Steering currents remained weak giving the storm a chance to fully re-develop its deep convection while immobile at sea.
During this time, Tropical Storm Gordon began to spawn tornadoes.
As the storm center was well offshore most were probably unreported, but six tornadoes touched down on the Florida coast.
Four of the tornadoes were rated F0 on the Fujita scale, two were rated F1, and one was given an F2 rating with estimated wind speeds of 113–157 mph (181–253 km/h).

After stalling offshore for almost a day, a mid- to upper-tropospheric trough over the central U.S. slowly pulled Tropical Storm Gordon northward then north-northeastward towards Florida's west coast.
The storm made landfall between Ft.
Myers and Naples with 50 mph (85 km/h) winds.
The eastward component of the storm's movement increased, and Gordon moved northeastward onto the Florida Peninsula at 10 mph (17 km/h).
The storm barely weakened as it crossed the landmass keeping its 50 mph (85 km/h) winds.
Crossing the peninsula in a mere six hours, the storm continued to pick up speed.
Early on November 17, back over the open ocean, the storm's central pressure began to fall.
Improved organization was not apparent and wind shear was pulling at the core of the deep convection when, on November 17, Gordon suddenly spawned 75 mph (120 km/h) winds and was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane.
Steering currents remained weak giving the storm a chance to fully re-develop its deep convection while immobile at sea. During this time, Tropical Storm Gordon began to spawn tornadoes. As the storm center was well offshore most were probably unreported, but six tornadoes touched down on the Florida coast. Four of the tornadoes were rated F0 on the Fujita scale, two were rated F1, and one was given an F2 rating with estimated wind speeds of 113–157 mph (181–253 km/h).
After stalling offshore for almost a day, a mid- to upper-tropospheric trough over the central U.S. slowly pulled Tropical Storm Gordon northward then north-northeastward towards Florida's west coast. The storm made landfall between Ft. Myers and Naples with 50 mph (85 km/h) winds. The eastward component of the storm's movement increased, and Gordon moved northeastward onto the Florida Peninsula at 10 mph (17 km/h). The storm barely weakened as it crossed the landmass keeping its 50 mph (85 km/h) winds. Crossing the peninsula in a mere six hours, the storm continued to pick up speed. Early on November 17, back over the open ocean, the storm's central pressure began to fall. Improved organization was not apparent and wind shear was pulling at the core of the deep convection when, on November 17, Gordon suddenly spawned 75 mph (120 km/h) winds and was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane.
Meteorological history of Hurricane Gordon