Two men drowned from rip currents during the Memorial holiday weekend. There were more than 150 calls for water rescues.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 TAE wrote it up.
Two men drowned from rip currents during the Memorial holiday weekend. There were more than 150 calls for water rescues.
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 Tallahassee, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 24, 2:05 PM EST, 4 hours 55 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 305 PM EDT SAT MAY 24 2008 .SYNOPSIS... 18Z WATER VAPOR AND H4 RUC ANALYSIS SHOWING VERY AMPLIFIED UPPER LEVEL PATTERN OVER THE CONTINENT TO START OUT THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND. TROUGHING STILL IN PLACE ACROSS FAR EASTERN CANADA DOWN INTO THE NORTHEAST AND MID-ATLANTIC STATES. THIS LONGWAVE TROUGH WILL AMPLIFY BRIEFLY INTO SUNDAY MORNING AS STRONG SHORTWAVE TROUGH CURRENTLY PUSHING INTO NORTHERN GA/SC DIVES INTO THE SOUTHEAST LATER THIS EVENING. THIN BUT VERY AMPLIFIED RIDING CONTINUES TO DOMINATE THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE CONTINENT BUT IS BEGINNING TO SHOW SOME EASTWARD MOVEMENT INTO THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES AND MS VALLEY. FURTHER UPSTREAM THE LARGE UPPER LOW CONTINUES TO SPIN ACROSS ALL OF THE WESTERN U.S. AND SOUTHWEST CANADA KEEPING THE WEATHER COOLER AND MORE UNSETTLED ACROSS THAT REGION. OUR AREA STILL CURRENTLY RESIDES ALONG THE EASTERN PERIPHERY OF THE UPPER RIDGE TO OUR WEST THAT IS IN CONTROL OF THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL GULF COAST. THIS RIDGING WILL BE BRIEFLY CUT BACK TO THE WEST THIS EVENING INTO SUNDAY MORNING AS THE SHORTWAVE MENTIONED ABOVE CONTINUES SOUTH THROUGH GA/FL. AT THE SURFACE...FRONTAL BOUNDARY EXTENDING BACK INTO THE CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST GA FROM WEAK LOW PRESSURE NOW WELL OF THE SOUTHEAST COAST. WARM AND SEASONABLE AFTERNOON ONGOING WITH PARTLY SUNNY SKIES AND TEMPERATURES INTO THE UPPER 80S AND LOWER 90S INLAND AND LOWER TO MIDDLE 80S ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST. REGIONAL RADARS ARE NOW SHOWING A GROWING CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS UP TOWARD THE ATLANTA AREA ASSOCIATED WITH THE COLD FRONT AND OVERRIDING UPPER LEVEL DYNAMICS. EXPECT THIS CONVECTION TO CONTINUE TO SETTLE SOUTH INTO THE EVENING HOURS WITH SOME ADDITIONAL CONVECTION EVENTUALLY FIRING CLOSER TO LOCAL SEA-BREEZE BOUNDARIES. && .SHORT TERM (THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT)... INGREDIENTS BEGIN TO COME TOGETHER OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS TO GIVE US THE CHANCE FOR SOME WDLY SCT SHOWERS/STORMS. SURFACE CONVERGENCE WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE INTO THE EARLY EVENING ALONG INLAND PROPAGATING SEA-BREEZE BOUNDARIES AND ALSO THE COLD FRONT SURGING SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST TOWARD THE AREA. AT THE SAME TIME LARGE SCALE FORCING FOR ASSENT WILL BE INCREASING AS THE SHORTWAVE FUELING THE CONVECTION CURRENTLY ACROSS NORTHERN GA DIGS RAPIDLY SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST. NOT EXPECTING WIDESPREAD COVERAGE OF CONVECTION...HOWEVER THERMODYNAMICS CERTAINLY SUPPORT THE POSSIBILITY OF THE WDLY SCT DEVELOPMENT. LOCAL BUFKIT SOUNDING STILL SHOWING CAPE VALUES OF BETWEEN 1500-2000 J/KG DURING THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. THESE VALUES MAY EVEN BE FURTHER ENHANCED IN THE PRESENCE OF LOCAL MOISTURE POOLS ALONG SEA-BREEZE BOUNDARIES. IF THE ACTIVITY CAN GET GOING IT IS LIKELY TO HOLD OFF UNTIL MAINLY THE EARLY TO MIDDLE EVENING HOURS AS WE WAIT FOR THE BEST MID/UPPER LEVEL FORCING TO ARRIVE. HIGHEST POPS WILL BE ACROSS SOUTH-CENTRAL GA DOWN INTO THE EASTERN FL BIG BEND WITH 30-40% IN THE GRIDS. AS ONE GOES FURTHER WEST THE OVERALL ATMOSPHERIC MOTION BECOME INCREASINGLY ANTI-CYCLONIC AND HENCE POPS DROP INTO THE 20-25% RANGE FROM KABY TO KDHN AND KPFN. WILL CONTINUE