February 23 event

February 24 event

Paincourtville–Convent, Louisiana

This damaging rain-wrapped wedge tornado first touched down at 3:21 p.m. CST (19:21 UTC) on February 23 just southwest of Paincourtville, Louisiana in the parish of Assumption, and almost immediately intensified to high-end EF2 strength as it entered Paincourtville. Significant damage was observed to many residential and business structures in the northern portions of the town, across the intersections of LA 1, 308, and 70. A hardware store was largely destroyed, the town's water tower was toppled to the ground, a two-story apartment building was heavily damaged, and multiple frame and manufactured homes sustained severe damage, some of which were shifted off of their foundations. Multiple large trees were stripped and denuded in this area, industrial buildings sustained major damage, and a tractor trailer was flipped over. Many other homes sustained minor to moderate damage as well. Slightly further along the path, the tornado crossed Gus Caballero Road and Sweethome Road. Low-end EF3 damage occurred in this area as the second floor of a large, well-built brick home was completely destroyed. Wind speeds at this location were estimated at 140 mph (225 km/h), and two small frame homes nearby were completely swept from their pier foundations and destroyed with the debris strewn downwind. The tornado then exited the Paincourtville area and produced EF1 damage as it continued to the northeast. A total of 45 structures were destroyed and 44 others were damaged in Assumption Parish.^[89]

The tornado then crossed over the Mississippi River and continued at EF2 strength as it tracked into the parish of Saint James. Numerous trees were downed in this area and the tornado was at its widest at this point, with a damage path of up to 350 yards (320 m). The tornado ripped directly through the Sugar Hill RV Park near Convent with devastating results. Numerous camper trailers were tossed in all directions and destroyed at this location, along with multiple vehicles. Two people were killed at this park and around 75–80 others were injured, some critically. Multiple homes and a public housing complex also sustained major damage in the Convent area, and at least 25 homes were heavily damaged or destroyed in St. James Parish. The tornado began to shrink in size as it tracked further northeast, snapping and uprooting more trees and branches, before crossing LA 3125. The tornado began weakening and eventually lifted around 3:42 p.m. CST (19:42 UTC) just after it crossed US 61 (Airline Highway).^[89]

Pensacola, Florida

A significant tornado caused EF3 damage in populated areas of northeastern Pensacola during the evening hours of February 23. The tornado first touched down at 8:10 pm CST, southwest of SR 742 and immediately strengthened to EF2 intensity. Several homes lost their roofs along Lansing Drive, and multiple trees and power poles were snapped. With their original warning on the storm set to expire at 8:15 pm CST and seeing that the rotation on radar had remained intense, the NWS Mobile office issued another PDS tornado warning for South Central Escambia and Southeastern Santa Rosa Counties at 8:11 pm CST, again stating that "a large...extremely dangerous and potentially deadly tornado is developing."^[91] The tornado then weakened slightly before crossing the concurrent Interstate 10 and SR 8 as well as SR 289, inflicting EF1 damage to several hardwood trees. The tornado then strengthened back to EF2 intensity as it moved through multiple neighborhoods, where many trees and power lines were downed, multiple homes had their roofs torn off, and some sustained some loss of exterior walls. Two cars were also overturned along Tradewinds Drive. After this point, the tornado further intensified to EF3 strength. Major structural damage was inflicted to the Mooring Apartments on Old Spanish Trail Road, with 24 units being destroyed. The second floor of the apartment building was almost totally destroyed, with the roof ripped off and many walls collapsed. Some damage to exterior walls was also noted on the first floor, and six other units were damaged as well.^[92] The tornado then reached its peak intensity of mid-range EF3 as it impacted a GE plant, completely destroying a warehouse with some of the debris from the structure being found on the western shoreline of Escambia Bay in Santa Rosa County. Farther to the northeast along the shore of the Escambia Bay, the tornado continued to produce EF3 damage as two townhouses along the concurrent US 90 and SR 10A were completely leveled, with others in the area suffering damage as well. The townhouses were built on raised wooden stilt foundations.^[40] The tornado then moved over Escambia Bay, where multiple vehicles were flipped and wrecked on the I-10 bridge.^[93] This included an 18-wheeler that overturned.^[94] The tornado then abruptly weakened before moving ashore in Avalon Beach in Santa Rosa County at EF1 intensity. The tornado then damaged multiple trees and homes near San Juan Street at Sealark Lane. It continued through the residential area, causing additional EF1 tree and minor home damage before lifting near Shetland Circle just west of Avalon Boulevard at 8:21 pm CST east-northeast of Mulat.^[41] However, a debris ball was still present on radar, prompting the NWS Mobile to put out a more strongly worded update that stated that "a confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado" was in progress while cancelling the warning for Escambia County at 8:23 pm CDT, two minutes after the tornado had lifted. The warning was eventually allowed to expire without any further updates at 8:45 pm CST.^[91]

The tornado was on the ground for 11 minutes, traveled 5.67 miles (9.12 km), and had a maximum width of 300 yards (270 m). It had peak winds of 155 mph (249 km/h), giving it a rating of EF3. Three people were injured and damages were estimated at $22.075 million (2016 USD).^[40][41] It would be the last tornado of at least EF3 intensity in Florida for over six years, before a deadly, nighttime EF3 tornado killed two people near Alford on March 31, 2022.^[95]