert as it tracked a line of storms extending from near Fort DeSoto Park in Pinellas County to near Ellenton and Myakka City in Manatee County, producing wind gusts of up to 50 mph and half-inch hail.

In between, severe storm warnings were issued from Sanibel Island in southwest Florida to the Suwanee River in northwest Florida, including Hardee, Manatee, Pinellas, Hillsborough, DeSoto, Sarasota and Pasco counties.

At the same time, the NWS said it tracked thunderstorms in the Gulf of Mexico from Englewood to Tarpon Springs and from Tarpon Springs to the Suwanee River that produced "waterspouts along a line extending from near Sarasota Bay to near Gasparilla Island and Bonita Beach, and from Port Richey to the Courtney Campbell Causeway and Terra Ceia Bay."

The storms were accompanied by high waves, rough seas and 50 mph wind gusts.

The NWS warned boaters to get off the water as quickly as possible, since water spouts can form quickly, producing waves that can easily capsize boats and damage vessels.

AccuWeather meteorologists a budding tropical storm is expected to slice across the Florida Peninsula with torrential rain and produce building seas and rough surf in the region. There is already some risk that the burgeoning tropical rainstorm, which would be named Alex once it hits the 39-mph maximum sustained winds threshold for a tropical storm, could cross Florida at the end of this week and then the northern Bahamas this weekend.

NWS Ruskin meteorologists said Tampa Bay residents can expect more of the same conditions Wednesday night, which coincidentally is the first official day of the Atlantic Basin hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

"Right on cue, we are watching the tropics as what is left of Hurricane #Agatha will emerge in the southeast Gulf of Mexico late in the week with a 70 percent chance of development," said Daniel Noah, warning coordination meteorologist for the NWS Tampa Bay in Ruskin. "It is too early to tell what impacts it will have on the west coast of Florida, but it is a great reminder to review your hurricane kits."