Florida, 2007

Drought in Florida, July 1 to 31, 2007

July 1 to 31, 2007 · NWS MFL · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Severe drought conditions which began during the spring months lingered into the summer across interior portions of South Florida, as a result of a prolonged period of below normal rainfall going back to early 2006.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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 MFL wrote it up.

Severe drought conditions which began during the spring months lingered into the summer across interior portions of South Florida, as a result of a prolonged period of below normal rainfall going back to early 2006.

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 Miami, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 30, 10:30 PM EST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 30, 10:30 PM EST, 1 hour 30 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
1130 PM EDT SAT JUN 30 2007

.UPDATE...00Z SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS A 1013MB LOW JUST NORTHWEST
OF LAKE OKEECHOBEE WITH A SURFACE TROUGH EXTENDING SOUTHEAST
THROUGH THE MIAMI AREA. THIS ALLOWED FOR SOME GOOD SURFACE
CONVERGENCE TO SET UP OVER PALM BEACH...EASTERN BROWARD AND
NORTHEAST MIAMI-DADE COUNTIES. SEVERAL SVRS WERE ISSUED THIS
AFTERNOON BUT THE ONLY SIGNIFICANT REPORTS RECEIVED WERE OF POWER
OUTAGES IN CENTRAL BROWARD...A GUST TO 53 MPH AT NORTH PERRY
AIRPORT IN PEMBROKE PINES AND A REPORT OF A FUNNEL CLOUD. URBAN
FLOOD ADVISORIES WERE ISSUED FOR SLOW MOVING AND HEAVY ACTIVITY,
ONE CENTERED OVER PLANTATION AND THE OTHER NEAR MIAMI. RADAR HAS
QUIETED DOWN TO MAINLY SHOWERS OVER THE ATLANTIC. ANOTHER ACTIVE
DAY EXPECTED ON SUNDAY. WILL ISSUE ANOTHER UPDATE SHORTLY TO
REMOVE POPS FOR TONIGHT.

.AVIATION...
THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING CONVECTION OVER SOUTH FLORIDA
HAS DISSIPATED AND THE 00Z SOUNDING INDICATED A MORE STABLE LOCAL
ATMOSPHERE. THEREFORE...MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL OVER
ALL SOUTH FLORIDA TERMINALS TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. SOUTH
TO SOUTHWESTERLY SURFACE WINDS IN THE 5 TO 10 KNOT RANGE ARE
EXPECTED OVER SOUTH FLORIDA TONIGHT.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 311 PM EDT SAT JUN 30 2007/

DISCUSSION...CONVECTION IS DEVELOPING ACROSS PORTIONS OF INTERIOR
AND EAST COASTAL SECTIONS OF THE AREA...AND IS EXPECTED TO BECOME
MOST CONCENTRATED ACROSS THE LAKE REGION TO PALM BEACH COUNTY AS
THIS IS WHERE THE SURFACE TROUGH IS CURRENTLY LOCATED. THE GULF
COAST SEA BREEZE IS INLAND...SO REDUCED POPS TO SLIGHT CHANCE FOR
THE GREATER NAPLES AREA. AFTER CONVECTION ENDS THIS EVENING...A
RATHER TRANQUIL NIGHT IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA. THE AREA WILL
BE PREDOMINATELY DRY OVERNIGHT...WITH JUST A SLIGHT CHANCE OF
SHOWERS ALONG THE GULF COAST DUE TO THE PREVAILING SW LIGHT FLOW.
MOST ACTIVITY SHOULD STAY OUT OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO...BUT CANNOT
DISCOUNT A FEW SHOWERS MOVING INLAND TO AFFECT THE GULF
COAST...ESPECIALLY TOWARDS DAWN.

GFS NOW SHOWS THE LOW LEVEL TROUGH REMAINING IN PLACE ACROSS THE
LAKE REGION OR INTO CENTRAL FLORIDA SUNDAY AND MONDAY. THIS WILL
CONTINUE TO RESULT IN A CONTINUED MEAN SW WIND FLOW ACROSS
MAINLAND SOUTH FL. THIS PATTERN FAVORS LOWEST SHRA/TSRA CHANCES ALONG
THE GULF COAST AND HIGHER CHANCES ALONG THE ATLANTIC COAST. A
MID/UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL APPROACH THE AREA FROM THE NW ON
SUNDAY AND MOVE TO NEAR OUR GULF COASTAL WATERS ON MONDAY. THIS
WILL LEAD TO BETTER UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE AND SLIGHT MID LEVEL
COOLING...LEADING TO A MORE FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR MORE
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT.

REASONING IN THE EXTENDED FCST HAS REALLY NOT CHANGED. BROAD
TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN STATES WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP THE ATLANTIC
RIDGE SOUTH OF THE AREA THROUGH AT LEAST WEDNESDAY...CONTINUING
TO FAVOR CONVECTION INTERIOR/EAST COAST. THE RIDGE MAY BEGIN TO
NUDGE NORTH INTO THE AREA LATE NEXT WEEK. MADE NO SIGNIFICANT
CHANGES TO THE LONG TERM FCST.

AVIATION...VFR CONDS WILL CONTINUE OVER KAPF THE REST OF THE
AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH ONLY ISOLD SHRA OVERNIGHT AND SUNDAY
MORNING HOURS. SCT SHRA/TSRA ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER EASTERN
INLAND AREAS AND MOVE EAST OVER ERN TERMINALS THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING. WILL INDICATE TEMPO OVER ALL ERN TERMINALS THROUGH 20Z
BUT TSTMS MAY LINGER LONGER OVER THE AREA. VFR CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OVERNIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING HOURS.

