Moderate onshore winds caused rip currents along the coast of Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. A total of 16 people were rescued by lifeguards.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 MFL wrote it up.
Moderate onshore winds caused rip currents along the coast of Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. A total of 16 people were rescued by lifeguards.
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 Miami, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 23, 9:38 AM EST, 3 hours 22 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 1038 AM EDT SAT MAY 23 2009 .UPDATE... THIS MORNING THERE HAS BEEN A CONVERGENCE LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE METRO AREAS OF PALM BEACH COUNTY, AND WESTERN METRO AREAS OF BROWARD COUNTY...DUE TO THE DRAINAGE FLOW FROM THE LAND AND THE EASTERLY WIND FLOW FROM THE ATLANTIC WATERS. AT THE SAME TIME...A SHORT WAVE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ATMOSPHERE HAS ALSO BEEN WORKING NORTH FROM THE FLORIDA KEYS INTO SOUTH FLORIDA. THE SHORT WAVE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTH THROUGH THE CWA THIS AFTERNOON...AS THE CONVERGENCE LINE SHOULD PUSH INLAND INTO THE INTERIOR AREAS OF SOUTH FLORIDA. THIS WILL REFOCUS THE ACTIVITY FROM THE EAST COAST METRO AREAS INTO THE INTERIOR AREAS ESPECIALLY OVER THE LAKE OKEECHOBEE AREA. THEREFORE...HAVE INCREASE THE POPS TO LIKELY THIS MORNING FOR METRO PALM BEACH INTO BROWARD COUNTIES...BEFORE DECREASING THEM BACK TO CHANCE THIS AFTERNOON. THE INTERIOR AREAS WILL REMAIN IN THE LIKELY CAT TODAY...WITH THE WEST COAST METRO AREAS IN THE CHANCE CAT. THE LATEST MORNING MIA SOUNDING ALSO SHOWS SOME DRY AIR AROUND 5OO MBS WITH TEMPS AROUND -9C. SO, WILL ALSO ADD THE SMALL HAIL WORDING ALONG WITH THE HEAVY RAINFALL AND GUSTY WINDS TO THE MORNING HWO UPDATE ESPECIALLY OVER THE NORTHERN INTERIOR AND NORTHEAST AREAS OF THE CWA. REST OF THE FORECAST LOOKS GOOD AT THIS TIME AND NO OTHER CHANGES ARE PLAN AT THIS TIME. && .UPDATE...54/BNB .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 746 AM EDT SAT MAY 23 2009/ AVIATION... E COAST TERMINALS VFR THRU PD. THRU 14Z SCT SHRA/ISOLD TSRA OVR ATLC E KPBI WITH WDLY SCT SHRA MOVG NW OVER ATLC SE OF BROWARD /MIAMI-DADE TERMINALS. BRIEF MVFR CIG/VSBY PSBL ALL TERMINALS... AFT 14Z VCTS THRU 17Z EXCPT KPBI TIL 22Z. WINDS ESE 10-15 KT THRU PD WITH HIR GUSTS IN SHRA. AT KAPF...VFR THRU PD AS WELL. VCSH TIL 18Z THEN VCTS TO 20Z. WIND E 5-8 KT BCMG SE AFT 14Z WITH SEA BREEZE SW 10-12 KTS AFT 18Z WHEN AND VCTS PSBL. JR/DD PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 323 AM EDT SAT MAY 23 2009/ DISCUSSION...MID LEVEL LOW CURRENTLY OVER THE NORTH CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO CONTINUES TO DRIFT SLOWLY NORTH AWAY FROM SOUTH FLORIDA WITH SURFACE RIDGE STRETCHING ACROSS THE MID ATLANTIC. AS THE LOW CONTINUES DRIFTING TO THE NORTH, SLIGHT MID LEVEL WARMING WILL TAKE PLACE AS HEIGHT RISES OCCUR BUT AT THE SAME TIME CLOUDS HAVE PRETTY MUCH CLEARED THE SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA. THIS WILL AID IN STRONG DIURNAL HEATING ONCE THE SUN RISES WHICH WILL OFFSET THE SLIGHT WARMING ALOFT MAKING CONDITIONS STILL QUITE UNSTABLE. THAT BEING SAID, IT APPEARS THE STAGE IS SET FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS TSRA AND WITH SOUTHERLY STEERING FLOW PRESENT THESE WILL TEND TO DEVELOP ALONG THE SEA BREEZE CONVERGENT BOUNDARIES ACROSS THE SOUTHERN ZONES MOVING NORTH AND THEN DEVELOPING FARTHER NORTH TOWARDS THE LAKE OKEE REGION BY AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING. BY SUNDAY, AS THE LOW CONTINUES TO DRIFT SLOWLY NORTH IT WILL BECOME ABSORBED IN THE PREDOMINANT WESTERLY FLOW ACROSS THE MID LATITUDES. AS THIS HAPPENS, SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE MID ATLANTIC REGION EARLY NEXT WEEK WHICH WILL IN TURN SHOVE THE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE SOUTH TO EITHER