Alert archive / Florida / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1999

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 9, NWS Miami, FL

January 3, 1999Broward County, Miami-Dade County, Palm Beach County, Florida

NWS Miami, FL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jan 3, 1999, 3:40 AM EST for Broward County, Miami-Dade County, Palm Beach County, Florida. It was in force for 40 min. 2 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline the Iowa Environmental Mesonet reconstructed for it; the warning itself named whole counties, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Jan 3, 1999, 3:40 AM EST (08:40 UTC)
Expired
Jan 3, 1999, 4:20 AM EST
In force
40 min
Issued by
NWS Miami, FL
Area
Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

Counties Broward County, FL, Miami-Dade County, FL, Palm Beach County, FL

The radar

The Miami radar (KAMX), 72 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:39 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jan 3, 4:00 AM ESTThunderstorm Wind 65Palm Beach Arpt, FLThunderstorm wind gusts damaged horse stalls and a pump house and destroyed five large tents at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington.
Jan 3, 4:18 AM ESTThunderstorm Wind 60Westchester, FLThunderstorm winds blew down trees in Westchester.

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jan 3, 12:45 AM ESTTornado WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Miami, FL (KMFL), launched 00:00Z, 8.7 hours before the alert went out and 52 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Miami, FL at 00:00Z on 1999-01-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1088 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Miami, FL at 00:00Z on 1999-01-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 109 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
1088 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
710 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
109 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
176 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.5
Supercell composite
3.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

999 
WUUS1 KMIA 030842 RRA
SVRMIA
FLC011-025-099-030920-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
340 AM EST SUN JAN 3 1999

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MIAMI HAS ISSUED A

   * SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
     PALM BEACH COUNTY IN FLORIDA
     DADE COUNTY IN FLORIDA
     BROWARD COUNTY IN FLORIDA
 
   * UNTIL 420 AM EST

   * AT 339 AM EST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
     LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM SOUTH OF BROWNS FARM
     IN PALM BEACH COUNTY...ACROSS WESTERN BROWARD COUNTY TO JUST 
     NORTHWEST OF THE PA-HAY-OKEE LOOKOUT TOWER IN DADE COUNTY.
     THE LINE OF STORMS WAS MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT AROUND 30 MPH AND
     SHOULD REACH THE METROPOLITAN AREAS OF DADE...BROWARD AND PALM BEACH
     COUNTIES SHORTLY AFTER 4 AM.
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE
WARNING. PREPARE TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IN A STURDY STRUCTURE
SUCH AS A BASEMENT OR SMALL INTERIOR ROOM IF A TORNADO IS SPOTTED.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 AM EDT FOR FLORIDA.

REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. THEY
WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST
OFFICE IN MIAMI.

LAT...LON 2682 8067 2516 8086 2554 8011 2696 7997

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jan 2, 10:00 PM EST, 5 hours 40 minutes before
AMZ610-630-631-650>654-656-670>676-FLZ063-066>078-031100-

SOUTH FLORIDA HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
1000 PM EST SAT JAN 2 1999

A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE RAPIDLY EAST ACROSS THE
EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO TONIGHT. THIS LINE WILL MOVE INTO GLADES...
HENDRY...AND COLLIER COUNTIES AFTER 100 AM SUNDAY MORNING. THE MAIN
THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE STRONG WIND GUSTS AND DEADLY
LIGHTNING. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY REACH SEVERE LIMITS DURING THE
EARLY MORNING HOURS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE. THESE
STORMS WILL PROGRESS EAST ACROSS THE AREA REACHING THE FLORIDA KEYS
AND WESTERN SECTIONS OF DADE...BROWARD AND PALM BEACH COUNTIES AFTER
200 AM AND THE METROPOLITAN AREAS AFTER 300 AM. ALTHOUGH STORMS MAY
BEGIN TO WEAKEN AS THIS LINE MOVES EASTWARD...RESIDENTS SHOULD
REMAIN ALERT TO THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER OVERNIGHT TONIGHT
AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION IF A WARNING IS ISSUED.

THOSE WHO OWN NOAA WEATHER RADIOS WITH THE TONE ALERT FEATURE SHOULD
MAKE SURE THE ALERT IS SET TO ON BEFORE GOING TO BED TONIGHT.

STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED AT THIS TIME.

ALSO...FLOOD WATERS IN NORTHEASTERN PALM BEACH COUNTY ARE RECEDING
AND MINIMAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF AROUND ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH ARE
EXPECTED UNTIL THE SQUALL LINE ARRIVES. THE FLOOD WARNING WILL BE
ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 1005 PM.  HOWEVER...LOCAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1
TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE WITH THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY MORNING AND
RESIDENTS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR ADDITIONAL FLOODING SHOULD THIS OCCUR.

CARROLL
Special weather statement, Jan 2, 10:00 PM EST, 5 hours 40 minutes before
AMZ610-630-631-650>654-656-670>676-FLZ063-066>078-031100-

SOUTH FLORIDA HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
1000 PM EST SAT JAN 2 1999

A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE RAPIDLY EAST ACROSS THE
EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO TONIGHT. THIS LINE WILL MOVE INTO GLADES...
HENDRY...AND COLLIER COUNTIES AFTER 100 AM SUNDAY MORNING. THE MAIN
THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE STRONG WIND GUSTS AND DEADLY
LIGHTNING. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY REACH SEVERE LIMITS DURING THE
EARLY MORNING HOURS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE. THESE
STORMS WILL PROGRESS EAST ACROSS THE AREA REACHING THE FLORIDA KEYS
AND WESTERN SECTIONS OF DADE...BROWARD AND PALM BEACH COUNTIES AFTER
200 AM AND THE METROPOLITAN AREAS AFTER 300 AM. ALTHOUGH STORMS MAY
BEGIN TO WEAKEN AS THIS LINE MOVES EASTWARD...RESIDENTS SHOULD
REMAIN ALERT TO THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER OVERNIGHT TONIGHT
AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION IF A WARNING IS ISSUED.

THOSE WHO OWN NOAA WEATHER RADIOS WITH THE TONE ALERT FEATURE SHOULD
MAKE SURE THE ALERT IS SET TO ON BEFORE GOING TO BED TONIGHT.

STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED AT THIS TIME.

ALSO...FLOOD WATERS IN NORTHEASTERN PALM BEACH COUNTY ARE RECEDING
AND MINIMAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF AROUND ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH ARE
EXPECTED UNTIL THE SQUALL LINE ARRIVES. THE FLOOD WARNING WILL BE
ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 1005 PM.  HOWEVER...LOCAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1
TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE WITH THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY MORNING AND
RESIDENTS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR ADDITIONAL FLOODING SHOULD THIS OCCUR.

CARROLL

The office that day

Everything else NWS Miami, FL issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 3, 1:01 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMFLCollier29 min
Jan 3, 1:07 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMFLGlades38 min
Jan 3, 1:28 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMFLCollier47 min
Jan 3, 1:42 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMFLGlades48 min
Jan 3, 2:14 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMFLCollier, Hendry46 min
Jan 3, 2:37 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMFLMonroe53 min
Jan 3, 3:00 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMFLBroward, Collier, Hendry, Palm Beach45 min
Jan 3, 3:00 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMFLMiami-Dade45 min
Jan 3, 4:20 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMFLBroward, Miami-Dade40 min
Jan 3, 4:20 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMFLPalm Beach40 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Florida, 1999Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1999

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.