A tornado 150 yards wide with winds of 100 mph hit parts of downtown Pensacola, damaging homes, businesses and a church and its day care center. The storm formed near Pensacola Naval Air Station and moved through the Warrington area before hitting areas of downtown. The tornado then moved north near the Cordova Mall area before disappearing near Pensacola Regional Airport.

A waterspout came ashore on the beach and preceded the tornadoes that swept through Escambia County on Thursday. Pensacola Beach had damages to the south side of homes on the 1300 block of Panferio Drive as well as some damage to local business and a few common owned property. Portions of Via de Luna and adjacent streets were flooded, especially during periods of heavy rain, but no serious problems and no injuries were reported. I personally just sighed when I realized I had a homeowners deductible I had to satisfy before my damages would be covered. That didn't bother me as much as the fact that it is almost November and my insurance deductible is applied on the calendar year.... so in about 60 days I will have a new deductible to satisfy...ughhh.

The storm here caught most people off guard, probably because they had become complacent about a tornado striking the area..... It's certainly a threat to our community! We now realize we should prepare for this type of event. People are now aware of the fact that they should treat a tornado warning just as seriously as a hurricane warning. I personally got a weather radio for my home this past weekend and have also set an electronic alert on my desktop to signal me when a tornado warning is issued. Tornadoes, considered the most violent storms on earth, can produce winds that exceed 100 miles per hour and reach speeds up to 300 mph.

Our community was blessed to have no deaths associated with the tornado last week and hopefully, our citizens will learn from this event and be prepared in the future. We have been worried about hurricanes for so long that many have dismissed the tornado threat. This could very well be a wake up call.

>Get a weather radio.
>When a tornado warning is issued, or a tornado is imminent, move to a small interior room. Stay away from windows.
>Consider building a tornado safe room in or adjacent to your home.
>If you live in a mobile home park, meet with other residents and the park owner to designate a safe area in the park.
>If in an office, condo or hotel, take shelter in an interior hallway on a lower floor, closet or small room.
>As a last resort, get under heavy furniture.

Hopefully everyone has recovered from last weeks weather related incidents and is back in one piece! XoXo -Lee