Flash Flooding in Florida, March 3, 2002

Name: Flash Flooding in Florida, March 3, 2002
Start: 2002-03-03T02:00
End: 2002-03-03T07:00
Location: Florida

March 3, 2002 · NWS TAE · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

5 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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: 0
Property damage: $1.1 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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 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 Tallahassee, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 2, 8:43 PM EST, 5 hours 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 2, 8:43 PM EST, 5 hours 17 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
843 PM EST SAT MAR 2 2002

LATEST 500MB RUC DATA SHOWS SHORTWAVE WITH ASSOCIATED VORT MAX JUST
OFFSHORE OF THE TEXAS AND LOUISIANA COASTS. AHEAD OF THIS FEATURE
NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURING OVER THE COASTAL WATERS OF LA/MS
AS WELL AS INLAND AREAS...AND ARE MOVING NE. LOOKING AT THE REF FROM
THE KLIX RADAR...SOME OF THE STORMS OVER THE OPEN WATERS SEEM TO BE
QUITE INTENSE.

CLOSER TO HOME...SCATTERED CONVECTION HAS BEEN SPREADING ACROSS
PORTIONS OF MY CWA DURING THE PAST FEW HOURS...MAINLY OVER THE
FLORIDA AND GEORGIA ZONES...INCLUDING THE COASTAL WATERS. LATEST
MSAS SURFACE DATA SHOWS FRONTAL BOUNDARY ACROSS WESTERN TN AND
EXTENDING TO SE LA/SRN MS. I EXPECT TO SEE THIS CONVECTION TO START
ROLLING INTO MY CWA BY AROUND 06Z (GIVE OR TAKE AND HOUR OR SO).

CURRENT ZONES HAVE CATEGORICAL POPS OVERNIGHT WITH A MENTION OF
STRONG STORMS. THIS CONTINUES TO LOOK FINE...BUT IF/WHEN WATCH BOXES
START TO FLY TO MY WEST WILL CHANGE WORDING TO INDICATE SOME STORMS
POSSIBLY SEVERE.

COASTAL FORECAST SEEMS TO BE ON TRACK WITH SCA GOING FOR ALL ZONES.
WILL MONITOR BUOYS AND C-MANS BUT DONT ANTICIPATE ANY BIG CHANGES.

.TLH...
.AL...NONE.
.GA...NONE.
.FL...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY GMZ750-755-770-775.

NOTE: THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN TALLAHASSEE HAS MOVED
TO ITS NEW LOCATION ON THE CAMPUS OF FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY.
ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL IN TALLAHASSEE CAN BE REACHED DURING NORMAL
BUSINESS HOURS AT 850-942-8833.

MOLLERE

The radar

The Tallahassee radar (KTLH), 8 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:57 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Leon

When: March 3, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Leon County, Countywide
Property damage: $1.0 million
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 30.458, -84.278 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An estimated 90 homes sustained significant water damage. Several residences in the Carriage Estates mobile home park were evacuated due to high water. Numerous motorists were rescued from stranded vehicles. Numerous county roads and Tallahassee streets were closed. Reported by the Tallahassee Police and Leon County EMA.

Flash Flood, Calhoun

When: March 3, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Calhoun County, Countywide
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 30.406, -85.197 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Approximately 80 percent of the county dirt roads were closed. Reported by the Calhoun County EMA.

Flash Flood, Wakulla

When: March 3, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Wakulla County, Countywide
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 30.148, -84.376 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Some county roads were closed. State Highway 267 received minor flooding, with some homes isolated by high waters. Reported by the Wakulla County EMA.

Flash Flood, Jefferson

When: March 3, 3:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where: Jefferson County, Countywide
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 30.424, -83.900 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Numerous county roads were closed with some dirt roads washed out. Seven to eleven inches of rain fell over the northern half of the county, with widespread flooding in the Lloyd and Thompson Valley areas. A local state of emergency was declared by county officials. Reported by the Jefferson County EMA.

Flash Flood, Madison

When: March 3, 3:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where: Madison County, Countywide
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 30.444, -83.470 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Numerous county roads were closed. Between six and 10 inches of rain was recorded.

What these are

Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

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 Warnings in Florida, March 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: 5285714, 5285716, 5285718, 5285715, 5285717.