Meteorological history | |
---|---|
Formed | 27 January 2019 20:20 (CST) |
Duration | 26 minutes |
EF4 tornado | |
on the Enhanced Fujita scale | |
Highest winds | ~185 mph (298 km/h) |
Overall effects | |
Fatalities | 8 |
Injuries | 190+ |
Areas affected | Havana Province,Cuba |
Part of the tornado outbreaks of 2019 |
On the night of 27 January 2019,at 20:20 CST,an unusually violent and destructive tornado ripped through the Cuban capital Havana. The EF4 tornado toppled trees and utility poles,destroyed cars and sent debris flying as it passed through the city. According to the Cuban Institute of Meteorology,the tornado was produced by a cold front that struck the nation's north coast,but "there were no indications of the anticipated existence of any cloud that fulfilled the characteristics of a classic supercell,nor a minisupercell,and that would explain the development of the intense tornado". [1] [2] At least eight people died and more than 190 were injured.
Tornadoes in Cuba are not a rare occurrence as the island nation has been struck before in its history;the first tornado ever filmed was located in Cuba in 1933. [3] [4] Many of Cuba's tornadoes have intensity ratings of FU/EFU to F2/EF2 on the Fujita scale. However,five F3/EF3 and four F4/ EF4 tornadoes have been observed. [1]
At 20:20 local time,a tornadic vortex formed near Casino Deportivo,in the Cerro municipality. It traveled generally east-northeast on a path approximately 20 km (12 mi) long. The tornado traveled at a speed of 46 km/h (29 mph) with wind speeds of approximately ~185 mph (298 km/h) At around 20:46 local time,the tornado entered the Gulf of Mexico via Celimar in Habana del Este. By that time,the tornado had significantly weakened and was dissipating. Initially,the width of the vortex was 20 m (66 ft) in diameter,but increased to 200 m (660 ft) along most of its path. It was assigned an official rating of EF4 on the Enhanced Fujita scale by the Cuban Meteorology Institute,making this the first F4 or EF4 tornado in Cuba since 1999. [1] [5]
The tornado inflicted the greatest damage in the central and eastern parts of Havana,where numerous well-built masonry homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed. Concrete frame buildings sustained major structural damage,and cars were thrown or crushed under debris. [6] The municipalities most affected were Diez de Octubre,Cerro,Guanabacoa,Regla,and San Miguel del Padrón. [7] At least 1,238 of the 4,800 homes affected were seriously damaged, [8] with 500 totally destroyed and 757 partially. [9] At least 224 homes had completely lost their roof and 124 lost part of it. [8] Nineteen medical infrastructures suffered extensive damage,including polyclinics,general practitioner clinics,nursing homes and pharmacies. The Obstetrics-Gynecology Teaching Hospital sustained the worst damage. Another hospital;the Hijas de Galicia Maternity Hospital was also damaged,and patients and staff had to be evacuated. Eighty schools were also structurally affected. Many school buildings suffered structural damage to roofs and walls. [10] A further 21 day care facilities were damaged,and numerous trees and power poles were snapped along the path. [11]
Early reports by President Miguel Díaz-Canel said there were three deaths and 172 injures in a Twitter post. [12] Later,according to Reuters,eight people were killed and over 190 were injured. Ten people suffered life-threatening injuries. [11] Among the fatalities was a 54-year-old woman who died when the tornado tore through her house while searching for a shelter to hide in. [12] Another man died when his home collapsed onto him. [6] Two people initially hospitalized also succumbed to their injuries. [13] The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and UN Cuban headquarters reported that 253,682 were directly affected by the destructive tornado,with 80,000 people in the direct path. Of the 9,937 people evacuated,at least 9,413 were living in the homes of friends and families while 524 were placed in government shelters. Over 144,000 residents did not have access to electricity after the disaster;some still remained without power over a week later. [10]
Rescue and recovery operations began immediately after the tornado. On 27 January,at 20:00,President Bermúdez arranged a meeting with the Council of Ministers to discuss the progress made on recovery efforts. He was informed by ministers of the damage and casualties in the affected areas. [14] Private businesses were also involved in the provision and distribution of basic needs such as clothing and food to needing individuals. Several musical artists organized benefit concerts and personally distributed aid to the affected. [15]
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks that occurred in 2007,primarily in the United States. Most tornadoes form in the U.S.,although some events may take place internationally,particularly in parts of neighboring southern Canada during the summer season. Some tornadoes also take place in Europe,e. g. in the United Kingdom or in Germany.
Tornado intensity is the measure of wind speeds and potential risk produced by a tornado. Intensity can be measured by in situ or remote sensing measurements,but since these are impractical for wide-scale use,intensity is usually inferred by proxies,such as damage. The Fujita scale,Enhanced Fujita scale,and the International Fujita scale rate tornadoes by the damage caused. In contrast to other major storms such as hurricanes and typhoons,such classifications are only assigned retroactively. Wind speed alone is not enough to determine the intensity of a tornado. An EF0 tornado may damage trees and peel some shingles off roofs,while an EF5 tornado can rip well-anchored homes off their foundations,leaving them bare—even deforming large skyscrapers. The similar TORRO scale ranges from a T0 for extremely weak tornadoes to T11 for the most powerful known tornadoes. Doppler radar data,photogrammetry,and ground swirl patterns may also be analyzed to determine the intensity and assign a rating.
