Miami Tornado
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The Miami Tornado was the tornado event that occurred on May 12, 1997. The tornado was at the high end of the F1 category on the Fujita scale, with winds of about 100 mph.
This tornado was somewhat out of the ordinary because tornadoes generally don't form that far south that late in the year. Storm systems usually don't go that far south nor do they form that far south. The tornado is remembered not for its minor damage but for its haunting pictures, which made headlines around the world. In many photographs, the tornado is seen weaving in and out of the skyscrapers of downtown Miami.
The tornado formed in the afternoon (around 2:00 PM), initially touching down in the Silver Bluff Estates area. It crossed the two bridges going to Key Biscayne, sideswiping a cruise ship. The tornado lifted from the water halfway through Biscayne Bay and touched down briefly again on the island of Miami Beach, flipping over a car and soon dissipating. The Storm Prediction Center in Oklahoma had predicted tornados in the area and warned that there might be more to come.
People in Miami are usually more warned by hurricanes than tornadoes because of their rarity there. A hurricane threatens Miami every three to four years.