1 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 Sep 21, 12:30 PM EST, 2 hours 50 minutes earlier.
WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 130 PM EDT WED SEP 21 2005 .SHORT TERM (TONIGHT-FRI)...POWERFUL HURRICANE RITA WILL CONTINUE TO PULL AWAY...BUT A MUCH WETTER AIRMASS HAS BEEN LEFT BEHIND. PRECIPITABLE WATERS ARE UP OVER 2 INCHES NOW...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE EAST COAST WHERE THEY ARE AROUND 2.3 INCHES. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN OCCURRING ALL MORNING LONG ALONG THE EAST COAST...WITH ADDITIONAL SHOWER ACTIVITY IN THE ATLANTIC. IT SHOULDNT BE MUCH LONGER BEFORE WE SEE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER THE LAND MASS WITH AFTERNOON HEATING. THESE SHOWERS AND STORMS MAY LINGER FOR A WHILE AFTER SUNSET...THEN SLOWLY DIMINISH THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. WITH HIGH MOISTURE IN PLACE ALOFT...I EXPECT SCATTERED COVERAGE TO CONTINUE OVERNIGHT IN THE FORM OF EITHER LEFTOVER SHOWERS OR CONVECTIVE DEBRIS RAINS. SOME DRIER AIR WILL WORK IN...ALBEIT SLOWLY...FROM THE EAST ON THURSDAY...SO WILL HOLD COVERAGE TO HIGH END SCATTERED. WHILE THE OVERALL MOISTURE CONTENT MAY BE LOWER...WE WILL ALSO SEE MORE SUNSHINE AND MORE RAPID HEATING DURING THE DAY TO OFFSET ANY DRIER AIR THAT DOES ADVECT IN. BY FRIDAY...DRIER AIR WILL HAVE REPLACED OUR TROPICAL AIRMASS KEEPING SHOWER ACTIVITY AT BAY...SO CLIMO POPS OF 20 TO 30 PERCENT SHOULD SUFFICE. && .LONG TERM (FRI NIGHT-WED)...HIGH PRESSURE AT THE SFC AND RIDGING ALOFT BUILDS INTO THE REGION IN THE EARLY LONG TERM WITH SOME DRIER AIR ALSO FILTERING INTO THE STATE. THIS WILL LOWER RAIN CHANCES ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THE WEEKEND...WITH ONLY ISOLATED SHOWERS EXPECTED MAINLY IN THE AFTERNOON HOURS IN THE DRIER SUBSIDENT AIRMASS. MOISTURE THEN BEGINS TO INCREASE INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS AN INVERTED TROUGH MOVES WESTWARD ACROSS THE FL STRAITS THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THIS INCREASED MOISTURE COMBINED WITH SOME MORE INSTABILITY FROM THE TROUGH WILL BRING RAIN CHANCES BACK INTO THE SCATTERED RANGE FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. TEMPS WILL BE NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH GENERALLY EASTERLY WINDS. && .MARINE...RITA CONTINUES TO GROW MORE POWERFUL IN THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF AND WAVE ENERGY WILL BEGIN TO MOVE TOWARD THE COAST NOW FROM THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST. WHILE HIGH SURF IS EXPECTED TO BE AN ISSUE...COASTAL FLOODING SHOULD NOT BE AS OFFSHORE WINDS ACT TO DRIVE THE WATER AWAY FROM THE COAST. THIS SITUATION IS MUCH DIFFERENT THAN PREVIOUS SCENARIOS WHERE WE HAD A POWERFUL HURRICANE TURNING MORE NORTHWARD IN THE GULF ALLOWING WINDS TO TURN MORE PARALLEL TO...OR ONSHORE TO THE COASTLINE. LOOK FOR SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING FOR ALL AREAS EXCEPT PERHAPS THE PROTECTED BAYS. INITIALLY... WINDS OF 20 KNOTS OR MORE ALONG WITH BUILDING SEAS OF GREATER THAN 7 FEET WILL MAKE CONDITIONS HAZARDOUS FOR BOATING...BUT EVEN AFTER THE WINDS SUBSIDE...HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN DUE TO LARGE SWELLS AND WAVES PROPAGATING OUTWARD FROM RITA. SLOWLY IMPROVING CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ON FRIDAY ALTHOUGH SOME LONG PERIOD SWELLS MAY CONTINUE INTO THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. && .FIRE WEATHER...NO MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH AMPLE LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE. GUSTY SURFACE WINDS AND STRONG TRANSPORT WINDS WILL SLOWLY ABATE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... TPA 75 90 75 90 / 50 50 20 30 FMY 74 91 74 91 / 50 50 20 30 GIF 74 90 73 91 / 50 50 20 30 SRQ 74 89 73 89 / 50 50 20 30 BKV 73 90 71 90 / 50 50 20 20 && .TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH SURF ADVISORY ALONG THE COAST FROM PASCO TO LEE COUNTY. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM BONITA BEACH TO SUWANNEE RIVER OUT 60 NM INCLUDING TAMPA BAY. && SHORT TERM...JILLSON LONG TERM....JLC
