At 1:00 EST Monday morning, the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma issued a tornado watch for southern Florida, including Collier County. As the squall line raced into radar range, a severe thunderstorm warning was issued at 2:41 am, with the specific thunderstorm expected to reach the coast about 20 minutes later. Just after 3:00, it did. 

This infrared photograph was taken by a polar orbiting satellite, NOAA 14, as it passed over the east coast of the United States, at the time the tornado was on the ground. The intense low pressure system is over the lower Ohio Valley, and the frontal boundary is clearly visible through the Carolinas, north Florida and extending into the Gulf of Mexico about 150 miles west of Naples. The brightest white clouds indicate the highest tops, and most severe weather, and cover western Collier County and the off shore waters of the Gulf.

High winds, extremely heavy rain, and a vivid display of almost constant lightning slammed the area leaving a narrow damage path along a line roughly from the Naples Yacht Club in Olde Naples, through Royal Harbor where pool enclosures were knocked down, but damage to homes was virtually non-existent. Across a mangrove area, and along Haldeman Creek lay Naples Land Yacht Harbor, a marine based manufactured home community. What appears to have been an F1 tornado or waterspout moved up Haldeman Creek striking the southwest corner of NLYH and moving across the south end development. The initial damage assessment showed major damage to 29 homes, and minor damage to 7 more. Amazingly, injuries were limited to bumps and bruises.

The following pictures were taken 36 hours after the tornado struck, showing storm damage and clean up progress. Pictures taken the morning of the storm will be posted shortly.

At the very southwest corner of the lot, a palm tree 
was snapped 18 inches above the ground.  The 
trunk measured 11 inches in diameter.

Workers can been seen making repairs and cleaning
up debris.