Tornado record · Original Fujita scale

F2 tornado, Polk County, Florida, May 8, 1979

RatingF2

Deaths1

Injuries40

Length4 mi

Width200 yd

See tornadoes near here

Map

Path

The path

Drawn as a straight line from the recorded start point (28.07, -81.68) to the end point (28.07, -81.68), which is all NOAA's record holds. The real track may have curved.

The record

Date: May 8, 1979, 11:15 AM (as recorded, Central Standard Time)
Rating: F2
States: Florida
Counties: Polk County
Path: 4 miles long, up to 200 yards wide
Casualties: 1 deaths, 40 injuries

Same day

Other tornadoes on May 8, 1979

Tornadoes, newest first
Date	Rating	State	Path length	Width	Injuries
May 8, 1979	F3	Iowa	0.1 mi	30 yd	4
May 8, 1979	F1	Iowa	0.2 mi	30 yd	3
May 8, 1979	F1	Florida	0.3 mi	30 yd	1
May 8, 1979	F1	Florida	6.9 mi	50 yd	6
May 8, 1979	F1	Florida	0.2 mi	20 yd	0
May 8, 1979	F0	Florida	0.1 mi	20 yd	1
May 8, 1979	F0	Florida	0.1 mi	20 yd	0
May 8, 1979	F0	Florida	0.1 mi	20 yd	0
May 8, 1979	F0	Florida	0.1 mi	20 yd	0
May 8, 1979	F0	Florida	0.1 mi	20 yd	0
May 8, 1979	F0	Florida	0.2 mi	20 yd	0
May 8, 1979	F0	Florida	0.2 mi	20 yd	1
May 8, 1979	F0	Florida	0.1 mi	20 yd	0
May 8, 1979	F0	Florida	0.1 mi	20 yd	0
May 8, 1979	F0	Florida	0.2 mi	30 yd	0
May 8, 1979	F0	Florida	0.1 mi	20 yd	0
May 8, 1979	F0	Florida	0.1 mi	20 yd	0
May 8, 1979	F0	Florida	4.6 mi	30 yd	0
May 8, 1979	F0	Florida	0.1 mi	30 yd	0
May 8, 1979	F0	Florida	0.1 mi	20 yd	0

Nearby

Tornado history nearby

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.