HOLT, Fla., March 19, 2022—The National Weather Service has confirmed that Holt experienced an EF1 tornado yesterday.

An EF1 tornado on the Enhanced Fujita Scale has wind speeds between 86 and 110 mph.

The tornado, 50 yards wide, traveled for a mile and a half from the southwest to the northeast between Log Lake and Broxson roads with peak winds of 95 mph.

According to the NWS, the tornado lasted from 12:28 p.m. to 12:32 p.m. 

For many, those four minutes were terrifying.

One mother rode out the storm in the bathroom with her four children.

“She said the tornado scared them to death,” said Holt Fire District Deputy Chief Joe Kersey.

Another resident said he felt the whole house shake as the tornado tore the back porch and roof off.

Earlier in the day, straight-line winds from the same storm system blew through a mobile home park in Atmore, Ala.

A narrow swath of intense wind gusts estimated at 90-100 mph rolled and destroyed several mobile homes, according to the NWS.

The surrounding area sustained severe wind gusts to the southeast where several trees were snapped and uprooted.

Nearby, several residences sustained roof damage to several buildings.

However, the survey team found no evidence of a tornado, according to the NWS.

Staff and NWS reports