Figure 3. Annual total rainfall for the Florida lower East Coast. Rainfall totals are running 
averages and are plotted at the first month of the 12-month period. Dashed line is the average 
rainfall [Redrawn from Hanson and Maul (1991)]. 
5.1.1. Weather stations 
Three NOAA weather stations, located at airports, bracket Florida Bay: Miami, Key West, and 
Ft. Myers. These stations, however, are not good indicators of weather conditions in the Bay. 
Other weather stations in the area are located at Homestead Air Force Base, the Everglades 
National Park Research Center, Flamingo, and at other sites. The station identification, name, 
location and length of operation of the weather stations reporting data to the NOAA National 
Climatic Data Center* located south of Lake Okeechobee are listed in Table 7. 
5.1.2. Tornadoes 
Tornadoes are part of South Florida weather. Although they are not long lived, their effects on 
land or water can be severe. The NOAA National Severe Storms Forecast Center analyzed 1372 
tornadoes that occurred from 1950 to 1992 at or south of 30°N latitude in Florida. Most 
tornadoes occur singly, and rarely are there more than 3 tornadoes in one day. A threshold of 
four tornadoes per day is the regional definition of a tornado outbreak. The greater majority of 
four or more tornado events occur in four hours or less. In addition, tornadoes have to be 
related to the same synoptic forcing mechanism to be considered part of a tornado outbreak. 
The yearly distribution of tornado outbreaks from 1950 to 1992 is listed in Table 8. The 
scarcity of outbreaks prior to 1964 is related to lower population density and the fact that only 
the most intense tornadoes were reported. 
* NOAA/NWS/National Climatic Data Center, 37 Battery Park Ave., Asheville, NC 28001-2733. 
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