A brief tornado developed over the rural Indian River County associated with a rapidly developing cell on the south end of a line of storms, resulting from a collision of sea breezes.
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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 MLB wrote it up.
A brief tornado developed over the rural Indian River County associated with a rapidly developing cell on the south end of a line of storms, resulting from a collision of sea breezes.
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 Melbourne, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 12, 1:08 PM EST, 4 hours 22 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 208 PM EDT SUN JUL 12 2009 .DISCUSSION... CURRENTLY-TONIGHT...CONVECTION ON THE WEST COAST SEA BREEZE BOUNDARY IS MUCH MORE ACTIVE THAN THE EAST COAST BOUNDARY WHICH WAS STILL HUGGING THE COAST. THE CONVECTION WAS FARTHER INLAND COMPARED TO YESTERDAY...DUE TO SLIGHTLY MORE LOW LEVEL WESTERLY FLOW...WHICH IS CAUSED BY A SLOW TO DIE...WEAK TROUGH SHIFTING NORTH OF THE AREA. WE SHOULD BE SETTING UP FOR THE EAST/WEST BOUNDARY COLLISION A BIT FARTHER EAST THAN YESTERDAY. AS OPPOSED TO A YESTERDAY LAKE APOPKA-WESTERN METRO ORLANDO-KISSIMMEE RIVER LINE...IT SHOULD OCCUR FROM WESTERN VOLUSIA-EASTERN METRO ORLANDO TO LAKE OKEECHOBEE. THIS IS ASSUMING THAT THE EAST COAST BOUNDARY STARTS GETTING SOME CONVECTION ALONG IT AND FINALLY STARTS TO MAKE FASTER PROGRESS INLAND. IF NOT THEN THE COLLISION WILL BE EVEN FARTHER EAST. THERE IS PROBABLY EVEN ENOUGH WESTERLY STEERING TO PUSH THE ACTIVITY FARTHER EASTWARD AFTER IT DEVELOPS. DUE TO THIS LITTLE MORE WESTERLY FLOW...WILL CARRY SCATTERED POPS THROUGH EVENING AREAWIDE...RATHER THAN THE HIGHER COVERAGE TYPICALLY BEING OVER THE INTERIOR. MON...THERE DOES NOT LOOK LIKE MUCH CHANGE AS MOISTURE IS PROGGED TO BE SIMILAR TO TODAY AND LOW LEVEL RIDGE AXIS REMAINS IN THE VICINITY OF LAKE OKEECHOBEE. THIS WILL MAINTAIN A SURFACE TO 700 MB WESTERLY FLOW. ALOFT...HEIGHTS WILL BE FALLING TO OUR NORTH BUT PROBABLY NOT ENOUGH TO LOOSEN THE GRIP OF THE MID/UPPER RIDGE MUCH. HOWEVER...THE WINDS IN THE UPPER LEVELS SHOULD BE WEAKENING. THE MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY PARAMETERS SUPPORT SCATTERED POPS OF 40-50 PERCENT AREAWIDE. TUE-SAT...THE FORECAST FOR MID TO LATE WEEK CONTINUES TO VARY LITTLE AS MODELS CONTINUE TO PUT THE MEAN AXIS OF THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE TO THE SOUTH OF CENTRAL FLORIDA. THOUGH THE SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST STEERING FLOW WILL REMAIN GENERALLY LIGHT...ITS PRESENCE WILL MEAN THAT HIGHEST PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL TEND TO FAVOR THE EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE INTERIOR COUNTIES AND THE COASTAL COUNTIES WEST OF THE I-95 CORRIDOR. THIS FLOW WILL ALSO LIKELY DELAY THE EAST COAST SEA BREEZE...AND KEEP IT A LITTLE CLOSER TO THE COAST THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOONS. UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE SWINGING THROUGH MON NIGHT-TUES IN ADDITION TO A SFC BOUNDARY LINGERING OVER THE SOUTHEAST LOOKS TO ENHANCE OUR RAIN CHANCES FOR TUESDAY. HAVE BUMPED POPS UP TO AROUND 50 PERCENT...ABOVE CLIMO...AREA-WIDE. MODELS ARE HINTING AT THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE REBUILDING IN BRIEFLY ON WED-THURS AS THE LARGE TROUGH OVER THE NE MOVES OUT. THIS WOULD BRING THE SFC RIDGE AXIS A LITTLE MORE NORTH OVER CENTRAL FLORIDA. FOR NOW...WILL KEEP CLIMO POPS (AROUND 40 PERCENT) IN FOR THIS TIME FRAME. HIGHER RAINFALL