EXTREME SOUTH FLORIDA OR THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA PUTTING US UNDER MAINLY DEEP SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALBEIT WEAK. FORECAST SOUNDINGS DO NOT SHOW NECESSARILY MOIST CONDITIONS SO CONVECTION WILL ONLY BE SCATTERED BUT THESE CONDITIONS WILL FAVOR INTERIOR AND EAST COAST ZONES. MARINE...SURFACE LOW IN THE NORTH CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO COMBINED WITH HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE MID ATLANTIC WILL CONTINUE TO RESULT IN LOCALLY ROUGH MARINE CONDITIONS OVER THE NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE ATLANTIC WATERS. A SCEC STATEMENT WILL THEREFORE COVER THIS AREA ALTHOUGH MODEL GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THE WIND OVER THE SOUTHERN PORTIONS WILL DIMINISH BY AFTERNOON. THESE CONDITIONS WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE BY SUNDAY AS THE GRADIENT RELAXES AND THE EAST TO SOUTHEAST WIND DIMINISHES. WIND AND SEAS WILL BE FAIRLY TRANQUIL NEXT WEEK. FIRE WEATHER...NO PROBLEMS OR CONCERNS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WEST PALM BEACH 84 74 86 72 / 70 40 50 30 FORT LAUDERDALE 85 75 86 74 / 60 40 50 30 MIAMI 86 75 86 74 / 50 40 50 30 NAPLES 88 71 87 71 / 50 30 30 20 && .MFL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...NONE. AM...NONE. GM...NONE. && LONG TERM...30/KOB SHORT TERM/AVIATION...15/JR
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTH FLORIDA...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 1054 AM EDT SAT MAY 23 2009 FLZ063-066>075-168-172>174-240100- GLADES-HENDRY-INLAND PALM BEACH-METRO PALM BEACH-COASTAL COLLIER- INLAND COLLIER-INLAND BROWARD-METRO BROWARD-INLAND MIAMI DADE- METRO MIAMI DADE-MAINLAND MONROE-COASTAL PALM BEACH- COASTAL BROWARD-COASTAL MIAMI DADE-FAR SOUTH MIAMI DADE- 1054 AM EDT SAT MAY 23 2009 ...HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ATLANTIC BEACHES TODAY... ...A FEW STRONG STORMS POSSIBLE LAKE AREA AND NORTHEAST AREAS TODAY... ...SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS STORMS ESPECIALLY NORTHERN AREAS TODAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT RIP CURRENTS: SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS AROUND 15 TO 20 MPH...COMBINED WITH LOW TIDES BETWEEN 1 AND 2 PM...WILL LEAD TO A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS AT THE BEACHES OF PALM BEACH...BROWARD AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTIES TODAY. THUNDERSTORMS: SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT SOUTH FLORIDA TODAY INTO THIS EVENING. MOST OF THE THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED TO BE CONCENTRATED ACROSS THE LAKE OKEECHOBEE REGION AND THE NORTHEAST AREAS OF SOUTH FLORIDA. A FEW STRONG STORMS MAY OCCUR WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES, GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL. WIND: GUSTY WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS THIS AFTERNOON. HAIL: THE STRONGEST STORMS THIS AFTERNOON CAN PRODUCE HAIL UP TO DIME SIZE. FLOODING: THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. WITH SOILS SATURATED FROM RAINS THE PAST FEW DAYS, THIS COULD LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLOODING OF LOW LYING AND FLOOD-PRONE AREAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED EACH DAY OVER SOUTH FLORIDA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED ESPECIALLY OVER NORTHERN INTERIOR AND NORTHEAST AREAS OF SOUTH FLORIDA. FOR MORE INFORMATION...VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MIAMI WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MIAMI. BAXTER
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
928 AM EDT SAT MAY 23 2009
FLZ067-068-168-231415-
INLAND PALM BEACH COUNTY FL-METRO PALM BEACH COUNTY FL-
COASTAL PALM BEACH COUNTY FL-
928 AM EDT SAT MAY 23 2009
...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING ACROSS EAST CENTRAL PALM BEACH
COUNTY...
