Tornado warnings are supposed to give people at least a brief window to take cover, but in Port St. Lucie, Florida, some residents said an alert reached their phones only after an EF-0 tornado had already passed through part of the city.
The storm damaged homes and scattered debris, raising difficult questions about how people can protect themselves when dangerous weather develops faster than alert systems can respond.
Here’s what to know
According to the National Weather Service, the tornado was on the ground for roughly 15 minutes after touching down around 6:10 p.m. on Aug. 23, covering a little more than two miles.
After crossing the St. Lucie River as a waterspout, it moved back onto land near the Bay St. Lucie community at around 6:20 p.m…