2 thunderstorm wind, 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 Tampa Bay, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 22, 12:29 PM EST, 4 minutes earlier.
WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 129 PM EDT TUE JUL 22 2003 CURRENTLY: HAD A COUPLE OF STRONG STORMS ALREADY TODAY...AND EXPECT A COUPLE MORE OVER THE INTERIOR BEFORE THE DAY IS OVER. SHORT TERM (TNGT THRU THUR): RIDGE WILL SIT OVER THE SOUTHERN FA AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY WITH BEST CHANCES OF RAIN OVER THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE AREA. UPPER LEVEL TROF SUPPORTS A FEW STRONGER STORMS BY LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. ON THURSDAY...SURFACE RIDGE BEGINS TO SHIFT NORTH. THIS WILL ALLOW SOME OF THE DEEPER TROPICAL MOISTURE TO MOVE INTO THE SOUTHERN FA LATE IN THE AFTERNOON ON LOW LEVEL SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW...SO GREATEST CHANCE FOR RAIN SHOULD SHIFT SOUTHWARD. CONVECTION WILL ALSO BE A LITTLE LATER IN THE DAY AS THE SEA BREEZE TAKES LONGER TO DEVELOP FROM ENGLEWOOD SOUTH. TEMPS SEASONABLY WARM THROUGH THE PERIOD. EXTENDED (FRI THRU TUE): TROPICAL WAVE FORMERLY TD 6 STILL EXPECTED TO BRING AN INCREASE IN MOISTURE/SHOWER ACTIVITY...BUT TIMING AND EXTENT IS UNCERTAIN. WILL KEEP SCATTERED SHOWERS ALL AFTERNOON FRIDAY...INCLUDING OVER WATER AREAS...AND POPS AT 50 FOR ALL LAND AREAS. SFC RIDGE WELL NORTH OF FA FRI THROUGH SUNDAY...THEN STARTS A TRIP BACK TO THE SOUTH. THIS MEANS CONVECTION WILL FAVOR COASTAL LOCATIONS AND HAVE HIGHER POPS THERE THROUGH MONDAY. BY TUESDAY... GFS/MRF MOVES RIDGE AXIS TO SOUTH OF FA...AND GIVEN THE PERSISTENCE OF THE EASTERN US UPPER TROUGH THIS SUMMER...SEE NO REASON TO DOUBT IT. MARINE: WINDS 15 KNOTS OR LESS AND SEAS 3 FEET OR LESS THROUGH THE PERIOD. THERE WILL BE A FAIR AMOUNT OF CONVECTION TO DODGE. FIRE WEATHER: NO CONCERNS. PRELIM NUMBERS: TPA 78/90/77/90 1525 FMY 77/93/76/92 2426 GIF 75/93/75/92 2525 SRQ 77/90/76/90 1525 BKV 72/90/73/90 1625 .TBW...NONE. ALSHEIMER/EJ
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-221400- WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 600 AM EDT TUE JUL 22 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY: SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL BRING ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE GULF ONSHORE NORTH OF BRADENTON THIS MORNING. WATERSPOUTS ARE POSSIBLE TODAY. REMEMBER...WATERSPOUTS CAN FORM FROM A TOWERING CUMULUS CLOUD...NOT JUST A THUNDERSTORM. THE BEST CHANCE OF RAIN THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE NEAR LEVY COUNTY AND THE INLAND COUNTIES OF SUMTER...POLK...HIGHLANDS...HARDEE...AND DESOTO. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL FORM ALONG THE GULF COAST SEA BREEZE AS IT MOVES EAST. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING...BRIEF WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH...AND NICKEL SIZE HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY: WEDNESDAY WILL HAVE WEATHER SIMILAR TO TODAY WITH ISOLATED MORNING STORMS NEAR THE COAST AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS INLAND DURING THE AFTERNOON. THE PATTERN CHANGES THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AS A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE MOVES NORTH AND THE LOW LEVEL WINDS TURN FROM THE SOUTHWEST TO THE SOUTHEAST. EXPECT MAINLY SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE WEEKEND. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR WATERSPOUTS FROM BRADENTON TO CEDAR KEY. SPOTTERS IN INLAND COUNTIES SHOULD WATCH FOR HAIL AND LOCALIZED FLOODING THIS AFTERNOON. NOAH
FLZ049-051-221600- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 1119 AM EDT TUE JUL 22 2003 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT NORTHERN HILLSBOROUGH AND PASCO COUTNIES... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH...WILL AFFECT LUTZ...LAND O LAKES...WESLEY CHAPEL AND SAN ANTONIO...UNTIL NOON 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 CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS...AND MINOR FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.
MARINE LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
1145 AM EDT TUE JUL 22 2003
TIME(EDT) .....MARINE SUBZONE.... GMZ ...EVENT/REMARKS...
......MARINE ZONE......
1127 AM OLD TAMPA BAY 830 WATERSPOUT
07/22/03 TAMPA BAY WATERS WATERSPOUT BEGAN AT 1127
AM AND ENDED AT 1137 AM.
SIGHTED BY OBSERVER AT
TAMPA INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT.FLZ043-048>051-GMZ830-221700- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 1150 AM EDT TUE JUL 22 2003 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT LOCATIONS OF SUMTER... EASTERN HERNANDO AND PASCO COUNTIES...NORTHERN HILLSBOROUGH AND EASTERN PINELLAS COUNTIES. A BAND OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH THROUGH 1 PM AND AFFECT LOCATIONS FROM WILDWOOD AND THE VILLAGES SOUTH THROUGH BUSHNELL...DADE CITY LAND O LAKES ...LUTZ AND LOCATIONS AROUND THE NORTHERN PORTION OF OLD TAMPA BAY AND NORTHEAST HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY UNTIL 1 PM. GUSTY WINDS UP TO 40 MPH WILL OCCUR. FREQUENT TO EXCESSIVE 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 CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS...AND MINOR FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS FUNNEL CLOUDS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE.
FLZ051-052-221800- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 121 PM EDT TUE JUL 22 2003 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT LAKELAND... A THUNDERSTORM ...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH...WILL AFFECT WILLOW OAK...PLANT CITY...WINSTON AND LAKELAND...UNTIL 200 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. HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER IS EXPECTED.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees and power lines were downed by a microburst, blocking Wiggins road near the intersection of Kirkland. The microburst traveled southeast to the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Polk county.
The microburst induced thunderstorm winds started in Plant City and passed through the airport kicking up light debris but did not cause reportable damage.
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, July 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: 5366041, 5366042.