Flash Flood, Pinellas
- When
- February 3, 11:00 AM EST to 3:30 PM EST
- Where
- Pinellas County, Madeira Beach
- Property damage
- $2.0 million
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 27.983, -82.533
Flash Flooding in Florida, February 3, 2006
The combination of tropical moisture flowing into a line of thunderstorms and an approaching upper level disturbance allowed a train of intense thunderstorms to repeatedly cross over parts of the Tampa Bay area. Between 8 and more than 11 inches of rain fell in roughly a five hour period in a five mile wide stripe extending from Madeira Beach northeast through Pinellas Park, then across Old…
Where it happened
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 1
- Property damage
- $2.1 million
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
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 happened
The episode as NWS TBW wrote it up.
The combination of tropical moisture flowing into a line of thunderstorms and an approaching upper level disturbance allowed a train of intense thunderstorms to repeatedly cross over parts of the Tampa Bay area. Between 8 and more than 11 inches of rain fell in roughly a five hour period in a five mile wide stripe extending from Madeira Beach northeast through Pinellas Park, then across Old Tampa Bay to west Tampa, including Tampa International Airport. The area of heaviest rain was so concentrated that downtown St. Petersburg, less than 10 miles away, recorded less than an inch of rain during the same period. The torrential rains caused flash flooding in the areas where more than 8 inches fell. The flash flooding prompted the mayor of St. Petersburg to term the event a "hundred year flood". In Lealman, an entire mobile home community was evacuated, and at least 60 of the homes were flooded. A partial roof collapse was reported at a big box store in St. Petersburg. Water pouring into the store washed out several cash register stands and injured one employee as they were washed into the parking lot. Another roof collapsed at Treasure Island. Hundreds of vehicles were stranded by the flood waters. Pinellas County Rain ReportsPinellas Park (Upper Highlands Canal): 11.17 inchesSaint Petersburg/Clearwater International Airport: 8.20 inchesSeminole: 7.01 inchesLargo: 6.44 inchesClearwater: 5.81 inchesHillsborough County Rain ReportsTampa International Airport: 8.24 inchesCitrus Park: 6.90 inchesThonotosassa: 4.35 inches
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 Feb 3, 9:30 AM EST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 3, 9:30 AM EST, 1 hour 30 minutes before
WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL
930 AM EST FRI FEB 3 2006
...TORNADO WATCH FROM PASCO COUNTY AND SOUTHWARD INTO LEE COUNTY
UNTIL 300 PM EST...
...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO THE AREA FROM THE WEST
COAST WATERS AND WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT MOST OF CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN FL THROUGH THE DAY...
.DISCUSSION...A SQUALL LINE SYSTEM DEVELOPED AROUND 730 AM EST OVER
THE NEARSHORE WATERS AND MOVED INLAND OVER WESTERN PASCO AND
NORTHERN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTIES. SPC HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FROM
PASCO COUNTY SOUTHWARD INTO LEE COUNTY AS THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY
BECOMES BETTER ORGANIZED OVER THE AREA. A STRONG MCS EARLIER
PROMPTED A SVR ISSUANCE FOR PASCO COUNTY. ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT IS
EXPECTED THROUGH THE DAY. SOME MINOR FLOODING IS ALSO POSSIBLE.
THE MAIN FEATURE OF THE EVENT IS DEPICTED BY A PROMINENT SHORTWAVE
AHEAD OF A MAIN UPPER TROUGH WHICH IS PROVIDING ENOUGH DYNAMIC
SUPPORT FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO CONTINUE DEVELOPING OVER THE EASTERN
GULF WATERS...WHICH WILL CONTINUE TO PROPAGATE INLAND THROUGH THE
DAY. FALLING HEIGHTS AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING MAIN FRONT BOUNDARY
AND INCREASING FAVORABLE DYNAMICS ALOFT WHICH WILL COMBINE WITH
ABUNDANT DEEP LAYER ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE FOR INCREASING CHANCES OF
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TOMORROW MORNING.
