Name: Tropical Storm in Florida, September 1, 2008
Start: 2008-09-01T05:00
End: 2008-09-01T09:00
Location: Florida

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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.

As Gustav moved south of northwest Florida tropical storm force winds were observed along the coastal areas.

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, 4:23 AM CST, 37 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 1, 4:23 AM CST, 37 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
523 AM CDT MON SEP 1 2008

.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.

&&

Event by event

3 tropical storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Tropical Storm, Coastal Escambia

When: September 1, 5:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Coastal Escambia forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

As hurricane Gustav moved south of the area on September 1, tropical storm force winds were observed along the immediate coast and also offshore. A tropical storm warning that was issued for northwest Florida the end of August, continued into the first of September. The warning was dropped at 900 CST on September 1. Tropical storm force winds were measured at a mesonet site along the coast operated by Eglin Air Force Base. Highest sustained winds were measured at 43 MPG with a peak gust of 51 MPH during the morning hours. Higher than normal tides along the beaches of northwest Florida caused beach erosion. Water also washed across some of the dunes and caused flooding in some roads and also under some condos. Damage estimates from the surge were $550K. Six weak tornadoes were reported along the northwest Florida coast. No major damages were reported from the tornadoes with damage estimates of $200K. Some street flooding was observed generally south of I-10. Rainfall across the area was estimated at 3-5 inches.

Tropical Storm, Coastal Okaloosa

When: September 1, 5:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Coastal Okaloosa forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

As hurricane Gustav moved south of the area on September 1, tropical storm force winds were observed along the immediate coast and also offshore. A tropical storm warning that was issued for northwest Florida the end of August, continued into the first of September. The warning was dropped at 900 CST on September 1. Tropical storm force winds were measured at a mesonet site along the coast operated by Eglin Air Force Base. Highest sustained winds were measured at 43 MPG with a peak gust of 51 MPH during the morning hours. Higher than normal tides along the beaches of northwest Florida caused beach erosion. Water also washed across some of the dunes and caused flooding in some roads and also under some condos. Damage estimates from the surge were $550K. Six weak tornadoes were reported along the northwest Florida coast. No major damages were reported from the tornadoes with damage estimates of $200K.

Tropical Storm, Coastal Santa Rosa

When: September 1, 5:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Coastal Santa Rosa forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

As hurricane Gustav moved south of the area on September 1, tropical storm force winds were observed along the immediate coast and also offshore. A tropical storm warning that was issued for northwest Florida the end of August, continued into the first of September. The warning was dropped at 900 CST on September 1. Tropical storm force winds were measured at a mesonet site along the coast operated by Eglin Air Force Base. Highest sustained winds were measured at 43 MPG with a peak gust of 51 MPH during the morning hours. Higher than normal tides along the beaches of northwest Florida caused beach erosion. Water also washed across some of the dunes and caused flooding in some roads and also under some condos. Damage estimates from the surge were $550K. Six weak tornadoes were reported along the northwest Florida coast. No major damages were reported from the tornadoes with damage estimates of $200K.

What these are

Tropical Storm: A tropical cyclone with sustained winds of 34 to 63 knots (39 to 73 mph).

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, September 2008 The 2008 hurricane season

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: 134501, 134502, 134503.