All week, we’re looking back on the tornado that devastated Kissimmee 20 years ago.

Many things about tornado warnings and tornado forecasting have changed in the last 20 years. In 1998, warnings about possible tornadoes were only issued two days in advance.

“Overnight events worry us the most in terms of how are people going to get warnings,” said Scott Spratt with the National Weather Service in Melbourne.

Spratt worked that tragic night 20 years ago. And the day before, the weather outlook for Sunday highlighted a “slight risk” for severe weather in Florida.

But Sunday, tornado watches were posted early in the afternoon. The watches remained in place for the rest of that day and into early Monday, alerting residents to potential severe weather that night.

And severe weather did occur.

“So there’s the ebb and flow of the meteorological ingredients and the factors that come into play,” said David Sharp, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne. “Whether or not it’s all going to come together in the right time, and that was the case.”

Fourteen tornado warnings were issued that night. Seven tornadoes touched down, including the devastating one in Kissimmee.

“We knew that lead time was key," Sharp said. “So we didn’t think this storm might be severe and then later might be tornadic. We went right to tornado warnings. And that increased lead time."

The average lead time that night was 15 minutes -- from the warning being issued to the tornadoes touching down.

Fast forward 20 years later.

With more powerful super-computers, we now forecast potential severe weather events up to 10 days in advance, giving EMA staff and first responders up to a week to prepare for a tornadic event.

And dual-pol Doppler radar now allows meteorologists to see debris that is being lifted into the sky, providing evidence that a tornado is on the ground.

But the biggest change may be how people get information.

“Back in that day if you were asleep in the middle of the night and a tornado warning came out, the only way you would get that was from NOAA weather radio,” Spratt said.

Today, websites, apps and social media allow residents to have near real-time updates about the weather.

“There’s been a lot of advancements over the years,” Sharp said. “One of them has to do with the ability to improve messaging. The ability to ensure that folks know that their lives are being threatened. And what to do once they receive an alert.”