Long term drought conditions continued to create dry surface fuels. Scattered storms produced lightning strikes, especially during the middle of the month, which ignited numerous more fires across the forecast area.
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 JAX wrote it up.
Long term drought conditions continued to create dry surface fuels. Scattered storms produced lightning strikes, especially during the middle of the month, which ignited numerous more fires across the forecast area. In addition, thunderstorm wind gusts and outflow boundaries produced sporadic and frequent wind shifts which enabled some fires to spread quickly.
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 Jacksonville, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 31, 8:11 PM EST, 3 hours 49 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL 911 PM EDT TUE MAY 31 2011 .UPDATE...HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE TO THE NORTH HAS A DEEP E-NE FLOW OVER THE REGION. VORTICITY MAX ROTATING SW AROUND HIGH IS NOW OFF THE CAROLINA COAST PRODUCING A MCS. GFS/ECMWF MODELS SHOW VORT MAX REACHING NE FL COAST AROUND 12Z. EXPECT A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER NE FL AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS 06Z-12Z TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING. CONVECTION WILL LIKELY CONTINUE AND SPREAD WWD OVER LAND TIL AROUND MIDDAY WHEN SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE GULF. && .AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE OVERNIGHT WITH FOG POTENTIAL LOW. && .MARINE...EASTERLY WINDS AROUND 10 KNOTS AND SEAS AROUND 3 FEET TONIGHT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MAY MOVE INTO THE NE FL WATERS FROM THE EAST AFTER MIDNIGHT. && .JAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...NONE. GA...NONE. AM...NONE. && ZIBURA/ZAPPE/PRESNALL
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL 905 PM EDT TUE MAY 31 2011 FLZ020>025-030>033-035>038-040-GAZ132>136-149>154-162>166-010900- ALACHUA-APPLING-ATKINSON-BACON-BAKER-BRADFORD-BRANTLEY- CAMDEN (COASTAL)-CAMDEN (INLAND)-CHARLTON-CLAY-CLINCH-COFFEE- COLUMBIA-DUVAL-ECHOLS-FLAGLER-GILCHRIST-GLYNN (COASTAL)- GLYNN (INLAND)-HAMILTON-JEFF DAVIS-MARION-NASSAU-PIERCE-PUTNAM- ST JOHNS-SUWANNEE-UNION-WARE-WAYNE- 905 PM EDT TUE MAY 31 2011 THIS OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST FLORIDA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT... ...MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS... EASTERLY FLOW AND BUILDING SWELLS WILL ELEVATE THE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ALONG THE COAST. PLEASE REFER TO THE SURF ZONE FORECAST FOR MORE INFORMATION. A WILDFIRE CONTINUES TO BURN ALONG U.S. HIGHWAY 1 NORTHWEST OF RACE POND IN EASTERN WARE COUNTY. SMOKE WILL SPREAD WEST TO SOUTHWEST GENERALLY IMPACTING AREAS ALONG HIGHWAY 1 SOUTH OF WAYCROSS AND INTERESTS TOWARD MANOR AND FARGO. DUE TO EASTERLY WINDS... VISIBILITIES CLOSE TO AND JUST DOWNSTREAM OF THE FIRE MAY BE REDUCED TO A MILE OR LESS AND MOTORISTS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR SUDDEN VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS. SMOKE MAY MIX WITH FOG LATE TONIGHT. A PORTION OF U.S. 1 AND HIGHWAY 177 MAY BE CLOSED NEAR THE FIRE. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS LATE TONIGHT AS AN UPPER DISTURBANCE MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. THERE IS ALSO A SLIGHT CHANCE OF A THUNDERSTORM AS WELL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY... AN ELEVATED RISK OF RIP CURRENTS IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEK DUE TO PERSISTENT ONSHORE FLOW AND EASTERLY SWELLS. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE EACH DAY WITH A BREEZY ONSHORE FLOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED AT THIS TIME. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSONVILLE WEBSITE ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV/JAX.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
Interstate 95 was closed in both directions near County Road 210 due to a wildfire that had jumped the interstate on the afternoon of the 9th.
The Espanola Wildfire grew through the month to over 5,136 acres on the 30th. The fire was about 70 percent contained on the 30th.
On the 9th, the Impassable Bay wildfire burned 1,800 acres. By the 14th, the fire had burned 8,500 acres. On the 24th, the fire burned 11,305 acres and was about 70 percent contained. On the 30th, the fire burned 12,130 and was 89 percent contained.
By the 30th, the wildfire had burned 5679 acres and was about 85 percent contained.
The Little Lake George wildfire was about 80 percent contained and had burned about 1,700 acres on the 24th.
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, June 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: 308782, 308908, 308909, 308910, 308911.