Florida, 2005Tornado in Florida, July 20, 2005
July 20, 2005 · NWS TBW · 1 event in 1 county or zone
1 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.
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
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $437,000
- 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 Jul 20, 2:30 PM EST, 2 hours 35 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 20, 2:30 PM EST, 2 hours 35 minutes before
WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
330 PM EDT WED JUL 20 2005
.DISCUSSION...
CURRENTLY...CONVECTION SLOWER TO GET GOING TODAY LIKELY DUE TO DRIER
AIR SEEN IN MORNING SOUNDING. HOWEVER...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
LIGHTNING STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE THE NEXT FEW
HOURS ESP SOUTHERN HALF OF FA. ALTHOUGH SFC OBS DO NOT SHOW IT...THE
WEST COAST BREEZE IS LIKELY LURKING ALONG OR JUST OFFSHORE. THIS
BOUNDARY WILL FOCUS ADDITIONAL CONVECTION...SOME STRONG.
LOW LEVEL RIDGE AXIS WILL REMAIN NORTH OF THE AREA THU CONTINUING
THE EASTERLY (OFFSHORE) FLOW. THE GRADIENT IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE AS
STRONG SO THE WEST COAST BREEZE WILL BE ABLE TO DEVELOP EARLIER AND
PUSH INLAND FARTHER THAN TODAY. EXPECT SCATTERED CONVECTION TO
DEVELOP ONCE AGAIN THU AFTN FOCUSED ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE FL
PENINSULA IN THE DEEP EASTERLY FLOW.
A VIGOROUS TROPICAL WAVE OVER HISPANOLA IS FORECAST TO MOVE NW
ACROSS THE BAHAMAS THU. GFS DEVELOPS A CLOSED LOW WITH THIS FEATURE
BUT RECURVES IT WELL OFFSHORE THE FL EAST COAST AS UPPER RIDGE
WEAKENS AND BROAD TROUGHINESS DEVELOPS IN EASTERN CONUS. BUT WILL BE
WATCHING THIS FEATURE CLOSELY AS HURRICANE CENTER MODELS BRING THIS
FEATURE CLOSER TO FL. SO COULD SEE ENHANCED RAIN CHANCES SAT...AND
POSSIBLY FRI DEPENDING ON ITS SPEED AND MOVEMENT.
LOW LEVEL RIDGE AXIS IS FORECAST TO SLIP SOUTH ACROSS S FL THIS
WEEKEND AND CONTINUE INTO MID WEEK BRINGING A RETURN TO AN ONSHORE
(W/SW) FLOW WITH SCATTERED CONVECTION. BAND OF DEEPER MOISTURE
PROGGED TO STAY NORTH OVER THE PANHANDLE.
&&
.MARINE...WINDS AND SEAS WILL REMAIN LOW THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH AN
AFTERNOON AND EVENING SEA BREEZE DEVELOPING EACH DAY. NO HIGHLIGHTS
EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...NO CONCERNS.
&&
.AVIATION...SCATTERED STORMS THRU EARLY EVENING MAY BRING TEMPORARY
IFR CONDITIONS TO THE TAF SITES...ESP SRQ. OTHERWISE...VFR CONDS
EXPECTED OVERNIGHT AND THU MORNING.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
TPA BT 077/092 077/091 076 242
FMY BT 076/093 076/092 075 242
GIF BT 076/094 076/093 075 232
SRQ BT 076/091 076/090 076 242
BKV BT 073/093 073/092 073 232
&&
.TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE.
KELLY
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 20, 4:00 AM EST, 13 hours 5 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
500 AM EDT WED JUL 20 2005
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-201400-
CHARLOTTE-CITRUS-DE SOTO-HARDEE-HERNANDO-HIGHLANDS-HILLSBOROUGH-LEE-
LEVY-MANATEE-PASCO-PINELLAS-POLK-SARASOTA-SUMTER-
500 AM EDT WED JUL 20 2005
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA.
.DAY ONE...TODAY:
SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
ARE EXPECTED AGAIN TODAY...WITH HIGHEST CHANCE FOR RAIN NEAR THE
COAST...GENERALLY WEST OF INTERSTATE 75. ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT
DEVELOP MAY BECOME STRONG WITH HEAVY RAINFALL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING
AND BRIEF GUSTY WINDS. THE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL MAY RESULT IN
SIGNIFICANT PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS...POOR VISIBILITY AND
MINOR FLOODING OF LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. NEVER DRIVE
THROUGH AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY.
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 AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE
EXPECTED EACH DAY. THE MAIN HAZARDS FROM THESE STORMS WILL
CONTINUE TO BE HEAVY RAINFALL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS.
