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.
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 Aug 12, 7:41 PM EST, 2 hours 49 minutes earlier.
WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 841 PM EDT FRI AUG 12 2005 .DISCUSSION...VERY ACTIVE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING WHEN COMPARED TO LAST SEVERAL DAYS. HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE AXIS IS OVER OR JUST NORTH OF THE TAMPA BAY AREA. WEAK FLOW PATTERN HAS ALLOWED THE SEA BREEZES AND OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES TO DOMINATE EXACTLY WHERE TODAYS STORMS DEVELOPED. BIGGEST PROBLEM WAS THE EXCESSIVE LIGHTNING AND HEAVY RAINS OVER PORTIONS OF THE REGION. BEST ESTIMATE TO THIS POINT FOR NUMBER OF STRIKES OVER THE CWA TODAY WAS 15000 TO 20000 UP TO 830 PM MOST ACTIVITY NOW DOWN OVER AND WEST OF CHARLOTTE HARBOR WHERE WE HAD A FC REPORT AND GENERALLY WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 KNOTS OUT OF PGD...FMY...AND RSW. FOR THE UPDATE WILL REMOVE REST OF THIS AFTERNOON WORDING AND ADJUST TONIGHT WORDING FOR WHERE TSRA ARE ONGOING. OTHERWISE PLAN NO CHANGES. && .MARINE...OUTSIDE OF ACTIVITY DOWN SOUTH...WATERS ARE GENERALLY QUIET. WINDS ARE FROM THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST FROM TAMPA BAY SOUTH AND FROM THE SOUTHWEST OVER THE NRN WATERS. CURRENT FORECAST HANDLES THIS WELL AND PLAN NO CHANGES IN THE 1030 UPDATE. && .TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && RJS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 512 AM EDT FRI AUG 12 2005 FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-121400- CHARLOTTE-CITRUS-DE SOTO-HARDEE-HERNANDO-HIGHLANDS-HILLSBOROUGH-LEE- LEVY-MANATEE-PASCO-PINELLAS-POLK-SARASOTA-SUMTER- 512 AM EDT FRI AUG 12 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY: DRY AIR ALOFT WILL DELAY THE ONSET OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY. GULF AND BAY BREEZES WILL MOVE INLAND LATER THIS MORNING... AND SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BEGIN TO DEVELOP ON THESE BOUNDARIES EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON. WITH THE LATER START...MOST OF THE COASTAL COMMUNITIES WILL BE SPARED AS ACTIVITY FOCUSES OVER INLAND AREAS. STEERING CURRENTS ARE FORECAST TO BE VERY LIGHT...SO SOME PLACES MAY GET LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. 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. HEAVY RAINS MAY CAUSE MINOR FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AND LOW LYING AREAS. SMALL STREAMS MAY BRIEFLY EXCEED BANK FULL. SOME PONDING ON THE ROADWAYS WILL OCCUR. HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL CLIMB TO NEAR 105 DEGREES TODAY. DO NOT LEAVE CHILDREN OR PETS IN LOCKED VEHICLES TEMPERATURES CAN RISE ABOVE 130 DEGREES IN MINUTES...QUICKLY INCREASING THE CHANCE FOR HEAT STROKE AND POSSIBLE DEATH. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR UPDATES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY: TYPICAL AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR EACH DAY. HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL CLIMB TO BETWEEN 100 AND 105 DEGREES EACH DAY. .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 (LOWER CASE)
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 614 PM EDT FRI AUG 12 2005 FLZ052-122245- POLK- 614 PM EDT FRI AUG 12 2005 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT SOUTHERN POLK COUNTY... THUNDERSTORMS...STATIONARY...WILL AFFECT CROOKED LAKE PARK...LAKE WALES...AND FROSTPROOF...UNTIL 645 PM EDT. GUSTY WINDS UP TO 40 MPH WILL OCCUR. EXCESSIVE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE IF OUTSIDE...CROUCH DOWN IN A LOW SPOT...AWAY FROM TALL OBJECTS. IF INDOORS...REFRAIN FROM USING ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES. TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS...AND MINOR FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. AN URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM FOR THE SAME AREA. RJS
