Olustee, FL – The Weather Authority team was live on air Sunday morning as an EF-1 tornado tore through the Osceola National Forest near Olustee.
Chief Meteorologist Richard Nunn used Exact Track Radar to pinpoint the tornado’s location, providing real-time updates as it intensified.
The storm touched down at approximately 11:38 a.m. on March 16, just north of Interstate 10 near Northeast Olino Road, with estimated peak winds reaching 90 mph.
The Jacksonville National Weather Service survey team reported the tornado broke off small branches and snapped the trunks of several small pine trees along Northeast Olino Road near Northeast Gum Swamp Road.
It even ripped bark from a medium-sized pine tree before continuing northeastward into a dense section of the forest.
It then crossed County Road 250A, maintaining its strength while snapping more small pine trees along the road and a nearby service road.
As the tornado moved into far western Baker County, its path narrowed before it dissipated near Forest Road 211.
Several more small tree trunks were snapped in this area before the storm weakened.
The Weather Authority’s detailed tracking allowed for precise warnings, helping to keep residents informed and safe during the storm.
This storm was part of a system that brought a devastating outbreak of tornadoes across the deep south over the weekend.
VIDEO: Destruction left by tornado outbreak