Florida, 2002

Tropical Storm in Florida, September 14 to 15, 2002

September 14 to 15, 2002 · NWS TAE · 13 events in 12 counties and zones

Tropical Storm Hanna came ashore near Mobile, AL during the late morning hours of September 14. Maximum sustained winds were just shy of tropical storm strength prior to and during landfall.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 13 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$400,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
13

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 TAE wrote it up.

Tropical Storm Hanna came ashore near Mobile, AL during the late morning hours of September 14. Maximum sustained winds were just shy of tropical storm strength prior to and during landfall. The main effect from Hanna was minor flooding and beach erosion along the Florida Panhandle coast, where storm surge heights ranged from two to four feet. The lowest sea-level pressure was 1009.5 mb. Rainfall totals ranged from 9.68 inches at Chipley, FL, to 2.28 inches at Apalachicola, FL. Minor river flooding was observed above Newport, FL, where the St. Marks river crested a tenth of a foot above flood stage on September 15. Some county roads in the Panhandle were closed due to flooding. Heavy rains also flooded several homes in Perry, FL. Gusty thunderstorm winds blew down some power lines and small trees. An estimated 15,000 customers in coastal Walton County were without power. Rip currents were responsible for two drownings-one at Seagrove Beach, FL, and the other at Panama City Beach, FL.

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 Sep 13, 7:45 PM EST, 4 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 13, 7:45 PM EST, 4 hours 15 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
845 PM EDT FRI SEP 13 2002

SYNOPSIS: THIS EVENING TS HANNA CONTINUES ITS ERRATIC MOVEMENT WITH
SOME EASTWARD DRIFT. MODEL TRENDS STILL INDICATE IT WILL EVENTUALLY
MOVE NORTH THEN NORTHEAST & AFFECT THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE & MOST OF
THE CWA. SEE OFFICIAL HPC FORECAST AS WELL AS TLH LOCAL TROPICAL
STORM HANNA STATEMENT. TIMING MAY HAVE TO SHIFT A BIT IF HANNA
DELAYS ITS NORTHWARD TRACK. MAIN THREAT OF HANNA STILL REMAINS HEAVY
RAIN THREAT OVER THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HRS & FLOOD WATCHES ARE OUT FOR
MOST OF THE CWA. NORTH FLORIDA WILL SEE MUCH OF THE HEAVY RAIN
POTENTIAL WITH THE MAX INFLUX BEING THE S-E SIDE OF THE TROPICAL
STORM.  CURRENT RADAR TRENDS ARE SHOWING FEEDER BANDS SWINGING INTO
THE CWA & EXPECT THIS TO CONTINUE. TRAINING OF CONVECTION IN THE
BANDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY LOCATIONS FOR FLOODING POTENTIAL. CURRENT
FORECAST HAS A GOOD HANDLE ON SCENARIO...BUT MAY HAVE TO TAKE MORE
RAIN POTENTIAL INTO SATURDAY IF HANNA MEANDERS A BIT OVERNIGHT.
SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE STORMS & ISOLATED TORNADOES WITH THE SPIRAL
BANDS IS IN THE FORECAST. 18Z TLH HAD A PRECIP WATER VALUE OF 2.13
INCHES... LI OF -4.3...CAPE OF 2107 J/KG & WINDS FROM THE S-SE AT
10-20 KNTS.

.TLH...
.AL...FLOOD WATCH ALL ZONES.
.GA...FLOOD WATCH GAZ120>126-142>145-155>159.
.FL...TROPICAL STORM WARNING FLZ08-12-14 AND 15 FROM APALACHICOLA W.
      TROPICAL STORM WATCH FLZ18-27-28-34 AND 15 FROM APALACHICOLA E.

MCT

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

13 tropical storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Tropical Storm, Bay

When
September 14, 12:00 AM EST to September 15, 11:00 PM EST
Where
Bay forecast zone
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
30.238, -85.633 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tropical Storm, Calhoun

When
September 14, 12:00 AM EST to September 15, 11:00 PM EST
Where
Calhoun forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
30.406, -85.197 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tropical Storm, Inland Walton

When
September 14, 12:00 AM EST to September 15, 11:00 PM EST
Where
Inland Walton forecast zone
Property damage
$125,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
30.619, -86.171 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tropical Storm, Gadsden

When
September 14, 12:00 AM EST to September 15, 11:00 PM EST
Where
Gadsden forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
30.580, -84.614 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tropical Storm, Gulf

When
September 14, 12:00 AM EST to September 15, 11:00 PM EST
Where
Gulf forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
29.909, -85.261 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tropical Storm, Holmes

When
September 14, 12:00 AM EST to September 15, 11:00 PM EST
Where
Holmes forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
30.868, -85.814 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tropical Storm, Inland Walton

When
September 14, 12:00 AM EST to September 15, 12:00 AM EST
Where
Inland Walton forecast zone
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
30.619, -86.171 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tropical Storm, Jackson

When
September 14, 12:00 AM EST to September 15, 11:00 PM EST
Where
Jackson forecast zone
Property damage
$35,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
30.795, -85.215 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tropical Storm, Leon

When
September 14, 12:00 AM EST to September 15, 11:00 PM EST
Where
Leon forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
30.458, -84.278 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tropical Storm, Taylor

When
September 14, 12:00 AM EST to September 15, 11:00 PM EST
Where
Taylor forecast zone
Property damage
$100,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
30.020, -83.619 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tropical Storm, Wakulla

When
September 14, 12:00 AM EST to September 15, 11:00 PM EST
Where
Wakulla forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
30.148, -84.376 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tropical Storm, Washington

When
September 14, 12:00 AM EST to September 15, 11:00 PM EST
Where
Washington forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
30.611, -85.665 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tropical Storm, Coastal Walton

When
September 14, 12:00 AM EST to September 15, 11:00 PM EST
Where
Coastal Walton forecast zone
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates
30.619, -86.171 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Tropical Storm
A tropical cyclone with sustained winds of 34 to 63 knots (39 to 73 mph).

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Florida in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, September 2002The 2002 hurricane season

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: 5319839, 5319840, 5319841, 5319903, 5319904, 5319905, 5319906, 5319907, 5319908, 5319909, 5319910, 5319911, 5319912.