TO WATCH PORTION OF THE EASTERN FL PANHANDLE AS LOCAL CONVERGENCE ALONG THE SEA-BREEZE IS BEGINNING TO GROW A HEALTHIER CU FIELD AND MAY BE JUST ENOUGH TO OVERCOME ANY NEGATIVE FACTORS AND RESULT IN WDLY SCT CONVECTION UP TOWARD THE I-10 CORRIDOR. IF STORMS CAN GET GOING WE WILL LIKELY SEE A FEW LINGERING INTO THE LATER EVENING HOURS ALTHOUGH COVERAGE WILL BE DIMINISHING WITH THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING WITH ALL CONVECTION EXPECTED TO END BY 10 OR 11 PM. COLD FRONT SURGES THROUGH OVERNIGHT INTO EARLY SUNDAY. IN ITS WAKE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE SOUTHEAST FROM OFF THE CAROLINA COAST BRINGING A BIT COOLER AND DRIER AIRMASS TO OUR REGION. THIS SURFACE RIDGE WILL THEN BE IN CONTROL OF OUR WEATHER THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE SHORT-TERM PERIOD. MID/UPPER LEVEL FLOW ALSO RAPIDLY BECOMES ANTI-CYCLONIC IN NATURE OVER THE FORECAST AREA DURING THE DAY ON SUNDAY AS THE UPPER RIDGE TO OUR WEST BUILDS BACK EAST AND OVERHEAD SUNDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. AS A RESULT...AFTER ANY POSSIBLE STORMS THIS EVENING...THE REMAINDER OF THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND LOOKS GENERALLY DRY WITH PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES. TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TO BE NEAR CLIMO WITH MIDDLE AND UPPER 80S COMMON DURING THE DAY. LOWS SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY NIGHT ARE EXPECTED TO BE A BIT BELOW CLIMO WITH MANY LOCATIONS WEST OF THE APALACHICOLA RIVER FALLING INTO THE UPPER 50S AND LOWER 60S...AND LOWER TO MIDDLE 60S FURTHER TO THE WEST. && .LONG TERM (TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY)... LONG TERM FORECAST BEGINS WITH A TROUGH OVER WRN MOST CONUS...RIDGE OVER INTERMOUNTAIN AND PLAINS STATES...A BROAD TROUGH OVER NRN GREAT LAKES AND A STRONG SW-NE RIDGE OVER SE CONUS WITH SRN SECTION ANCHORED WHILE NRN APEX MOVES OVER INTO ATLC. AT SURFACE RIDGE FROM WRN ATLC SWWD TO ACROSS FORECAST AREA. THIS TRANSLATES TO DRY AND WARM WEATHER WITH ENE LOW LEVEL FLOW. NEARLY STACKED UPPER/LOWER RIDGE WILL LIKELY REMAIN IN CONTROL OVER THE SE U.S. THROUGH AT LEAST WED. THEN BY WED EVENING...DEEP LYR RIDGE RETROGRADES WWD AND SURFACE RIDGE KICKED SEWD AS ABOVE BROAD TROUGH DEEPENS OVER ERN CONUS WITH SEVERAL SHORTWAVES DIVING SEWD ERODING AND THEN SHUNTING THE RIDGE INTO ATLC. BY THURSDAY...A WEAK BACKDOOR FRONT INITIALLY ACROSS N GA/ALA IS PUSHED SWD TO ACROSS CWA. WITH LOCAL AREA IN WARM SECTOR FOR MOST OF PERIOD...MAX/MIN TEMPS WILL CONTINUE AT OR ABOVE CLIMO. && .MARINE... GENERALLY LIGHT WINDS CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING HOURS. COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE MARINE AREA FROM NORTHEAST TO SOUTHWEST LATER TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING WITH WINDS COMING AROUND TO THE NORTHEAST AND APPROACHING CAUTIONARY LEVELS. ALTHOUGH WINDS ARE CURRENTLY LOW... 3-5 FT SWELL ORIGINATING IN THE SOUTHEAST GULF WILL CONTINUE TO RIDE NORTH AND WILL KEEP WAVE HEIGHTS UP A BIT THROUGH TONIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE AXIS THEN SETS UP JUST TO THE NORTH OF THE FORECAST WATERS SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT KEEPING EASTERLY FLOW OVER ALL LEGS. EXPECTING NOCTURNAL SURGES BOTH SUNDAY NIGHT AND AGAIN MONDAY NIGHT WITH THE SURGE SUNDAY NIGHT BETWEEN CAUTIONARY AND ADVISORY LEVELS. HIGH PRESSURE IS THEN EXPECTED TO SETTLE SOUTH OVER THE WATERS TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY WITH WINDS AND SEAS REMAINING BELOW HEADLINE CRITERIA. && .AVIATION... PLENTY OF MIXING EARLY THIS AFTERNOON HAS THINNED OUT THE MORNING CLOUDINESS WITH VFR CONDITIONS NOW PREVAILING. STILL EXPECTING SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING AT KTLH...KABY...KVLD. KDHN AND KPFN ARE TOO FAR WEST OF THE MOISTURE AND DYNAMICS FOR SIGNIFICANT RAIN CHANCES. OTHERWISE... FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH THIS EVENING WITH DRIER AIR MASS MOVING IN. EXPECT VFR CONDITIONS OVERNIGHT INTO SUNDAY. && .FIRE WEATHER... DRIER AIR MASS WILL FILTER INTO THE AREA FOR SUNDAY AND MONDAY BEHIND A COLD FRONT. AT THIS TIME...APPEARS THAT RH OVER INLAND BIG BEND MAY BRIEFLY REACH 35 PERCENT EACH OF THE NEXT TWO AFTERNOONS. HOWEVER DURATIONS EXPECTED TO ONLY BE AROUND 2 HOURS. AT THE SAME TIME...DISPERSIONS ARE CURRENTLY CALCULATED TO REMAIN BELOW 70. NO HEADLINES PLANNED ATTM. