Name: Drought in Florida, May 6 to 31, 2008
Start: 2008-05-06T07:00
End: 2008-05-31T23:59
Location: Florida

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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: 4

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.

Dry conditions during the month of May led to a reinstatement of severe drought conditions over southwest Florida and the Lake Okeechobee region.

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 May 6, 2:04 AM EST, 4 hours 56 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 6, 2:04 AM EST, 4 hours 56 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
304 AM EDT TUE MAY 6 2008

TROUGH SYSTEM...ALOFT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE SURFACE...HAS MOVED E
OF THE S FLA AREA WITH JUST A FEW SHOWERS OVER THE GULF STREAM OFF
THE BROWARD AND PALM BEACH COUNTY COAST....MOVING EASTWARD.

.DISCUSSION...DRY AND WARM TODAY THROUGH THU. CURRENTLY HIGH PRES
ALOFT OVER GULF AND S GREAT PLAINS WITH SURFACE HIGH PRES OVER THE
SE U.S.  AN UPPER LOW PRES SYSTEM OVER THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES MOVES
NE...THE HIGH PRES SYSTEMS MOVE E AND AS THE UPPER LOW RIDES UP OVER
THE UPPER RIDGE...UPPER FLOW THAT HAS BEEN NW AND DRY BECOMES ZONAL
AND THE SURFACE HIGH MOVES E ENOUGH TO DEVELOP A S TO SW SURFACE
FLOW WITH A TAD INCREASE IN ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE. BUT UPPER SOUND
-INGS MAINTAIN A DRY MID LEVEL CAP WHICH SHOULD QUELL CONVECTION
/SHOWERS THROUGH THU. GFS INDICATES SOME SHOWER ACTIVITY FRI BUT
THIS QUITE DIFFERENT FROM PREVIOUS RUNS AS HIGH PRES ALL LEVELS
PRETTY MUCH PREVAILED PREVIOUSLY. AT THIS TIME WILL KEEP FRI DRY
AS WELL AS SAT AND SUN. GFS/MEX INDICATE AN SIGNIFICANT POPS IN
-CREASE MON AS A DEEPER UPPER TROUGH AND FRONT MOVES TOWARD/THROUGH?
S FLA THEN DRYING OUT TUE. WILL INTRODUCE SOME POPS MON.

&&
.AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE OVER ALL OF SOUTH FLORIDA
TAF SITES TODAY INTO TONIGHT. THE WINDS WILL BE WESTERLY THROUGH
18Z...BEFORE SWINGING TO A SOUTHEAST DIRECTION ALONG THE EAST COAST
TAF SITES. THE SPEEDS WILL REMAIN BELOW 10 KNOTS THROUGH THIS
MORNING BEFORE INCREASING TO AROUND 10 KNOTS DURING THE AFTERNOON
HOURS. THE WX WILL ALSO REMAIN DRY.

&&
.MARINE...NO HIGHLIGHTS AS WINDS LESS THAN 15 KTS WITH SEAS 4 FT OR
LESS THROUGH THE PERIOD.

&&
.FIRE WEATHER...ALL MODELS RUNNING 3 TO 5 DEGREES BELOW ACTUAL
VALUES AT 06Z. HAVE SHAVED DEW POINTS ACCORDINGLY. DIRE WEATHER
WATCH UPGRADED TO RED FLAG WARNING FOR GLADES...HENDRY...EAST
COLLIER...WESTERN PALM BEACH AND WESTERN BROWARD COUNTIES FOR 4 OR
MORE CONSECUTIVE HOURS OF RH BELOW 35%. HAVE DROPPED WESTERN MIAMI
-DADE COUNTY AS ONLY 2 TO 3 HOURS CAN BE EXPECTED AS THE MERGING OF
THE W AND E COAST SEA BREEZES WILL BRING THE DEW POINTS UP. RH
VALUES NEAR 35% FOR WED BUT APPEARS AT THIS TIME NO HIGHLIGHTS TO BE
ISSUED.

&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
WEST PALM BEACH  86  70  85  73 /  -  -  -  -
FORT LAUDERDALE  85  71  84  75 /  -  -  -  -
MIAMI            87  70  86  74 /  -  -  -  -
NAPLES           84  68  86  70 /  0  -  -  -

&&

.MFL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...RED FLAG WARNING FLZ063-FLZ066-FLZ067-FLZ070-FLZ071 NOON UNTIL
800 PM.

AM...NONE.
GM...NONE.
&&

LONG TERM...15/JR
SHORT TERM/AVIATION...54/BB

Hazardous weather outlook, May 6, 2:44 AM EST, 4 hours 16 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTH FLORIDA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
344 AM EDT TUE MAY 6 2008

FLZ063-066>075-168-172>174-070100-
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-
344 AM EDT TUE MAY 6 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH FLORIDA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.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.

BAXTER

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Glades

When: May 6, 7:00 AM EST to May 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)

Dry conditions which began in mid-April continued through May caused rapidly drying soil conditions across southwest Florida and the Lake Okeechobee region. This led to a reinstatement of severe drought (D2) conditions across these areas. Rainfall totals for the month of May ranged from around a third to a half of an inch at Naples, Marco Island and Ochopee to around one and one half inches at Clewiston and Moore Haven, to over 3 inches at Immokalee. The dry soil and lack of rainfall contributed to several large wildfires which affected the area.

The level of Lake Okeechobee dropped to 9.65 inches by the end of the month, it's lowest level since the dry season began last fall.

Drought, Hendry

When: May 6, 7:00 AM EST to May 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)

Dry conditions which began in mid-April continued through May caused rapidly drying soil conditions across southwest Florida and the Lake Okeechobee region. This led to a reinstatement of severe drought (D2) conditions across these areas. Rainfall totals for the month of May ranged from around a third to a half of an inch at Naples, Marco Island and Ochopee to around one and one half inches at Clewiston and Moore Haven, to over 3 inches at Immokalee. The dry soil and lack of rainfall contributed to several large wildfires which affected the area.

The level of Lake Okeechobee dropped to 9.65 inches by the end of the month, it's lowest level since the dry season began last fall.

Drought, Coastal Collier County

When: May 6, 7:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Coastal Collier County forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 26.099, -81.381 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dry conditions which began in mid-April continued through May caused rapidly drying soil conditions across southwest Florida and the Lake Okeechobee region. This led to a reinstatement of severe drought (D2) conditions across these areas. Rainfall totals for the month of May ranged from around a third to a half of an inch at Naples, Marco Island and Ochopee to around one and one half inches at Clewiston and Moore Haven, to over 3 inches at Immokalee. The dry soil and lack of rainfall contributed to several large wildfires which affected the area.

The level of Lake Okeechobee dropped to 9.65 inches by the end of the month, it's lowest level since the dry season began last fall.

Drought, Inland Collier County

When: May 6, 7:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Inland Collier County forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 26.099, -81.381 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dry conditions which began in mid-April continued through May caused rapidly drying soil conditions across southwest Florida and the Lake Okeechobee region. This led to a reinstatement of severe drought (D2) conditions across these areas. Rainfall totals for the month of May ranged from around a third to a half of an inch at Naples, Marco Island and Ochopee to around one and one half inches at Clewiston and Moore Haven, to over 3 inches at Immokalee. The dry soil and lack of rainfall contributed to several large wildfires which affected the area.

The level of Lake Okeechobee dropped to 9.65 inches by the end of the month, it's lowest level since the dry season began last fall.

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 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in Florida, May 2008

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: 102429, 102430, 102431, 102432.