Florida, 2008

Tornadoes in Florida, September 1, 2008

September 1, 2008 · NWS MOB · 7 events in 3 counties and zones

Outer rainbands from Hurricane Gustav produced several small tornadoes across northwest Florida.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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
$37,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

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 MOB wrote it up.

Outer rainbands from Hurricane Gustav produced several small tornadoes across northwest Florida.

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 Mobile, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 1, 5:59 AM CST, 1 hour 56 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 1, 5:59 AM CST, 1 hour 56 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
659 AM CDT MON SEP 1 2008

.UPDATE...HAVE UPDATED THE ZONES TO INCLUDE TORNADO WATCH # 877 IN
EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM CDT. NO OTHER CHANGES AT THIS TIME. /10

&&

.......................PREVIOUS DISCUSSION..........................

.SHORT TERM TODAY AND TONIGHT...APOLOGIZE FOR THE DELAY IN ALL OF
THE PUBLIC PRODUCTS...BUT WANTED TO GET ALL THE LATEST ON GUSTAV
BEFORE TRANSMITTING. HURRICANE GUSTAV WILL BE MAKING LANDFALL BY
MIDDAY OVER THE SOUTHEAST COAST OF LOUISIANA COAST...NOT FAR WEST OF
GRAND ISLE. WELL EAST OF THE CENTER...WILL SEE RAINBANDS AND SQUALLY
WEATHER ROTATING IN OFF THE GULF. WE FORECAST THE HIGHEST
PRECIPITATION CHANCES OVER THE SOUTHWEST HALF OF THE AREA TODAY AND
TONIGHT. SOME OF THE RAIN BANDS WILL CONTAIN HEAVY RAINS WITH
OCCASIONAL TROPICAL STORM FORCE WIND GUSTS. EXCESSIVE RAINS COULD
FORM WHERE RAIN BAND DETACHMENT SETS UP AND PERSISTS FOR SEVERAL
HOURS OVER THE SAME AREAS. WILL HAVE A FLASH FLOOD WATCH OUT FOR
THOSE ZONES WHERE WE EXPECT THIS POTENTIAL. GRIDDED WEATHER WILL ALSO
CONTAIN THE POTENTIAL OF TORNADOES OVER THE COASTAL COUNTIES AND
SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI AS THESE AREAS LOOK TO HAVE THE HIGHEST
PROBABILITY OF IMPACTS FROM THESE AND CLOSEST TO THE FAVORED
EAST/NORTHEAST SIDE OF GUSTAVS CIRCULATION. TIDAL FLOODING
...DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS AND INSTANCES OF BEACH EROSION WILL ALSO
PRESENT HAZARDS TODAY. FOR MORE SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON WHAT IS
EXPECTED...REFER TO THE LOCAL STATEMENTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN MOBILE ALABAMA. /10

.LONG TERM TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...SOME FORECAST CHALLENGES IN
THE MEDIUM RANGE WEATHER PICTURE. ALTHOUGH GUSTAV WILL BE WEAKENING
OVER WEST CENTRAL LOUISIANA OR EAST TEXAS TUESDAY...WOULD NOT BE
SURPRISED TO SEE A DETACHED RAINBAND THAT BECOMES QUASI-STATIONARY
OVER SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI AND SOUTHWEST ALABAMA.
IF THIS SETS UP...EXCESSIVE RAINS WOULD BE LIKELY. HEADING INTO THE
MIDDLE OF THE WEEK...STRENGTHENING MID LEVEL HEIGHTS OVER THE MID
ATLANTIC...COUPLED WITH HANNA NEAR THE BAHAMAS...FAVORS A WESTWARD
EXPANSION OF INCREASED SUBSIDENCE OVER THE SOUTHEAST AND A NET
DECREASE IN PRECIPITATION PROBABILITIES BY THURSDAY. BY FRIDAY...
LEFTOVER MOISTURE BY GUSTAV LOOKS TO BE SHEARED EASTWARD WITH
CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS COMING BACK UP FRIDAY AND
SATURDAY. WE ANTICIPATE NO PROBLEMS WITH HANNA. SAW NO REASON TO
DEVIATE FROM THE EXTENDED RANGE FORECASTS FOR TEMPERATURES WHICH ARE
NOT THAT FAR FROM SEASONAL NORMALS. /10

&&

.AVIATION...TAF SITES WILL SEE MVFR CONDITIONS PREVAILING
OCCASIONALLY LOWERING TO IFR IN SQUALLS. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS
WILL BE HAZARDOUS FOR ASCENT AND DESCENT.