&&
.MARINE...SCEC IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM EST FOR ALL MARINE ZONES
EXCEPT THE SOUTHERN MOST NEAR SHORE WATERS. WINDS IN THE 15 TO 20 KT
RANGE WILL CONTINUE TODAY WITH LOCALLY HIGHER SEAS AND WINDS IN THE
VICINITY OF THUNDERSTORMS. WINDS WILL INCREASE...POSSIBLY INTO THE
SCA RANGE OVER THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL WATERS TONIGHT. OFFSHORE
WATERS MAY REACH THE 20 TO 25 KNOTS. AN SCA WILL PROBABLY BE ISSUED
LATER TODAY.
&&
.AVIATION...MULTI-LAYERED CLOUDS ACROSS THE AREA EXPECTED TODAY WITH
INCREASING SOUTHERLY WINDS AT LOCATIONS NEAR FAVORABLE WATER FETCH
(KPIE/KSPG/KSRQ) GUSTING PERHAPS TOWARD 30KT ONCE AGAIN.
LATER THIS MORNING AND PERHAPS THIS AFTERNOON...ENOUGH LEFTOVER
MOISTURE FROM THE ONGOING CONVECTION TO OUR NORTHWEST COMBINED WITH
INCREASING JET DYNAMICS WILL INCREASE RAIN CHANCES ACROSS THE TAMPA
BAY AND SARASOTA TERMINALS AFTER 15Z...WITH PERHAPS SOME THUNDER IN
THE AFTERNOON. MORE ORGANIZED RAIN AND WIDESPREAD IFR/MVFR
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THIS EVENING AS THE FRONTAL SYSTEM ORGANIZES
FURTHER.
&&
.TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...TORNADO WATCH FOR PASCO...HILLSBOROUGH...PINELLAS...POLK...
MANATEE...HARDEE...HIGHLANDS...DESOTO...SARASOTA...CHARLOTTE
AND LEE COUNTIES UNTIL 300 PM EST.
GULF WATERS...SMALL CRAFT EXERCISE CAUTION THROUGH THIS EVENING
BONITA BEACH TO TARPON SPRINGS FROM 20 TO 60 NM
OFFSHORE AND FROM ENGLEWOOD TO TARPON SPRINGS OUT
TO 20 NM INCLUDING TAMPA BAY.
SMALL CRAFT EXERCISE CAUTION BEGINNING THIS AFTERNOON
ALL OTHER WATERS EXCEPT FOR BONITA BEACH TO
ENGLEWOOD OUT 20 NM.
&&
ARHazardous weather outlook, Feb 3, 5:05 AM EST, 5 hours 55 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 505 AM EST FRI FEB 3 2006 FLZ039-042-043-048-049-031615- LEVY-CITRUS-SUMTER-HERNANDO-PASCO- 505 AM EST FRI FEB 3 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR LEVY...CITRUS... SUMTER...HERNANDO...AND PASCO COUNTIES. .DAY ONE...TODAY A COUPLE OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES WILL COMBINE WITH WARM AND MOIST SOUTHERLY FLOW TO PRODUCE LIKELY CHANCES FOR RAIN WITH A GOOD CHANCE FOR SOME THUNDERSTORMS. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY BE STRONG TO SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND AN ISOLATED TORNADO ALL POSSIBLE. ALSO...HEAVY RAINS OVERNIGHT WILL MEAN THAT ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINS COULD BRING SOME INLAND FLOODING. MOTORISTS SHOULD STAY ALERT FOR AREAS OF PONDING ON ROADWAYS AS YOU CANNOT TELL IF THE ROADWAY UNDERNEATH HAS COLLAPSED. FOR MARINERS...EXPECT WINDS TO PICK UP TO SMALL CRAFT EXERCISE CAUTION CRITERIA LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND THEN ADVISORY CRITERIA OVERNIGHT AS A STRONG COLD FRONT PUSHES INTO OUR REGION. MARINERS MAY WANT TO POSTPONE TRAVEL UNTIL CONDITIONS IMPROVE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY SHOWERS ARE LIKELY WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS EARLY SATURDAY MORNING...HOWEVER SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. AFTER THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING...BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED FOR MOST OF THE REST OF THE PERIOD. READINGS MAY HIT THE FREEZING MARK MONDAY MORNING...BUT SHOULD REMAIN ABOVE FREEZING FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY LATER TODAY. FLZ050>052-055>057-060-061-031615- PINELLAS-HILLSBOROUGH-POLK-MANATEE-HARDEE-HIGHLANDS-SARASOTA- DE SOTO- 505 AM EST FRI FEB 3 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PINELLAS...HILLSBOROUGH... POLK...MANATEE...HARDEE...HIGHLANDS...SARASOTA...AND DESOTO COUNTIES. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A COUPLE OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES WILL COMBINE WITH WARM AND MOIST SOUTHERLY FLOW TO PRODUCE LIKELY CHANCES FOR RAIN WITH A GOOD CHANCE FOR SOME THUNDERSTORMS. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY BE STRONG WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND AN ISOLATED TORNADO POSSIBLE. FOR MARINERS...EXPECT WINDS AT SMALL CRAFT EXERCISE CAUTION CRITERIA TODAY AND THEN ADVISORY CRITERIA OVERNIGHT AS A STRONG COLD FRONT PUSHES INTO OUR REGION. MARINERS MAY WANT TO POSTPONE TRAVEL UNTIL CONDITIONS IMPROVE. THE STRONGER WINDS OVER THE WATERS MEANS THAT THERE IS A MODERATE RISK FOR RIP CURRENTS AT AREA BEACHES TODAY. THOSE SWIMMERS WHO WANT TO VENTURE INTO THE WATERS TODAY ARE URGED TO SWIM AT LIFEGUARDED BEACHES AND TO HEED THE ADVICE OF THE LOCAL BEACH PATROL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY SHOWERS ARE LIKELY WITH A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS EARLY SATURDAY MORNING...HOWEVER SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. AFTER THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING...BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED FOR MOST OF THE REST OF THE PERIOD. HOWEVER...AT THIS TIME...READINGS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN ABOVE FREEZING THROUGH THE PERIOD. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY LATER TODAY. FLZ062-065-031615- CHARLOTTE-LEE- 505 AM EST FRI FEB 3 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CHARLOTTE AND LEE COUNTIES. .DAY ONE...TODAY A COUPLE OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES WILL COMBINE WITH WARM AND MOIST SOUTHERLY FLOW TO PRODUCE A GOOD CHANCE FOR RAIN OVER THE REGION TODAY. FOR MARINERS...EXPECT WINDS AT SMALL CRAFT EXERCISE CAUTION CRITERIA TODAY AND THEN ADVISORY CRITERIA OVERNIGHT AS A STRONG COLD FRONT PUSHES INTO OUR REGION. MARINERS MAY WANT TO POSTPONE TRAVEL UNTIL CONDITIONS IMPROVE. THE STRONGER WINDS OVER THE WATERS MEANS THAT THERE IS A MODERATE RISK FOR RIP CURRENTS AT AREA BEACHES TODAY. THOSE SWIMMERS WHO WANT TO VENTURE INTO THE WATERS TODAY ARE URGED TO SWIM AT LIFEGUARDED BEACHES AND TO HEED THE ADVICE OF THE LOCAL BEACH PATROL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY SHOWERS ARE LIKELY WITH A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY MORNING. A SQUALL LINE MAY DEVELOP OVER THE REGION WITH DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ALONG AND IN ANY INDIVIDUAL THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE MAIN LINE. AFTER THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON...BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED FOR MOST OF THE REST OF THE PERIOD. HOWEVER...AT THIS TIME...READINGS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN ABOVE FREEZING THROUGH THE PERIOD. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NECESSARY TODAY.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Feb 3, 5:50 AM EST, 5 hours 10 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL 550 AM EST FRI FEB 3 2006 FLZ048-031300- HERNANDO- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BROOKSVILLE...SPRING HILL 550 AM EST FRI FEB 3 2006 ...HEAVY RAINS SAGGING INTO HERNANDO COUNTY FOR MORNING TRAVELERS... A PERSISTENT BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS WHICH HAS DROPPED AN ESTIMATED 2 TO 4 INCHES OVER WESTERN CITRUS COUNTY SINCE AROUND 330 AM IS GRADUALLY SAGGING SOUTH...AND WILL BRING LOCALLY TORRENTIAL RAINS TO SPRING HILL AND BROOKSVILLE BETWEEN 6 AND 630. THE RAINS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MID MORNING...AND MAY PRODUCE POCKETS OF MINOR FLOODING IN LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE LOCATIONS. VISIBILITY WILL BE REDUCED BELOW A MILE...NEAR ZERO IN HEAVIER RAINS. MOTORISTS...ESPECIALLY PARENTS DROPPING CHILDREN AT SCHOOL OR DAY CARE...SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO DETERIORATING CONDITIONS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA FOR UPDATES...INCLUDING POSSIBLE URBAN FLOOD ADVISORIES LATER THIS MORNING. BSG
