Tornadoes reported in Florida as Hurricane Ian gains strength

(NewsNation) — Numerous tornadoes were confirmed in Florida as the state braces for a strengthening Hurricane Ian to make landfall Wednesday.

NewsNation local affiliate WFLA reports that tornado warnings were declared in multiple parts of the region. In Broward County, Ian spawned at least two tornadoes, and a possible tornado in Kings Point, near Delray beach, “toppled trees, wrecked cars and displaced 35 people,” The Sun Sentinel reports.

Tornadoes were reported at North Perry Airport that were powerful enough to flip over small planes, according to NBC Miami. Several aircraft and hangars were damaged, but no injuries were reported, the station said.

On Twitter, people posted videos and pictures of fallen debris, heavy rain and uprooted trees in response to a call out by the National Weather Service in Miami.

Storms like these are very typical of these kinds of weather systems, NewsNation meteorologist Gerard Jebaily says.

“They’re very dynamic, full of energy,” he said. “Some of that energy is to get these outer bands to rotate, and that’s what happened.”

According to the Washington Post, tropical systems often produce tornadoes as they make landfall in the right front quadrant.

Onshore hurricane winds slow down as they reach land because they encounter friction from the rough land surface. Upper-level winds are able to blow unimpeded, the Post wrote, and the disparity creates wind shear, which is defined as “twisting vertical clouds that are spread out between different levels of atmosphere within a storm.”

The disparity creates wind shear, twisting vertical clouds that are spread out between different levels of atmosphere within a storm.

Florida’s tornado threat will continue into Thursday for much of the east side of the Florida peninsula, Jebaily said.