A severe thunderstorm produced nickel size hail near Universal Studios. Numerous other strong storms across east central Florida produced gusty winds and small hail.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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 severe thunderstorm produced nickel size hail near Universal Studios. Numerous other strong storms across east central Florida produced gusty winds and small hail. A unique 'smoke whirl' was observed and video-taped at Indiantown in Martin County (1312 EST) as a weak dust-devil-like vortex developed and entrained smoke from an adjacent wildfire.
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 May 12, 1:28 PM EST, 1 hour 26 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 228 PM EDT TUE MAY 12 2009 .DISCUSSION... TONIGHT...MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE STALLED DISSIPATING FRONTAL BOUNDARY DRAPED ACROSS CENTRAL FLORIDA IS LIFTED (UNDERCUT) AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS DOWN THE PENINSULA AND WINDS SHIFT ONSHORE. MODEL TIME HEIGHT CROSS SECTIONS DO A GOOD JOB OF SHOWING THIS IDEA. COOLER TEMPERATURES ALOFT...-8 TO -10...KEEP THE ATMOSPHERE MID LEVEL LAPS RATES STEEP AND SOME LIFT ASSOCIATED WITH A TROUGH ALOFT MOVING ACROSS THE AREA JUSTIFY CHANCE OF SHOWERS ISOLATED LIGHTNING STORMS CAPE NORTH AND INTERIOR WHILE SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS ND LIGHTNING STORMS OVER THE COASTAL SOUTHERN CWA AS THE SEA BREEZE INTERACTS WITH LAKE OKEECHOBEE BREEZES. LIGHT SOUTHERLY STEERING WINDS ALOFT WOULD INDICATE SLOW MOVING STORMS AND SHOWERS WITH AN OPPORTUNITY FOR LOCALLY HEAVIER ACCUMULATIONS FOR SOME INTERIOR LOCATIONS FROM OKEECHOBEE TO ORANGE...SEMINOLE AND NORTHERN LAKE AND INLAND VOLUSIA COUNTIES. EXPECTING STORMS AND SHOWERS TO LINGER UNTIL AROUND MIDNIGHT BEFORE WINDING DOWN. WEDNESDAY...GFS MOS HAS SOME HEFTY POP NUMBERS FOR THE NORTHERN CWA WHICH LOOK WAY TOO HIGH. ALTHOUGH THE ATMOSPHERE IS GETTING MORE MOISTURE MESOSCALE FORCING SUCH AS SEA BREEZE BOUNDARY INTERACTION IS EXPECTED SO HAVE PARED DOWN POP TO CHANCE (30 TO 50 PERCENT SOUTH TO NORTH) FOR WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. MIDNIGHT DISCUSSION... THU-THU NIGHT...SIMILAR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THU WITH ONSHORE FLOW AND EASTERLY STEERING FLOW ALOFT PROVIDING A SCHC CHANCE FOR MEASURABLE PCPN IN THE AFTERNOON. THE HIGH PRESSURE CENTER WILL GET NUDGED FURTHER INTO THE WESTERN ATLC AS A COLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY NEARS THE NEW ENGLAND STATES. RIDGING WILL REMAIN SITUATED NORTH. HIGHS MAY BE A DEGREE OR TWO HIGHER THAN WED WITH LOWS REMAINING FAIRLY CONSISTENT AND MILD. FRI-TUE...THE HIGH WILL GET NUDGED FURTHER SOUTH INTO THE WESTERN ATLC REMAINING OFF OF THE MID ATLC STATES THRU THE EXTENDED. AS A STRONGER FRONTAL BOUNDARY MAKES A PUSH TOWARDS THE ATLC SEABOARD AND GULF COAST STATES SURFACE RIDING WILL SLIDE FURTHER SOUTH THIS WEEKEND INTO THE PENINSULA WITH EASTERLY FLOW VEERING TO SOUTHEASTERLY SUN AND THEN SOUTHERLY ON MON. EXPECT AN EAST COAST SEA BREEZE BOUNDARY TO MOVE INLAND EACH DAY PROVIDING A FOCUS ALBEIT ONLY A 20%-30% CHANCE FOR CONVECTION EACH AFTERNOON & EARLY EVENING. BEST CHANCES APPEAR TO BE OVER THE INTERIOR WITH THE ONSHORE STEERING FLOW FOR MUCH OF THE PERIOD. HOWEVER...THE GFS HINTS AT THE STEERING FLOW BECOMING WESTERLY POSSIBLY AS EARLY AS SUN...OR MORE LIKELY BY MON PROVIDING THE EASTERN PENINSULA WITH INCREASED RAIN CHANCES. HIGHS ARE EXPECTED TO BE WITHIN RANGE OF CLIMO WITH LOWS A FEW TO SEVERAL DEGREES ABOVE SEASONAL NORMALS. && .AVIATION...AREAS OF MVFR CEILINGS THROUGH MIDNIGHT MAINLY I 95 AND WEST AS SEA BREEZE STORMS AND SHOWERS PUSH INLAND. VFR MIDNIGHT THROUGH MID MORNING WEDNESDAY BEFORE THE PROCESS STARTS OVER. && .MARINE... TUE NIGHT-WED...EASTERLY WINDS 10 KNOTS OR LESS AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS DOWN THE COASTAL WATERS. SEAS...MAINLY SWELL...4 FEET OR LESS. