Flash Flood in Florida, August 9, 2003

Name: Flash Flood in Florida, August 9, 2003
Start: 2003-08-09T12:30
End: 2003-08-09T17:00
Location: Florida

August 9, 2003 · NWS TBW · 1 event in 1 county or zone

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

Where it happened

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.

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: 1
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $1.3 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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 Tampa Bay, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 9, 7:30 AM EST, 5 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 9, 7:30 AM EST, 5 hours before

WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
830 AM EDT SAT AUG 9 2003

NUMEROUS SHOWERS OVER THE GULF MOVING NORTHEAST INTO COASTAL
COUNTIES. MOST AREAS WILL SEE MEASURABLE RAIN TODAY...AND MANY AREAS
COULD SEE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...ESPECIALLY WHERE TRAINING OF
SHOWERS SETS UP. HIGH TEMPERATURES COULD BE LOWER THAN CURRENTLY
FORECAST...ESPECIALLY NORTHERN ZONES...WHERE EXTENSIVE MID AND HIGH
CLOUDS SHOULD LIMIT HEATING ALL DAY. WILL PROBABLY LEAVE AS IS...
SINCE JUST AN HOUR OF SUN WOULD BRING TEMPS TO AT LEAST MID 80S.
CURRENT ZONE PACKAGE INDICATES POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAINFALL SO NO
UPDATES NEEDED AT THIS TIME.

--MARINE--
WINDS STILL IN 10 TO 15 KT RANGE AND SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. SHOWERS QUITE
NUMEROUS TAMPA BAY NORTHWARD...AND MAY KEEP NUMEROUS SHOWERS RATHER
THAN DROP TO SCATTERED IN THE AFTERNOON. GOING TO ADD WINDS AND
SEAS HIGHER NEAR SHOWERS AND STORMS AS 88D SHOWING LOCALLY 20 TO 30
KTS IN SMALL AREAS.

.TBW...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SUNDAY FOR LEVY...CITRUS...SUMTER...
       HERNANDO...PASCO...HILLSBOROUGH...PINELLAS...MANATEE...
       POLK...SARASOTA...HARDEE...DESOTO...HIGHLANDS...LEE AND
       CHARLOTTE COUNTIES.

JILLSON

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 9, 4:15 AM EST, 8 hours 15 minutes before

FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-091400-

WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL FL
515 AM EDT SAT AUG 9 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT:

...A FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES TODAY FOR ALL OF WEST CENTRAL AND
   SOUTHWEST FLORIDA...

THE CONTINUED COMBINATION OF UPPER LEVEL ENERGY AND DEEP TROPICAL
MOISTURE IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
AGAIN TODAY.  MANY AREAS ALONG THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA RECEIVED
2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAINFALL ON FRIDAY...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS OF
4 TO 6 INCHES. AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE
AGAIN TODAY...WITH LOCALLY HEAVIER AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 4 INCHES. THIS
WILL CONTINUE TO AGGRAVATE ANY ONGOING FLOODING ALONG AREA RIVERS...
STREAMS AND LOW LYING AREAS NORTH OF THE TAMPA BAY REGION...AND
COULD CAUSE ADDITIONAL RIVERS AND STREAMS TO APPROACH OR GO ABOVE
BANK-FULL.

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE EASTERN GULF WATERS
AND THE COASTAL COUNTIES THIS MORNING...WILL BECOME MORE NUMEROUS BY
THIS AFTERNOON. INDIVIDUAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO
MOVE TOWARD THE EAST AND NORTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 MPH.

ALTHOUGH THE MAIN THREAT TODAY WILL BE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...
REMEMBER ALL THUNDERSTORMS CAN PRODUCE DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY:

...THE THREAT FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE FOR SUNDAY...

CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS
MAINLY THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE REGION FOR SUNDAY.
BY MONDAY...HIGH PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN BUILDING BACK ACROSS
THE SOUTHERN AREA...THEN FARTHER NORTH ACROSS THE CENTRAL AREA
BY LATER TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO RETURN
TO THE MORE TYPICAL AFTERNOON AND EVENING TIMING TUESDAY THROUGH
FRIDAY.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY AND SUNDAY...
PRIMARILY FOR RAINFALL AND LOCAL OVERLAND OR RIVER FLOOD REPORTS.

RFM

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 9, 8:35 AM EST, 3 hours 55 minutes before

FLZ050-091415-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
935 AM EDT SAT AUG 9 2003

A BROKEN BAND OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT TARPON
SPRINGS...PALM HARBOR...DUNEDIN AND INDIAN ROCKS BEACH...UNTIL 1015
AM EDT. OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS EXPECTED. IF CAUGHT
OUTSIDE...CROUCH DOWN IN A LOW SPOT...AWAY FROM TALL OBJECTS. AT 930
AM EDT...PINELLAS COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD
OVER TARPON SPRINGS. OTHER FUNNEL CLOUDS WILL BE POSSIBLE AS
ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVE ONSHORE FROM THE GULF THE
REMAINDER OF THE MORNING. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR
LOCATION...MOVE INDOORS IMMEDIATELY.

MCMICHAEL

Special weather statement, Aug 9, 10:31 AM EST, 1 hour 59 minutes before

FLZ050-051-055-060-061-091615-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
1131 AM EDT SAT AUG 9 2003

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH PINELLAS AND HILLSBOROUGH
COUNTY...
A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH...WILL AFFECT
PINELLAS PARK AND BRANDON...UNTIL 1215 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.
TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS...AND MINOR
FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.

JILLSON

Special weather statement, Aug 9, 11:02 AM EST, 1 hour 28 minutes before

FLZ051-052-055-056-060-091645-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
1202 PM EDT SAT AUG 9 2003

A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH WILL
AFFECT RUSKIN...APOLLO BEACH...SUN CITY CENTER...WIMAUMA...GIBSTON...
BRANDON...DUETTE...FORT LONESOME...MYAKKA HEADY...AND LITHIA UNTIL
1245 PM EDT. GUSTY WINDS UP TO 40 MPH WILL OCCUR. 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. TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER
ON ROADS...AND MINOR FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.

MCMICHAEL

The radar

The Tampa radar (KTBW), 26 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:28 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Manatee

When: August 9, 12:30 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Manatee County, Bradenton
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $1.3 million
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 27.478, -82.357 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A small area of brief heavy rains of 4 to 6 inches in one hour caused a flash flood in Bradenton between 27th Street and 75th Street. An unidentified man, possibly homeless, misjudged the flooded 18th Avenue Drive West and rode his bicycle into the turbulent waters. He was swept away into the Gulf of Mexico and his body was not found. The water caused damage to 88 homes and flooded numerous cars in the parking lot of the DeSoto Square Mall. Twenty six single family homes and 20 multi-family homes received major damage.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Flash Flood, Manatee	2003-08-09	30	Male	In Water	Direct

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 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in Florida, August 2003

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: 5368343.