Alert archive / Florida / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 107, NWS Melbourne, FL

August 8, 2003Brevard County, Florida

NWS Melbourne, FL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 8, 2003, 1:49 PM EDT for Brevard County, Florida. It was in force for 26 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Aug 8, 2003, 1:49 PM EDT (17:49 UTC)
Expired
Aug 8, 2003, 2:15 PM EDT
In force
26 min
Issued by
NWS Melbourne, FL
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Brevard County, FL

The radar

The Melbourne radar (KMLB), 22 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:51 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Cape Canaveral, FL (KXMR), launched 12:00Z, 5.8 hours before the alert went out and 21 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, Cape Canaveral, FL at 12:00Z on 2003-08-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1183 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Cape Canaveral, FL at 12:00Z on 2003-08-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 11 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
1183 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-6 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
607 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
7 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
11 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
8 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS52 KMLB 081749
SVRMLB
FLC009-081815-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
147 PM EDT FRI AUG 8 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MELBOURNE HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL BREVARD COUNTY
  IN EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA

* UNTIL 215 PM EDT

* AT 141 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE...OR ABOUT 4 MILES
  SOUTHWEST OF PATRICK AIRFORCE BASE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

* A OTHER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CROSS NORTH OF PATRICK AFB AND 
THE MERRITT ISLAND AREA. THERE WERE REPORTS OF TREES DOWN IN INDIAN 
HARBOR BEACH. 

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 58 MILES AN
HOUR...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. IF
THE STORM APPROACHES YOU...MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR.

LAT...LON 2828 8077 2814 8065 2832 8032 2849 8045

$$

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.

NWS Melbourne, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Aug 8, 9:30 AM EDT, 4 hours 19 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 8, 9:30 AM EDT, 4 hours 19 minutes before
EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
930 AM EDT FRI AUG 8 2003

.DISCUSSION...
ACTIVE DAY ON TAP...NMRS SHRA/TSTMS ALONG THE WCSB PUSHING WELL
INLAND...LITTLE CLOUD COVER OVER THE CWA ALLOWING FULL SUN...AND
CONTINUED HIGH MOISTURE LVLS WITH PW VALUES OFF THE MORNING RAOBS
2.2-2.3 AT KTPA/KXMR RESPECTIVELY.  H100-H50 SW FLOW HAS
STRENGTHENED OVER THE LAST 24HRS...KXMR SOUNDING AVGERAGED 20KTS
THROUGH THE LAYER...WHICH SHOULD OVERPOWER THE FORMATION OF THE ECSB
TODAY.  NEVERTHELESS...H50 SHORTWAVE ENERGY ROUNDING THE BASE OF THE
HIGH AMPLITUDE TROF OVER THE ERN GOMEX/WRN PENINSULA WILL COMBINE
WITH RR QUAD OF AN H25 JET MAX OVER GA/AL TO PROVIDE SUFFCIENT
SYNOPTIC SCALE LIFT FOR 70/80 POPS...DESPITE THE LACK OF MESOSCALE
BOUNDARIES.

ZFP UPDATE...ONLY COSMETIC CHANGES NECESSARY THIS MORNING.

.MARINE...
OFFSHORE FLOW 15KTS WILL CONTINUE INTO SAT...WITH OFFSHORE MOVING
TSTMS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THREAT.  WILL ADD COMMENT ABOUT
WINDS/SEAS HIGHER NEAR TSTSMS...OTHERWISE NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES.

.MLB...NONE.

SHORT TERM...LASCODY
LONG TERM...BRAGAW
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 8, 11:30 AM EDT, 2 hours 19 minutes before
AMZ550-555-570-575-FLZ041-044>047-053-054-058-059-064-141-144-147-
082100-

EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
1130 AM EDT FRI AUG 8 2003

.DAY ONE...TODAY:

DEEP LAYER MOISTURE AND FORCING IN THE MID AND UPPER LEVELS WILL
PRODUCE WIDESPREAD STORMS TODAY...WHICH ARE EXPECTED TO LINGER INTO
THE OVERNIGHT HOURS TONIGHT. STORMS WERE ALREADY FORMING OVER EAST
CENTRAL FLORIDA BEFORE NOON...AND WILL INCREASE IN NUMBER AS THE
AFTERNOON PROGRESSES.  DEEP LAYER SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL ALLOW SOME
STORMS TO TRAIN ACROSS THE SAME AREA. VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WITH TOTAL
ACCUMULATIONS OF TWO TO THREE INCHES WILL OCCUR IN SOME AREAS...AND
LIKELY WILL CAUSE TEMPORARY FLOODING OF ROADWAYS...INTERSECTIONS...
AS WELL AS LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. STRONG WIND GUSTS UP
TO 40 MPH WILL ACCOMPANY THE STRONGER STORMS...WITH A FEW SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS POSSIBLE.

ALL STORMS WILL PRODUCE DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...SOME OF
WHICH MAY BECOME EXCESSIVE IN STRONGER STORMS. REMEMBER...LIGHTNING
CAN STRIKE WELL BEYOND THE AUDIBLE RANGE OF THUNDER. IF YOU HEAR
THUNDER...YOU ARE WITHIN STRIKING RANGE OF THE STORM. SEEK SAFE
SHELTER IN AN ENCLOSED BUILDING OR AUTOMOBILE IMMEDIATELY...AS
WEATHER CONDITIONS MAY DETERIORATE RAPIDLY. BEACH GOERS SHOULD BE
ESPECIALLY CAREFUL...AS STORMS WILL APPROACH FROM THE WEST.

