4 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
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 Tallahassee, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 20, 12:45 PM EST, 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 145 PM EDT SAT JUL 20 2002 SYNOPSIS: UPPER SHORT WAVE TROUGH FROM NC TO NRN MS MAKING STEADY SEWD PROGRESS W/ MID-LEVEL VORT CENTER SPINNING OVER CNTRL NC. SCATTERED CONVECTION FIRING ALONG/AHEAD OF THIS FEATURE. CLOSER TO HOME, A SURFACE TROUGH FROM THE NE GULF TO NC OUTER BANKS COMBINED W/ OLD OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES FROM EARLY MORNING CONVECTION FOCUSING SCATTERED SHWRS/TSTMS, A FEW STRONG, OVER SW GA...FL BIG BEND AND EXTREME ERN FL PANHANDLE. SEA BREEZE ONSET DELAYED DUE TO RESIDUAL MID/HIGH CLOUDS INVOF COAST & NWLY LOW-LEVEL FLOW. IT WAS HOT & HUMID W/ MOST TEMPS IN THE 90S & DEW POINTS IN THE 70S (CTY WAS COOL SPOT AT 87) PRODUCING HEAT INDICES FROM 100-107. PUBLIC FCST: NO MAJOR DIFFERENCES NOTED AMONGST THE 12Z MODEL SOLUTIONS. THE MID/UPPER RIDGE WHICH HAS DOMINATED MUCH OF THE CNTRL & SRN U.S. WILL WEAKEN AS WESTERLIES SAG S INTO NRN STATES. SHORT WAVE TROUGH DROPPING SEWD ON E SIDE OF UPPER RIDGE OVER CNTRL PLAINS INTO SERN U.S. & CWFA. ACCOMPANYING VORT LOBE WILL MAINTAIN SOME PVA OVER THE REGION DURING THE SHORT TERM. THE SURFACE LOW PRESSURE TROUGH OVER THE SERN U.S. WILL REMAIN QUASI-STATIONARY W/ MEAN 1000-700 MB FLOW FROM W-SW. FLOW STRENGTH SUN WILL BE 10 KTS OR LESS (TYPE 4) & 10-15 KTS ON MON (TYPE 5). PWAT VALUES WILL REMAIN AOA 2 (ONE STANDARD DEVIATION ABOVE CLIMO FOR BOTH SEA BREEZE REGIMES) W/ UNMODIFIED CAPES 3000 J/KG EACH AFTN. HENCE, THERE WILL BE SUFFICIENT INSTABILITY COUPLED W/ FORCING/LIFT BY THE SEA BREEZES & SURFACE TROUGH TO PRODUCE HIGH SCATTERED POPS EACH AFTN, TAPERING OFF TO LOW SCATTERED POPS EACH EVENING. LOW-LEVEL SHEAR & HIGH WET-BULB ZERO HEIGHTS WILL KEEP SEVERE THREAT LOW. A SLIGHT LOWERING OF 1000-500 MB HEIGHTS WILL TRANSLATE TO A GRADUAL MODERATION OF TEMPS, I.E. RETURNING TO NORMAL BY NEXT WEEK. FOR TEMPS, NO SIG CHANGES TO CURRENT FCST W/ LOW-MID 90S FOR HIGHS & MID-UPPER 70S FOR LOWS. FOR POPS, GUIDANCE POPS IN LINE W/ CLIMATOLOGY FOR FL & RAISED AL/GA ZONES TO ACCOUNT FOR TROUGH INFLUENCE. MARINE FCST: NO HIGHLIGHTS. SURFACE RIDGE AXIS FROM CNTRL GULF INTO WRN ATLANTIC WILL MAINTAIN GENERALLY LIGHT SWLY WIND REGIME W/ ISOLATED MAINLY LATE NIGHT & MORNING CONVECTION. EXTENDED (WED-SAT): MRF SHOWS UPPER WEAKNESS OVER ERN U.S. THRU PERIOD. A COLD FRONT OVER MIDWEST EARLY IN WEEK MOVES TO TN VALLEY/MID-ATLANTIC WED/THU & WASHES OUT BY FRI. WRN ATLANTIC RIDGE WILL EXTEND INTO GULF OF MEXICO W/ LIGHT-MOD W-SWLY LOW LEVEL FLOW. EXPECT NORMAL POPS & TEMPS FOR LATE JULY. FIRE WEATHER: NO CONCERNS. PRELIM NUMBERS: TLH 075/095 074/093 3535 PFN 079/093 078/091 3535 DHN 076/094 075/092 3535 ABY 075/094 074/092 3535 VLD 075/095 074/093 3535 .TLH... .AL...NONE. .GA...NONE. .FL...NONE. MAJ
GAZ121>125-201430- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 945 AM EDT SAT JUL 20 2002 AT 945 AM EDT(842 AM CDT)...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER SOUTHERN BARBOUR COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA MOVING EAST S0UTHEAST AROUND 10 MPH. DURING THE NEXT 45 MINUTES IT WILL LIKELY MOVE ACROSS CLAY..RANDOLPH...TERRELL..AND POSSIBLY CALHOUN AND DOUGHERTY COUNTIES. SHOULD THIS STORM HOLD TOGETHER... IT IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING....TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS WHICH MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW LYING AREAS AND PEA SIZE HAIL. 24-BLOCK
ALZ065>069-FLZ007>019-026>029-034-GAZ120>131-142>148-155>161-202000- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 1100 AM EDT SAT JUL 20 2002 THIS OUTLOOK PERTAINS TO SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA...THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND EASTERN PANHANDLE...AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. ...HEAT INDICES BETWEEN 100 AND 105 DEGREES ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON... ...SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... HIGH PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE AND ALOFT WILL GRADUALLY WEAKEN OVER THE GULF COAST STATES. HEAT INDICES ARE EXPECTED TO REACH 100 TO 105 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON OVER MOST AREAS DUE TO A COMBINATION OF TEMPERATURES IN THE 90S AND HIGH HUMIDITIES. HEAT INDICES WILL BE A BIT LOWER IN RURAL AREAS...AND A BIT HIGHER IN URBAN LOCATIONS. PERSONS ENGAGED IN OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES SHOULD TAKE FREQUENT BREAKS IN SHADED AREAS AND REPLENISH FLUIDS. OTHERWISE...AN APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE FROM THE NORTH COMBINED WITH A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE TROUGH OVER NORTH FLORIDA... EXISTING OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES FROM EARLIER CONVECTION...AND THE SEA BREEZES...WILL PRODUCE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. WHILE ORGANIZED OR WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED...SOME STRONG STORMS WILL DEVELOP...WITH A FEW REACHING SEVERE LIMITS. