A deadly lightning strike in South Florida and a tornado that swept through Port St. Lucie before a Tornado Warning was issued are highlighting a dangerous reality of Florida weather: violent conditions can develop faster than many people expect — and sometimes faster than official warnings can reach them.

In Margate, 31-year-old Kenya Glasgow and her 2-year-old daughter Kennedi were struck by lightning Sunday as the family tried to get their children inside during a rapidly developing storm. Both mother and daughter later died.

Kennedi was a twin. Her father, Kameron Glasgow, and twin sister Kensli survived.

Hours later on the Treasure Coast, an EF-0 tornado traveled more than two miles through Port St. Lucie. The National Weather Service determined the tornado was on the ground from approximately 6:10 p.m. until 6:25 p.m. The Tornado Warning was issued at 6:28 p.m. — after the tornado had already ended.

Together, the incidents are a sobering reminder that in Florida, waiting for the strongest possible warning before seeking shelter can sometimes mean waiting too long.

A Family Tragedy in Margate

The Glasgow family had arrived for dinner Sunday afternoon as thunderstorms intensified across Broward County.

According to local reporting, the family was attempting to get the children indoors when lightning struck Kenya and Kennedi. Both were transported to hospitals but did not survive.

Kameron Glasgow survived after experiencing what he described as an electrical aftershock. Kennedi's twin sister Kensli also survived.

The tragedy unfolded extraordinarily quickly. The incident demonstrates one of the most dangerous characteristics of Florida thunderstorms: a storm does not have to look severe for very long before it becomes deadly.

Tornado Crosses Port St. Lucie

Later Sunday, residents in Port St. Lucie experienced a different kind of rapidly developing threat.

The National Weather Service in Melbourne confirmed an EF-0 tornado touched down at approximately 6:10 p.m. The tornado remained on the ground for roughly 15 minutes, traveled about 2.1 miles, reached a maximum width of approximately 200 yards and produced estimated peak winds of 75 mph.

No injuries or deaths were reported from the tornado.

But the timeline has raised questions. The official Tornado Warning was issued at approximately 6:28 p.m. — about three minutes after the tornado had already lifted.

WPTV spoke with residents who said their warnings either arrived after the tornado had passed or did not arrive at all.

Why Wasn't the Tornado Detected Earlier?

The timing does not necessarily mean forecasters simply missed an obvious tornado.

National Weather Service analysis indicates the circulation responsible for the tornado was small and shallow. Radar showed weak and broad rotation, and the lowest radar beam was scanning the atmosphere roughly 5,000 feet above ground in the Port St. Lucie area.

That matters because some brief tornadoes can develop close to the surface beneath what radar can clearly detect. In those situations, forecasters may have little or no traditional radar lead time before a tornado touches down.

There Was an Earlier Weather Alert

Although a Tornado Warning had not yet been issued, the National Weather Service had issued a Special Weather Statement at approximately 5:57 p.m.

That statement warned of a strong thunderstorm capable of producing winds up to around 50 mph and advised people outdoors to consider seeking shelter inside.

It was not a Tornado Warning. But it illustrates an important distinction in severe-weather safety: the first alert may be the warning that matters most.

Waiting until a phone displays the words “Tornado Warning” can be dangerous when a storm is developing quickly.

Lightning Can Kill Without a Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Lightning creates another challenge.

A thunderstorm does not need to meet the criteria for a Severe Thunderstorm Warning to produce deadly lightning. That means someone can be in serious danger even when their phone has not sounded an emergency alert.

National Weather Service safety guidance is straightforward: when thunder is heard, people should move indoors or into a hard-topped enclosed vehicle.

Open shelters, porches, trees and covered outdoor areas do not provide adequate protection from lightning. People should remain sheltered for at least 30 minutes after the last sound of thunder.

What Florida Residents Can Do Before the Warning

Florida residents can improve their chances of receiving important weather information by enabling Wireless Emergency Alerts on their phones and using trusted local weather information.

Relying on a single notification method is not ideal. Weather radios, trusted weather apps, television and radio broadcasts, and direct National Weather Service information can provide additional layers of warning.

More importantly, residents should pay attention to the environment around them.

Darkening skies, rapidly increasing wind, frequent lightning and thunder are all reasons to move indoors even if no formal warning has been issued.

If a Tornado Warning is issued, move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows.

For lightning, the safest response is even simpler: get indoors as soon as thunder is heard.

Florida Weather Does Not Always Wait for the Alert

Sunday's events demonstrate two very different weather threats with one important similarity.

In Margate, a rapidly developing thunderstorm turned deadly as a family attempted to get two young children indoors.

In Port St. Lucie, a tornado developed and completed its 2.1-mile path before the official Tornado Warning was issued.

Modern forecasting, radar and emergency-alert technology can provide critical advance notice and save lives. But no warning system can guarantee that every rapidly developing threat will be detected before it reaches someone.

For Floridians accustomed to afternoon thunderstorms, that may be the most important lesson of all.

A storm does not have to carry a dramatic warning label to be dangerous.

When thunder begins, skies darken or winds suddenly increase, would you wait for your phone to alert you — or head inside immediately?

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