page_title: Effects of Hurricane Isaac in Florida
section_title: Central Florida
hierarchical_section_title: Effects of Hurricane Isaac in Florida / Impact / Central Florida
caption_attribution_description: English: Flooding during Tropical Storm Isaac in 2012 at Ramblers Mobile Home Park in rural Sarasota County, Florida
context_page_description: The Effects of Hurricane Isaac in Florida were severe local flooding in South Florida and tornadoes in the central and northern portions of the state in August 2012. Hurricane Isaac formed from a tropical wave while located east of the Lesser Antilles on August 21, 2012. The storm moved westward, crossed through the Leeward Islands, and entered the Caribbean Sea on August 22. Isaac initially struggled to intensify and defied predictions of it strengthening into a hurricane. The storm made its first landfall in Haiti as a midgrade tropical storm prior to making a second one in Cuba later that day. It remained somewhat disorganized while moving through the Straits of Florida and passed near the Florida Keys on August 27. The storm threatened to strike the Tampa Bay Area during the 2012 Republican National Convention and move ashore in the Florida Panhandle as a major hurricane. However, it continued northwestward and avoided landfall in the state. The storm finally became a hurricane late on August 28. Isaac made two landfalls in Louisiana on August 29, the first near the mouth of the Mississippi River and the other near Port Fourchon.
context_section_description: Precipitation amounts ranging from 4 to 8 inches (100 to 200 mm) were common throughout Okeechobee County. The most significant impacts occurred in the city of Okeechobee and adjacent areas, such as Taylor Creek. Overflowing creeks and canals caused major flood damage to 14 homes, while another 146 had minor water intrusion. Several roads were temporarily closed due to standing water. One indirect fatality occurred along State Road 78 in Okeechobee, after a 62‑year‑old man lost control of his vehicle and crashed. Winds were relatively light, with gusts between 30 and 40 mph (48 and 64 km/h) along the northern shores of Lake Okeechobee. In nearby Martin County, rainfall averaged between 5 and 10 inches (130 and 250 mm). As a result, several roads in the county were temporarily impassable, while water entered one business complex in Palm City. Further north in St. Lucie County, rainfall amounts were similar. Standing water was reported on roads in Fort Pierce, Lakewood Park, Port St. Lucie, and White City.
  The storm also produced heavy rainfall in Indian River County, with 16.5 in (420 mm) reported in Vero Beach. This was the highest observed precipitation total in the state of Florida during Isaac. Elsewhere in Indian River County, rainfall amounts were generally between 7 and 10 inches (180 and 250 mm). Throughout Indian River County, 27 homes and 2 single–family homes were flooded, while 20 roads were temporarily closed due to standing water. An EF0 tornado touched down in Vero Beach for about two minutes, damaging 118 mobile homes and 15 single family houses. According to Indian River County Emergency Management Coordinator Dale Justice, that tornado caused $850,000 in losses. At the Vero Beach Municipal Airport, sustained winds reached 43 mph (69 km/h). In Highlands County, up to 6 inches (150 mm) of rain forced the closure of a small portion of U.S. Route 98 between Cowhouse Road and County Road 621 in Lorida. The inundation was caused by Arbuckle Creek overflowing and washing a few inches of water on the road.
  A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service indicates that a tornado was spawned near St. Cloud in Osceola County. It destroyed an abandoned mobile home, leaving only a floor attachment to the frame. The tornado moved across a citrus grove, causing damage to trees and shrubs. Thereafter, it removed shingles and broke a window at one residence, while some fences nearby were toppled. Additionally, rainfall amounts ranging from 3 to 6 inches (76 to 152 mm) left several roads impassable. The Myakka River overflowed in Sarasota County, flooding the Ramblers Mobile Home Park. Water rose up to the doorsteps of several units, while parking lots and grassy areas were inundated by water. Due to its weaker and further westward track than initially anticipated, impact in Hillsborough County and the city of Tampa was minimal during the Republican National Convention. On the first day of the convention, August 27, Isaac dropped 2.03 inches (52 mm) of precipitation and brought sustained winds of 21 mph (34 km/h) to Tampa International Airport, with gusts up to 50 mph (80 km/h). A waterspout moved onshore near Tampa, damaging 6 houses in addition to the fences and trees on those properties.
caption: Flooding at Ramblers Mobile Home Park in Sarasota County
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