Tornado and Hail in Florida, April 3, 2002

Name: Tornado and Hail in Florida, April 3, 2002
Start: 2002-04-03T11:20
End: 2002-04-03T13:10
Location: Florida

April 3, 2002 · NWS TBW · 9 events in 4 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 1
Property damage: $33,000
Crop damage: $4,000
Events: 9

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS TBW wrote it up.

An upper-level disturbance, combined with warm and humid air near the surface, helped form a broken line of strong to severe thunderstorms over west central Florida, which propagated east through the area during the late morning and early afternoon hours. The event featured marginal severe wind gusts and some hail.Dime size hail fell at the intersection of Lois Avenue and Broad Street in the Pinecrest section of Tampa shortly after 11 AM. Winds intensified as the line organized farther inland, causing sporadic damage in Polk, Hardee, and Highlands Counties. The strongest cells were in Hardee County. A small tornado was witnessed by law enforcement officials near Zolfo Springs, with minor tree damage in a wooded area. Numerous small, and several large, tree limbs were downed in Zolfo Springs along West 66th Street, and dime size hail was reported, shortly after 1230 PM. In Polk County, observed 58 mph winds at Lakeland's Linder Field were followed by blown down large limbs and power lines in the city proper. A woman sustained a neck injury when a large limb crashed onto the roof of her vehicle. Several hundred customers were briefly without power after the storm. Other tree and line damage, including a few uprooted oaks, was noted from a separate storm cell in Fort Meade. Dime size hail was reported near Bartow and in downtown Lakeland. Most of the activity occurred in the county between noon and 1230 PM.As the line continued moving southeast, more damage was reported in Avon Park and Sebring (Highlands Co) around 1 PM. Gusty winds blew a carport roof off an Apartment Building along Lakeview Road in Sebring. Fallen trees also blocked vehicle access along a rural road (CR 634) in Highlands Hammock S.P. near Avon Park.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Tampa Bay, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 3, 10:40 AM EST, 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 3, 10:40 AM EST, 40 minutes before

WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
1040 AM EST WED APR 3 2002

UPDATE: HAD TO INCREASE POPS FOR CENTRAL COASTAL COUTNIES AS LINE
SHOWS NO SIGNS OF SLOWING DOWN.

REST OF BELOW UNCHANGED.

AS EXPECTED...INITIAL BATCH OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE NORTHEAST
GULF...WHICH BLOSSOMED EARLY THIS MORNING IN POCKET OF MID LEVEL
INSTABILITY NOTED BY DRY PATCH ON THE WATER VAPOR IMAGERY...IS
BEGINNING TO WEAKEN. WE HAVE STARTED THE DIURNAL PROCESS OF
STABILIZATION OVER THE GULF AND DESTABILIZATION OVER LAND. ALREADY
78 DEGREES HERE IN RUSKIN WHERE THE CLOUDS HAVE NOT IMPINGED YET...
APPROACHING THIS AFTERNOONS TRIGGER TEMPERATURE OF 83.

COULD SEE A FEW STRONG THUNDERSTORMS INLAND THIS AFTERNOON AS
ATMOSPHERE WILL BECOME QUITE UNSTABLE IN AREAS THAT RECEIVE DECENT
SUNSHINE. WILL ALSO SEE BEST CONVERGENCE INLAND AS GULF BREEZE
PROPAGATES EASTWARD WITH TIME. WILL NUDGE POPS UP TO LIKELY THERE
FOR THIS AFTERNOON.

MARINE: PUTTING OUT MARINE WEATHER STATEMENTS ON PROGRESS OF
THUNDERSTORMS THIS MORNING. WILL MENTION HIGHER GUSTS NEAR
THUNDERSTORMS IN CWF TEXT.

.TBW...NONE.

ALSHEIMER

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 3, 6:40 AM EST, 4 hours 40 minutes before

FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-031600-

WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
640 AM EST WED APR 3 2002

...PATCHY DENSE FOG EARLY THIS MORNING...
...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS TODAY...

ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND NEAR CALM WINDS HAVE ALLOWED AREAS
OF DENSE FOG TO FORM EARLY THIS MORNING...WITH LOCAL VISIBILITIES
1/4 MILE OR LESS.  THE FOG SHOULD LIFT BY 9 AM...BUT UNTIL THIS TIME
MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO SLOW DOWN IN AREAS WITH FOG...USE LOW BEAM
HEADLIGHTS...AND MAINTAIN A SAFE FOLLOWING DISTANCE BETWEEN
VEHICLES.

