FLORIDA — A dangerous storm with confirmed rotation over the Gulf of Mexico is tracking toward the Florida Big Bend as of 8:00 AM on Saturday, May 2, 2026. Forecasters warn the storm could prompt a tornado warning for Taylor County if current trends continue. Residents across the Big Bend region should take shelter immediately and not wait for a formal warning to be issued.
What Live Radar Shows at 7:57 AM
Live Doppler radar captured at 7:57 AM Saturday shows an intense and tightly organized squall line pushing eastward across the Big Bend coastline, with the heaviest cells — shown in deep red — located near Sopchoppy and tracking toward the coastline. The storm is moving off the Gulf and pushing directly toward Taylor County and the surrounding Big Bend communities.
Communities visible in the immediate threat zone on radar include Sopchoppy, Eastpoint, Horseshoe Beach, Dowling Park, Branford, Bell, Chiefland, and Monticello.
Velocity Data Confirms Rotation
Storm wind velocity data captured at the same 7:57 AM time frame shows a clear rotational signature within the circled storm cell just offshore and pushing toward the Big Bend coast. The velocity image shows the classic green inbound and red outbound couplet in close proximity — the radar signature associated with a rotating storm. The white arrow on the velocity map points directly toward Taylor County as the storm’s projected path…