I'm a central Florida resident (Windermere, FL, right behind the Magic Kingdom).
I'd love to sugar coat this and say "oh don't worry!" but I want people to understand that they need to pay attention when storms come, especially in Florida. Don't risk your life.
The things to look out for in this order of importance in Florida are:
1. Lightning
2. Tornadoes
3. Hurricanes
Lightning - More people die in Florida from lightning strikes than tornadoes. If you see lightning or hear thunder, use the 30/30 rules to be 100% safe: If it takes less than 30 seconds to hear thunder after seeing the flash, lightning is near enough to pose a threat; after the storm ends, wait 30 minutes before resuming outdoor activities. You can get struck by lightning even if it hits from far away. I have seen MANY tourists and locals simply ignore this... why put your life on the line?
Tornadoes - Florida tornadoes are generally mild, being just EF0 or EF1 sizes, but that doesn't mean they aren't dangerous. Florida has the third most tornadoes of any state in the USA, so the threat is real and it's year round. Watching the weather radar with an NOAA app on your mobile phone is a good idea here, as it will let you know what's coming. Tornadoes usually spawn off of approaching cold fronts and/or from hurricane bands, so you'll see a line of red on the radar of down-pouring rain cutting across the state. This does not necessarily mean there are tornadoes coming (because there needs to be wind sheer and some other factors) but that is when you need to start being aware of potential dangers.
Here is the rundown of the lingo: There is a Tornado Watch (meaning the conditions are right for a tornado but no imminent threat) and then there is a Tornado Warning (it could happen at any minute!). Tornado Warning is really where you need to seek shelter.
Tornadoes in Florida can happen year-round and there have been EF3 and EF4 tornadoes in the past 100 years where large numbers of people have died. If you are at a hotel or at the parks, listen to what Disney says. If you are in your car, DON'T try to outrun tornadoes, seek shelter immediately. Go to a lower room with no windows, get down, and cover your head. Jan-April is the prime season for tornadoes. We have had at least one tornado warning (meaning they were imminent) in Orange County in 2014 so far. The Daytona 500 (car racing) was shut down for hours earlier this year because of warnings.
Hurricanes - Generally these don't affect Central Florida as much as they do the coast lines. They are just big winds, lots of rain, and clouds all day. They can spawn tornadoes though. The thing about hurricanes is that you know they are coming, so you can plan ahead. Cut your vacation short, cancel, wait it out, seek shelter... you can do all of that in advance if you know it's headed up the middle of the state (which is rare). Listen to evacuations, watch the news, and listen to Disney.
Ethan
) tornadoes tended to really catch people by surprise. This is not the case so much any more. Storm prediction has become so advanced they can generally predict at least the possibility of tornado activity 2-3 days in advance. During our most recent outbreak (last summer) the Friday afternoon newscast was warning us about the potential for tornadoes on Sunday. Sure enough, there were tornadoes on Sunday (not affecting us, thankfully. They passed 40 miles south of us).
