CAPE CORAL, Fla. - The National Weather Service office in Tampa Bay issued a Tornado Warning for Lee County at 6:50 PM Saturday night. However, a later report reveals there was already a tornado on the ground at 6:45 PM.
By 6:52, the tornado had fizzled out in Cape Coral.
The National Weather Service issued a Special Marine Warning at 4:30 PM, lasting until 6:30 PM to warn boaters of potential water spouts before conditions escalated quickly.
"When it hit Pine island Sound, something happened with the friction or the effects of the coastline and we've seen that," said Robert Garcia, Meteorologist at the National Weather Service.
The Storm Prediction Center had also warned of potential severe weather Saturday afternoon.
Garcia tells Four In Your Corner's Tony Sadiku tornadoes often spin up with little warning, and people should always be ready with a plan of action. "The tornado threat isn't necessarily going to be visible or during the day. It's probably going to be at night. So stay weather aware, get the weather radios ready," Garcia said.
It's also important to have multiple ways of getting weather information, like TVs, radios and apps like Storm Shield . Since tornados in El Niño years often happen at night, a source of information that can wake you up at night is often critical.
The best place to be in an active tornado situation is in the most interior part of your home on the lowest level, like a closet or bathroom.