Torrential rain from Tropical Storm Fay produced widespread flooding across Brevard and central and southern Volusia counties.
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 episode as NWS MLB wrote it up.
Torrential rain from Tropical Storm Fay produced widespread flooding across Brevard and central and southern Volusia counties.
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 Melbourne, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 19, 2:00 PM EST, 3 hours 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
300 PM EDT TUE AUG 19 2008
.DISCUSSION...
...RAINBAND TORNADO RISK CONTINUING...
...FLOODING ACROSS THE SOUTH...
CURRENT-WED...RADAR SHOWS CENTER OF FAY ALONG THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF
LAKE OKEECHOBEE VERY CLOSE TO THE NHC TRACK...WHICH BRINGS IT
ACROSS BREVARD COUNTY OVERNIGHT AND OFFSHORE VOLUSIA COUNTY EARLY
WED. THE BULK OF THE WEATHER HAS OCCURRED THIS MORNING AND
AFTERNOON. SEVERAL RAINBAND TORNADOES HAVE OCCURRED AND WIDESPREAD
HEAVY RAIN HAS LED TO FLOODING. HAD A RECENT REPORT OF 9.6 INCHES
OF RAIN NEAR STUART SO FAR FOR THIS EVENT.
MOST OF THE AREA WILL HAVE HIGH RAIN CHANCES TONIGHT...EXCEPT FOR
THE FAR NORTHWEST WHERE THE LARGE RAIN SHIELD MIGHT NOT REACH.
HAVE MULTIPLE WATCHES/WARNINGS/STATEMENTS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT
AND BASED ON THE LATEST NHC TRACK...EXPECT THAT EARLY WED MOST OF
THESE WILL BE DROPPED EXCEPT MAYBE FOR THE FAR NORTH.
WED NIGHT-FRI...LATEST NHC TRACK OF FAY WILL HAVE THE CENTER OF
THE SYSTEM APPROACHING FL EAST COAST BY AROUND DAYBREAK WED MORN
THEN DRIFTS IT OVER ATLANTIC BEFORE MOVING ONSHORE AGAIN IN N FL
THURS. STILL A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY AS TO EXACT TIME/LOCATION WHERE
SYSTEM WILL EMERGE OFFSHORE THE EAST COAST AND THEN MOVE BACK
ONSHORE THE COAST. HOWEVER...CONFIDENCE IS HIGHER THAT EVEN AFTER
WINDS FROM FAY BEGIN TO DECREASE...EC FL WILL REMAIN IN A WET
PATTERN THROUGH LATE WEEK WITH CONTINUED CONCERN FOR HEAVY
RAINFALL AND FLOODING IN EC FL.
SAT-MON...SHOULD FINALLY HAVE A TREND BACK TOWARD CLIMO POPS IF
FAY/REMAINS MOVE OUT OF THE AREA. LOW CONFIDENCE FORECAST AND WILL
CONTINUE CLOSE TO THE LATE AUG SEASONAL NORMALS THIS TIME FRAME.
&&
.AVIATION...WIDESPREAD IFR CONDITIONS WITH STRONG/GUSTY WINDS ALONG
THE COAST SHOULD GRADUALLY DIMINISH AFTER MIDNIGHT. INLAND TAF
SITES SHOULD SEE LESS WIDESPREAD COVERAGE OF SQUALLS BUT BREEZY TO
WINDY CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY PERSIST OVERNIGHT.
&&
.MARINE...POOR BOATING CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH WED AS FAY
IS FORECAST TO PUSH TO THE NORTHERN WATERS. AN OFFSHORE FLOW WILL
DEVELOP ACROSS THE SOUTH BUT WINDS SHOULD STILL BE ABOVE SMALL
CRAFT ADVISORY LEVELS ALONG WITH SEAS.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
DAB 76 85 77 87 / 70 70 60 60
MCO 76 88 75 89 / 60 70 60 60
MLB 76 88 75 90 / 80 70 60 60
VRB 78 86 76 89 / 70 70 60 60
&&
.MLB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING FOR COASTAL VOLUSIA-INDIAN
RIVER-INLAND VOLUSIA-MARTIN-NORTHERN BREVARD-NORTHERN LAKE-
OKEECHOBEE-ORANGE-OSCEOLA-SEMINOLE-SOUTHERN BREVARD-
SOUTHERN LAKE-ST. LUCIE.
TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 4 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR COASTAL VOLUSIA-
INDIAN RIVER-INLAND VOLUSIA-MARTIN-NORTHERN BREVARD-
NORTHERN LAKE-OKEECHOBEE-ORANGE-OSCEOLA-SEMINOLE-SOUTHERN
BREVARD-SOUTHERN LAKE-ST. LUCIE.
TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR COASTAL VOLUSIA-INDIAN RIVER-MARTIN-
NORTHERN BREVARD-SOUTHERN BREVARD-ST. LUCIE.
TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING UNTIL 4 AM EDT WEDNESDAY FOR INLAND
VOLUSIA-NORTHERN LAKE-OKEECHOBEE-ORANGE-OSCEOLA-SEMINOLE-
SOUTHERN LAKE.
AM...TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 4 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR COASTAL WATERS
FROM FLAGLER BEACH TO VOLUSIA BREVARD COUNTY LINE OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM SEBASTIAN INLET TO JUPITER INLET OUT 20
NM.
TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR COASTAL WATERS FROM FLAGLER BEACH TO
VOLUSIA BREVARD COUNTY LINE OUT 20 NM-COASTAL WATERS FROM
SEBASTIAN INLET TO JUPITER INLET OUT 20 NM-COASTAL WATERS
FROM VOLUSIA BREVARD COUNTY LINE TO SEBASTIAN INLET OUT 20
NM-WATERS FROM FLAGLER BEACH TO VOLUSIA BREVARD COUNTY LINE
20 TO 60 NM OFFSHORE-WATERS FROM SEBASTIAN INLET TO JUPITER
INLET 20 TO 60 NM OFFSHORE-WATERS FROM VOLUSIA BREVARD
COUNTY LINE TO SEBASTIAN INLET 20 TO 60 NM OFFSHORE.
&&
LASCODY/WEITLICH/PENDERGRAST/DECKER/DIETZMANN/JACOBS/BLOTTMAN/SHARP/CRISTALDIHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 643 AM EDT TUE AUG 19 2008 AMZ550-552-555-570-572-575-FLZ041-044>047-053-054-058-059-064-141- 144-147-192245- COASTAL WATERS FROM FLAGLER BEACH TO VOLUSIA BREVARD COUNTY LINE OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM VOLUSIA BREVARD COUNTY LINE TO SEBASTIAN INLET OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM SEBASTIAN INLET TO JUPITER INLET OUT 20 NM- WATERS FROM FLAGLER BEACH TO VOLUSIA BREVARD COUNTY LINE 20 TO 60 NM OFFSHORE- WATERS FROM VOLUSIA BREVARD COUNTY LINE TO SEBASTIAN INLET 20 TO 60 NM OFFSHORE- WATERS FROM SEBASTIAN INLET TO JUPITER INLET 20 TO 60 NM OFFSHORE- INLAND VOLUSIA-NORTHERN LAKE-ORANGE-SEMINOLE-SOUTHERN BREVARD- OSCEOLA-INDIAN RIVER-OKEECHOBEE-ST. LUCIE-MARTIN-COASTAL VOLUSIA- SOUTHERN LAKE-NORTHERN BREVARD- 643 AM EDT TUE AUG 19 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. PLEASE REFER TO THE TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT AND ITS GRAPHICAL COMPONENT FOR INFORMATION ON EXPECTED IMPACTS FROM TROPICAL STORM FAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... FORMAL ACTIVATION IS LIKELY. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MAY NEED A PCARS RADIO OPERATOR. WIMMER
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 236 PM EDT TUE AUG 19 2008 FLZ058-191945- OKEECHOBEE- 236 PM EDT TUE AUG 19 2008 ...STRONG DAMAGING WIND GUSTS NEAR HURRICANE FORCE MOVING INTO SOUTHERN OKEECHOBEE COUNTY... AT 235 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM FAY JUST NORTHWEST OF LAKE OKEECHOBEE OR WEST OF BUCKHEAD RIDGE. THE EYEWALL OF FAY IS ASSOCIATED WITH VERY HEAVY SQUALLS AS IT WAS MOVING NORTH AT 10 MPH. A BAND OF HURRICANE FORCE WIND GUSTS BETWEEN 70 AND 80 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAIN WILL MOVE ACROSS SOUTHERN OKEECHOBEE COUNTY INCLUDING THE CITY OF OKEECHOBEE THROUGH 4 PM. RESIDENTS IN OKEECHOBEE COUNTY SHOULD