An isolated severe thunderstorm moved northeast across the eastern sections of Marathon, producing isolated wind damage.
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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 KEY wrote it up.
An isolated severe thunderstorm moved northeast across the eastern sections of Marathon, producing isolated wind damage.
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 Key West, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 17, 10:00 AM EST, 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL 1000 AM EST MON JAN 17 2011 ...CONTINUED SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY... .DISCUSSION...IN THE MID AND UPPER LEVELS...LATEST 700-200 MB STREAMLINE ANALYSIS OVERLAID ON TOP OF IR AND WATER VAPOR SATELLITE IMAGERY DEPICT THE SHARP AXIS OF A SHORTWAVE TROUGH SITUATED IN THE NORTH CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO SOUTH OF LOUISIANA. THIS FEATURE CONTINUES TO ENERGIZE THE SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEASTWARD MOVING SOUTHERN STREAM OF THE JET KNOWN AS THE SUBTROPICAL JETSTREAM. THOUGH SOUTH FLORIDA AND THE KEYS ARE CURRENTLY SEVERAL SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES DUE EAST OF THE AXIS OF THIS SHORTWAVE...THEY ARE ON THE LOWER RIGHT SIDE OF THE TROUGH...WHERE SYNOPTIC SCALE LIFT AND DIVERGENCE ARE HIGHEST. THIS FEATURE HAS INDUCED SURFACE TO MIDDLE LEVEL CYCLOGENESIS OVER THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO...WITH A 1012 MB SURFACE LOW MIDWAY 100 MILES NORTH OF BUOYS 42054 AND BUOY 42003. THERE IS ALSO AN ATTENDANT WARM FRONT PRESENTLY LIFTING NORTHWARD NEAR THE KEYS ISLAND CHAIN...WHICH IS NOW PROVIDING ADDITIONAL LARGE SCALE LIFT NEAR THE KEYS. THE 12Z KEY WEST SOUNDING ILLUSTRATED AT VERY MOIST WITH PWAT( 1.65 INCHES) AND UNSTABLE LOWER TO MID TROPOSPHERIC PROFILE...WITH SUFFICIENT SPEED AND DIRECTIONAL SHEER FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...ALBEIT NOT OPTIMAL. .CURRENTLY...ATTM...AS OF 900 AM...KEY WEST RADAR DETECTS SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS THE KEYS AND ADJOINING WATERS. TEMPERATURES OUTSIDE OF CONVECTION ARE IN THE LOWER 70S WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE UPPER 60S. WINDS OUTSIDE OF CONVECTION ARE GENERALLY SOUTHEAST BETWEEN 10 AND 15 KNOTS WITH GUSTS NEAR 20 KNOTS. THE RADAR METEOROLOGIST IS PRESENTLY DETECTING MANY CLUSTERS OF ROTATING CELLS WITH ONGOING MESOS/AND TVS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FLORIDA KEYS. THERE ARE ACTIVE MARINE WARNINGS. .SHORT TERM (REST OF TODAY)...INCREASED HEATING THIS MORNING WILL RESULT IN A SLIGHT INCREASE IN THE LOWER TO MIDDLE LEVEL WINDS NEAR THE KEYS...ALLOWING FOR A PERIOD WITH BETTER DIRECTIONAL AND SPEED SHEAR...UNTIL THE AFOREMENTIONED WARM FRONT PULLS NORTHWARD. THE STRONGEST FORCING WILL CONTINUE TO BE LOCATED NEAR THIS NORTHWARD MOVING WARM FRONTAL BOUNDARY. SPC HAS PLACED SOUTH FLORIDA AND THE KEYS IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...GIVEN ADDITIONAL AIRMASS DESTABILIZATION THROUGH THE REST OF THIS MORNING THROUGH PART OF THE AFTERNOON...WILL STILL LIKELY DETECT SOME ROTATING STORMS OR SUPERCELLS. OF COURSE THESE SUPERCELL MAY CONTAIN ISOLATED TORNADOES AND/OR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. OTHER HAZARDS WILL BE BRIEF PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL CAUSING PONDING OF WATERS AND WELL AS FREQUENT AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES. WITH