Tornado in Florida, February 24, 2004

Name: Tornado in Florida, February 24, 2004
Start: 2004-02-24T13:45
End: 2004-02-24T13:45
Location: Florida

February 24, 2004 · NWS TBW · 1 event in 1 county or zone

1 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: $10,000
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 Feb 24, 10:43 AM EST, 3 hours 2 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 24, 10:43 AM EST, 3 hours 2 minutes before

WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
1043 AM EST TUE FEB 24 2004

UPDATED ZONES AND COASTALS AGAIN TO INCLUDE TORNADO WATCH. ALSO
LOWERED MAX TEMPS A BIT IN THE NORTH WITH COOL POOL DEVELOPING
NORTH OF CONVECTIVE BOUNDARY.

PREVIOUS DISCUSSION BELOW.

LOTS OF THINGS TO LOOK AT THIS MORNING. OVER THE NORTH...QUASI-
STATIONARY BOUNDARY IS FOCUS FOR CONVECTION...WHICH CONTINUES TO
TRAIN OVER HERNANDO COUNTY...FED BY MOIST...SOUTHERLY LOW LEVEL
FLOW. BOUNDARY WILL WAFFLE AROUND A LITTLE THIS AFTERNOON...BUT
SHOULD NOT MOVE A WHOLE LOT IN EITHER DIRECTION. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN
TO CONTINUE AS SATELLITE SHOWS ACTIVITY CONTINUING TO FORM ALONG
THE BOUNDARY OVER THE EASTERN GULF AND MOVE EASTWARD.

FOR THE CENTRAL FA...LARGE BATCH OF LOW CLOUDS OVER THE GULF IS
MOVING ONSHORE AND SHOULD BE FAIRLY STUBBORN THIS AFTERNOON. MOSTLY
CLOUDY LOOKS GOOD WITH MORE BREAKS INLAND THAN NEAR THE COAST.

DOWN SOUTH...MORE SUNSHINE WILL LET TEMPS SHOOT UP INTO THE 80S
AWAY FROM THE COAST.

OVERALL...CURRENT ZONES LOOK PRETTY GOOD. NO CHANGES PLANNED.

SEVERE THREAT...HAVE HAD BRIEF PERIODS OF ROTATION WITH STORMS
MOVING ALONG BOUNDARY THIS MORNING...BUT NOTHING PARTICULARLY
ORGANIZED YET. ORGANIZATION MAY IMPROVE DURING THE DAY AS LOW LEVEL
INSTABILITY INCREASES AND FEEDS INTO THE BOUNDARY...BUT STRONGEST
UPPER LEVEL WIND FIELDS DONT GENERATE UNTIL TONIGHT.

MARINE...SCEC WORKING OUT WELL SOUTH OF THE BOUNDARY...BUT WINDS
MUCH LIGHTER OVER A GOOD PART OF THE NORTHERN LEG. WILL SEPARATE
ZONES ACCORDINGLY AT 1030 AM UPDATE.

&&

.TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
 SCEC BONITA BCH TO SUWANNEE RVR INCLUDING TAMPA BAY.

ALSHEIMER

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 24, 11:00 AM EST, 2 hours 45 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
1100 AM EST TUE FEB 24 2004

.AN OLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA THIS MORNING
HAS PROVIDED A FOCUS FOR THUNDERSTORMS WHICH WILL REACH SEVERE LIMITS
FROM LATE MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON FOR POTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL
FLORIDA.

FLZ039-055>057-060>062-065-242100-
CHARLOTTE-DE SOTO-HARDEE-HIGHLANDS-LEE-LEVY-MANATEE-SARASOTA-
1100 AM EST TUE FEB 24 2004

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY:

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL FORM DURING THE AFTERNOON. THESE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS ALONG WITH THE
POSSIBILITY OF SMALL HAIL. SOME OF THE HEAVIER STORMS MAY HAVE HEAVY
RAINFALL WITH MINOR FLOODING POSSIBLE.