PREPARE FOR HURRICANE FORCE WINDS. IN ADDITION A BRIEF TORNADO COULD FORM IN THIS EYEWALL. THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN AN UNOFFICIAL REPORT OF A BRIEF TORNADO IN LAKEPORT IN EASTERN GLADES COUNTY. REMAIN INDOORS ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR RESIDENCE AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. DO NOT FIND YOURSELF OUTSIDE...DRIVING OR OTHERWISE...WHEN THIS FEATURE MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. A TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING AND A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUE FOR OKEECHOBEE COUNTY. PB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 340 PM EDT TUE AUG 19 2008 FLZ053-058-192100- OKEECHOBEE-OSCEOLA- 340 PM EDT TUE AUG 19 2008 ...THE EYEWALL FEATURE OF TROPICAL STORM FAY MOVING ACROSS SOUTHWEST OKEECHOBEE COUNTY... AT 340 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM FAY JUST WEST OF THE KISSIMMEE RIVER IN SOUTHWEST OKEECHOBEE COUNTY EAST OF BRIGHTON. THE EYEWALL OF FAY IS ASSOCIATED WITH VERY STRONG WINDS AND TORRENTIAL RAIN. WINDS WITHIN THE EYEWALL MAY GUST TO HURRICANE FORCE OR NEAR 75 MPH WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH LASTING NEARLY AN HOUR AS THE EYEWALL FEATURE MOVES NORTH. RESIDENTS IN OKEECHOBEE COUNTY ESPECIALLY BETWEEN OKEECHOBEE AND BASINGER SHOULD PREPARE FOR HURRICANE FORCE WIND GUSTS THROUGH 430 PM. REMAIN INDOORS ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR RESIDENCE AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. THE STRONG WINDS WITH THE EYEWALL FEATURE WILL REACH NORTHERN OKEECHOBEE AND FORT DRUM BY 5 PM. DO NOT GO OUTSIDE...DRIVING OR OTHERWISE...WHEN THIS FEATURE MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. IF THE WINDS SUBSIDE ABRUPTLY YOU MAY BE IN THE EYE. RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO GO OUTSIDE AS WINDS WILL RAPIDLY INCREASE AS THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EYE APPROACHES. A TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING CONTINUE FOR OKEECHOBEE COUNTY. PB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 355 PM EDT TUE AUG 19 2008 FLZ047-147-192115- NORTHERN BREVARD COUNTY-SOUTHERN BREVARD COUNTY- 355 PM EDT TUE AUG 19 2008 ...SQUALLS WITH STRONG DAMAGING WIND GUSTS WILL OVERSPREAD BREVARD COUNTY FROM THE SOUTHEAST... AT 351 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED SQUALL BANDS MOVING ONSHORE BREVARD COUNTY...MOVING NORTHWEST AT 41 MPH. AREAS FROM SATELLITE BEACH SOUTH TO MELBOURNE BEACH SHOULD EXPECT WIND GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH IN SQUALLS...WHICH WILL SNAP TREE LIMBS AND CAUSE POWER OUTAGES. WHOLE TREES MAY ALSO BE BROUGHT DOWN. INTENSE RAINFALL WILL REDUCE VISIBILITY TO NEAR ZERO AND AGGRAVATE FLOODING CONDITIONS. SEEK SHELTER INDOORS UNTIL THE STORM PASSES. A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL 1 AM FOR ALL OF BREVARD COUNTY. FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN BREVARD COUNTY. FLOODING CONCERNS WILL INCREASE OVER NORTHERN BREVARD INTO THIS EVENING. KELLY
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
411 PM EDT TUE AUG 19 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0357 PM TROPICAL STORM PORT SAINT LUCIE 27.28N 80.35W
08/19/2008 ST. LUCIE FL EMERGENCY MNGR
MINOR DAMAGE TO CARPORT ON NICOLES TERRACE.
