East Naples Wind Damage, September 15, 1998

        An upper level low pressure system and a weak tropical wave combined to spread rain and thunderstorms over south Florida on this date.  One isolated, small, rather innocuous looking thunderstorm struck a small portion of East Naples with strong winds, causing property damage, but luckily no injuries.  The damage path was only a couple of hundred yards long, and less than 100 yards across. (See below)

	Possible origination point of the damage path, at the south side of AmSouth shopping center, looking northwest along the damage path.
	Light pole in AmSouth Plaza, which fell, and shattered the rear window of the red car.
	Car port of the home damaged in Riviera Colony subdivision.  The roof of the car port landed in the backyard of a neighbor (see below).  The lattice work walls collapsed into the carport.
	Debris along the side of the home.
	Roof debris came to rest against the neighbor's home to the rear (northwest).
	East side of the home.  Note the sheets of metal peeled toward the north.
	Large tree toppled about 100 feet to the northwest of the heaviest damaged home.
	View looking northwest of the roof of the home, showing the outer skin of the roof peeled back.

        The National Weather Service and Collier County Emergency Management are continuing to gather information on this event, to answer the question "Was it a tornado?"  Whether or not the winds were rotating, or blew in a straight line, this incident is a reminder that severe weather can happen quickly and without warning...that we must always be prepared to take action to protect life and property...and that high winds, regardless of direction or type, present a serious danger to life and property.

        Any determination concerning the actual type of winds involved will be made by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Miami.

Updated 15 December 1998 by Gary Arnold, garnold@naples.net
© 2002, Board of County Commissioners of Collier County, Florida