COULD BE POSSIBLE BY THE END OF THE WEEK SHOULD THE ADVERTISED UPSTREAM HEIGHT FALLS MATERIALIZE. && .AVIATION...SHOWERS/STORMS ALONG WEST COAST BOUNDARY ARE PROGRESSING INLAND FASTER THAN YESTERDAY. SOME INTERIOR AREAS MAY GET GUST FRONTED WITH LITTLE RAINFALL BUT HAVE CARRIED A TEMPO GROUP FOR THE INTERIOR TERMINALS FROM 18-22Z...WHICH IS EARLIER THAN YESTERDAY. A COLLISION OF THE EAST/WEST COAST BOUNDARIES SHOULD OCCUR A LITTLE TO THE EAST OF WHERE IT OCCURRED YESTERDAY AND LEAD TO STRONG STORMS. THIS MIGHT BE JUST EAST OF KSFB-KMCO. THE EAST COAST SEA BREEZE IS MUCH LESS ACTIVE THAN THE WEST COAST SO WE WILL HAVE TO WATCH FOR IT STAYING OVER THE COASTAL COUNTIES AND POSSIBLY EVEN INTERACTING WITH THE WEST COAST BOUNDARY QUITE LATE IN THE DAY...MAYBE 20-24Z. DO NOT SEE A LOT OF DIFFERENCE IN THE WEATHER PATTERN ON MON WITH SCATTERED AFTERNOON STORMS MOVING SLOWLY EASTWARD ACROSS THE PENINSULA. && .MARINE...NO WIND/SEA CONCERNS THROUGH MON AS LIGHT OFFSHORE FLOW WILL CONTINUE. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR A FEW STORMS MOVING BACK ACROSS THE COAST THIS EVENING...AND A SLIGHT CHANCE LATE TONIGHT FOR STORMS OVER THE GULF STREAM. REST OF THE WEEK...QUIET CONDITIONS EXPECTED OVER THE MARINE AREA WITH LIGHT S-SW MORNING WINDS AND AN AFTERNOON SEA BREEZE DEVELOPMENT EACH DAY. SIG WAVES 3 FT OR LESS THROUGH THE WORKWEEK. OFFSHORE MOVING STORMS IN THE AFTERNOON ARE EXPECTED TO BE A LITTLE MORE NUMEROUS GENERALLY NORTH OF CAPE CANAVERAL. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DAB 72 89 73 92 / 20 40 30 50 MCO 73 92 73 93 / 20 50 30 50 MLB 72 89 73 91 / 20 50 30 50 VRB 72 90 73 91 / 20 50 30 50 && .MLB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...NONE. AM...NONE. && SHORT TERM/AVIATION...LASCODY LONG TERM....MOSES
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 524 AM EDT SUN JUL 12 2009 AMZ550-552-555-570-572-575-FLZ041-044>047-053-054-058-059-064-141- 144-147-122000- COASTAL WATERS FROM FLAGLER BEACH TO VOLUSIA BREVARD COUNTY LINE OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM VOLUSIA BREVARD COUNTY LINE TO SEBASTIAN INLET OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM SEBASTIAN INLET TO JUPITER INLET OUT 20 NM- WATERS FROM FLAGLER BEACH TO VOLUSIA BREVARD COUNTY LINE 20 TO 60 NM OFFSHORE- WATERS FROM VOLUSIA BREVARD COUNTY LINE TO SEBASTIAN INLET 20 TO 60 NM OFFSHORE- WATERS FROM SEBASTIAN INLET TO JUPITER INLET 20 TO 60 NM OFFSHORE- INLAND VOLUSIA-NORTHERN LAKE-ORANGE-SEMINOLE-SOUTHERN BREVARD- OSCEOLA-INDIAN RIVER-OKEECHOBEE-ST. LUCIE-MARTIN-COASTAL VOLUSIA- SOUTHERN LAKE-NORTHERN BREVARD- 524 AM EDT SUN JUL 12 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ...THUNDERSTORM IMPACT... SUFFICIENT MOISTURE WILL REMAIN IN PLACE TODAY...COUPLED WITH THE AFTERNOON SEA AND LAKE BREEZE BOUNDARIES TO PRODUCE SCATTERED LIGHTNING STORMS...WITH THE BEST CHANCE FROM MID AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING...OVER THE INTERIOR AND NEAR LAKE OKEECHOBEE. THE PRIMARY THREATS WILL REMAIN DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF UP TO AROUND 3 INCHES IN VERY SLOW MOVING STORMS. WHICH COULD CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS AND TEMPORARY FLOODING OF POORLY DRAINED LOW LYING AREAS. SEEK SHELTER WELL IN ADVANCE OF THREATENING WEATHER. ...RIP CURRENT IMPACT... A PERSISTENT TWO FOOT SWELL WILL PRODUCE AN ELEVATED THREAT AT AREA BEACHES TODAY. CHECK WITH LIFEGUARDS BEFORE ENTERING THE SURF. ...MARINE THUNDERSTORM GUST IMPACT... SCATTERED STORMS ARE EXPECTED AROUND INLAND LAKES TODAY...AND THERE IS A SMALL THREAT FOR AFTERNOON