1 funnel cloud, 1 tornado, 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.
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 Apr 23, 12:10 PM EST, 5 hours 55 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL 110 PM EDT SAT APR 23 2005 .SHORT TERM (TONIGHT-MON)...MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES CONTINUE ACROSS THE EXTREME SOUTH...ALMOST LIKE THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS. HOWEVER...A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THRU FOR THE REST OF THE DAY...AND BRING WITH IT AND AHEAD OF IT SOME SHRA AND ISOLD TSTMS. BESIDES THE ONGOING ACTIVITY OVER CITRUS AND HERNANDO COUNTIES...A LINE OF CU HAS DEVELOPED JUST OFFSHORE OF THE CENTRAL FA. THIS LINE MAY BE THE FOCUS FOR A NEW LINE OF TSTMS. AS PER SPC DISCUSSION...ONE OR TWO OF THE STORMS MAY BECOME STRONG ENOUGH TO PRODUCE DAMAGE WINDS AND/OR HAIL...BUT NO WIDESPREAD OUTBREAK IS FORESEEN ATTIM. FRONT LOOKS TO CLEAR THRU ENTIRE FA BY LATE TONIGHT...AND THEN HI PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN FROM THE GREAT PLAINS. THIS HIGH WILL MOVE QUICKLY SE ACROSS THE NRN GULF AND THEN TO SRN FL LATE MON. AS HIGH WILL STILL BE WEST OF THE FA MON MORNING...DRAINAGE FLOW FROM THE NORTH COULD HELP TO MAKE RECORD LOWS FALL. SUNNY SKIES AND SHUT OFF CAA WILL MAKE MON A LITTLE WARMER...BUT STILL SEVERAL DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. .LONG TERM (MON NGT-SAT)...HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE EAST OF THE AREA MONDAY NIGHT. RETURN FLOW AROUND THE HIGH WILL HELP TO INCREASE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA ON TUESDAY IN ADVANCE OF AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AND COLD FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE WEST. LATEST GFS IS SIMILAR WITH BRINGING THIS NEXT SHORT WAVE ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO DURING TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT...WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS SPREADING EASTWARD INTO WEST CENTRAL FL. AT THIS POINT IN TIME ITS STILL TOO EARLY TO TELL JUST HOW STRONG THIS SYSTEM MAY BE...AND WITH THE GFS FLIP-FLOPPING AROUND FROM ONE RUN TO THE NEXT CONFIDENCE IS RATHER LOW...SO WILL MAINTAIN CURRENT 30-40% POPS IN THE GRIDS TUESDAY THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY. BY LATE ON WEDNESDAY THE SHORT WAVE WILL MOVE EAST OF THE REGION WITH PRECIP COMING TO AN END FROM NORTH TO SOUTH DURING THE AFTERNOON AS A WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN OVER THE GULF AND FLORIDA ON THURSDAY THEN SHIFT EASTWARD INTO THE WESTERN ATLANTIC WITH THE RIDGE AXIS EXTENDING BACK ACROSS THE NORTH-CENTRAL PENINSULA DURING FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. DRY STABLE AIR MASS ASSOCIATED WITH THE RIDGE WILL PROVIDE DRY PLEASANT WEATHER WITH NEAR SEASONAL LEVEL TEMPERATURES. && .MARINE...WINDS AND SEAS STARTING TO RESPOND TO TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT. MAIN CONCERN IS WHETHER TO ISSUE SCA FOR CENTRAL AND SRN WATERS TONIGHT. WINDS ARE RIGHT AT THE MARGIN...BUT WITH FETCH DIRECTION SHUD SEE 7 FT WAVES...WHICH FORCES THE SCA. HOWEVER...WAVE MODEL JUST BRIEFLY TOUCHING 7 FT SEAS AND MAINLY KEEPING THEM AT 6 FT OR BLO THRU SUN. WILL ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION...AND BUMP UP ALL WATERS TO SCA TONIGHT. WINDS SHUD BEGIN TO SUBSIDE LATE SUN AS HI BUILDS IN. && .FIRE WEATHER...12Z SOUNDING CAME IN WITH FAIRLY DRY AIR ABOVE THE SFC. STILL EXPECTING ENUF SW FLOW TO PREVENT RH VALUES FROM DROPPING BLO 35 PCT...EXCEPT