High pressure ridging across the area allowed an afternoon sea breeze to develop. Scattered thunderstorms developed along the boundary and produced large hail and heavy rains.
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 TBW wrote it up.
High pressure ridging across the area allowed an afternoon sea breeze to develop. Scattered thunderstorms developed along the boundary and produced large hail and heavy rains.
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 Aug 4, 12:59 PM EST, 2 hours 16 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL 159 PM EDT MON AUG 4 2008 .SHORT TERM (TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY)...AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IS EXTENDING FROM THE CENTRAL US TO SE ATLANTIC COAST. DEEP UPPER LEVEL TROUGH REMAINS OVER THE WESTERN ATLANTIC AND IS SLOWLY LIFTING NORTHWARD. CLOSER TO THE SFC NEAR OUR REGION...MSAS SFC ANALYSIS CURRENTLY HAS THE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE AXIS DRAPED JUST NORTH TAMPA BAY WHICH IS HELPING TO MAINTAIN THE SE WINDS AND BRING IN MORE MOISTURE FROM THE SOUTH. ELSEWHERE...T.S. EDOUARD IS CHURNING THE GOMEX AS IT MOVES WEST TOWARDS TX. SFC RIDGE AXIS THAT IS OVER THE AREA WILL CONTINUE TO PROPAGATE NORTHWARD TOWARDS THE FL/GA BORDER THROUGH THE SHORT TERM. WITH THIS SFC RIDGE IN PLACE...SE FLOW WILL PERSIST AND HELP USHER IN A MORE MOIST ATMOSPHERE FROM THE SOUTH. THIS WILL SET UP A SLIGHT N-S MOISTURE GRADIENT FOR WITH FORECASTED PWATS RANGING FROM APPROX 2 IN THE NORTHERN COUNTIES TO 2.2 SOUTH OF TAMPA BAY BY TOMORROW. THE SETUP WILL FAVOR SCATTERED STORMS TO DEVELOP ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE WC SBRZ AS IT DRIFTS EASTWARD PAST THE I 75 CORRIDOR AS ISOLATED TO SCATTERED STORMS WILL PUSH INTO OUR INTERIOR COUNTIES FROM THE EAST. BETTER STORM COVERAGE IS EXPECTED IN OUR SOUTHERNMOST REGION THIS AFTERNOON AS THE MOIST AIRMASS FROM THE SOUTH BEGINS TO SNEAK IN. SAME SETUP WILL EXIST TOMORROW EXCEPT THAT THE MOISTURE WILL SPREAD FURTHER NORTH ALLOWING FOR NUMEROUS STORMS TO DEVELOP AROUND THE SBRZ. BY WEDNESDAY THE MOISTURE BEGINS TO PUSH WESTWARD OUT TO SEA OVER THE GULF SO STORM COVERAGE WILL REMAIN SCATTERED ALONG THE COASTAL COUNTIES WITH LESS COVERAGE IN THE INTERIOR. LOCATIONS EAST OF I-75 WILL HAVE A BETTER CHANCE FOR SOME STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS TO FORM DUE TO THE WC/EC SBRZ COLLISION. DAY TIME HIGHS ACROSS THE REGION WILL REMAIN NEAR NORMAL RANGING FROM UPPERS 80S TO LOW 90S NEAR THE BEACHS AND LOW TO MID 90S FURTHER INLAND. .LONG TERM (WEDNESDAY NIGHT - MONDAY)...THE RIDGE SITUATED OVER THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE STATE AT THE START OF THE PERIOD WILL SHIFT TO THE SOUTH AS AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH DIGS INTO THE EASTERN U.S. FOR THE START OF THE PERIOD...EXPECT MAINLY SEA BREEZE DRIVEN AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOSTLY EAST OF INTERSTATE 75. BY FRIDAY, THE RIDGE WILL RESIDE SOUTH OF THE REGION...RESULTING IN MORE WEST TO SOUTHWEST FLOW FOR OUR AREA. FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD...WE WILL SEE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FORMING OUT IN THE GULF IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS...RESULTING IN A BETTER CHANCE FOR RAIN ALONG THE COAST IN THE MORNING AND SHIFTING INLAND EACH AFTERNOON. && .AVIATION...AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ON SCHEDULE AND WILL LIKELY AFFECT THE FMY AND RSW TERMINALS BY 18Z...THEN SPREAD NORTHWARD UP ALONG THE SEA BREEZE BOUNDARY THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON. WILL KEEP TEMPO MVFR CONDITIONS IN TAFS BUT COULD VERY WELL SEE BRIEF IFR CONDITIONS IN HEAVIER SHOWERS. && .MARINE...OFFSHORE BUOYS STILL REPORTING 2-3FT WAVE HGTS AS T.S. EDOUARD DRIFTS WESTWARD TOWARDS GALVESTON BAY. EXPECT VERY LITTLE IMPACT IN OUR WATERS FROM THE T.S. AS SEAS WILL REMAIN IN THE 2-3FT RANGE IN THE OFFSHORE AND 1-2FT IN THE NEAR SHORE WATERS. AS THE SFC RIDGE AXIS MOVES TOWARDS THE PANHANDLE DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS WINDS WILL PERSIST FROM THE SE AROUND 10KTS WITH A TYPICAL SHIFT TO THE WNW DURING THE AFTERNOON WITH OF THE SBRZ. && .FIRE WEATHER...HUMIDITY VALUES WILL REMAIN WELL ABOVE CRITICAL VALUE THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS WITH NO FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS EXPECTED. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... TPA 75 91 75 92 / 20 60 30 50 FMY 75 91 75 92 / 30 60 30 50 GIF 75 92 74 94 / 20 60 20 50 SRQ 72 91 75 92 / 20 60 30 50 BKV 71 92 73 93 / 20 50 30 50 SPG 79 90 78 92 / 20 60 30 50 && .TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...NONE. GULF WATERS...NONE. && SHORT TERM/MARINE...BARRON/PAXTON LONG TERM...CARLISLE AVIATION...JILLSON