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... THU-SAT...HIGH PRESSURE RIDGING TO THE NORTH WILL GRADUALLY SLIDE SOUTHWARD INTO THE NORTH-CENTRAL FLORIDA BY THE WEEKEND. AN EAST COAST SEA BREEZE BOUNDARY WILL MOVE INLAND EACH DAY AS THE FLOW REMAINS ONSHORE. OFFSHORE WIND SPEEDS WILL OCCASIONALLY APPROACH AROUND 15 KTS SUSTAINED THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH NEAR SHORE WINDS SLIGHTLY LESS. AN EAST/NORTHEAST SWELL WILL BUILD SEAS TO 5 FT (AND POSSIBLY 6 FT) AWAY FROM THE COAST WED NIGHT THRU THE EXTENDED WITH 2-4 FT SEAS NEAR SHORE. WONT RULE OUT A FEW PERIODS OF CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS FOR OFFSHORE WATERS...WHICH WILL BE BEST HANDLED BY FUTURE SHORT-TERM FORECASTERS IN THE NEAR TERM. && .FIRE WEATHER... THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING...DESPITE RECENT SPOTS OF RAIN... GROUND AND FUELS STILL HORRIBLY DRY SO THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR LIGHTNING INITIATED FIRES WHERE EVER STORMS HAVE OCCURRED. DEEPENING EASTERLY FLOW WEDNESDAY WILL KEEP RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WELL ABOVE CRITICAL THRESHOLD. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... THU-SAT...ONSHORE FLOW WILL KEEP MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES FROM FALLING BELOW 40 PERCENT. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DAB 69 81 69 85 / 40 30 10 20 MCO 70 88 68 89 / 40 50 10 20 MLB 72 84 71 84 / 30 30 10 20 VRB 71 86 70 83 / 30 30 10 20 && .MLB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...NONE. AM...NONE. && SHORT TERM/AVIATION...WIMMER RADAR...KELLY
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 920 AM EDT TUE MAY 12 2009 AMZ550-552-555-570-572-575-FLZ041-044>047-053-054-058-059-064-141- 144-147-122115- 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- 920 AM EDT TUE MAY 12 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ...THUNDERSTORM IMPACT... A MORE MOIST AIRMASS WILL LEAD TO SCATTERED AFTERNOON LIGHTNING STORM DEVELOPMENT ALONG THE INLAND MOVING EAST COAST SEA BREEZE AND NEAR A STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY NEAR EXTREME NORTHERN LAKE AND VOLUSIA COUNTIES. ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP WILL BE ABLE TO PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. ...MARINE THUNDERSTORM GUST IMPACT... SCATTERED STORMS CAN BE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON OVER THE COASTAL WATERS...MAINLY NORTH OF THE CAPE. ANY STRONGER STORMS THAT FORM WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE GUSTS TO 35 KNOTS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. ...FIRE WEATHER IMPACT... A PERSISTENT AND MOIST ONSHORE FLOW WILL KEEP THE FIRE WEATHER THREAT LOW THIS AFTERNOON. HOWEVER ANY LIGHTNING STRIKES FROM STORMS THAT FORM THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE ABLE TO SPARK NEW WILDFIRES DUE TO THE EXTREMELY DRY GROUND CONDITIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. LINGERING MOISTURE OVER THE AREA WILL KEEP A LOW CHANCE FOR AFTERNOON LIGHTNING STORMS MAINLY OVER THE INTERIOR THROUGH LATE WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY. WEITLICH/UPDATE WIMMER
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 140 PM EDT TUE MAY 12 2009 FLZ054-121830- INDIAN RIVER- 140 PM EDT TUE MAY 12 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING CENTRAL INDIAN RIVER COUNTY... AT 138 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG STORM JUST WEST OF FELLSMERE...MOVING SOUTH AT 10 MPH. 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. SEEK SHELTER INDOORS UNTIL THE STORM PASSES. A BRIEF PERIOD OF SMALL HAIL...PEA TO DIME SIZE...WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE IN LOCALIZED AREAS. TORRENTIAL RAINFALL CAN BE EXPECTED...CAUSING TEMPORARY PONDING ON SOME ROADS AND MINOR FLOODING OF 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
