Florida, 2003

Flash Flood in Florida, June 22, 2003

June 22, 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
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$200,000
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 Jun 22, 12:40 PM EST, 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 22, 12:40 PM EST, 20 minutes before
WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
140 PM EDT SUN JUN 22 2003

RADAR CONTINUES TO SHOW WIDESPREAD CONVECTION OVER THE ENTIRE AREA
ATTM. FLOOD PROBLEMS CONTINUE WITH MANY RIVERS AT OR NEAR RECORD
LEVELS. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL ADDING TO URBAN FLOODING PROBLEMS AS
WELL. SFC FRONT FROM THE ATLANTIC STALLED OVER EXTREME N FL TO THE
NORTH CENTRAL GULF COAST STATES. CONFLUENT REGION CONTINUES OVER THE
FL PENINSULA WITH DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE IN PLACE. WV SAT IMAGERY
SHOWING SHORTWAVE ENERGY OVER THE GULF MOVING OVERHEAD WITH DRY AIR
OVER NORTH FL AS WELL...JUST N OF OUR CWA.

PROBLEM FLOODING EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO MONDAY...SO WILL EXTEND
FLOOD WATCH THRU MONDAY. MODEL DIFFERENCES CONTINUE WITH AVN
REMAINING VERY WET WHILE FORMING A LOW IN GULF AND MOVES IT TO S FL
LATE MON...THE MESOETA IS LESS WET WITH NO LOW. LAST OF THE
SHORTWAVES TO MOVE INTO EASTERN GULF TONIGHT...STRENGTH STILL IN
QUESTION...BUT END RESULT WILL BE MORE EVENING TO OVERNIGHT PRECIP.
MAINLY FROM NATURE COAST SOUTHWARD. BOTH MODELS BEGIN TO SLOWLY SINK
MOISTURE SOUTH THRU MON. SHORTWAVE AND ENERGY TO BE IN EXTREME SE
GULF ON MON WITH HEAVY RAINFALL OVER SW FL...WILL TREND POPS TO
REFLECT THIS SCENARIO. ENTIRE AREA TO BEGIN TO REALLY DRY OUT LATE
MON AND TUE WITH NW/N FLOW ALOFT AND DRIER AIR FILTERING IN. TEMPS
CLOSE TO GUIDANCE.

EXTENDED(WED-SUN)...MUCH NEEDED DRIER AIR SHOULD KEEP NORTH INTO
CENTRAL ZONES ON THE DRY SIDE ON WEDNESDAY AS N-NELY UPPER FLOW
MAINTAINS A DRIER AIR MASS (PWS 1) ACROSS THESE AREAS. GIVEN THIS
WILL REMOVE POPS FOR MUCH OF THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ZONES
(NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM KSRQ TO KLAL)...BUT WILL RETAIN ISOLATED
POP WORDING ACROSS MY FAR SOUTHERN COUNTIES WHERE SLIGHTLY HIGHER
PWS WILL RESIDE. BY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY LATEST GFS SOLUTION SHOWS
MOISTURE AND POP CHANCES INCREASING ONCE AGAIN. IN ADDITION THE GFS
CONTINUES TO DEPICT SOME SORT OF WEAK SFC LOW REFLECTION OFF THE FL
EAST COAST WITH A TROUGH AXIS EXTENDING WEST TO THE GULF. GIVEN THIS
ALONG WITH HIGHER MOISTURE VALUES WILL DEPICT POPS 40% FOR BOTH
DAYS.

AS FOR THE UPCOMING WEEKEND THINGS COULD BECOME QUITE INTERESTING AND
UNFORTUNATELY VERY WET. LATEST GFS/MRF SOLUTIONS SHOWS DEEPER
MOISTURE ADVECTING INTO THE FA FROM THE SOUTH ON A DEVELOPING DEEP
SE-SOUTHERLY WIND FLOW AS A TROPICAL WAVE MOVES FROM THE WESTERN
CARIBBEAN NWWD INTO THE SERN GULF. WE WILL NEED TO MONITOR FUTURE
MODEL RUNS TO SEE IF SCENARIO PANS OUT...BUT FOR NOW WILL ADVERTISE
POPS IN THE HIGH END OF THE SCATTERED RANGE 50% FOR ALL ZONES. NO
REAL TEMPERATURE CHANGES EXPECTED THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH READINGS
REMAINING AT OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE SEASONAL LEVELS.