This page documents notable tornadoes and tornado outbreaks worldwide in 2003. Strong and destructive tornadoes form most frequently in the United States,Bangladesh,and Eastern India,but they can occur almost anywhere under the right conditions. Tornadoes also develop occasionally in southern Canada during the Northern Hemisphere's summer and somewhat regularly at other times of the year across Europe,Asia,and Australia. Tornadic events are often accompanied with other forms of severe weather,including strong thunderstorms,strong winds,and hail.
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1999,primarily in the United States. Most tornadoes form in the U.S.,although some events may take place internationally,particularly in parts of neighboring southern Canada during the Northern Hemisphere's summer season,as well as Europe. One particular event,the Bridge Creek-Moore,Oklahoma F5 tornado,produced the highest wind speed ever recorded on Earth,which was 301 ± 20 mph (484 ± 32 km/h).
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 2000,primarily in the United States. Most tornadoes form in the U.S.,although some events may take place internationally,particularly in parts of neighboring southern Canada during the summer season.
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1989,primarily in the United States. Most tornadoes form in the U.S.,although some events may take place internationally. Tornado statistics for older years like this often appear significantly lower than modern years due to fewer reports or confirmed tornadoes.
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1990,primarily in the United States. Most tornadoes form in the U.S.,although some events may take place internationally. Tornado statistics for older years like this often appear significantly lower than modern years due to fewer reports or confirmed tornadoes,however by the 1990s tornado statistics were coming closer to the numbers we see today.
During the late afternoon and early evening of April 27,2011,a violent,high-end EF4 multiple-vortex tornado destroyed portions of Tuscaloosa and Birmingham,Alabama,as well as smaller communities and rural areas between the two cities. It is one of the costliest tornadoes on record,and was one of the 360 tornadoes in the 2011 Super Outbreak,the largest tornado outbreak in United States history. The tornado reached a maximum path width of 1.5 miles (2.4 km) during its track through Tuscaloosa,and again when it crossed I-65 north of Birmingham,attaining estimated wind speeds of 190 mph (310 km/h) shortly after passing through the city. It then went on to impact parts of Birmingham at high-end EF4 intensity before dissipating. This was the third tornado to strike the city of Tuscaloosa in the past decade,and the second in two weeks.
This page documents notable tornadoes and tornado outbreaks worldwide in 1973,but mostly features events in the United States. According to tornado researcher Thomas P. Grazulis,documentation of tornadoes outside the United States was historically less exhaustive,owing to the lack of monitors in many nations and,in some cases,to internal political controls on public information. Most countries only recorded tornadoes that produced severe damage or loss of life. Consequently,available documentation in 1973 mainly covered the United States. On average,most recorded tornadoes,including the vast majority of significant—F2 or stronger—tornadoes,form in the U.S.,although as many as 500 may take place internationally. Some locations,like Bangladesh,are as prone to violent tornadoes as the U.S.,meaning F4 or greater events on the Fujita scale.
This page documents notable tornadoes and tornado outbreaks worldwide in 2019. Strong and destructive tornadoes form most frequently in the United States,Argentina,Brazil,Bangladesh,and Eastern India,but can occur almost anywhere under the right conditions. Tornadoes also develop occasionally in southern Canada during the Northern Hemisphere's summer and somewhat regularly at other times of the year across Europe,Asia,Argentina,and Australia. Tornadic events are often accompanied by other forms of severe weather,including strong thunderstorms,strong winds,and hail.
A rare,violent,and deadly long-tracked tornado struck several villages in the Hodonín and Břeclav districts of the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic in the evening of 24 June 2021,killing six people and injuring 576 others. This tornado is the widest on record in Europe,at 3.5km maximum width. The tornado struck seven municipalities,with the worst damage in the villages of Hrušky,MoravskáNováVes,Mikulčice and Lužice.
The following is a list of weather events in 2019.
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1948,primarily in the United States. Most tornadoes form in the U.S.,although some events may take place internationally. Tornado statistics for older years like this often appear significantly lower than modern years due to fewer reports or confirmed tornadoes. Also,prior to 1950,tornadoes were not officially surveyed by the U.S. Weather Bureau,which would later become the National Weather Service,and thus had no official rating. All documented significant tornadoes were instead given unofficial ratings by tornado experts like Thomas P. Grazulis.
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1946,primarily in the United States. Most recorded tornadoes form in the U.S.,although some events may take place internationally. Tornado statistics for older years like this often appear significantly lower than modern years due to fewer reports or confirmed tornadoes.
On April 27,1971,a violent F4 tornado struck Gosser Ridge and other parts of Russell and Pulaski County,Kentucky. In November 1999,the National Climatic Data Center published a list of the historical F5 tornadoes in the United States from 1880 to 1999,which rated the Gosser Ridge tornado as an F5 tornado. It was later officially downgraded to an F4 tornado.