Caught on cam: Tornado tears through Orlando, Florida
The tornado was caused by Tropical Storm Cristobal, which made landfall in southeastern Louisiana on Sunday
A tornado ripped through Orlando, Florida around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday evening and has left considerable damage across neighbourhoods including uprooted trees, downed power lines and damages to homes.
The tornado path width was approximately 320 to 460 metres and stretched 8.5 kilometres long, according to local news reports.
Several homes were severely damaged by the tornado and between 30 to 50 families have been displaced. The damages include roofs that have been blown off or destroyed, broken windows and power outages that were caused by trees falling on wires.
Meteorologists say that this tornado was caused by Tropical Storm Cristobal, which was approaching the U.S. Gulf Coast on Saturday. Cristobal made landfall in southeastern Louisiana on Sunday evening.
Hurricanes and tropical storms can produce tornadoes that are embedded in rain bands and thunderstorms due to wind shear and instability. Tornadoes that are produced by tropical cyclones are typically weak and short-lived, but the twister that tracked through Orlando demonstrates that tornadoes of lower severity can still cause significant damages to property.