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 203 PM EDT TUE MAY 12 2009 FLZ064-121845- MARTIN- 203 PM EDT TUE MAY 12 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING WESTERN MARTIN COUNTY... AT 201 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG STORM JUST NORTH OF INDIANTOWN...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 5 MPH. 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. SEEK SHELTER INDOORS UNTIL THE STORM PASSES. A BRIEF PERIOD OF SMALL HAIL...PEA TO DIME SIZE...WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE IN LOCALIZED AREAS. TORRENTIAL RAINFALL CAN BE EXPECTED...CAUSING TEMPORARY PONDING ON SOME ROADS AND MINOR FLOODING OF 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
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
247 PM EDT TUE MAY 12 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0215 PM FUNNEL CLOUD INDIANTOWN 27.02N 80.47W
05/12/2009 MARTIN FL FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
FIRE OFFICIALS WITNESSED FUNNEL CLOUDS LOWERING OVER
WESTERN RURAL MARTIN COUNTY THEN DISSIPATED.
&&
JRCSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 250 PM EDT TUE MAY 12 2009 FLZ044>046-053-144-121925- NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY-ORANGE-OSCEOLA-SEMINOLE-SOUTHERN LAKE COUNTY- 250 PM EDT TUE MAY 12 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY...ORANGE COUNTY...NORTHEASTERN OSCEOLA COUNTY... AT 246 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG STORMS NEAR FRUITLAND PARK TO MOUNT DORA AND OCOEE. OTHER STRONG STORMS WERE DEVELOPING OVER SOUTHEAST ORANGE COUNTY. THE STORMS WERE MOVING VERY SLOW MOVING...DRIFING AT 5 TO 10 MPH. THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES AND GUSTY WINDS TO 45 MPH...WHICH MAY CAUSE UNSECURED OBJECTS TO BLOW AROUND. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL TEMPORARILY REDUCE VISIBILITY. SEEK SHELTER INDOORS UNTIL THE STORM PASSES. A BRIEF PERIOD OF SMALL HAIL...PEA TO DIME SIZE...WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE IN LOCALIZED AREAS WITH THESE STORMS. TORRENTIAL RAINFALL CAN BE EXPECTED...CAUSING TEMPORARY PONDING ON SOME ROADS AND MINOR FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. MOTORISTS SHOULD SLOW DOWN IN HEAVY RAINFALL TO REDUCE THE RISK OF HYDROPLANING AND LEAVE SAFE DISTANCE BETWEEN OTHER VEHICLES. 15
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
322 PM EDT TUE MAY 12 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0255 PM HAIL MOUNT DORA 28.82N 81.69W
05/12/2009 E0.70 INCH LAKE FL TRAINED SPOTTER
SPOTTER REPORTED ESTIMATED GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND DIME SIZE
HAIL AT THE INTERSECTION OF PROGREE BLVD. AND 19A
&&
FXDSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 335 PM EDT TUE MAY 12 2009 FLZ045-122015- ORANGE- 335 PM EDT TUE MAY 12 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING WESTERN ORANGE COUNTY... AT 332 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG STORM OVER ORLOVISTA...MOVING SOUTH AT 10 MPH. LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STRONG STORM INCLUDE UNIVERSAL STUDIOS...DOCTOR PHILLIPS...LAKE BUENA VISTA AND SEA WORLD. 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. SEEK SHELTER INDOORS UNTIL THE STORM PASSES. A BRIEF PERIOD OF SMALL HAIL...PEA TO DIME SIZE...WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE IN LOCALIZED AREAS. 52
The Melbourne radar (KMLB), 88 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:54 UTC.
1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Nickel size hail was reported on I-4 near Universal Studios. The public report was relayed by WPOZ radio.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, May 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: 170146.