BREAKS OF SUNSHINE THIS MORNING...TEMPERATURES WILL BE ABLE TO RISE WELL INTO THE 70S. LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING BOTH LATEST (06Z) NAM AND GFS MODEL FORECAST SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO ILLUSTRATED THAT LOWER TO MIDDLE LEVEL WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO VEER AND BECOME MORE ALIGNED WITH THE MAGNITUDE OF THE VELOCITY DECREASING WITH INCREASING HEIGHT...WHICH SHOULD REDUCE BOTH SPEED AND DIRECTIONAL SHEAR THROUGH THE LOWER AND MID TROPOSPHERE...WHICH WILL DECREASE THE COVERAGE AND INTENSITY OF ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS WHICH DEVELOP IN THE WARMING AIRMASS. ONLY CHANGE WILL BE TO PUT COVERAGE SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE IN THE LOW LIKELY CATEGORY. && .MARINE...MARINERS NEED TO TUNE INTO NOAA WEATHER RADIO BEFORE VENTURING OUT AS THERE ARE ACTIVE MARINE WARNINGS IN PLACE ACROSS MUCH OF THE MARINE DISTRICT LATE THIS MORNING AND THIS AFTERNOON. ISOLATED WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 50 KNOTS AND VIOLENT WATERSPOUTS ARE A POSSIBILITY. A LOW PRESSURE CENTER DEVELOPING IN THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO WILL PROGRESS NORTHEASTWARD TOWARDS THE FLORIDA BIG BEND THIS AFTERNOON. SMALL CRAFT ARE URGED TO EXERCISE CAUTION ON THE ATLANTIC AND GULF COASTAL WATERS TODAY DUE TO SUSTAINED SOUTHEAST TO SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 15 TO 20 KNOTS WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS TODAY MAY CONTAIN STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO SURFACE LIGHTNING STRIKES. THE LOW PRESSURE CENTER WILL STRENGTHEN AND ACCELERATE TOWARDS THE CAROLINA COAST OVERNIGHT. WINDS AND SEAS WILL SUBSIDE TONIGHT AND TUESDAY. && .AVIATION...THROUGH 20Z...PREVAILING VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITH SEVERAL EPISODES OF MVFR IN OCCASIONAL SHOWERS. A FEW IFR EPISODES ARE LIKELY AS THE HEAVIER SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MOVE THROUGH. LOCAL SURFACE WIND GUSTS COULD EXCEED 25KT IN AND NEAR THE HEAVIER SHOWERS AND STORMS. AFTER 18/00Z...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED. && .CLIMATE... ON THIS DATE IN KEYS WEATHER HISTORY...IN 1922...0.98 INCHES OF RAINFALL WAS RECORDED AT KEY WEST. THIS SET THE DAILY RAINFALL RECORD AT KEY WEST FOR JANUARY 17TH...A RECORD THAT STOOD FOR 88 YEARS. THROUGH 11Z...THE KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ALREADY RECORDED 1. INCHES OF RAINFALL...THUS ESTABLISHING A NEW DAILY RAINFALL RECORD AT KEY WEST FOR JANUARY 17TH. && .KEY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...ACTIVE SHORT TERM FL...NONE. GM...NONE. && PUBLIC/MARINE/GRIDS...........................FUTTERMAN AVIATION/NOWCASTS/WARNINGS/STATEMENTS.........KASPER DATA ACQUISITION/UPPER AIR/MEDIA..............ROSS VISIT US ON THE WEB AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL 525 AM EST MON JAN 17 2011 FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-181100- MONROE UPPER KEYS-MONROE MIDDLE KEYS-MONROE LOWER KEYS- FLORIDA BAY-GULF SIDE OF THE LOWER KEYS OUT 20 NM- GULF WATERS FROM EAST CAPE SABLE TO CHOKOLOSKEE 20 TO 60 NM OUT- OCEAN REEF TO CRAIG KEY OUT 20 NM- CRAIG KEY TO THE WEST END OF THE 7 MILE BRIDGE OUT 20 NM- WEST END OF THE 7 MILE BRIDGE TO KEY WEST OUT 20 NM- OCEAN REEF TO CRAIG KEY 20 TO 60 NM OUT- CRAIG KEY TO THE WEST END OF THE 7 MILE BRIDGE 20 TO 60 NM OUT- WEST END OF THE 7 MILE BRIDGE TO KEY WEST 20 