STORMS OVER THE TREASURE COAST COUNTIES TO MOVE BACK OUT OVER THE INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY AND OFFSHORE INTO THE ADJACENT ATLANTIC. LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS AND ROUGH SEAS...ALONG WITH DEADLY CLOUD TO WATER LIGHTNING...COULD ACCOMPANY STORMS TODAY. BOATERS SHOULD SEEK SAFE HARBOR IN ADVANCE OF ANY STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. STORM COVERAGE WILL REMAIN SCATTERED AS WINDS CONTINUE MAINLY OUT OF THE SOUTH. THE BEST CHANCE FOR STORMS WILL REMAIN ALONG BOUNDARY COLLISIONS OVER THE INTERIOR...AND NEAR LAKE OKEECHOBEE. ISOLATED STRONGER STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE...HOWEVER THE MAIN THREAT WITH ANY FLORIDA THUNDERSTORM IS LIGHTNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO MONITOR THE WEATHER AND SELF ACTIVATE IF NEEDED. PLEASE REPORT ANY RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF TWO INCHES...OR ANY OBSERVED ROAD FLOODING...TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN MELBOURNE. CRISTALDI
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 433 PM EDT SUN JUL 12 2009 FLZ041-044>047-053-054-058-059-064-122230- INDIAN RIVER-INLAND VOLUSIA COUNTY-MARTIN-NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY-OKEECHOBEE-ORANGE-OSCEOLA-SEMINOLE-SOUTHERN BREVARD COUNTY-ST. LUCIE- 433 PM EDT SUN JUL 12 2009 ...SEA BREEZE COLLISION WILL SPARK A BAND OF LIGHTNING STORMS OVER PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA THROUGH 630 PM... AT 425 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED THE WEST COAST SEA BREEZE BOUNDARY MARCHING ACROSS THE FLORIDA PENINSULA WHICH WILL SOON COLLIDE WITH THE EAST COAST SEA BREEZE BOUNDARY LOCATED JUST INLAND FROM THE COAST. THE COLLISION WILL PRODUCE A BAND OF LIGHTNING STORMS STRETCHING ROUGHLY FROM NORTHEAST LAKE AND SOUTHWEST VOLUSIA COUNTIES SOUTHWARD ACROSS SEMINOLE AND EAST ORANGE COUNTIES...EASTERN OSCEOLA...WESTERN BREVARD AND INTERIOR PORTIONS OF INDIAN RIVER...SAINT LUCIE AND MARTIN COUNTIES. THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES AND GUSTY WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH...WHICH CAN CAUSE UNSECURED OBJECTS TO BLOW AROUND...SNAP TREE LIMBS OR CAUSE POWER OUTAGES. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL TEMPORARILY REDUCE VISIBILITY. PLAN AHEAD FOR THE ONSET OF LIGHTNING BY IDENTIFYING A CLOSE AND SECURE SHELTER THAT YOU CAN QUICKLY MOVE TO IF A STORM APPROACHES WHILE OUTSIDE. STORM MOTION WILL BE SLOW AND ERRATIC WITH THE COLLISION BUT A FEW STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO PUSH EASTWARD AND OFFSHORE. A BRIEF PERIOD OF SMALL HAIL...PEA TO DIME SIZE...WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE IN LOCALIZED AREAS. TORRENTIAL RAINFALL CAN BE EXPECTED...CAUSING TEMPORARY FLOODING ON SOME ROADS AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. MOTORISTS SHOULD SLOW DOWN IN HEAVY RAINFALL TO REDUCE THE RISK OF HYDROPLANING AND LEAVE SAFE DISTANCE BETWEEN OTHER VEHICLES. STATE LAW REQUIRES HEADLIGHTS TO BE TURNED ON WHEN WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE IN USE. KELLY
The Melbourne radar (KMLB), 51 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:29 UTC.
1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
A citizen at State Road 60 and Country Road 512 observed a brief tornado touchdown in a rural area, approximately 3 miles to the east-northeast.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Florida, 2009Warnings in Florida, July 2009
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: 171393.