&&

.MARINE...MAJOR HURRICANE GUSTAV WILL MAKE LANDFALL AROUND MIDDAY
TODAY ON THE SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA COAST. MARINERS ARE URGED TO REMAIN
IN PORT AND CLOSELY MONITOR THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER FORECASTS
AND ADVISORIES CONCERNING THIS DANGEROUS HURRICANE. GUSTAV WEAKENS AS
IT CONTINUES MOVING INLAND ACROSS LOUISIANA AND INTO EASTERN TEXAS
TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY. THE STRONG SOUTHEAST WINDS OVER THE MARINE
AREA WILL SUBSIDE BELOW 20 KNOTS ON TUESDAY WITH SEAS SUBSIDING BELOW
7 FEET BY TUESDAY EVENING...WITH WINDS AND SEAS CONTINUING TO SUBSIDE
THROUGH FRIDAY.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...NO HEADLINES. /10

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
MOBILE      83  76  83  75 / 100  90  80  60
PENSACOLA   85  77  84  73 / 100  70  70  50
DESTIN      84  77  86  74 /  80  50  70  40
EVERGREEN   85  72  84  70 /  70  50  60  40
WAYNESBORO  85  73  84  71 /  90  80  80  70
CAMDEN      86  72  85  70 /  70  50  70  40

&&

.MOB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AL...TROPICAL STORM WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MONDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
     ZONES: LOWER BALDWIN...LOWER MOBILE...UPPER BALDWIN...AND
     UPPER MOBILE.

     FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 7 PM TUESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
     LOWER BALDWIN...LOWER MOBILE...UPPER BALDWIN...UPPER
     MOBILE...AND WASHINGTON.

     TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING UNTIL 1 AM TUESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
     ZONES: AND WASHINGTON.

FL...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 7 PM TUESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
     COASTAL ESCAMBIA...COASTAL OKALOOSA...COASTAL SANTA ROSA...
     INLAND ESCAMBIA...INLAND OKALOOSA...AND INLAND SANTA ROSA.

     TROPICAL STORM WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MONDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
     ZONES: COASTAL ESCAMBIA...COASTAL OKALOOSA...COASTAL SANTA
     ROSA...COASTAL WALTON...INLAND ESCAMBIA...INLAND OKALOOSA...
     AND INLAND SANTA ROSA.

MS...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 7 PM TUESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
     GEORGE...GREENE...PERRY...STONE...AND WAYNE.

     TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING UNTIL 1 AM TUESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
     ZONES: GEORGE...GREENE...PERRY...STONE...AND WAYNE.

GM...TROPICAL STORM WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MONDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
     ZONES: COASTAL WATERS FROM DESTIN TO PENSACOLA FL OUT 20
     NM...COASTAL WATERS FROM PENSACOLA FL TO PASCAGOULA MS OUT
     20 NM...MOBILE BAY...WATERS FROM DESTIN TO PENSACOLA FL
     FROM 20 TO 60 NM...AND WATERS FROM PENSACOLA FL TO
     PASCAGOULA MS FROM 20 TO 60 NM.

&&

The radar

The Mobile radar (KMOB), 111 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:55 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 tornado, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Santa Rosa

When
September 1, 7:55 AM CST to 7:58 AM CST
Where
Santa Rosa County, Gulf Breeze
Rating
EF0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
30 yd
Property damage
$12,000
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
30.350, -87.150

An outer rainband from Hurricane Gustav produced a weak EF0 tornado in Gulf Breeze that caused tree damage.

Tornado, Okaloosa

When
September 1, 8:15 AM CST to 8:17 AM CST
Where
Okaloosa County, Shalimar
Rating
EF0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
20 yd
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
30.430, -86.580

An outer rainband from Hurricane Gustav produced a waterspout that moved on shore near Shalimar. The weak EF0 tornado produced no damage.

Tornado, Okaloosa

When
September 1, 8:45 AM CST to 8:47 AM CST
Where
Okaloosa County, Eglin Afb
Rating
EF0
Path length
0.2 mi
Path width
30 yd
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
30.480, -86.530

An outer rainband from Hurricane Gustav produced a weak EF0 tornado at Eglin AFB that caused trees to be blown down. A couple of the trees fell on two homes.

Tornado, Santa Rosa

When
September 1, 9:00 AM CST to 9:02 AM CST
Where
Santa Rosa County, Navarre
Rating
EF0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
20 yd
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
30.400, -86.870

An outer rainband from Hurricane Gustav produced a weak EF0 tornado in Navarre that caused no damage.

Funnel Cloud, Okaloosa

When
September 1, 10:01 AM CST to 10:04 AM CST
Where
Okaloosa County, Niceville
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
30.530, -86.500

Outer rainband from Hurricane Gustav produced a funnel cloud near Niceville.

Tornado, Escambia

When
September 1, 2:08 PM CST to 2:12 PM CST
Where
Escambia County, (Npa)nas Pensacola
Rating
EF0
Path length
0.2 mi
Path width
30 yd
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
30.350, -87.320

An outer rainband from Hurricane Gustav produced a weak EF0 tornado just North of Pensacola Naval Air Station that tossed around yard debris.

Tornado, Escambia

When
September 1, 2:45 PM CST to 2:47 PM CST
Where
Escambia County, (Npa)nas Pensacola
Rating
EF0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
20 yd
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
30.350, -87.320

An outer rainband from Hurricane Gustav produced a weak EF0 tornado at the Pensacola Naval Air Station that caused no damage. This was the second touchdown of a weak tornado near the base in less than an hour.

What these are

Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Funnel Cloud
A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Florida in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Florida, 2008Warnings in Florida, September 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: 134768, 134769, 134772, 134771, 134770, 134773, 134774.