Florida, 2004Lightning Strike in Florida, August 18, 2004
August 18, 2004 · NWS TBW · 1 event in 1 county or zone
1 lightning, 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.
- 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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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 1
- Property damage
- None recorded
- 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 18, 6:34 PM EST, 1 hour 26 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 18, 6:34 PM EST, 1 hour 26 minutes before
WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
734 PM EDT WED AUG 18 2004
.DISCUSSION...SIMILAR TO LAST EVENING DIURNAL SEA BREEZE DRIVEN
CONVECTION ONGOING OVER MY INTERIOR ZONES WITH A SOLID LINE OF
SHOWERS AND STORMS NOTED ON 88D FROM THE GREEN SWAMP IN SOUTHERN
SUMTER COUNTY EXTENDING SOUTH INTO POLK...HARDEE...DESOTO...HIGHLANDS
AND EASTERN SECTIONS OF CHARLOTTE COUNTIES. SATELLITE AND 88D RETURNS
SHOW NUMEROUS OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES MOVING WEST FROM THIS CONVECTION...
SO LIKE LAST NIGHT MAY AGAIN SEE SOME ADDITIONAL STORMS FIRE OFF OVER
MY COASTAL ZONES IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS AS THE BOUNDARIES MOVE WEST.
WILL AGAIN WAIT UNTIL MOST OF THE CONVECTION WINDS DOWN LATER THIS
EVENING...THEN WILL UPDATE ZONES TO REMOVE EVENING POP WORDING. OTHER
THAN THIS NO OTHER ZONES CHANGES EXPECTED.
TRANQUIL BOATING CONDITIONS BEING OBSERVED OVER THE COASTAL WATERS
THIS EVENING WITH NEAR SHORE C-MAN SITES DEPICTING AN ONSHORE SEA
BREEZE COMPONENT 10 KNOTS...WITH BUOYS SHOWING LIGHT AND VARIABLE
WINDS AND SLIGHT SEA STATES FURTHER OFFSHORE. EXPECT THE SEA BREEZE
CIRCULATION TO GRADUALLY WEAKEN IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS WITH A LIGHT
EAST TO SOUTHEAST WIND FLOW EXPECTED OVERNIGHT. HOWEVER BEFORE THEN
WILL MAKE A QUICK UPDATE FOR MY BONITA BEACH TO TARPON SPRING LEG TO
SHOW A BRIEF EASTERLY SURGE AS OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES PUSH INTO THE NEAR
SHORE WATERS IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS...OTHERWISE VERY LITTLE CHANGES
EXPECTED IN THE 1030 PM UPDATE.
&&
.TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE.
MCMICHAEL
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 18, 4:37 AM EST, 15 hours 23 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
537 AM EDT WED AUG 18 2004
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-181535-
CHARLOTTE-CITRUS-DE SOTO-HARDEE-HERNANDO-HIGHLANDS-HILLSBOROUGH-LEE-
LEVY-MANATEE-PASCO-PINELLAS-POLK-SARASOTA-SUMTER-
537 AM EDT WED AUG 18 2004
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA.
.DAY ONE...TODAY:
TYPICAL SUMMERTIME AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING THUNDERSTORMS ARE
EXPECTED ACROSS THE REGION TODAY. THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL CONTAIN
FREQUENT LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS TO 40 MPH...LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IN
EXCESS OF 2 INCHES...AND POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL.
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...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY:
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
&&
FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION...CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT
HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TBW (LOWER CASE)
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Aug 18, 3:23 PM EST, 4 hours 37 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
423 PM EDT WED AUG 18 2004
FLZ055-182100-
MANATEE-
423 PM EDT WED AUG 18 2004
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT EASTERN MANATEE COUNTY...
STATIONARY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...WILL AFFECT DUETTE...LAKE MANATEE
STATE PARK...AND MYAKKA CITY UNTIL 500 PM EDT. 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. MOTORISTS SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION.
MCMICHAEL
Special weather statement, Aug 18, 5:12 PM EST, 2 hours 48 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
612 PM EDT WED AUG 18 2004
FLZ043-048-049-052-182315-
HERNANDO-PASCO-POLK-SUMTER-
612 PM EDT WED AUG 18 2004
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT EASTERN PASCO AND SOUTHERN
SUMTER COUNTIES...
