March 1983 South Florida tornado outbreak El Niño. The Everglades–Lighthouse Point tornado featured the second-longest path recorded south of Lake Okeechobee; only one tornado in 1968 featured a longer path of in southern Florida. March 1983 South Florida tornado outbreak The March 1983 South Florida tornado outbreak was a significant severe weather event that affected the southern Florida peninsula, including the Miami metropolitan area, on March 17, 1983. A total of at least five tornadoes affected the region as many as 17 were reported, only two were confirmed in the official National Weather Service records. The strongest tornado produced F2 damage on the Fujita scale and
Effects of the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane in Florida 25 others stayed at a newly constructed elementary school. A number of African Americans took shelter in a school building in West Jupiter. Strong winds struck southern Florida as the hurricane moved ashore, with three unofficial reports of 100 mph (160 km/h). In Miami to the south of the center, winds reached 78 mph (126 km/h), and farther south, Key West reported winds of only . The eye at landfall was wide, and after moving inland crossed Lake Okeechobee, where a calm was reported for 30 minutes. Winds at Canal Point, adjacent to the lake, were estimated as high as