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS. FREQUENT LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL...AND TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS...WHICH MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW LYING AREAS...WILL ACCOMPANY THE STRONGER STORMS. EMERGENCY MANAGERS AND STORM SPOTTERS MAY NEED TO SELF-ACTIVATE SHOULD THREATENING WEATHER AFFECT THEIR AREAS. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE VIA OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TLH/ OR LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL TELEVISION OR RADIO STATIONS. MAJ
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...UPDATED TO ADD REPORTS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
1133 AM EDT SAT JUL 20 2002
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0550 PM TELOGIA FL WIND DAMAGE
07/19/02 LIBERTY A 150 X 70 YARD SWATH OF
LARGE TREES UPROOTED ALONG
TELOGIA CREEK JUST SOUTH
OF STATE HIGHWAY 20. ONE
SMALL TREE FELL ON A
MOBILE HOME CAUSING MINOR
DAMAGE. REPORTED BY FL EOC.
0655 PM EASTERN PORTION GA WIND DAMAGE
07/19/02 THOMAS TWO HOUSES DAMAGED BY FALLEN
TREES. NUMEROUS TREES AND
POWER LINES DOWN WITH SEVERAL
ROADS BLOCKED BY DEBRIS.
REPORTED BY COUNTY EM.
0720 PM DIXIE GA WIND DAMAGE
07/19/02 BROOKS A FEW TREES DOWN ON HODGES
ROAD. REPORTED BY 911.FLZ018-GAZ157-158-201815- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 126 PM EDT SAT JUL 20 2002 AT 126 PM EDT(1226 PM CDT)...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER CENTRAL GRADY COUNTY MOVING SE AT 9 MPH. IT WILL LIKELY CROSS INTO SOUTHWEST THOMAS COUNTY AND THEN INTO JEFFERSON COUNTY FLORIDA WITHIN 15 MINUTES. THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH... FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...PRODUCING TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS WHICH MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW LYING AREAS AND PRODUCING PEA SIZED HAIL. BLOCK
FLZ016-017-201815- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 131 PM EDT SAT JUL 20 2002 AT 131 PM EDT(1231 PM CDT)...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER SOUTHEAST GADSDEN COUNTY DRIFTING EAST NORTHEAST. IT WILL LIELY MOVE INTO LEON COUNTY WITHIN A HALF HOUR. THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING....PEA SIZED HAIL AND TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS WHICH MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW LYING AREAS. 24-BLOCK
FLZ014-026-027-201815- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 137 PM EDT SAT JUL 20 2002 AT 137 PM EDT(1237 PM CDT)...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED SEVERAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER GULF AND LIBERTY COUNTIES IN FLORIDA MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AROUND 10 MPH. DURING THE NEXT 45 MINUTES THEY WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE IN THIS DIRECTION AND INTO WAKULLA COUNTY. THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...PEA SIZE HAIL AND TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS WHICH MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW LYING AREAS. 24-BLOCK
The Tallahassee radar (KTLH), 34 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:29 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Downed trees on power lines along Smith Creek Highway. Reported by the Wakulla County EMA.
Downed trees and power lines reported by a SKYWARN spotter.
Dime size hail reported by a SKYWARN spotter.
Numerous trees were blown over. One shed had its tin roof torn off and another shed was tossed. Reported by the Lafayette County Sheriff.
Numerous downed trees reported by the Taylor County Sheriff.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, July 2002
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: 5307192, 5307193, 5307194, 5307195, 5307196.