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 444 AM EDT WED SEP 21 2005 FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-211500- CHARLOTTE-CITRUS-DE SOTO-HARDEE-HERNANDO-HIGHLANDS-HILLSBOROUGH-LEE- LEVY-MANATEE-PASCO-PINELLAS-POLK-SARASOTA-SUMTER- 444 AM EDT WED SEP 21 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHWESTERN FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY: HURRICANE RITA IS NOW MOVING INTO THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO BUT THE OUTER RAINBANDS OF THE CYCLONE WILL STILL AFFECT CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN FLORIDA TODAY. GENERALLY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED FOR THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL COUNTIES FROM PASCO TO SARASOTA...INCLUDING THE INTERIOR COUNTIES. THE SOUTHERN COUNTIES OF CHARLOTTE AND LEE COULD EXPERIENCE STRONGER THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THROUGHOUT THE DAY. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME NEAR SEVERE...WITH STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINS. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL START TAPERING OFF TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY: CONDITIONS WILL BEGIN TO IMPROVE ON THURSDAY EVENING AS RITA MOVES INTO THE CENTRAL GULF AREA...BUT ENOUGH MOISTURE WILL REMAIN FOR SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY TO FORM. ON FRIDAY AND BEYOND A DRIER AND MORE STABLE PATTERN WILL RETURN TO THE REGION.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 210 PM EDT WED SEP 21 2005 FLZ052-211900- POLK- 210 PM EDT WED SEP 21 2005 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT POLK COUNTY... A THUNDERSTORM...MOVING NORTHWEST AT 25 MPH...WILL AFFECT LAKE WALES...WAHNETA...CYPRESS GARDENS AND WINTER HAVEN...UNTIL 300 PM EDT. GUSTY WINDS 40 TO 50 MPH MAY CAUSE LOOSE OBJECTS TO BLOW AROUND. MINOR DAMAGE TO TREE LIMBS AND WIRES IS POSSIBLE. OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS EXPECTED. IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE...CROUCH DOWN IN A LOW SPOT...AWAY FROM TALL OBJECTS. TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL REDUCE VISIBILITY TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES. MOTORISTS MAY WANT TO DELAY TRAVEL. EJ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 250 PM EDT WED SEP 21 2005 FLZ048>051-055-060-212200- HERNANDO-HILLSBOROUGH-MANATEE-PASCO-PINELLAS-SARASOTA- 250 PM EDT WED SEP 21 2005 ...MUCH NEEDED RAINS ARE HEADED FOR THE TAMPA BAY AND SARASOTA BRADENTON REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE RAPIDLY DEVELOPING OVER INTERIOR SOUTH CENTRAL FLORIDA. THESE STORMS WILL MOVE NORTHWEST THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING COMMUTE...PROVIDING THE FIRST SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL TO MANY AREAS IN THE PAST TEN DAYS OR MORE. UNFORTUNATELY...THE WELCOME RAIN WILL ALSO MAKE FOR A TOUGH DRIVE WITH STRONGER CELLS REDUCING VISIBILITY TO BELOW 1 MILE. IN ADDITION TO THE RAINS...SOME CELLS WILL PRODUCE WIND GUSTS OF 40 MPH OR MORE...ALONG WITH A BRIEF PERIOD OF CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. THOUGH INDIVIDUAL CELLS MAY ONLY LAST 10 MINUTES OR SO...SOME AREAS WILL SEE CELLS EVERY HALF HOUR OR SO THROUGH AT LEAST 6 PM. MOTORISTS SHOULD BE ALERT TO RAPIDLY DETERIORATING VISIBILITY. IN ADDITION...SINCE WIDESPREAD RAINS OF THIS NATURE HAVE NOT OCCURRED IN A FEW WEEKS...OIL BUILDUP ON HIGHWAYS MAY CREATE MORE SLICK SPOTS THAN USUAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. OTHER RESIDENTS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO SEEK SAFETY FROM LIGHTNING BY MOVING INDOORS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR UPDATES. && FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TBW BSG
The Tampa radar (KTBW), 27 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:21 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The gust was measured at the Tampa PORTS station along McKay Bay. No damage was reported.
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, September 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: 5469735.