A cold front moved through the area early in the morning, and caused moderate westerly flow behind the front. This caused strong rip currents at area beaches.
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 TBW wrote it up.
A cold front moved through the area early in the morning, and caused moderate westerly flow behind the front. This caused strong rip currents at area beaches.
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 Tampa Bay, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 15, 8:37 AM EST, 3 hours 23 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL 937 AM EDT SUN MAY 15 2011 .UPDATE... COLD FRONT IS PROGRESSING ON SCHEDULE THROUGH THE TAMPA BAY AREA CURRENTLY. THE FRONT ITSELF IS MARKED ONLY WITH SOME CLOUDS AND A FEW SPRINKLES. THE MAIN LINE OF SHOWERS ANS STORMS IS CURRENTLY EXITING EXTREME SOUTHEAST LEE COUNTY. HAVE TRIMMED POPS EVEN FARTHER TO THE SOUTH FOR CURRENT TRENDS. HOWEVER WILL KEEP SOME FOR THE SOUTH AHEAD OF THE ACTUAL COLD FRONT TO ACCOUNT FOR POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENT LATER THIS MORNING. OTHERWISE...DRIER AND COOLER AIR WILL BEGIN TO ARRIVE FROM THE NORTH. HAVE ADJUSTED MAX TEMPS DOWN A COUPLE OF DEGREES FOR THIS. && .AVIATION... CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY CONTINUES TO PUSH SOUTH OF THE AREA ALONG THE COLD FRONT. VFR CONDITIONS WILL GRADUALLY TAKE OVER HOWEVER A WEAK BOUNDARY PASSING THROUGH CENTRAL FL MAY BRIEFLY DROP CIGS TO A BKN030 DECK FROM SRQ NORTHWARD. WINDS WILL REMAIN FROM W-NW AND START GUSTING TO AROUND 20-25KT LATER THIS AFTERNOON. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 351 AM EDT SUN MAY 15 2011/ SHORT TERM (TODAY-TUESDAY)... OVERALL TREND REMAINS PRETTY CLEAR AS A DEEP TROUGH WILL REMAIN OVER THE EASTERN U.S. IN THE MID/UPPER LEVELS DURING THE SHORT TERM PERIOD AND EVENTUALLY CUTOFF OVER THE SOUTHEAST STATES. HOWEVER...THE DETAILS CONTINUE TO CHANGE WITH RESPECT TO THE SMALLER SCALE FEATURES AS A SERIES OF VORT MAXES WILL BE MOVING THROUGH THE TROUGH DURING THE PERIOD. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION EARLY THIS MORNING AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE NORTHERN COASTAL WATERS. THIS FRONT WILL PUSH SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE AREA TODAY BRINGING AN END TO THE PRECIPITATION. FRONT SHOULD REACH TAMPA BAY AREA SHORTLY AFTER SUNRISE AND BE OUT OF THE REGION BY MID-AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES TODAY WILL BE CLOSE TO NORMAL. TONIGHT INTO MONDAY DRIER AIR WILL MOVE IN...BUT SO WILL COOLER MID LEVEL TEMPERATURES...-12C TO -14C AT 500 MB...AS A VORT MAX DROPS INTO THE BASE OF THE TROUGH OVER SOUTH GEORGIA. OVERALL MOISTURE WILL BE LIMITED WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES FORECAST TO REMAIN LESS THAN 1.25 INCHES...BUT COULD BE JUST ENOUGH WHEN COMBINED WITH DAYTIME HEATING...COOL MID-LEVEL TEMPERATURES AND A SECONDARY FRONT/TROUGH MOVING SOUTH TO POP A FEW AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY. BEST CHANCES WILL BE OVER INLAND AREAS AS A BREEZY WESTERLY FLOW WILL PERSIST SO WILL CONTINUE WITH THE 20 TO 30 POPS FROM COAST TO INLAND FOR MONDAY AFTERNOON. IF STORMS ARE ABLE TO POP THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH EVEN THE WEAKEST STORMS. TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WILL BE NEAR NORMAL AND HIGHS ON MONDAY A FEW DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. DURING MONDAY NIGHT ANOTHER WEAK BOUNDARY WILL MOVE SOUTH SHIFTING WINDS TO NORTHWEST AND CONTINUING THE THREAT OF A FEW MORE SHOWERS AND STORMS...ESPECIALLY OVER THE COASTAL WATERS AND NEAR THE COAST. BEHIND THIS BOUNDARY EVEN DRIER AIR WILL MOVE IN WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES FORECAST TO FALL BELOW 0.75 INCH TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THEREFORE...TUESDAY SHOULD BE A MOSTLY SUNNY...BREEZY AND RELATIVELY COOL DAY. TEMPERATURES WILL BE NEAR NORMAL MONDAY NIGHT AND SEVERAL DEGREES BELOW NORMAL ON TUESDAY. HOWEVER...HAVE NOT GONE QUITE AS COOL AS MAV/MET GUIDANCE ON TUESDAY AS PLENTY OF SUNSHINE IS EXPECTED WHICH SHOULD ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO REACH THE UPPER 70S TO LOWER 80S. LONG TERM (TUESDAY NIGHT-SATURDAY)... A BROAD MID LEVEL LOW ROTATES OVER THE OHIO VALLEY AND MID- ATLANTIC STATES THROUGH THE END OF THE WORK WEEK WHILE UPPER RIDGING REACHES NORTH FROM MEXICO TO THE CENTRAL PLAINS. ON SATURDAY THE UPPER LOW SLIDES OFFSHORE AS THE RIDGE TREKS EAST TO THE SOUTHEAST STATES. AT THE SURFACE... HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN OVER THE GULF AND THEN TRACKS ACROSS FLORIDA TO THE ATLANTIC BY SATURDAY...AS IT CONTINUES TO RIDGE BACK TO THE GULF. THE UPPER FEATURES KEEP A GENERALLY DRY AND COOL NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT RESULTING IN A RAIN FREE FORECAST. TEMPERATURES INITIALLY BELOW NORMAL GRADUALLY WARM TO NEAR NORMAL THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. MARINE... BREEZY WINDS AND SOMEWHAT CHOPPY SEAS WILL PERSIST THROUGH TUESDAY AS LOW PRESSURE CONTINUES TO SPIN ALONG MID-ATLANTIC COAST THEN WINDS AND SEAS WILL SUBSIDE AS HIGH PRESSURE MOVES OVER THE AREA DURING MIDWEEK. FIRE WEATHER... NO FIRE WEATHER PROBLEMS EXPECTED THROUGH MONDAY...BUT WILL NEED TO MONITOR LATER DEW POINT TRENDS AS RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES MONDAY AFTERNOON ARE CURRENTLY FORECAST TO FALL INTO THE UPPER 30S ALONG WITH SUSTAINED TWENTY FOOT WINDS OF 15 TO 20 MPH. IF DEW POINTS FALL A COUPLE OF MORE DEGREES THEN INSTANTANEOUS RED FLAG CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR. ON TUESDAY RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES ARE EXPECTED TO FALL BELOW 35 PERCENT ACROSS INLAND PORTIONS OF THE NATURE COAST ALONG WITH SUSTAINED TWENTY FOOT WINDS OF 15 TO 20 MPH LEADING TO INSTANTANEOUS RED FLAG CONDITIONS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... TPA 85 65 82 64 / 10 5 20 20 FMY 85 66 86 66 / 30 5 20 20 GIF 87 63 84 63 / 10 5 30 10 SRQ 83 66 81 64 / 20 5 20 20 BKV 83 56 83 55 / 10 5 20 20 SPG 82 70 81 68 / 10 5 20 20 && .TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...NONE. GULF WATERS...NONE. && UPDATE...JOHNSON AVIATION...BARRON SHORT TERM/MARINE/FIRE WEATHER...CLOSE LONG TERM...RUDE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL 553 AM EDT SUN MAY 15 2011 FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-152200- LEVY-CITRUS-SUMTER-HERNANDO-PASCO-PINELLAS-HILLSBOROUGH-POLK- MANATEE-HARDEE-HIGHLANDS-SARASOTA-DE SOTO-CHARLOTTE-LEE- 553 AM EDT SUN MAY 15 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ...THUNDERSTORM IMPACT... A COOL FRONT ACROSS THE NATURE COAST EARLY THIS MORNING WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE REGION TODAY CONTINUING THE THREAT OF THUNDERSTORMS AHEAD OF IT. ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT DO FORM COULD PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND HAIL. ...RIP CURRENT IMPACT... BREEZY WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE TODAY AND TONIGHT CAUSING AN INCREASED RISK OF RIP CURRENTS AT AREA BEACHES. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CHECK WITH THE BEACH PATROL WHEN YOU ARRIVE AT THE BEACH. ALWAYS REMEMBER TO SWIM WITHIN SIGHT OF A LIFEGUARD...AND DON'T SWIM ALONE. ...WIND AND SEA IMPACT... BREEZY WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS TODAY AND TONIGHT LEADING TO CHOPPY BOATING CONDITIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. ...THUNDERSTORM IMPACT... LATE MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT A SECONDARY FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION BRINGING THE CHANCE OF A FEW MORE THUNDERSTORMS. ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT DO FORM COULD PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL... GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND HAIL. ...WIND AND SEA IMPACT... BREEZY WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS THROUGH TUESDAY WITH LIGHTER WINDS AND SEAS RETURNING BY THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY. PRC
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
755 AM EDT SUN MAY 15 2011
FLZ065-151300-
LEE-
755 AM EDT SUN MAY 15 2011
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT LEE COUNTY...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATES THUNDERSTORMS
LOCATED NEAR PINE ISLAND...OR 13 MILES NORTHWEST OF CAPE CORAL...
MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH...WILL AFFECT PINE ISLAND...CAPTIVA...CAPE
CORAL AND SANIBEL...UNTIL 900 AM EDT.
GUSTY WINDS 35 TO 45 MPH WILL OCCUR. FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS EXPECTED.
TO BE SAFE GO INDOORS IMMEDIATELY. IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE...FIND A LOW
SPOT...AND STAY AWAY FROM TALL OBJECTS. THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE PEA
SIZE HAIL. TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL REDUCE VISIBILITY TO NEAR ZERO AND
WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS.
&&
LAT...LON 2655 8207 2647 8210 2646 8202 2641 8208
2641 8209 2648 8220 2655 8221 2646 8212
2665 8216 2657 8221 2669 8226 2672 8216
2664 8208 2677 8207 2676 8197 2653 8157
2643 8156 2631 8181
TIME...MOT...LOC 1155Z 319DEG 15KT 2666 82161 rip current. Local standard time, as filed.
A 16-year-old boy got caught in a rip current and was pulled well out to sea. Two beachgoers rescued the boy, and he was later transported by helicopter to the hospital.
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, May 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: 305906.