1 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 Tampa Bay, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 25, 8:22 PM EST, 3 hours 38 minutes earlier.
WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 922 PM EDT FRI APR 25 2003 LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUES TO DRIFT SLOWLY SOUTH INTO CENTRAL ZONES...BUT APPEARS TO BE RUNNING OUT OF GAS. OUTFLOW HAS MOVED OUT WELL SOUTH OF STORMS WITH NEW CONVECTION DEVELOPING BEHIND IT. STORMS OVER INTERIOR COUNTIES CONTINUING TO MOVE EAST SOUTHEAST WHILE CONVECTION ALONG AND OFF COAST MOVING BACK TO NORTHEAST. SO IT WOULD APPEAR THAT STORMS WILL NOT MAKE IT MUCH FURTHER SOUTH DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS. STORMS HAVE PRODUCED SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS WITH RADAR ESTIMATES OVER 3 INCHES IN A FEW SPOTS. TAMPA INTERNATIONAL HAS ALREADY SET A NEW RECORD DAILY RAINFALL FOR TODAY WITH OVER 1.51 INCHES AS OF 9 PM...OLD RECORD WAS 1.23 INCHES SET IN 1991...AND MORE RAIN STILL TO COME. LATEST RUC INDICATES CURRENT VORT MAX MOVING ACROSS FLORIDA THIS EVENING MOVING EAST OUT INTO ATLANTIC OVERNIGHT WHILE ANOTHER ONE APPROACHES AND MOVES ACROSS THE PENINSULA LATE TONIGHT. MORE CONVECTION STILL OUT OVER GULF MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AND WITH NEXT SLIGHTLY WEAKER VORT MAX MOVING EAST LATER TONIGHT...WILL LEAVE CHANCE POPS IN FOR NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ZONES OVERNIGHT. WILL LEAVE SLIGHT CHANCE DOWN SOUTH AS NEXT VORT MAX MAY HELP TO PUSH ACTIVITY A LITTLE FURTHER SOUTH LATE TONIGHT. WILL ALSO NOT UPDATE ZONES UNTIL ABOUT 11 PM AND WATCH RADAR TRENDS FOR THE NEXT HOUR OR SO. WINDS OVER COASTAL WATERS FROM ALL DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS THANKS TO STORMS...BUT SHOULD SETTLE DOWN AND COME BACK AROUND TO THE SOUTH OVER ENTIRE AREA LATER TONIGHT. WILL DROP SMALL CRAFT EXERCISE CAUTION AND MAKE SOME OTHER MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO MARINE FORECAST FOR EVENING UPDATE. .TBW...NONE. PRC
FLZ039-042-043-048-049-252130- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 1130 AM EDT FRI APR 25 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY: A STRONG TO SEVERE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS CROSSING THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND THE FAR NORTHERN GULF WILL APPROACH THE NATURE COAST THIS AFTERNOON. WHILE THE LINE IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN SOME THIS AFTERNOON...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE. THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL CONTAIN FREQUENT TO EXCESSIVE LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH. WHEN SKIES DARKEN...MOVE INDOORS. IF THERE IS TIME...UNPLUG APPLIANCES AND ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT. WAIT UNTIL THE STORM ENDS BEFORE USING THE TELEPHONE OR RUNNING WATER. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY: .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED LATER THIS AFTERNOON IF THE THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS INCREASES. FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TBW
FLZ049-252330- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 703 PM EDT FRI APR 25 2003 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN PASCO COUNTY... A THUNDERSTORM...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH...WILL AFFECT ODESSA...LAND O LAKES AND WESLEY CHAPEL...UNTIL 730 PM EDT. GUSTY WINDS UP TO 40 MPH WILL OCCUR. FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS EXPECTED. IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE...CROUCH DOWN IN A LOW SPOT...AWAY FROM TALL OBJECTS. HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER IS EXPECTED. TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL REDUCE VISIBILITY TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES. MOTORISTS MAY WANT TO DELAY TRAVEL. GOLDSMITH
FLZ050-051-260000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 717 PM EDT FRI APR 25 2003 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO THE TAMPA BAY METRO AREA... A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH...WILL AFFECT CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PINELLAS COUNTY BEFORE 8 PM...AND TAMPA AND THE NORTHERN SUBURBS BETWEEN 745 AND 830 PM. GUSTY WINDS UP TO 40 MPH WILL OCCUR. FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS EXPECTED. IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE...CROUCH DOWN IN A LOW SPOT...AWAY FROM TALL OBJECTS. TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL REDUCE VISIBILITY TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES. MOTORISTS MAY WANT TO DELAY TRAVEL. GOLDSMITH
FLZ050>052-260045- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 810 PM EDT FRI APR 25 2003 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT TAMPA AND THE EASTERN AND SOUTHERN SUBURBS... THUNDERSTORMS...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH...WILL MOVE OUT OF TAMPA BY 815 PM BUT CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE EAST BAY COMMUNITIES...INCLUDING RIVERVIEW...APOLLO BEACH...AND GIBSONTON...THROUGH 845 PM. STRONG STORMS WILL ALSO AFFECT WESTERN POLK COUNTY...INCLUDING LAKELAND...MULBERRY...AND BARTOW. FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS EXPECTED. IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE...CROUCH DOWN IN A LOW SPOT...AWAY FROM TALL OBJECTS. THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE PEA SIZE HAIL. RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR WILL OCCUR. MOTORISTS CAN EXPECT PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS...AND MINOR FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. GOLDSMITH
MARINE LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
1120 PM EDT FRI APR 25 2003
TIME(EDT) .....MARINE SUBZONE.... GMZ ...EVENT/REMARKS...
......MARINE ZONE......
1102 PM TAMPA BAY 830 34 KT MARINE TSTM WIND
04/25/03 TAMPA BAY WATERS REPORTED BY COASTAL
AIRPORT ALBERT WHITTED
ALONG THE WEST SHORE OF THE
BAY.
1106 PM OLD TAMPA BAY 830 38 KT MARINE TSTM WIND
04/25/03 TAMPA BAY WATERS MARINE OBS STATION AT
SAINT PETERSBURG REPORTED.
BSGFLZ051-052-055-056-260515- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 1216 AM EDT SAT APR 26 2003 STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH...WILL AFFECT AREAS NEAR FORT LONESOME...DUETTE...BOWLING GREEN...AND FORT MEADE...UNTIL 115 AM EDT. GUSTY WINDS UP TO 40 MPH AND EXCESSIVE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS EXPECTED. IF OUTSIDE...CROUCH DOWN IN A LOW SPOT...AWAY FROM TALL OBJECTS. IF INDOORS...REFRAIN FROM USING ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES. RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR WILL OCCUR. MOTORISTS CAN EXPECT PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS...AND MINOR FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.
The Tampa radar (KTBW), 40 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:58 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The Sheriff's Office reported roads closed due to high water. Water was deep enough to damage vehicles.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, April 2003
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: 5354072.