MARINE...STILL EXPECT WEAK FLOW OVER THE MARINE WATERS EVEN IF WEAK
LOW FORMS THEN GRADUALLY SHIFT AROUND TO THE EAST AND NORTHEAST BY
TUESDAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FROM
THE NORTH. WINDS WILL REMAIN BELOW 15 KNOTS THROUGH THE PERIOD...NO
HIGHLIGHTS EXPECTED.

FIRE WEATHER...NO PROBLEMS OR HIGHLIGHTS.

PRELIMINARY NUMBERS:
BKV 069/091 067/093 4311
TPA 074/089 074/091 5422
GIF 073/090 072/093 5422
SRQ 074/088 073/090 6522
FMY 074/088 074/092 7632

.TBW...FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL ZONES THROUGH MONDAY.

RD/JM
Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 22, 5:00 AM EST, 8 hours before
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-221500-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
600 AM EDT SUN JUN 22 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY:

...A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL COUNTIES IN WEST CENTRAL AND
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA TODAY...

DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD ACROSS THE AREA
TODAY...AND THIS COMBINED WITH WEAK UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES WILL
CAUSE PERIODS OF RAIN AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP.

WIDESPREAD RAINS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES...WITH LOCALLY 6 INCHES...IS
LIKELY AGAIN TODAY...BUT MAINLY IN LOCATIONS SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 4.
ANY ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL MAY CAUSE SERIOUS PROBLEMS...INCLUDING
WIDESPREAD FRESHWATER FLOODING.  SUCH FLOODING COULD CLOSE DOZENS OF
ROADS...INCLUDING A FEW MAJOR THOROUGHFARES...AND FLOOD PASTURE LAND.

IN ADDITION...THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL POSE A THREAT OF STRONG GUSTY
WINDS UP TO 35 MPH AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY:

THE REGION WILL SEE A RETURN TO MORE TYPICAL SUMMERTIME WEATHER WITH
ISOLATED TO SCATTERED MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS
EACH DAY AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE REGION.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT
HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TBW

PRC

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 22, 12:51 PM EST, 9 minutes before
FLZ055-060-221800-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
151 PM EDT SUN JUN 22 2003

...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IS MOVING THROUGH MANATEE AND
SARASOTA COUNTIES...

AT 151 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
THUNDERSTORMS...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40
MPH...ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 2 MILES NORTHEAST OF PALMETTO TO 6
MILES SOUTHEAST OF VENICE...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. A SKYWARN SPOTTER
REPORTED STRONG GUSTY WINDS IN BRADENTON.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT...
  PALMETTO.
  ELLENTON.
  BRADENTON.
  GATOR CREEK ESTATES.
  MYAKKA RIVER STATE PARK.
  SARASOTA.
  VENICE.

&&

LAT...LON 2754 8259 2707 8246 2706 8215 2760 8227

25
Special weather statement, Jun 22, 12:51 PM EST, 9 minutes before
FLZ055-060-222000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
151 PM EDT SUN JUN 22 2003

CORRECTED TO FIX EXPIRATION TIME

...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IS MOVING THROUGH MANATEE AND
SARASOTA COUNTIES...

AT 151 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
THUNDERSTORMS...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40
MPH...ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 2 MILES NORTHEAST OF PALMETTO TO 6
MILES SOUTHEAST OF VENICE...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. A SKYWARN SPOTTER
REPORTED STRONG GUSTY WINDS IN BRADENTON.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT...
  PALMETTO.
  ELLENTON.
  BRADENTON.
  GATOR CREEK ESTATES.
  MYAKKA RIVER STATE PARK.
  SARASOTA.
  VENICE.

&&

LAT...LON 2754 8259 2707 8246 2706 8215 2760 8227

25

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, De Soto

When
June 22, 1:00 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where
De Soto County, Arcadia
Property damage
$200,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
27.186, -81.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flooding in the western third of Desoto County closed and damaged back roads. Several homes received water damage from rising waters. Rainfall of 11.79 occurred 10 miles west of Arcadia during the last three days.

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

More

Every storm in Florida in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, June 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: 5364811.