Michael IR Satellite Image (NASA/NOAA/NWS Tallahassee)
Note: The Tallahassee area consists of Florida’s Big Bend and Southwest/South Central Georgia.
1. Hurricane Michael
October 10, 2018
Category 5 Major Hurricane Michael was an unprecedented storm for our region. This was clearly the decade’s top weather event. While areas around Panama City and Mexico Beach experienced catastrophic damage from wind and storm surge, extreme impacts also occurred in Franklin/Gadsden/Liberty/Wakulla counties and across Southwestern Georgia. This was the first tropical cyclone to track into any part of Georgia at major hurricane strength since 1898. Winds gusted to 115 mph in Donalsonville. Lives were lost on October 10th and in the aftermath. Economic impacts have been severe. Some communities are still trying to recover. While Tallahassee was spared the worst of Michael’s impacts, a 71-mph wind gust was measured. Even around Leon County, many were without electricity for an extended period of time.
2. Tornado Outbreak
January 22, 2017
Conditions came together for an extreme severe weather setup across the region. Six tornadoes occurred on January 22nd in the area. The Storm Prediction Center ultimately placed our region under a rare High Risk for the threat of significant tornadoes.
A Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) Tornado Watch was even issued. The two strongest ones were rated as EF-3s. One tracked through parts of Brooks, Berrien, and Cook counties. 11 people were killed by this nocturnal tornado that destroyed many mobile homes. The second moved through Albany and was also deadly. NWS Tallahassee meteorologists issued a Tornado Emergency for that storm. The tornado tracked across several counties and stayed on the ground for over 70 miles.
3. Hurricane Hermine
September 1-2, 2016
Hermine became the first hurricane to make landfall in Florida since 2005. It came ashore near the Wakulla-Jefferson County line as a Category 1 storm. Storm surge values were significant in coastal areas. Tallahassee experienced parts of the eyewall where some of the stronger winds and heavier rains were located. As a result, many ultimately lost power for an extended period of time. One wind gust to 64 mph was measured at Doak Campbell Stadium. Extensive tree damage occurred as Hermine likely had the biggest overall impact (to that point) on the Big Bend region since Hurricane Kate in 1985.
4. Tornado Outbreak
March 3, 2019
Nine tornadoes occurred during the March 3rd outbreak in our area. The strongest was an EF-3 that tracked from far Eastern Leon County into Jefferson County. It was the second strongest tornado to affect Leon County since 1945. An EF-2 also caused significant damage in Cairo. The debris signature was very well-defined on radar. During the event, FSU was even under their first Tornado Warning since October 14, 2014.
5. Two Winter Storms (Tie)
January 3, 2018
During this event, Tallahassee received measurable snowfall for the first time since 1989. While it was not a significant amount, just a tenth of an inch, it fell in a relatively short period of time. However, South Georgia communities saw around 2 inches. Ice also accumulated in the Eastern Big Bend and at points eastward. This caused some power outages.
January 28-29, 2014
Freezing rain was the predominant hazard. Icy conditions caused a large stretch of Interstate 10 to be closed. Some sleet also fell in Tallahassee. Classes were cancelled at Florida State and many schools across the area. It was a full day event (January 29th) for many.
Conclusion
The latter half of the decade was very busy. One more recent significant event that comes to mind that did not quite make the list was an outbreak of damaging wind gusts and tornadoes across mainly Southwest Georgia on January 2nd, 2017. This was a serious event that was the most notable not to make the list.
Some others are 2017’s Hurricane Irma, Tropical Storm Debby in June of 2012, an EF-3 tornado that struck portions of Lowndes and Lanier counties on March 3rd, 2012, and a severe weather outbreak during the early morning hours of April 5th, 2011.
A good place to go to read more about various notable weather events in the Tallahassee region over the years is weather.gov/tae/events.