FOR THE REST OF THE DAY...A WEAK UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL
COMBINE WITH DAYTIME HEATING AND THE GULF COAST SEA BREEZE TO CAUSE
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP.  THESE STORMS WILL BE
ACCOMPANIED BY BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL...GUSTY WINDS AND OCCASIONAL
CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.  REMEMBER...LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE SEVERAL
MILES AWAY FROM THE CORE OF THE STORM.  IF YOU CAN SEE LIGHTNING OR
HEAR THUNDER...YOU SHOULD MOVE INDOORS UNTIL THE THREAT HAS PASSED.

PRC

Special weather statement, Apr 3, 9:00 AM EST, 2 hours 20 minutes before

FLZ039-042-043-048>052-032000-

WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
900 AM EST WED APR 3 2002

...SOME STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TODAY...

AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVING OVER THE REGION COMBINED WITH
ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE...DAYTIME HEATING AND THE GULF COAST SEA
BREEZE TO CAUSE SCATTERED TO NUMBEROUS THUNDERSTORMS TODAY.  SOME
STORMS MAY BE STRONG CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HAIL...STRONG GUSTY
WINDS...HEAVY FLOODING RAINFALL...AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING.

WHEN SKIES DARKEN...MOVE INDOORS. IF YOU CAN SEE LIGHTNING OR HEAR
THUNDER...YOU SHOULD MOVE INDOORS UNTIL THE THREAT HAS PASSED. IF
THERE IS TIME...UNPLUG APPLIANCES AND ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT. WAIT
UNTIL THE STORM ENDS BEFORE USING THE TELEPHONE OR RUNNING WATER.
REMEMBER...LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE SEVERAL MILES AWAY FROM THE CORE OF
THE STORM.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR
UPDATES.

Local storm report, Apr 3, 11:20 AM EST, 0 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
1120 AM EST WED APR 3 2002

TIME(EST)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1120 PM    PINECREST                  FL   .75 INCH HAIL.
04/3/02    HILLSBOROUGH                   NO WIND DAMAGE.
                                          5 MINUTE DURATION
                                          OF HEAVY RAIN.

Local storm report, Apr 3, 11:20 AM EST, 0 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
1120 AM EST WED APR 3 2002

...CORRECTED TO CHANGE PM TO AM ON TIME OF REPORT...

TIME(EST)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1120 AM    PINECREST                  FL   .75 INCH HAIL.
04/3/02    HILLSBOROUGH                   NO WIND DAMAGE.
                                          5 MINUTE DURATION
                                          OF HEAVY RAIN.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Hillsborough

When: April 3, 11:20 AM EST
Where: Hillsborough County, Tampa
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 27.983, -82.467

Hail, Polk

When: April 3, 12:05 PM EST
Where: Polk County, Lakeland
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 28.033, -81.950

Thunderstorm Wind, Polk

When: April 3, 12:15 PM EST
Where: Polk County, Lakeland Muni Arpt
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $12,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 27.983, -82.017

Thunderstorm Wind, Polk

When: April 3, 12:20 PM EST
Where: Polk County, Ft Meade
Property damage: $4,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 27.750, -81.800

Hail, Polk

When: April 3, 12:25 PM EST
Where: Polk County, 5 mi SE of Bartow
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 27.833, -81.783

Tornado, Hardee

When: April 3, 12:32 PM EST
Where: Hardee County, 2 mi S of Zolfo Spgs to 2 mi SE of Zolfo Spgs
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 33 yd
Crop damage: $4,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 27.470, -81.783

Thunderstorm Wind, Hardee

When: April 3, 12:37 PM EST
Where: Hardee County, Zolfo Spgs
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 27.500, -81.783

Hail, Hardee

When: April 3, 12:40 PM EST
Where: Hardee County, Zolfo Spgs
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 27.500, -81.783

Thunderstorm Wind, Highlands

When: April 3, 12:55 PM EST to 1:10 PM EST
Where: Highlands County, Avon Park
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 27.600, -81.517

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Florida in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Florida, 2002 Warnings in Florida, April 2002

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5284416, 5285319, 5284417, 5285321, 5284418, 5284419, 5285320, 5285322, 5285323.