Laserfiche WebLink
Muck fires are not a frequent threat to Florida. <br />However, during a drought in the 1980's fires in the <br />Everglades consumed the rich, dried out muck that had <br />once been the bottom of the swamp. These fires <br />burned deep into the ground and required alternative <br />fire -fighting techniques to extinguish them. <br />e. Tornado <br />A tornado is a violent windstorm characterized by a twisting, <br />funnel -shaped cloud extending to the ground. It is generated <br />by a thunderstorm or hurricane when cool air overrides a layer <br />of warm air, forcing the warm air to rise rapidly. The most <br />common type of tornado, the relatively weak and short-lived <br />type, occurs in the warm season with June being the peak <br />month. The strongest, most deadly tornadoes occur in the <br />cool season, from December through April (Florida Department <br />of Community Affairs, 1998). Occasional windstorms <br />accompanied by tornadoes, such as the winter storm of 1993, <br />are also widespread and destructive. <br />The damage from a tornado is a result of the high wind velocity <br />and wind-blown debris. Florida's average is 54 tornadoes <br />annually since 1959, causing an average of two fatalities and <br />69 injuries each year (Florida Department of Community <br />Affairs, 1998). Indian River County's vulnerability to tornadoes <br />is compounded by the high concentration of mobile home <br />residents in large mobile home communities. <br />The National Weather Service issues two types of alerts: <br />A Tornado Watch means that conditions are favorable <br />for tornadoes to develop; and <br />A Tornado Warning means that a tornado has actually <br />been sighted. <br />Indian River County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan Basic Page 15 <br />