&&
DLJSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 444 PM EDT TUE AUG 19 2008 FLZ053-058-192200- OKEECHOBEE-OSCEOLA- 444 PM EDT TUE AUG 19 2008 ...STRONG AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS WITH THE EYEWALL FEATURE OF TROPICAL STORM FAY ACROSS WESTERN OKEECHOBEE COUNTY... AT 445 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM FAY ALONG THE KISSIMME RIVER IN WESTERN OKEECHOBEE COUNTY NEAR BASINGER. STRONG TROPICAL STORM FORCE WIND GUSTS UP TO 65 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAIN WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FEATURE. RESIDENTS IN OKEECHOBEE COUNTY ESPECIALLY FROM BASINGER TO FORT DRUM AND THE OSCEOLA COUNTY LINE SHOULD PREPARE FOR STRONG AND POSSIBLY DAMAGING WINDS BETWEEN 55 AND 65 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAIN. THE BAND OF STRONG WINDS WITH THE EYEWALL WILL SPREAD INTO SOUTHERN OSCEOLA COUNTY AFTER 6 PM. STAY INDOORS...AWAY FROM WINDOWS WHILE THIS BAND OF STRONG WINDS MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. A TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING CONTINUE FOR OKEECHOBEE AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES. PB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 549 PM EDT TUE AUG 19 2008 FLZ053-054-058-059-192300- INDIAN RIVER-OKEECHOBEE-OSCEOLA-ST. LUCIE- 549 PM EDT TUE AUG 19 2008 ...STRONG AND POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WIND GUSTS WITH THE EYEWALL FEATURE OF TROPICAL STORM FAY TRACKING ACROSS OKEECHOBEE COUNTY... AT 545 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM FAY WAS IN CENTRAL OKEECHOBEE COUNTY EAST OF BASINGER. THE EYEWALL FEATURE SURROUNDING THE CENTER WAS PRODUCING TROPICAL STORM FORCE WIND GUSTS UP TO 65 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAINS. THE EYEWALL WILL CONTINUE TO MEANDER NORTH AND EAST AT AROUND 5 MPH SHIFTING A BAND OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ACROSS EASTERN OKEECHOBEE COUNTY AND INTO WESTERN INDIAN RIVER AND SAINT LUCIE COUNTIES THROUGH 7 PM. WIND GUSTS TO 65 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS FORT DRUM...YEEHAW JUNCTION AND BLUE CYPRUS LAKE. RESIDENTS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD PREPARE FOR STRONG AND POSSIBLY DAMAGING WINDS UP TO 65 MPH. STAY INDOORS...AWAY FROM WINDOWS WHILE THIS FEATURE MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. PB
The Melbourne radar (KMLB), 18 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:30 UTC.
3 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Torrential rain from Tropical Storm Fay produced flooding of major roads in Melbourne. John Rhodes Boulevard was flooded and impassable.
Torrential rain from Tropical Storm Fay dropped as much as 15 inche of rain on the central and south parts of Brevard County. As many as 1600 homes were flooded. Damage was in excess of $70 million.
As Tropical Storm Fay drifted north in the Volusia County off shore waters, hours of torrential rain fell across southern Volusia county. Close to 200 homes were flooded. Damage was near $13 million.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, August 2008
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: 134643, 134644, 134648.