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL 502 AM EDT MON AUG 4 2008 FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-041430- LEVY-CITRUS-SUMTER-HERNANDO-PASCO-PINELLAS-HILLSBOROUGH-POLK- MANATEE-HARDEE-HIGHLANDS-SARASOTA-DE SOTO-CHARLOTTE-LEE- 502 AM EDT MON AUG 4 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ...THUNDERSTORM IMPACT... AMPLE MOISTURE...INSTABILITY...AND DAYTIME HEATING COUPLED WITH THE SEA BREEZE CIRCULATIONS WILL SUPPORT SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS OVER WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA TODAY. A SOUTHEAST STEERING FLOW WILL MOVE STORMS TOWARD THE NORTHWEST DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS...GUSTY WINDS AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WILL ACCOMPANY THE STORMS TODAY. 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. IN ADDITION TO THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF RIP CURRENTS ALONG AREA BEACHES TODAY. A RIP CURRENT IS A 10 TO 30 YARD WIDE CHANNEL OF WATER THAT CAN PULL EVEN A STRONG SWIMMER INTO DEEPER WATER. TO AVOID GETTING CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT...SWIM AT GUARDED BEACHES AND HEED THE ADVICE OF THE BEACH PATROL. AT UNGUARDED BEACHES AND NEAR PIERS...JETTIES...AND INLETS...DO NOT GO INTO THE SURF MUCH ABOVE YOUR KNEES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. ...THUNDERSTORM IMPACT... SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA THROUGH THE PERIOD. A SOUTHEAST STEERING FLOW WILL FAVOR THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF STORMS ALONG COASTAL LOCATIONS TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY AS THE SURFACE RIDGE AXIS REMAINS NORTH OF THE REGION. DURING FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THE SURFACE RIDGE WILL SINK BACK TO THE SOUTH WITH A SOUTHWEST TO WESTERLY FLOW FAVORING SHOWERS AND STORMS ALONG THE COAST DURING THE LATE NIGHT AND EARLY MORNING HOURS WITH STORMS MOVING TO INLAND LOCATIONS DURING EACH AFTERNOON. THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP WILL PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS...GUSTY WINDS...AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY. MCMICHAEL
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 337 PM EDT MON AUG 4 2008 FLZ052-042000- POLK- 337 PM EDT MON AUG 4 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT CENTRAL POLK COUNTY... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATES THUNDERSTORMS... MOVING NORTHWEST AT 10 MPH...WILL AFFECT LAKE WALES...WAHNETA... CYPRESS GARDENS AND WINTER HAVEN...UNTIL 400 PM EDT. GUSTY WINDS UP TO 40 MPH WILL OCCUR. FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS EXPECTED. TO BE SAFE GO INDOORS IMMEDIATELY IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE...CROUCH DOWN IN A LOW SPOT...AWAY FROM TALL OBJECTS. TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS...AND MINOR FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. RD
The Tampa radar (KTBW), 47 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:57 UTC.
2 heavy rain, 1 hail, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
A trained spotter measured 2.95 inches of rain in one hour on Southern Manor Court causing minor street flooding.
Penny to quarter size hail was reported along Bee Ridge Road from Beneva Road east to Interstate 75.
Lightning struck a power pole on West Norvell Bryant Highway in Lecanto during heavy rain causing the pole to snap. The weight of the snapped pole and the saturated ground caused three other poles to lean.
Spotters along 38th Avenue between 4th Street and 7th Street reported 4 inches of rain falling in one hour causing street flooding.
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: 129805, 129649, 129793, 129814.