POSSIBLY FOR ERN POLK AND HIGHLANDS COUNTIES. WITH INCREASING WINDS THRU THE AFTN...ANY AREA WITH RH VALUES BELOW 35 PCT COULD BE AT RISK. WILL MONITOR TRENDS TO SEE IF AN RFW IS NECESSARY FOR TODAY. OTHERWISE...RFW FOR SUNDAY ON TRACK. W/NWRLY FLOW GENERALLY OFF THE WATER WILL KEEP TEMPS SOMEWHAT UNIFORM...BUT EXPECT DRIEST DEWPOINTS UP NORTH. THUS SHUD SEE LOWEST RH VALUES UP THERE. WIND SPEEDS WILL BE UP AROUND 15 MPH AS WELL...COMBINING FOR DANGEROUS FIRE WX CONDITIONS. FOR MON...THE HI SHIFTS EAST OF THE STATE...BEGINNING A SLOW RETURN OF MOISTURE TO THE STATE. RH VALUES WILL AGAIN DROP BELOW 35 PCT ACROSS MOST OF THE REGION. GIVEN THE TIME OF YEAR AND RECENT HISTORY WITH DRY AIR STICKING AROUND LONGER THAN EXPECTED...WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE RED FLAG CONDITIONS MON AS WELL...SO WILL ISSUE FIRE WX WATCH FOR MON AFTN. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... TPA 56 71 52 76 / 00 00 00 00 FMY 58 76 51 78 / 20 00 00 00 GIF 54 73 50 78 / 00 00 00 00 SRQ 59 70 49 75 / 10 00 00 00 BKV 47 70 39 77 / 00 00 00 00 && .TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY TARPON SPRINGS TO SUWANNEE RIVER OUT 60 NM. SMALL CRAFT EXERCISE CAUTION BONITA BEACH TO TARPON SPRINGS OUT 60 NM INCLUDING TAMPA BAY. RED FLAG WARNING SUNDAY AFTERNOON ALL COUNTIES EXCEPT PINELLAS. FIRE WEATHER WATCH MONDAY AFTERNOON ALL COUNTIES EXCEPT PINELLAS. SHORT TERM...RJS LONG TERM....JCM
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 958 AM EDT SAT APR 23 2005 FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-231900- CHARLOTTE-CITRUS-DE SOTO-HARDEE-HERNANDO-HIGHLANDS-HILLSBOROUGH-LEE- LEVY-MANATEE-PASCO-PINELLAS-POLK-SARASOTA-SUMTER- 958 AM EDT SAT APR 23 2005 A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS NOW ONGOING OVER THE BIG BEND REGION LATE THIS MORNING WILL LIKELY SEND SOME OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES INTO THE NATURE COAST WHICH WILL HELP TO INITIATE ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS IN THESE AREAS DURING THE EARLY AFTERNOON. FURTHER TO THE SOUTH GOOD SURFACE HEATING COMBINED WITH COLD TEMPERATURES ALOFT WILL LEAD TO VERY UNSTABLE CONDITIONS WHICH MAY ALLOW ADDITIONAL STORM DEVELOPMENT DURING THE MID AND LATE AFTERNOON HOURS. THE COMBINATION OF THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT...COLD AIR ALOFT AND INCREASING LOW AND MID LEVEL WINDS MAY LEAD TO SOME STRONG TO POSSIBLY SEVERE STORMS DURING THIS AFTERNOON...WITH THE MAIN HAZARDS BEING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...AND FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING STRIKES. IN ADDITION TO THE THUNDERSTORMS...WINDS AND SEAS WILL BEGIN TO INCREASE OVER THE ADJACENT GULF WATERS THIS AFTERNOON. WEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE INTO THE 15 TO 20 KNOT RANGE BY EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...THEN INCREASING TO 20 KNOTS AND GUSTY WITH SEAS BUILDING TO AROUND 8 BY TONIGHT. THESE INCREASING WINDS AND SEAS WILL MAKE FOR INCREASINGLY ROUGH BOATING CONDITIONS OVER THE GULF AND INLAND WATER WAYS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON...AND SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS MAY WANT TO POSTPONE ANY TRIPS INTO THE GULF OR NEAR SHORE WATER LATER TODAY. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS CURRENTLY IN EFFECT FOR THE WATERS NORTH OF TARPONS SPRINGS WITH SMALL CRAFT EXERCISE CAUTION FURTHER SOUTH INCLUDING THE TAMPA BAY. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES WILL LIKELY BE REQUIRED ACROSS ALL OF THE WATERS FROM BONITA BEACH NORTH TO THE SUWANNEE RIVER BY LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THE INCREASING WINDS WILL INCREASE THE RISK FOR RIP CURRENTS ALONG AREA BEACHES THIS AFTERNOON. A RIP CURRENT IS A 10 TO 30 YARD WIDE CHANNEL OF WATER THAT CAN PULL EVEN A STRONG SWIMMER INTO DEEPER WATER. TO AVOID GETTING CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT...SWIM AT GUARDED BEACHES AND HEED THE ADVICE OF THE BEACH PATROL. AT UNGUARDED BEACHES AND NEAR PIERS...JETTIES...AND INLETS...DO NOT GO INTO THE SURF MUCH ABOVE YOUR KNEES. IF CAUGHT IN THE SEAWARD PULL OF A RIP CURRENT...DO NOT ATTEMPT TO MOVE DIRECTLY TOWARD SHORE. INSTEAD...MOVE SIDEWAYS ACROSS THE RIP CURRENT UNTIL THE PULL EASES. ANOTHER METHOD OF ESCAPE IS TO LET THE RIP CURRENT PULL YOU SEAWARD 50 TO 100 YARDS...WHERE THE FORCE WEAKENS. THEN...SWIM TOWARD THE BEACH AT AN ANGLE AWAY FROM THE CURRENT. ALL RESIDENTS...TOURISTS...AND MARINERS SHOULD KEEP AN EYE TO THE SKY THIS AFTERNOON. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR LOCATION MOVE INDOORS IMMEDIATELY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY: DRY AIR WILL SETTLE INTO THE AREA FOR SUNDAY AND POSSIBLY MONDAY WITH LOW HUMIDITY VALUES OF UP TO SEVERAL HOURS. A RED FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR SUNDAY ACROSS FOR ALL COUNTIES EXCEPT PINELLAS. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON. && FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION...CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TBW (LOWER CASE) JCM
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 506 PM EDT SAT APR 23 2005 FLZ049-051-052-232145- POLK-HILLSBOROUGH-PASCO- 506 PM EDT SAT APR 23 2005 ...STRONG WINDS WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN PASCO COUNTY... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH...WILL AFFECT LUTZ...LAND O LAKES...WESLEY CHAPEL AND ZEPHYRHILLS...UNTIL 545 PM EDT. GUSTY WINDS UP TO 50 MPH MAY CAUSE LOOSE OBJECTS TO BLOW AROUND. SOME DAMAGE TO TREE LIMBS AND WIRES IS POSSIBLE. HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER IS POSSIBLE. FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. MOVE INDOORS NOW NP
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 547 PM EDT SAT APR 23 2005 FLZ052-232215- POLK- 547 PM EDT SAT APR 23 2005 ...STRONG WINDS WILL AFFECT NORTHERN POLK COUNTY... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH...WILL AFFECT NORTHERN POLK COUNTY...INCLUDING THE CITY OF WITHLA..UNTIL 615 PM EDT. GUSTY WINDS UP TO 50 MPH MAY CAUSE LOOSE OBJECTS TO BLOW AROUND. SOME DAMAGE TO TREE LIMBS AND WIRES IS POSSIBLE. 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 POSSIBLE. NP
The Tampa radar (KTBW), 23 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:30 UTC.
1 funnel cloud, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
A large funnel cloud passed over a trained SKYWARN Spotter's home but there was no evidence it touched down as it exited Hillsborough County.
An amateur radio operator reported a tornado touchdown north of Mulberry and a National Weather Service Storm survey found most of the damage was limited to areas to the northeast in Highland City where eight homes had moderate damage. The tornado caused no reported injuries but ripped off part of a roof of a Highland City Home, smashed utility sheds, destroyed several pool cages, and downed powerlines and fences.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Florida, 2005Warnings in Florida, April 2005
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: 5448074, 5448075.