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... TALLAHASSEE 68 90 62 86 62 / 20 0 0 0 0 PANAMA CITY 70 88 66 83 66 / 20 0 0 0 0 DOTHAN 68 89 64 86 64 / 10 0 0 0 0 ALBANY 67 89 62 86 61 / 10 0 0 0 0 VALDOSTA 66 88 60 85 61 / 20 0 0 0 0 CROSS CITY 68 89 60 87 60 / 20 0 0 0 0 && .TAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. GA...NONE. FL...NONE. GM...NONE. && AVIATION/FIRE WX...CAMP SHORT TERM/MARINE...MROCZKA LONG TERM...BLOCK
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 551 AM EDT SAT MAY 24 2008 ALZ065>069-FLZ007>019-026>029-034-GAZ120>131-142>148-155>161- GMZ730-750-755-765-770-775-251000- COFFEE-DALE-HENRY-GENEVA-HOUSTON-INLAND WALTON-COASTAL WALTON- HOLMES-WASHINGTON-JACKSON-BAY-CALHOUN-GULF-FRANKLIN-GADSDEN-LEON- JEFFERSON-MADISON-LIBERTY-WAKULLA-TAYLOR-LAFAYETTE-DIXIE-QUITMAN- CLAY-RANDOLPH-TERRELL-DOUGHERTY-LEE-WORTH-TURNER-TIFT-BEN HILL- IRWIN-EARLY-MILLER-BAKER-MITCHELL-COLQUITT-COOK-BERRIEN-SEMINOLE- DECATUR-GRADY-THOMAS-BROOKS-LOWNDES-LANIER- APALACHEE BAY OR COASTAL WATERS FROM KEATON BEACH TO OCHLOCKONEE RIVER FL OUT TO 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM APALACHICOLA TO DESTIN FL OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM OCHLOCKONEE RIVER TO APALACHICOLA FL OUT TO 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM SUWANNEE RIVER TO KEATON BEACH OUT 20 NM- WATERS FROM APALACHICOLA TO DESTIN FL FROM 20 TO 60 NM- WATERS FROM SUWANNEE RIVER TO APALACHICOLA FL FROM 20 TO 60 NM- 551 AM EDT SAT MAY 24 2008 /451 AM CDT SAT MAY 24 2008/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST ALABAMA... SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA...AND THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND PANHANDLE...AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE REGION FROM THE NORTHEAST THIS AFTERNOON. AN ALREADY UNSTABLE AIRMASS IN PLACE OVER THE REGION WILL INTERACT WITH THIS COLD FRONT AND LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF THE REGION. WHILE WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED...SOME OF THESE STORMS IN THE AFTERNOON COULD BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL BEING THE MAIN THREATS. THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS TODAY ALONG THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND BIG BEND BEACHES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY... HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE REGION SUNDAY AFTERNOON YIELDING MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES AND WARM TEMPERATURES. CONTINUED SUNNY WEATHER WILL PERSIST THROUGH TUESDAY. A WEAK COLD FRONT MAY APPROACH FROM THE NORTH ON WEDNESDAY BRINGING ANOTHER CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE REGION THROUGH FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY...HOWEVER EMERGENCY MANAGERS AND SPOTTERS SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV...THEN CLICK ON YOUR AREA OF INTEREST ON THE NATIONAL MAP. 38-GODSEY
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 rip current. Local standard time, as filed.
Two men drowned from rip currents off Panama City Beach. One of the victims died while trying to assist a distressed swimmer.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rip Current, Bay | 2008-05-24 | 21 | Male | In Water | Direct |
| Rip Current, Bay | 2008-05-24 | 21 | Male | In Water | Direct |
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, May 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: 98884.