TO 60 NM OUT- KEY WEST TO 20 NM WEST OF DRY TORTUGAS OUT 60 NM- 525 AM EST MON JAN 17 2011 ...A FEW STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TODAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE CENTER OVER THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO THIS MORNING...IN COMBINATION WITH THE PRESENCE OF A STRENGTHENING SUBTROPICAL JET STREAM OVERHEAD...WILL RESULT IN WIDESPREAD SHOWER AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS ACROSS THE FLORIDA KEYS ISLAND CHAIN AND ADJACENT NEARSHORE AND OFFSHORE COASTAL WATERS. A FEW STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE...WITH THE PRIMARY HAZARDS BEING DANGEROUS CLOUD TO SURFACE LIGHTNING STRIKES AND STRONG WIND GUSTS. SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MAY LINGER THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING HOURS AS THE LOW PRESSURE CENTER ACCELERATES NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE FLORIDA PENINSULA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER TODAY. HOWEVER...SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED AT THIS TIME. NELSON
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL 729 AM EDT MON JAN 17 2011 FLZ078-171200- MONROE LOWER KEYS- INCLUDING THE COMMUNITIES OF...KEY WEST...BIG PINE KEY 729 AM EDT MON JAN 17 2011 ...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER PORTIONS OF THE LOWER KEYS... AT 625 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A CLUSTER OF SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH THE NEARSHORE ATLANTIC WATERS JUST SOUTH OF THE LOWER KEYS...BETWEEN BAY POINT AND LITTLE TORCH KEY...MOVING NORTH NORTHEAST NEAR 10 MPH. DOPPLER RADAR INDICATES LOCALLY ONE TO TWO INCHES OF RAIN ARE POSSIBLE IN SOME ISLAND COMMUNITIES BETWEEN SUGARLOAF KEY AND BAY POINT OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. IN ADDITION...LOCAL WIND GUSTS OF NEAR 40 MPH AND CUT VISIBILITY TO BELOW 2 MILES IN VERY HEAVY RAIN ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS. MOTORISTS SHOULD DRIVE WITH CAUTION AS HEAVY DOWNPOURS CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON SOME ROADS. APA
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL 939 AM EST MON JAN 17 2011 FLZ077-171545- MONROE MIDDLE KEYS- INCLUDING THE COMMUNITIES OF...MARATHON 939 AM EST MON JAN 17 2011 ...HEAVY RAIN AND WIND APPROACHING MIDDLE KEYS... AT 938 AM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORM OVER THE FLORIDA REEFS AND HAWK CHANNEL FROM SOMBRERO KEY TO EAST TURTLE SHOAL LIGHT. THIS THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING NORTH AT 20 MPH...AND WILL BE MOVING THROUGH PORTIONS OF MARATHON...KEY COLONY BEACH...AND GRASSY KEY BETWEEN 945 AM AND 1015 AM. PEOPLE IN THESE LOCATIONS MAY EXPECT BLINDING DOWNPOURS OF RAIN...GUSTY WINDS NEAR 40 MPH...AND OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING STRIKES. THE STORM DURATION SHOULD BE AROUND A HALF HOUR. MONITOR NOAA ALL HAZARDS WEATHER RADIO...THE VOICE OF YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE...FOR THE LATEST FLORIDA KEYS WEATHER INFORMATION. KASPER
The Key West radar (KBYX), 69 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 15:03 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Television cable line blown down and blocking 112th Street Ocean in Marathon. Time of event estimated by radar.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, January 2011
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: 280028.