Special weather statement, Feb 3, 7:47 AM EST, 3 hours 13 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 747 AM EST FRI FEB 3 2006 FLZ049>051-031415- PINELLAS-HILLSBOROUGH-PASCO- 747 AM EST FRI FEB 3 2006 ...TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL AFFECT THE TAMPA BAY REGION... A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH GUSTY WINDS IS MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH...AND WILL AFFECT THE TAMPA BAY REGION DURING THE MORNING RUSH HOUR. IN PARTICULAR...MUCH OF PASCO AND PINELLAS COUNTY WILL SEE HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG WINDS BETWEEN 8 AND 9 AM EST. THIS LINE WILL ALSO AFFECT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. 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. THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE PEA SIZE HAIL. TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL REDUCE VISIBILITY TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES. MOTORISTS MAY WANT TO DELAY TRAVEL. NP
Special weather statement, Feb 3, 9:16 AM EST, 1 hour 44 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 916 AM EST FRI FEB 3 2006 FLZ050-051-031530- PINELLAS-HILLSBOROUGH- 916 AM EST FRI FEB 3 2006 ...TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL AFFECT THE TAMPA BAY REGION THIS MORNING... A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH...WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT MUCH OF THE TAMPA BAY REGION THROUGH 1030 AM EST. CITIES IN THE PATH OF THE LINE OF STORMS INCLUDES TAMPA...SAINT PETERSBURG...BRANDON...BLOOMINDALE...MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE...AND MADEIRA BEACH. GUSTY WINDS UP TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE. EXCESSIVE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS EXPECTED THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE PEA SIZE HAIL...AND TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL REDUCE VISIBILITY TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES. MOTORISTS MAY WANT TO DELAY TRAVEL. NP
The radar
The Tampa radar (KTBW), 34 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:00 UTC.
Event by event
2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Flash Flood, Hillsborough
- When
- February 3, 12:30 PM EST to 3:30 PM EST
- Where
- Hillsborough County, (Tpa)tampa Intl Arpt
- Injuries
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 27.800, -82.800
What these are
- Flash Flood
- Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- High Wind and Strong Wind in Washington, February 3 to 4, 2006
- High Wind in Washington, February 3 to 4, 2006
- Hail in Mississippi, February 3, 2006
- Hail in Louisiana, February 3, 2006
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Mississippi, February 3, 2006
- High Wind and Strong Wind in Oregon, February 3 to 4, 2006
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in South Atlantic Coastal Waters, February 3 to 4, 2006
- Storm Surge in Oregon, February 3 to 4, 2006
- Hail in Florida, February 3, 2006
- Hail in Mississippi, February 3, 2006
- Heavy Rain in Florida, February 3, 2006
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Louisiana, February 3, 2006
More
Every storm in Florida in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, February 2006
Sources
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: 5492932, 5492110.