FOR MARINE INTERESTS...STRONG STORMS MOVING OFFSHORE MAY PRODUCE
GUSTY WINDS...LOCALLY ROUGH SEAS...FREQUENT TO EXCESSIVE CLOUD TO
WATER LIGHTNING...AND REDUCED VISIBILITY IN TORRENTIAL RAINFALL THIS
AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY:
SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS LIGHTNING STORMS WILL BE THE PRIMARY HAZARD
DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO SELF ACTIVATE THIS AFTERNOON IF STRONG
STORMS DEVELOP...AND RELAY ANY REPORTS OF SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
INCLUDING RAINFALL AMOUNTS GREATER THAN 2 INCHES TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN MELBOURNE.

FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...GO TO
WWW.WEATHER.GOV AND CLICK ON EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA.

BRAGAW

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 8, 12:40 PM EDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before
FLZ047-053-054-058-059-081730-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
1240 PM EDT FRI AUG 8 2003

...STORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING FUNNEL CLOUDS OVER OKEECHOBEE
COUNTY...SOUTHEASTERN OSCEOLA COUNTY...MOVING NORTHEAST...

 NORTHERN
ST. LUCIE COUNTY...SOUTHERN BREVARD COUNTY...INDIAN RIVER COUNTY...

AT 1230 PM EDT...WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED IN OKEECHOBEE COUNTY
REPORTED A NUMBER OF FUNNEL CLOUDS JUST NORTH OF THE OKEECHOBEE CITY
LIMITS. STORMS IN THIS AREA WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
THESE STORMS WILL TRACK INTO SOUTH BREVARD...INDIAN RIVER...AND
NORTHWEST SAINT LUCIE COUNTY THROUGH 300 PM.  RESIDENTS IN THESE
AREAS SHOULD MAINTAIN A CLOSE EYE ON THE WEATHER AND BE READY TO
TAKE QUICK ACTION IF CONDITIONS DETERIORATE.

IF THE STORMS STRENGTHEN FURTHER...A WARNING WILL BE ISSUED.

BRAGAW
Special weather statement, Aug 8, 12:40 PM EDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before
FLZ047-053-054-058-059-081730-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
1240 PM EDT FRI AUG 8 2003

...STORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING FUNNEL CLOUDS OVER OKEECHOBEE
COUNTY...SOUTHEASTERN OSCEOLA COUNTY...MOVING NORTHEAST...

AT 1230 PM EDT...WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED IN OKEECHOBEE COUNTY
REPORTED A NUMBER OF FUNNEL CLOUDS JUST NORTH OF THE OKEECHOBEE CITY
LIMITS. STORMS IN THIS AREA WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. THESE
STORMS WILL TRACK INTO SOUTH BREVARD...INDIAN RIVER...AND NORTHWEST
SAINT LUCIE COUNTY THROUGH 300 PM.  RESIDENTS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD
MAINTAIN A CLOSE EYE ON THE WEATHER AND BE READY TO TAKE QUICK
ACTION IF CONDITIONS DETERIORATE.

IF THE STORMS STRENGTHEN FURTHER...A WARNING WILL BE ISSUED.

BRAGAW
Special weather statement, Aug 8, 1:13 PM EDT, 36 minutes before
FLZ046-141-081800-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
113 PM EDT FRI AUG 8 2003

...STRONG STORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND SMALL
HAIL ORANGE...SEMINOLE COUNTY...SOUTH CENTRAL VOLUSIA COUNTY...

AT 111 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG WINDS AND SMALL
HAIL BETWEEN ORLANDO AND SANFORD MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

SMALL HAIL AND FUNNEL CLOUDS HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS.

LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE STORM WHICH MAY EXPERIENCE STRONG WINDS
AND SMALL HAIL INCLUDE ALTAMONTE SPRINGS...SANFORD...DELTONA AND
EDGEWATER.

IF THE STORM STRENGTHENS FURTHER...A WARNING WILL BE ISSUED.
Special weather statement, Aug 8, 1:21 PM EDT, 28 minutes before
FLZ047-054-081815-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
121 PM EDT FRI AUG 8 2003

...STRONG STORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND SMALL
HAIL SOUTHERN BREVARD COUNTY...EASTERN INDIAN RIVER COUNTY...

AT 116 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A A
CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG WINDS AND SMALL
HAIL OVER  PALM BAY...SEBASTIAN...AND FORT PIERCE...MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 30 MPH.

THESE STORMS HAVE A HISTORY OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS TO NEAR 40 MPH
AND SMALL HAIL AND THEY ARE EXPECTED TO INTENSIFY DURING THE
AFTERNOON. FUNNEL CLOUDS HAVE BEEN REPORTED NEAR OKEECHOBEE AND NEAR
ORLANDO. RESIDENTS OF EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA SHOULD BE ALERT TO THE
POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGING WINDS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE COVER IF A
WARNING IS ISSUED.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 8, 12:47 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningMLB118 min
Aug 8, 12:47 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningMLB118 min
Aug 8, 2:12 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningMLB2 hr
Aug 8, 2:20 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMLBBrevard40 min
Aug 8, 2:35 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningMLB115 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Florida, 2003Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2003

Sources

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