On May 12, 1997, a rare and weak F1 tornado touched down in Miami, Florida. The tornado, also known as the 1997 Miami tornado, or the Great Miami tornado, was on the ground for 8 miles, causing $525,000 (1997 USD) in 15 minutes. It is remembered for media of it next to multiple buildings.
Meteorological Synopsis
Synoptics
An upper air observation at 12:00 UTC highlighted CAPE values at up to 1418 J/kg, and PWAT at 1.75 inches (44.45 mm). A Weather front was forecast to move into central Florida, and a low pressure system was forecast to go northeast into Florida’s Big Bend region. A 90 knot jet stream went across southern Florida. At the 250 mb level, winds were found to be 81 knots. By 12:00 UTC, winds had shifted south. Wind shear had weakened to a 20 - 15 knot breeze between 2,000 and 10,000 feet above the surface. As the day moved on, speed shear increased. Helicity values were found to be 131 m2/s2. The tornado crossed Interstate 95, then swept through Downtown Miami bypassing the city's skyscrapers. It crossed the MacArthur Causeway and the Venetian Causeway towards Miami Beach, sideswiping the cruise ship MS Sovereign of the Seas. The tornado lifted from the water halfway through Biscayne Bay and touched down briefly again in Collins Road, Miami Beach. It then flipped over a car and then dissipating. The tornado's passage also cut power to 21,000 people.