1966 Tampa tornado family

The first tornado touched down around 8:00 a.m. near Largo, Florida, in Pinellas County. It damaged 36–40 houses in the Saint Petersburg and Clearwater areas.[6][9] Later, it continued across the northern side of Tampa, where it demolished 150–158 homes and caused significant damages to 186 residences.[5][6][10] The tornado caused damage to a junior high school,[9] and it ripped roofs from homes and one dormitory on the University of South Florida's campus.[5] Losses in the Tampa Bay area reached $4,000,000 (1966 USD).[5] The tornado moved east-northeast into Polk County and progressed over the northern sides of Lakeland and Saint Cloud. Gibsonia and Galloway received the most severe damages in Polk County; more than 100 homes were demolished in the area, and seven deaths occurred. The tornado also destroyed several trailers from the Lake Juliana area near Auburndale to north of Haines City.[9] It eventually moved over the Cocoa area and lifted between Courtenay and Merritt Island. The tornado produced F4 damage in Polk County,[5] and it was significantly more damaging than the second one; total damages reached $5–50 million (1966 USD).

The second tornado touched down 15 minutes later than its predecessor near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, where it lifted a 23-foot (7 m) trailer and an automobile.[6] It moved inland over central Florida and closely paralleled the path of the more powerful first tornado. It crossed Winter Haven, passed near Rockledge, and lifted near the Merritt Island[5] area in Brevard County. Total damages reached $50–100,000, and no deaths occurred. The funnel remained aloft for most of its life span, and maximum damage was typical of an F2 tornado.[1][5] A total of 15 homes were dismantled in Lakeland, while homes and businesses were demolished in northern Winter Haven. Warehouses were leveled south of Haines City, while Citrus trees and trailers were impacted near Auburndale.[5] In the Cocoa Beach area, 150 trailers were destroyed, resulting in more than 100 injuries. 20–23 frame structures and a shopping center were also demolished.[5][9] Additionally, the tornado struck the training site for the Houston Astros in nearby Cocoa, ripping four light standards from the ground, flattening the center field fence, and destroying all the backstops and batting cages. One of the cages was thrown more than 800 feet (244 m) into nearby woods.[11] Widespread looting was reported in some localized areas after the passage of the tornadoes in Hillsborough and Polk counties; a total of 200 National Guardsmen were deployed to the two counties, while lesser numbers were ordered to the city of Cocoa.[6] Damage in the Lakeland area was compared to the aftermath of the Normandy invasion during World War II.[6]