@0006

FLZ042-043-048>052-242100-
CITRUS-HERNANDO-HILLSBOROUGH-PASCO-PINELLAS-POLK-SUMTER-
1100 AM EST TUE FEB 24 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PART OF WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY:

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 PM EST FOR THE COUNTIES
OF...CITRUS...HERNANDO...HILLSBOROUGH...PASCO...PINELLAS...POLK...
AND SUMTER.

DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL ARE THE MAIN THREATS UNTIL 400 PM.
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR
POSSIBLE WATCHES OR WARNINGS.

SMALL TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE UNTIL 400 PM. TREES...POWER
LINES...AND POORLY CONSTRUCTED BUILDINGS WILL BE MOST AT RISK. STAY
TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR POSSIBLE
WATCHES OR WARNINGS.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Feb 24, 9:50 AM EST, 3 hours 55 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
950 AM EST TUE FEB 24 2004

FLZ048-241530-
HERNANDO-
950 AM EST TUE FEB 24 2004

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT HERNANDO COUNTY...
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH...WILL AFFECT WEEKI
WACHEE...BAYPORT AND BROOKSVILLE...UNTIL 1030 AM EST. 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.

Special weather statement, Feb 24, 12:02 PM EST, 1 hour 43 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
1202 PM EST TUE FEB 24 2004

FLZ049-050-241745-
PASCO-PINELLAS-
1202 PM EST TUE FEB 24 2004

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT WEST PASCO AND NORTHWEST
PINELLAS COUNTIES...

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH...WILL MOVE ONSHORE AND
AFFECT AREAS NEAR HUDSON...PORT RICHEY...TARPON SPRINGS...NEW PORT
RICHEY AND JASMINE ESTATES...UNTIL 1 PM EST. GUSTY WINDS UP 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.

Local storm report, Feb 24, 1:15 PM EST, 30 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
115 PM EST TUE FEB 24 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0930 AM     HEAVY RAIN       WEEKI WACHEE            28.52N 82.58W
02/24/2004  500 INCH         HERNANDO           FL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            IN A FIVE HOUR TIME FRAME

1210 PM     TSTM WND GST     9 SSW BROOKSVILLE       28.43N 82.45W
02/24/2004  50 MPH           PASCO              FL   TRAINED SPOTTER

1255 PM     WATER SPOUT      2 NE FEATHER SOUND      27.93N 82.63W
02/24/2004                   PINELLAS           FL   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            NEAR THE HOWARD FRANKLIN BRIDGE ON THE PINELLAS COUNTY
            SIDE. REPORTED BY PUBLIC THROUGH 911.

&&

NOAH

Local storm report, Feb 24, 1:35 PM EST, 10 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
135 PM EST TUE FEB 24 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1255 PM     TSTM WND DMG     6 NW TAMPA              28.02N 82.55W
02/24/2004                   HILLSBOROUGH       FL   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

            DOWNED POWERLINES AND DEBRIS IN ROUD BETWEEN THE 5800 AND
            5900 BLOCK OF BENJAMIN ROAD.

1145 AM     TSTM WND DMG     6 SSE FEATHER SOUND     27.83N 82.63W
02/24/2004                   PINELLAS           FL   AIRPLANE PILOT

            ROOF OFF A TRAILER.

1208 PM     TSTM WND GST     SAINT PETERSBURG        27.76N 82.67W
02/24/2004  50 MPH           PINELLAS           FL   AWOS

            MEASURED AT THE ALBERT WHITTED AIRPORT.

&&

NOAH

The radar

The Tampa radar (KTBW), 69 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:43 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Polk

When: February 24, 1:45 PM EST
Where: Polk County, 2 mi WSW of Auburndale
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.3 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 28.050, -81.817

Polk County Emergency Management completed a storm survey and found shingles stripped off a brick home and four mobile homes with minor damage, including damage to skirting, awnings, and attached shed. An eyewitness watch a thin tornado move through the area. The wind speed of the tornado was estimated at 70 mph.

What these are

Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Florida in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Florida, 2004 Warnings in Florida, February 2004

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: 5382774.