FLZ065-122315- LEE- 635 PM EDT FRI AUG 12 2005 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEE COUNTY... A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS STATIONARY...WILL AFFECT CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN RURAL SECTIONS OF LEE COUNTY INCLUDING BONITA SPRINGS... ESTERO...AND THE SOUTHWEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...UNTIL 715 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. THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE FUNNEL CLOUDS AND PEA SIZE HAIL. TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL REDUCE VISIBILITY TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES. MOTORISTS TRAVELING ALONG I 75 BETWEEN BONITA SPRINGS AND ESTERO SHOULD SLOW DOWN AND EXERCISE CAUTION WHILE TRAVELING THIS EVENING. JCM
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 645 PM EDT FRI AUG 12 2005 FLZ057-122330- HIGHLANDS- 645 PM EDT FRI AUG 12 2005 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT HIGHLANDS COUNTY... AT 644 PM THUNDERSTORMS HAD DEVELOPED ALL OVER THE COUNTY...JUST EAST OF AVON PARK...OVER LORIDA...CORNWELL...AND LAKE PLACID. THESE STORMS ARE MOVING SOUTH AT 10 MPH. EXCESSIVE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING HAS OCCURRED WITH STORMS EARLIER IN THE DAY OVER POLK AND HARDEE COUNTIES AND IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR WITH THESE STORMS IF OUTSIDE...CROUCH DOWN IN A LOW SPOT...AWAY FROM TALL OBJECTS. IF INDOORS...REFRAIN FROM USING ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES. THIS STORM MAY PRODUCE HAIL TO THE SIZE OF A HALF AN INCH. ALSO...TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS...AND MINOR FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. RJS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
721 PM EDT FRI AUG 12 2005
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0556 PM TORNADO 5 NNW FROSTPROOF 27.82N 81.55W
08/12/2005 POLK FL EMERGENCY MNGR
TREES UPROOTED ALONG SEMINOLE ROAD NEAR CROOKED LAKE. NO
PROPERTY DAMAGE OR INJURIES. WITNESS SAW A FUNNEL CLOUD
MOVE ACROSS CROOKED LAKE.
&&
RJSSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 728 PM EDT FRI AUG 12 2005 FLZ057-061-062-130015- CHARLOTTE-DE SOTO-HIGHLANDS- 728 PM EDT FRI AUG 12 2005 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT CENTRAL HIGHLANDS...DESOTO...AND NORTHERN AND WESTERN CHARLOTTE COUNTIES... THUNDERSTORMS...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 5 MPH...WILL AFFECT LORIDA...LAKE PLACID...ARCHBOLD...CHARLOTTE COUNTY AIRPORT...AND BABCOCK RANCH...UNTIL 815 PM EDT. GUSTY WINDS UP TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE IN ADDITION TO FUNNEL CLOUDS. EXCESSIVE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS EXPECTED IF OUTSIDE...CROUCH DOWN IN A LOW SPOT...AWAY FROM TALL OBJECTS. IF INDOORS...REFRAIN FROM USING ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES. THIS STORM MAY PRODUCE PEA SIZE HAIL. TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS...AND MINOR FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. RJS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
812 PM EDT FRI AUG 12 2005
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0805 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 2 SW CHARLOTTE HARBOR 26.94N 82.09W
08/12/2005 GMZ856 FL PUBLIC
PUBLIC REPORT OF A FUNNEL CLOUD MOVING WEST OVER THE
WATERS OF CHARLOTTE HARBOR.
0805 PM HAIL CHARLOTTE HARBOR 26.96N 82.06W
08/12/2005 0.50 INCH CHARLOTTE FL PUBLIC
DIME SIZED HAIL REPORTED BY PUBLIC.
&&
RJSThe Melbourne radar (KMLB), 109 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:31 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning struck a tree then trenched its way to a storage shed that caught fire. The shed and its contents of generators were a total loss but heavy rains kept the fire from spreading to a nearby group home.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, August 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: 5470021.