JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Rain, wind, flooding, heat and tornadoes: Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia saw it all in 2019.
As 2019 comes to an end, we’re looking back at the weather events that shaped 2019:
In April, a round of severe storms across Southeast Georgia produced a tornado that touched down in Camden County. That tornado was classified as an EF0 and was on the ground for less than a half-mile.
Buck Thigpen, his wife and 4-year-old son were inside their home near Waycross when strong winds rolled the house and split it apart.
“We did know there was some severe weather but we thought thunderstorms, heavy rain," Thigpen told News4Jax. “Only by the grace of God do I believe that we’re alive."
Fast forward to Memorial Day weekend, when we set a record high of 100 degrees on May 27. It kick-started a record-breaking summer that lasted through October.
“What I’m going to remember from 2019 is simply the heat," said meteorologist Richard Nunn. “We had one of the hottest summers. We had one of the hottest Halloweens in October.”
Hurricane season brought one of the largest and slowest moving hurricanes: Dorian. It was a Category 5 storm at its strongest point.
In early September, Dorian moved across the Bahamas, causing catastrophic damage.
The hurricane then pushed up the east coast of Florida and Georgia, bringing periods of heavy rainfall, beach erosion and flooding.
“Slowest moving, largest and strongest ever," Nunn said.
Also in October, heavy rainfall and high tide caused flooding at the beaches.
To round out the year, a round of severe weather in early December produced an EF1 tornado in Flagler County. Parts of Putnam and St. Johns counties were affected by the severe storm.
“There’s nothing left. I’ve lost everything outside,” said Flagler County resident Troy Robertson.
And after a warm weekend, a passing cold front Monday will cool us off just in time to end 2019 and start 2020 with seasonal temperatures.
Weather is constantly changing, so as we head into 2020, prepare for everything and anything that may be thrown our way.