AT 928 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR OCEAN RIDGE...AND MOVING NORTHWEST AT 10
MPH.
THIS STORM WILL AFFECT...
MANALAPAN...
ATLANTIS...
PALM SPRINGS...
GREENACRES CITY...
FLORIDA GARDENS...
WEST PALM BEACH...
AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.
THE PRIMARY IMPACTS WILL BE FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES...GUSTY WINDS
OF 40 TO 50 MPH...WHICH CAN DOWN SMALL TREE LIMBS AND BRANCHES AND
BLOW AROUND UNSECURED SMALL OBJECTS...AND TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS.
LIGHTNING IS THE NUMBER ONE WEATHER RELATED KILLER IN FLORIDA. TREES
AND OPEN SHELTERS OFFER NO PROTECTION. SEEK SHELTER IN A SAFE
BUILDING UNTIL THE STORM PASSES.
ALSO...FUNNEL CLOUDS HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THIS STORM...AND WILL
CONTINUE TO BE A POSSIBILITY AS THIS STORM MOVES INLAND.
RESIDENTS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD REMAIN ON THE ALERT FOR
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
LAT...LON 2666 8003 2655 8003 2654 8004 2651 8004
2649 8005 2645 8005 2642 8010 2665 8029
2677 8008 2667 8002
TIME...MOT...LOC 1326Z 148DEG 10KT 2655 8007
70/DDSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
1040 AM EDT SAT MAY 23 2009
FLZ071-072-172-231515-
INLAND BROWARD COUNTY FL-METRO BROWARD COUNTY FL-
COASTAL BROWARD COUNTY FL-
1040 AM EDT SAT MAY 23 2009
...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING ACROSS EASTERN BROWARD COUNTY...
AT 1040 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR PLANTATION...MOVING NORTH AT 15 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL AFFECT...
PLANTATION...
SAWGRASS MILLS MALL...
SUNRISE...
TAMARAC...
MARGATE...
COCONUT CREEK...
AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.
THE PRIMARY IMPACTS WILL BE FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES AND GUSTY
WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH...WHICH CAN DOWN SMALL TREE LIMBS AND
BRANCHES...AND BLOW AROUND UNSECURED SMALL OBJECTS. LIGHTNING IS THE
NUMBER ONE WEATHER RELATED KILLER IN FLORIDA. TREES AND OPEN
SHELTERS OFFER NO PROTECTION. SEEK SHELTER IN A SAFE BUILDING UNTIL
THE STORM PASSES.
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER
DETAILS OR UPDATES.
LAT...LON 2601 8035 2633 8046 2634 8023 2633 8018
2633 8017 2604 8015
TIME...MOT...LOC 1439Z 167DEG 15KT 2612 8028
70/DDSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 1245 PM EDT SAT MAY 23 2009 FLZ066-231715- HENDRY FL- 1245 PM EDT SAT MAY 23 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING ACROSS RURAL HENDRY COUNTY... AT 1245 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF DEVILS GARDEN...MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH. THIS STORM WILL AFFECT... RURAL CENTRAL HENDRY COUNTY RURAL EASTERN HENDRY COUNTY AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. FREQUENT LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS TO 50 MPH...PEA-SIZED HAIL... TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS...OR A COMBINATION OF THESE ARE POSSIBLE. LIGHTNING IS THE NUMBER ONE WEATHER RELATED KILLER IN FLORIDA. TREES AND OPEN SHELTERS OFFER NO PROTECTION. WIND GUSTS OF UP TO 50 MPH CAN DOWN SMALL TREE LIMBS AND BRANCHES...AND BLOW AROUND UNSECURED SMALL OBJECTS. SEEK SHELTER IN A SAFE BUILDING UNTIL THE STORM PASSES. RESIDENTS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD REMAIN ON THE ALERT FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. LAT...LON 2673 8089 2637 8089 2645 8123 2675 8113 TIME...MOT...LOC 1645Z 286DEG 4KT 2666 8105 70/DD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 123 PM EDT SAT MAY 23 2009 FLZ071-073-231745- INLAND BROWARD COUNTY FL-INLAND MIAMI-DADE FL- 123 PM EDT SAT MAY 23 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS INTERIOR BROWARD AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTIES... AT 123 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A COMPLEX OF STRONG THUNDERSTORM...CENTERED ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MICCOSUKEE SERVICE PLAZA. THIS COMPLEX OF STORMS WAS DRIFTING SLOWLY NORTHWARD AT SPEEDS LESS THAN 5 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL AFFECT... RURAL SOUTHWESTERN BROWARD COUNTY AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. FREQUENT LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS TO 50 MPH...PEA-SIZED HAIL... TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS...OR A COMBINATION OF THESE ARE POSSIBLE. LIGHTNING IS THE NUMBER ONE WEATHER RELATED KILLER IN FLORIDA. TREES AND OPEN SHELTERS OFFER NO PROTECTION. WIND GUSTS OF UP TO 50 MPH CAN DOWN SMALL TREE LIMBS AND BRANCHES...AND BLOW AROUND UNSECURED SMALL OBJECTS. SEEK SHELTER IN A SAFE BUILDING UNTIL THE STORM PASSES. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION VISIT THE MIAMI NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MIAMI. FOR INFORMATION IN SPANISH, VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MIAMI/ESPANOL. LAT...LON 2583 8087 2629 8087 2629 8056 2583 8056 TIME...MOT...LOC 1720Z 243DEG 1KT 2604 8077 70/DD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 146 PM EDT SAT MAY 23 2009 FLZ070-231815- INLAND COLLIER COUNTY FL- 146 PM EDT SAT MAY 23 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING ACROSS INLAND COLLIER COUNTY... AT 146 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES EAST OF AVE MARIA...MOVING NORTH AT 10 MPH. THIS STORM WILL AFFECT... AVE MARIA... BUNKER HILL... AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. FREQUENT LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS TO 50 MPH...PEA-SIZED HAIL... TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS...OR A COMBINATION OF THESE ARE POSSIBLE. LIGHTNING IS THE NUMBER ONE WEATHER RELATED KILLER IN FLORIDA. TREES AND OPEN SHELTERS OFFER NO PROTECTION. WIND GUSTS OF UP TO 50 MPH CAN DOWN SMALL TREE LIMBS AND BRANCHES...AND BLOW AROUND UNSECURED SMALL OBJECTS. SEEK SHELTER IN A SAFE BUILDING UNTIL THE STORM PASSES. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES. LAT...LON 2650 8153 2651 8129 2620 8129 2619 8150 TIME...MOT...LOC 1745Z 167DEG 8KT 2631 8137 70/DD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 156 PM EDT SAT MAY 23 2009 FLZ071-073-231900- INLAND BROWARD COUNTY FL-INLAND MIAMI-DADE FL- 156 PM EDT SAT MAY 23 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING INLAND MIAMI-DADE AND BROWARD COUNTIES... AT 156 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CENTERED 13 MILES NORTHWEST OF MICCOSUKEE RESORT. THIS AREA OF STORMS WAS DRIFTING SLOWLY NORTHWARD AT SPEEDS AROUND 5 MPH. THIS STORM WILL AFFECT... RURAL NORTHERN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY RURAL SOUTHERN BROWARD COUNTY AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. FREQUENT LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS TO 50 MPH...PEA-SIZED HAIL... TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS...OR A COMBINATION OF THESE ARE POSSIBLE. LIGHTNING IS THE NUMBER ONE WEATHER RELATED KILLER IN FLORIDA. TREES AND OPEN SHELTERS OFFER NO PROTECTION. WIND GUSTS OF UP TO 50 MPH CAN DOWN SMALL TREE LIMBS AND BRANCHES...AND BLOW AROUND UNSECURED SMALL OBJECTS. SEEK SHELTER IN A SAFE BUILDING UNTIL THE STORM PASSES. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES. LAT...LON 2582 8052 2582 8079 2620 8076 2618 8047 TIME...MOT...LOC 1755Z 201DEG 9KT 2589 8065 70/DD
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 rip current. Local standard time, as filed.
Four people needed to be rescued on the beach in Fort Lauderdale from rip currents.
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: 174280.