#3 Postby hurricanefloyd5 » Thu Oct 21, 2004 6:27 pm
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Officials: Small Tornado Caused Moderate Damage
POSTED: 10:36 pm EDT October 20, 2004
UPDATED: 6:07 pm EDT October 21, 2004
SLIDESHOW: Tornado Rips Through Brevard County
HOME VIDEO: From Port Canaveral | From Cocoa Beach
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A small tornado that tore through a Port Canaveral cargo area caused moderate damage, officials said Thursday.
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The tornado started as a waterspout in the Banana River about 6 p.m. Wednesday, then came ashore on the north edge of the port. There were no injuries, although there was damage to property and cargo, and power lines were pulled down.
"We're just so very blessed that it wasn't more," Port Authority spokeswoman Roslyn Postell said Thursday.
The day after the powerful tornado ripped through Port Canaveral, Jose Cadiz found himself in the middle of a huge pile of debris, looking to retrieve whatever valuables he could from what used to be his portable office. His used car exporting business took a huge hit when the twister damaged just about everything in its path, including 90 vehicles that were headed to Central and South America.
"Ninety cars is a lot," Cadiz said. "There's even a bus that's on top of 3 cars. That's how intense it was."
The tornado came with little warning because the waterspout was spawned by a 20-mile line of thunderstorms that developed rapidly, said meteorologist Scott Spratt with the National Weather Service's Melbourne office.
"It was a real experience, after all the hurricanes we've been through and everything. It was just another thing about living in Florida," said eyewitness Jim Johnson.
Reported damage included the flipping of several used cars that were part of a shipment waiting at the port and the destruction of an office trailer. "It looks like Bigfoot stepped on it," Postell said.
Ironically, earlier in the day the port held a grand reopening ceremony to honor those who got the facilities running again following the three hurricanes to hit Florida's Atlantic coast.
According to the National Weather Service, prior to the 2004 hurricanes, a tornado touched down on September 2nd, 1998 in Port Canaveral. It caused $6 million in damage and injured one person. Two weeks earlier, one touched down on August 19th. No one was injured and there was no damage. And, in February of the same year, a tornado touched down with no injuries. However, there was one million dollars in damage.
Copyright 2004 by WFTV.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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