2017 Bradenton, Florida Tornado

The 2017 Bradenton, Florida Tornado was a costly and destructive, EF4-rated tornado that struck areas in and around Bradenton in the early-evening hours of May 23, 2017. In all, 36 people were killed, along with 378 injuries, and $1 billion (2017 USD) in damages.

About 90 minutes after the Mt. Dora and Clermont tornadoes, another strong tornado formed in Sarasota bay. The tornado rapidly intensified to EF3 strength, causing damage to a marina on shore and many homes in the Bayshore Gardens subdivision. The tornado further strengthened to EF4 intensity as it struck the Trailer Estates several minutes later, causing dramatic damage to the area because of the trailers, many of which were completely demolished and swept away; 12 people were killed in this area alone. Exiting the subdivision, the tornado struck a shopping plaza, severely damaging the buildings of the complex before crossing 14th Street W (State Highway 41) and directly hitting a Quality Inn hotel, causing extreme damage to the building's internal frame.

It continued into a housing addition, demolishing many of the homes there, some remaining as nothing more than a pile of debris. The tornado then tracked across the Sara Bay Country Club gulf course, scouring grass from the ground while doing so. The tornado damaged many businesses that included condos and apartment homes, as well as two 7-Elevens, a bank and a trucking plant as it closely paralleled Whitfield Avenue, causing mostly EF3 damage with some of the buildings being completely destroyed, indicating EF4 damage. A C&M Road Builders facility was struck, where heavy equipment was mangled and thrown considerable distances, some more than 200 yards. The tornado then moved through multiple subdivisions, damaging hundreds of homes as it began to narrow and weaken. It then crossed the I-75 and struck Lakewood Ranch, causing EF1 to EF0 damage as it sharply turned to the northeast and dissipated after traveling 10.63 miles with a maximum width of 440 yards, killing 36 in total.