Tornado in Miami - May 12, 1997 (Part 1)

The Miami Tornado was an F1 tornado which touched down in Miami, Florida on May 12, 1997. The tornado is remembered not for its minor damage but for its haunting pictures, which made headlines around the world.

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 tornadoes in the area and warned that there might be more to come.

Credit: WPLG & CNN