Confirmed EF 1 Tornado in South Walton County, Sandestin

[WalCo]

Confirmed EF 1 Tornado in South Walton County, Sandestin Neighborhood

WALTON COUNTY, FL - National weather Service (NWS) Tallahassee conducted a tornado
damage assessment in the affected areas of south Walton County on Tuesday, June 20, where
they confirmed Monday's severe weather system as an EF I tornado with maximum wind
speeds of approximately 105 MPH.

According to NWS, the tomado formed over the Choctawhatchee Bay and made landfall in the
Sandestin neighborhood at approximately 11:16am. Moving in a west to east trajectory, the
path was approximately 1.65 miles in length, with a maximum width of 200 yards. The highest
concentration of damage occurred along the Laurel Way and Raven's Run in the Laurel Grove
neighborhood of Sandestin. The tomado continued to move east before lifting east of Mack
Bayou Drive.

On Monday, June 19th, South Walton Fire District (SWFD) and Walton County Sheriff's Office
(WCSO) responded to reports of the tomado and conducted welfare checks throughout the
area. Walton County Emergency Management (WCEM) conducted preliminary damage
assessments and surveyed for potential unmet needs in the Sandestin and Mack Bayou
neighborhoods. Combined data from WCEM, NWS Tallahassee, and the Residential Self-
Reporting tool estimated a total of five impacted homes with minor damage. Numerous
properties received damage, including broken fences, heavy vegetation, and widespread
debris.

"We are grateful to report minimal damage and no injuries from this event," said WCEM
Director, Jeff Goldberg. "With severe weather continuing to impact our region throughout this
week, we strongly encourage our residents and visitors to remain weather aware and sign up
for AlertWalton at alertwalton.org.'

Residents impacted by the Sandestin Tomado are encouraged to complete the Walton County
Emergency Management Damage Reporting Survey to help determine the scope of the storm's
impacts and address any unmet needs. Survey can be found here: https://bit.ly/3kyKRZn. For
questions, please contact wcem@waltoncountyem.org

When disaster strikß, Walton Emergency Management is here to serve the businesß. and visitors of
Walton County. Our mission is to prevent. mitigate. prepare. recover from all hazards, emergerrles. and
disasters using a whole community approach.

 

[Ken]

 

[Ken]

A tornado touched down on Choctawhatchee Bay just west of the Sandestin Resort on Monday, June 19, causing damage along its 1.65 mile path. The National Weather Service has assessed the tornado as an EF1 with an estimated peak wind speed of 105 mph. Fortunately, no fatalities or injuries have been reported.

The tornado began its journey at approximately 11:16 AM on Monday near Sandestin. Initial reports indicate that a storm shutter on a bay-facing condo in the area suffered damage, while scattered snapped and toppled trees were observed between the Bay and Baytowne Avenue West. These damages align with the lower-end EF0 rating.

As the tornado moved eastward, the intensity increased. Turnberry Court, located east of Baytowne Avenue, experienced the full force of the storm. Several hardwood trees were uprooted, pointing in various directions, indicative of the EF1 rating, according to the NWS. The tornado then proceeded across a golf course and an unpopulated area, causing minimal impact.

However, the most significant concentration of damage occurred along Laurel Way and Ravens Run. NWS reports that multiple trees were snapped and uprooted, with minor roof damage reported in a few homes.

Walton County Emergency Management

The tornado's path continued east, causing additional minor roof damage to a home on Olde Towne Avenue and uprooting a few more hardwood trees. The storm eventually moved beyond the resort area, snapping and uprooting trees along Mack Bayou Road and east Mack Bayou Drive. Several fences sustained damage, and a small business's roof suffered minor harm.

According to the National Weather Service's survey summary, the tornado's maximum wind speed reached 105 mph, consistent with its EF1 rating. The destructive winds finally dissipated east of Mack Bayou Drive.

In total, the tornado lasted approximately 5 minutes.