Strong thunderstorms in the Tallahassee area earlier in the night sent out a gust front that caused strong winds to sweep ashore in Hernando and Pasco Counties several hours later. The gust front was not associated with thunderstorms and the winds were likely associated with a gravity wave from the earlier storm activity.
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 episode as NWS TBW wrote it up.
Strong thunderstorms in the Tallahassee area earlier in the night sent out a gust front that caused strong winds to sweep ashore in Hernando and Pasco Counties several hours later. The gust front was not associated with thunderstorms and the winds were likely associated with a gravity wave from the earlier storm activity.
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 Mar 9, 9:02 PM EST, 3 hours 43 minutes earlier.
WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 902 PM EST TUE MAR 9 2004 .DISCUSSION...UPPER RIDGING ACROSS THE WESTERN STATES WITH AN UPPER TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN U.S. IS PROVIDING NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT OVER THE GULF. LATEST MSAS SHOWS HIGH PRESSURE OVER SOUTH TX RIDGING EAST OVER THE GULF...TO THE SOUTH OF THE CWA WITH A COLD FRONT/SURFACE TROUGH EXTENDING ALONG THE GULF COAST TO A LOW PRESSURE CENTER IN SOUTH GA. A SHORT WAVE TROUGH WILL SWING THROUGH THE BASE OF THE EAST COAST TROUGH TONIGHT WITH THE FRONT/ TROUGH MOVING ACROSS THE REGION. THIS WILL REACH THE TAMPA BAY AREA AROUND 2 AM AND THEN EXIT THE SOUTH END OF THE CWA AROUND SUN RISE OR SHORTLY AFTER. THE MAIN EFFECTS WILL BE BRIEF CLOUDINESS AND WINDS SHIFTING INTO THE NORTHWEST WITH SOME GUSTINESS AS THE FRONT/TROUGH MOVES BY. CURRENT PUBLIC ZONES HANDLE THIS WELL WITH NO UPDATES PLANNED. && .MARINE...BUOY AND RAOB DATA SUPPORT SCA FOR THE 1030 FORECAST WITH WINDS 20KT AND GUSTY BY MIDNIGHT AND SEAS SLOWLY BUILDING... OTHERWISE FORECAST ON TRACK. && .FIRE WX...AFTERNOON RH VALUES WERE AT OR BELOW 35 PERCENT FOR 5 TO 10 HR. A FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS IN PLACE WED FOR DURATION AND WIND OVER ALL COUNTIES EXCEPT PINELLAS. SIMILAR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THU AND A WATCH MAY BE REQUIRED. && .TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FIRE WEATHER WATCH ALL BUT PINELLAS COUNTY FOR WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY ALL WATERS TONIGHT. && RKR
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 600 AM EST TUE MAR 9 2004 FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-091500- CHARLOTTE-CITRUS-DE SOTO-HARDEE-HERNANDO-HIGHLANDS-HILLSBOROUGH-LEE- LEVY-MANATEE-PASCO-PINELLAS-POLK-SARASOTA-SUMTER- 600 AM EST TUE MAR 9 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY: A DRY AIRMASS REMAINS IN PLACE OVER THE PENINSULA TODAY. LAND MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS NEED TO BE ADVISED A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT TODAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY: ANOTHER STRONG COLD AND DRY HIGH PRESSURE AREA WILL BUILD INTO THE REGION TONIGHT ON BREEZY NORTHWESTERLY WINDS. MARINERS NEED TO REMAIN CAUTIOUS AS WINDS AND SEAS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE THIS EVENING AND A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED LATER TONIGHT. LAND MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS NEED TO BE ADVISED A FIRE WEATHER WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.
2 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The gusty winds ripped the tar paper off of a home and tore up several screens surrounding pools in Gulf Harbor. A tree was blown onto a car and minor roof damage occurred to two homes in New Port Richey. Power lines and one tree were reported down in Hudson.
WInd gusts estimated at 45 mph caused minor roof damage in Spring Hill.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, March 2004
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: 5384886, 5384887.