Hail and Damaging Wind in Florida, July 2, 2009

Name: Hail and Damaging Wind in Florida, July 2, 2009
Start: 2009-07-02T12:45
End: 2009-07-02T15:32
Location: Florida

July 2, 2009 · NWS MOB · 3 events in 1 county or zone

Thunderstorms produced large hail and damaging winds across the western Florida panhandle.

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: $1.0 million
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.

Thunderstorms produced large hail and damaging winds across the western Florida panhandle.

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 Jul 2, 11:45 AM CST, 1 hour earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 2, 11:45 AM CST, 1 hour before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
1245 PM CDT THU JUL 2 2009

.UPDATE...PACKAGE WILL BE UPDATED SHORTLY TO CLEAN UP SOME WORDING
ISSUES. WILL TAKE INTO ACCOUNT A DRIER SLUG OF AIR OVER THE MS/AL
STATE LINE.

/16

&&

.AVIATION...(18Z ISSUANCE) WEAK FRONT MOVING SOUTH OVER MS/AL/GA
ATTM WILL BRING AN INCREASED CHANCE FOR TSRA LATER THIS
AFTERNOON/EVENING...MAINLY OVER THE EASTERN THIRD OF THE FA. FEEL
RAIN CHANCE WILL BE SQUASHED BY DRIER SLUG OVER THE MS/AL STATE LINE.

/16

&&

.MOB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AL...NONE.
FL...NONE.
MS...NONE.
GM...NONE.
&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 2, 3:54 AM CST, 8 hours 51 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
454 AM CDT THU JUL 02 2009

ALZ051>064-FLZ001>006-GMZ630-650-655-670-675-MSZ067-075-076-078-
079-031000-
CHOCTAW-WASHINGTON-CLARKE-WILCOX-MONROE-CONECUH-BUTLER-CRENSHAW-
ESCAMBIA-COVINGTON-UPPER MOBILE-UPPER BALDWIN-LOWER MOBILE-
LOWER BALDWIN-INLAND ESCAMBIA-COASTAL ESCAMBIA-INLAND SANTA ROSA-
COASTAL SANTA ROSA-INLAND OKALOOSA-COASTAL OKALOOSA-MOBILE BAY-
COASTAL WATERS FROM PENSACOLA FL TO PASCAGOULA MS OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM DESTIN TO PENSACOLA FL OUT 20 NM-
WATERS FROM PENSACOLA FL TO PASCAGOULA MS FROM 20 TO 60 NM-
WATERS FROM DESTIN TO PENSACOLA FL FROM 20 TO 60 NM-WAYNE-PERRY-
GREENE-STONE-GEORGE-
454 AM CDT THU JUL 02 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI...SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...THE WESTERN
FLORIDA PANHANDLE...AS WELL AS THE ADJACENT GULF WATERS OF ALABAMA
AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR SEVERE
WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 2, 12:42 PM CST, 3 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
142 PM CDT THU JUL 2 2009

FLZ006-021930-
COASTAL OKALOOSA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...DESTIN AND FORT WALTON BEACH...
142 PM CDT THU JUL 2 2009

...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN OKALOOSA
COUNTY...

AT 139 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM 18 MILES NORTH OF WRIGHT TO
VALPARAISO...MOVING EAST-SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH.

THIS LINE OF STORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND AROUND...
NICEVILLE AND SEMINOLE THROUGH 230 PM CDT.

THE PRIMARY THREATS FROM THESE STORMS ARE SMALL HAIL...FREQUENT
LIGHTNING...AND WIND GUSTS OF 35 TO 45 MPH. WINDS THIS STRONG COULD
DOWN SMALL TREE LIMBS OR BRANCHES AND BLOW AROUND UNSECURED SMALL
OBJECTS. SEEK SHELTER IN A SAFE HOME OR BUILDING UNTIL THESE STORMS
HAVE PASSED.

The radar

The Eglin Afb radar (KEVX), 55 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:44 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Okaloosa

When: July 2, 12:45 PM CST to 12:47 PM CST
Where: Okaloosa County, 7 mi N of Valparaiso
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 30.581, -86.500

Thunderstorm Wind, Okaloosa

When: July 2, 2:42 PM CST to 2:45 PM CST
Where: Okaloosa County, Destin Ft Walton Arp
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $1.0 million
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 30.400, -86.470

A thunderstorm wind gust of 70 mph destroyed two general aviation aircraft and damaged 10 others at the Destin Airport. Trees were also downed in the area.

Hail, Okaloosa

When: July 2, 3:30 PM CST to 3:32 PM CST
Where: Okaloosa County, Shalimar
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 30.430, -86.580

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Florida in 2009 Every state in 2009 This day in weather history Warnings in Florida, July 2009

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: 188159, 188174, 188186.