MARINE...PREVAILING WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO BE OUT OF THE SW NEXT
SEVERAL DAYS WITH SPEEDS GENERALLY 10 KT OR LESS. WINDS/SEAS WILL
REMAIN LOW THROUGH THE MIDDLE PART OF NEXT WEEK.

FIRE WEATHER...NO CONCERNS.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
WEST PALM BEACH  76  90  74  89 / 40 60 30 60
FORT LAUDERDALE  76  90  76  89 / 40 60 30 60
MIAMI            76  90  76  90 / 40 60 30 60
NAPLES           77  88  77  90 / 20 40 20 50

&&

.MFL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...NONE.
AM...NONE.
GM...NONE.
&&

LONG TERM...18/GR
SHORT TERM/AVIATION...60/BD
Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 30, 9:39 PM EST, 2 hours 21 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTH FLORIDA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
1039 PM EDT SAT JUN 30 2007

FLZ063-066>075-168-172>174-011445-
GLADES-HENDRY-INLAND PALM BEACH-METRO PALM BEACH-COASTAL COLLIER-
INLAND COLLIER-INLAND BROWARD-METRO BROWARD-INLAND MIAMI DADE-
METRO MIAMI DADE-MAINLAND MONROE-COASTAL PALM BEACH-
COASTAL BROWARD-COASTAL MIAMI DADE-FAR SOUTH MIAMI DADE-
1036 PM EDT SAT JUN 30 2007

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH FLORIDA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

THUNDERSTORMS: ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE
OVER THE ATLANTIC WATERS OVERNIGHT. NO OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS
EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FOR ALL OF SOUTH FLORIDA
THROUGHOUT THE UPCOMING WEEK...WITH THUNDERSTORMS MOST NUMEROUS
DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. AT THIS TIME...
LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL APPEAR TO BE THE PRIMARY
THREATS. HOWEVER...AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH APPROACHING THE REGION BY
THE END OF THE WEEK MAY ALLOW FOR A FEW STRONGER STORMS TO DEVELOP
ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

FOR MORE INFORMATION...VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN
MIAMI WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MIAMI.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Glades

When
July 1, 12:00 AM EST to July 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Glades forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
26.957, -81.189 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Severe drought conditions which began during the spring months lingered through July across portions of South Florida due to a prolonged period of below normal rainfall going back to early 2006. D2 (severe) drought conditions continued across Glades, Hendry and Western Palm Beach counties.

Lake Okeechobee set a record low level on June 30th of 8.88 feet, and July began near 8.9 feet. Despite near normal rainfall across the region, the lake only rose slightly to about 9.2 feet by the end of July.

This slow rise in the lake level resulted in a continuation of significant drought impacts for the general public, with water usage restrictions continuing across South Florida. Phase 3 restrictions (50 percent reduction in usage) were in place for the Lake Okeechobee area, while the rest of South Florida was under Phase 2 restrictions (30 percent reduction). Wells across interior and western sections of South Florida were running at below 10 percent of normal. Underground reservoirs returned to near normal levels.

Several small wildfires broke out across South Florida during July, with no damage reported.

Drought, Hendry

When
July 1, 12:00 AM EST to July 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Hendry forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
26.554, -81.166 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Severe drought conditions which began during the spring months lingered through July across portions of South Florida due to a prolonged period of below normal rainfall going back to early 2006. D2 (severe) drought conditions continued across Glades, Hendry and Western Palm Beach counties.

Lake Okeechobee set a record low level on June 30th of 8.88 feet, and July began near 8.9 feet. Despite near normal rainfall across the region, the lake only rose slightly to about 9.2 feet by the end of July.

This slow rise in the lake level resulted in a continuation of significant drought impacts for the general public, with water usage restrictions continuing across South Florida. Phase 3 restrictions (50 percent reduction in usage) were in place for the Lake Okeechobee area, while the rest of South Florida was under Phase 2 restrictions (30 percent reduction). Wells across interior and western sections of South Florida were running at below 10 percent of normal. Underground reservoirs returned to near normal levels.

Several small wildfires broke out across South Florida during July, with no damage reported.

Drought, Inland Palm Beach County

When
July 1, 12:00 AM EST to July 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Inland Palm Beach County forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
26.648, -80.436 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Severe drought conditions which began during the spring months lingered through July across portions of South Florida due to a prolonged period of below normal rainfall going back to early 2006. D2 (severe) drought conditions continued across Glades, Hendry and Western Palm Beach counties.

Lake Okeechobee set a record low level on June 30th of 8.88 feet, and July began near 8.9 feet. Despite near normal rainfall across the region, the lake only rose slightly to about 9.2 feet by the end of July.

This slow rise in the lake level resulted in a continuation of significant drought impacts for the general public, with water usage restrictions continuing across South Florida. Phase 3 restrictions (50 percent reduction in usage) were in place for the Lake Okeechobee area, while the rest of South Florida was under Phase 2 restrictions (30 percent reduction). Wells across interior and western sections of South Florida were running at below 10 percent of normal. Underground reservoirs returned to near normal levels.

Several small wildfires broke out across South Florida during July, with no damage reported.

What these are

Drought
A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Florida in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, July 2007

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: 50384, 50387, 50388.