THUNDERSTORMS MOVING SLOWLY EAST...WILL AFFECT AREAS FROM NEAR
LACOOCHE TO NEAR THE GREEN SWAMP...UNTIL 715 PM EDT. GUSTY WINDS UP
TO 40 MPH AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS EXPECTED.
RAINFALL RATES OF 2 TO 3 INCHES PER HOUR WILL OCCUR. MOTORISTS CAN
EXPECT PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS...AND MINOR FLOODING OF POOR
DRAINAGE AREAS.
Special weather statement, Aug 18, 5:18 PM EST, 2 hours 42 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
618 PM EDT WED AUG 18 2004
FLZ057-182300-
HIGHLANDS-
618 PM EDT WED AUG 18 2004
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT WESTERN HIGHLANDS COUNTY...
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DRIFTING EAST...WILL AFFECT RURAL SECTIONS OF
WESTERN HIGHLANDS COUNTY INCLUDING SEBRING AND LAKE
JOSEPHINE...UNTIL 700 PM EDT. GUSTY WINDS UP TO 40 MPH WILL BE
POSSIBLE. 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. MOTORISTS SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION
MCMICHAEL
Special weather statement, Aug 18, 5:24 PM EST, 2 hours 36 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
624 PM EDT WED AUG 18 2004
FLZ062-182315-
CHARLOTTE-
624 PM EDT WED AUG 18 2004
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT EASTERN CHARLOTTE COUNTY...
SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT NORTHEAST CHARLOTTE COUNTY...
GENERALLY NORTH OF STATE ROAD 74 AND EAST OF STATE ROAD 31...
UNTIL 715 PM EDT. 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.
RKR
Special weather statement, Aug 18, 5:25 PM EST, 2 hours 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
625 PM EDT WED AUG 18 2004
FLZ052-182330-
POLK-
625 PM EDT WED AUG 18 2004
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT CENTRAL POLK COUNTY...
THUNDERSTORMS... NEARLY STATIONARY...WILL AFFECT FROM NEAR
WAHNETA... TO NEAR LAKE WALES... BARTOW... AND FORT MEADE...UNTIL
730 PM EDT. GUSTY WINDS UP TO 40 MPH AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING EXPECTED. TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON
ROADS...AND MINOR FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.
Special weather statement, Aug 18, 6:40 PM EST, 1 hour 20 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
740 PM EDT WED AUG 18 2004
FLZ052-056-190045-
HARDEE-POLK-
740 PM EDT WED AUG 18 2004
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO NORTHERN HARDEE COUNTY...
THUNDERSTORMS...MOVING SLOWLY SOUTH...WILL AFFECT BOWLING GREEN...
WAUCHULA AND ZOLFO SPRINGS...UNTIL 845 PM EDT. GUSTY WINDS TO 40 MPH
AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS EXPECTED. TORRENTIAL RAINS
WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS...AND MINOR FLOODING OF POOR
DRAINAGE AREAS.
Lightning, Charlotte
- When
- August 18, 8:00 PM EST
- Where
- Charlotte County, Port Charlotte
- Injuries
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 26.900, -81.950 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A 15 year old male was struck by lightning while he helped his uncle repair a roof damaged by Hurricane Charley. An ambulance happened to be parked at the end of the street and paramedics got the boy's heart beating again. He was listed in critical condition at an area hospital with burn marks on his head, chest, and foot. The time of the event was estimated.
- Lightning
- A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Flash Flood in Washington, August 18, 2004$438,000 · 1 event
- Lightning Strike in Arizona, August 18, 2004$100,000 · 1 event
- Lightning Strike in South Carolina, August 18, 2004$80,000 · 1 event
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Ohio, August 18, 2004$30,000 · 1 in hail · 12 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Indiana, August 18, 2004$30,000 · 50 kt wind · 6 events
- Damaging Winds in Iowa, August 18, 2004$30,000 · 57 kt wind · 5 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Illinois, August 18, 2004$29,000 · 1.75 in hail · 5 events
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Texas, August 18, 20041 injured · $20,000 · 50 kt wind · 3 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Illinois, August 18, 20041.75 in hail · 12 events
- Lightning Strike in Florida, August 18, 20041 injured · 1 event
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in Lake Erie, August 18, 20048 events
- Flash Flooding in Colorado, August 18 to 19, 20046 events
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: 5422753.