.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)
PRC
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 3:08 PM EST, 1 hour 57 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
408 PM EDT WED JUL 20 2005
FLZ055-056-202100-
MANATEE-HARDEE-
408 PM EDT WED JUL 20 2005
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT WESTERN HARDEE AND EASTERN AND
NORTHERN MANATEE COUNTIES...
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...MOVING WEST AT 10 MPH...WILL AFFECT
WAUCHULA...ONA...MYAKKA CITY AND FORT GREEN...UNTIL 500 PM EDT.
GUSTY WINDS UP TO 30 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE. FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING IS EXPECTED. IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE...CROUCH DOWN IN A LOW
SPOT...AWAY FROM TALL OBJECTS. THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE PEA SIZE
HAIL. TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL REDUCE VISIBILITY TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES.
MOTORISTS MAY WANT TO DELAY TRAVEL.
JCM
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 4:00 PM EST, 1 hour 5 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
500 PM EDT WED JUL 20 2005
FLZ051-055-202145-
MANATEE-HILLSBOROUGH-
500 PM EDT WED JUL 20 2005
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN HILLSBOROUGH AND CENTRAL
AND WESTERN MANATEE COUNTIES...
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING WEST AT 10 TO 15 MPH...WILL AFFECT FORT
LONESOME...PARRISH...BAYSHORE GARDENS...HOLMES BEACH...SARASOTA
BRADENTON AIRPORT...BRADENTON...SUN CITY CENTER...RUSKIN...WHITFIELD
AND WIMAUMA...UNTIL 545 PM EDT. GUSTY WINDS UP TO 30 MPH WILL OCCUR.
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS EXPECTED. IF CAUGHT
OUTSIDE...CROUCH DOWN IN A LOW SPOT...AWAY FROM TALL OBJECTS. THESE
STORMS MAY PRODUCE PEA SIZE HAIL. TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL REDUCE
VISIBILITY TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES. RUSH HOUR MOTORISTS MAY WANT TO
DELAY TRAVEL.
JCM
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 4:49 PM EST, 16 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
549 PM EDT WED JUL 20 2005
FLZ050-051-202230-
PINELLAS-HILLSBOROUGH-
549 PM EDT WED JUL 20 2005
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF PINELLAS
AND HILLSBOROUGH COUNTIES ...
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING WEST NORTHWEST AT 10 TO 15 MPH...WILL
AFFECT GIBSONTON...APOLLO BEACH...SAINT PETERSBURG...SAINT
PETERSBURG BEACH...INDIAN ROCKS BEACH...PINELLAS PARK...GIBSONTON...
LARGO...EGMONT KEY AND TREASURE ISLAND...UNTIL 630 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. THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE PEA SIZE
HAIL. TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL REDUCE VISIBILITY TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES.
RUSH HOUR MOTORISTS MAY WANT TO DELAY TRAVEL.
JCM
Tornado, Pinellas
- When
- July 20, 5:05 PM EST to 5:09 PM EST
- Where
- Pinellas County, 1 mi SSE of Largo
- Rating
- F0
- Path length
- 0.7 mi
- Path width
- 75 yd
- Property damage
- $437,000
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 27.900, -82.800
The tornado, which touched down along Ulmerton Road just east of Seminole Boulevard, moved northwest for about 1/2 mile, caused damage at five mobile home parks. Much of the damage occurred at the Palm Hill Country Club mobile home park. In all, 51 mobile homes were damaged, 25 with heavy damage. No injuries or fatalities were reported. About 25,000 residents of the area lost power after the event.
- 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.
- Heat in Missouri, July 20 to 26, 20054 deaths · 65 injured · 29 events
- Heat in Illinois, July 20 to 26, 20051 death · 17 events
- Heat in North Carolina, July 20, 20051 death · 1 event
- Rip Current in Florida, July 20, 20051 death · 1 event
- Tornadoes in Texas, July 20, 2005$100,000 · F1 · 8 events
- Tornadoes and Storm Surge in Texas, July 20, 2005$155,000 · F0 · 13 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in South Dakota, July 20, 2005$175,000 · 4.25 in hail · 8 events
- Damaging Winds in Michigan, July 20, 2005$155,000 · 60 kt wind · 6 events
- Damaging Wind in Arizona, July 20, 2005$175,000 · 60 kt wind · 1 event
- Strong Wind in Alabama, July 20, 20053 injured · $45,000 · 1 event
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in Illinois, July 20, 2005$100,000 · 60 kt wind · 7 events
- Damaging Wind in Indiana, July 20, 2005$30,000 · 60 kt wind · 1 event
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: 5463827.