SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Wicked weather across South Florida ignited a tornado touchdown in Southwest Miami-Dade and triggered a flood advisory in parts of Broward.
Just before 5 p.m. on Thursday, The National Weather Service confirmed a thunderstorm produced a short-lived EF-0 tornado near Southwest 196th Street and 147th Avenue, at around 1:20 p.m.
Meteorologists said the tornado packed wind speeds of up to 80 mph as it traveled south along Southwest 147th Avenue until just north of 200th Street.
“Maybe a mile away from us, I’ve seen the tornado when it was hitting. I decided to make a left turn just to avoid the tornado cause it was coming toward me,” said a man. “But you know, we saw it, Thank God nothing happened.”
The intense winds knocked a tractor-trailer on its side, injuring the driver, according to the truck company. He has been taken to an area hospital in stable condition.
Multiple 7News viewers sent in video of the funnel cloud.
Witness Julio Ramirez described what he saw while on the road.
“Suddenly, I saw the tornado coming down, approximately about maybe a mile away from us,” he said. “I saw the tornado when it was hitting, and I decided to make a left turn just to avoid the tornado coming toward me. Thank God nothing happened. I just walked away from it.”
Video showed the funnel cloud from Miami Homestead General Aviation Airport as a small plane flew in the distance.
At South Dade Kia of Miami, mechanics dealt with car trouble and rain leaking in from the roof, according to a 7News viewer.
Strong wind gusts were reported across Miami-Dade, including 56 mph in West Kendall, 45 mph in Miami and 37 mph in Opa-Locka.
Cellphone video showed hail coming down in a Miami Gardens neighborhood.
Broward County has not been immune to the inclement weather. Wind gusts of 49 mph were reported in Pembroke Pines, where a resident sent in a picture of a downed tree.
It has been a soggy Thursday afternoon across the region, with 3.47 inches of rain reported in West Kendall, 2.86 in the Hammocks, 1.99 in Cutler Bay. North of the county line, 2.67 inches were reported in Plantation and 1.69 in Hollywood.
NWS officials issued a flood advisory across a wide swath of Broward, extending from Sunrise to Dania Beach and parts of Pembroke Pines, but it has since been allowed to expire.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.