A cluster of showers and thunderstorms moved northwest across the Lower Florida Keys, causing isolated wind damage in the southern portion of Cudjoe Key.
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 KEY wrote it up.
A cluster of showers and thunderstorms moved northwest across the Lower Florida Keys, causing isolated wind damage in the southern portion of Cudjoe Key.
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 Oct 3, 3:11 PM EST, 4 hours 7 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL 411 PM EDT MON OCT 3 2011 .DISCUSSION... A CLOUDY...WET...AND INCREASINGLY BREEZY PERIOD SEEMS INCREASINGLY LIKELY FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS THIS WEEK. AN INTERESTING INTERPLAY AMONG SEVERAL WEATHER FEATURES AT MULTIPLE ALTITUDES WILL SUPPORT A CLOUDIER...WETTER PERIOD FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. EPISODIC LARGE-SCALE ASCENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE RIGHT-REAR QUADRANT OF AN UPPER JET STREAK HAS BEEN ONGOING FROM THE KEYS SOUTHWARD OVER THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA. CONVECTIVE CLOUDINESS HAS BLOSSOMED OVER THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN DURING THE LAST FEW DAYS OWING TO A DEEPER MOIST LAYER AND MORE FAVORABLE POSITION RELATIVE TO THE JET STREAK. THIS JUXTAPOSITION OF FEATURES WILL SHIFT NORTHWARD DURING THE NEXT 12-18 HOURS...LEADING TO AN INCREASE IN MID-AND HIGH-LEVEL LARGE-SCALE ASCENT AND ASSOCIATED DESTABILIZATION LOCALLY. IN ADDITION...A WEAK CONFLUENT ZONE ASSOCIATED WITH A FORMER FRONT AND CURRENTLY ALIGNED EAST-WEST FROM THE NORTHERN BAHAMAS TO THE YUCATAN CHANNEL WILL BE SOMEWHAT FORTIFIED AS RISING SURFACE PRESSURES OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES AND STEADY OR SLOWLY FALLING PRESSURE OVER THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN BASIN INDUCE AN INCREASE IN NORTHEAST TO EAST WINDS OVER SOUTHERN FLORIDA. THEREFORE...WE HAVE INCREASED 12-HOUR MEASURABLE RAIN CHANCES...AGAIN...FOR THE TONIGHT-TUESDAY NIGHT TIME FRAME. FROM WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY...THE BIG STORY WILL BE THE WIND. AN INTENSIFYING AND EXPANDING CONTINENTAL ANTICYCLONE OVER THE EASTERN UNITED STATES WILL RESULT IN BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS IN THE FLORIDA KEYS WITH WINDS COMING OUT OF THE NORTHEAST TO EAST. HEALTHY SEA TO AIR HEAT AND MOISTURE FLUXES WITHIN THE INCREASINGLY HIGH-MOMENTUM AND TURBULENT BOUNDARY LAYER WILL SUPPORT AT LEAST SCATTERED SHOWER ACTIVITY WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. WE HAVE NUDGED FORECAST WINDS UP A BIT FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. && .MARINE... SMALL CRAFT SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION FOR NORTHEAST TO EAST WINDS OF 15 TO 20 KNOTS...WITH OCCASIONAL TO FREQUENT GUSTS IN THE 20-23KT RANGE TONIGHT. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES ARE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY...WITH SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES LIKELY TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY. NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP TONIGHT AND TUESDAY...WITH AT LEAST SCATTERED COVERAGE THEREAFTER. && .AVIATION... MOSTLY VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT THE KEY WEST AND MARATHON ISLAND TERMINALS SHOULD PREVAIL THROUGH AT LEAST 22Z TO 23Z. HAVE RAIN SHOWERS IN THE TAF FOR KEY WEST AFTER 22Z DUE TO THE SLOW WESTWARD MOVING BOUNDARY OVER BIG PINE KEY AT THIS HOUR...THEN VICINITY SHOWERS FOR BOTH TERMINALS AFTER 04/07Z. WINDS WILL REMAIN NORTHEAST NEAR 10 KNOTS...WITH GUSTS OF 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN SHOWER ACTIVITY. CLOUD BASES WILL BE SCATTERED AROUND 025 FEET AND BROKEN AROUND 040 FEET...BECOMING OVERCAST AROUND 070 FEET OVERNIGHT. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... KEY WEST 78 86 77 86 / 60 60 50 50 MARATHON 78 86 77 86 / 60 60 50 50 && .KEY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...NONE. GM...NONE. && PUBLIC/MARINE.........KASPER AVIATION/NOWCASTS.....BWC DATA COLLECTION.......ULRICH VISIT US ON THE WEB AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL 550 PM EDT MON OCT 3 2011 FLZ076>078-GMZ031>034-042>044-052>055-072>075-041000- MONROE UPPER KEYS-MONROE MIDDLE KEYS-MONROE LOWER KEYS- FLORIDA BAY INCLUDING BLACKWATER AND BUTTONWOOD SOUNDS- BAYSIDE AND GULF SIDE FROM CRAIG KEY TO HALFMOON SHOAL OUT TO 5 FATHOMS- GULF WATERS FROM EAST CAPE SABLE TO CHOKOLOSKEE 20 TO 60 NM OUT AND BEYOND 5 FATHOMS- GULF OF MEXICO INCLUDING DRY TORTUGAS AND REBECCA SHOAL CHANNEL- HAWK CHANNEL FROM OCEAN REEF TO CRAIG KEY OUT TO THE REEF- HAWK CHANNEL FROM CRAIG KEY TO WEST END OF SEVEN MILE BRIDGE OUT TO THE REEF- HAWK CHANNEL FROM WEST END OF SEVEN MILE BRIDGE TO HALFMOON SHOAL OUT TO THE REEF- STRAITS OF FLORIDA FROM OCEAN REEF TO CRAIG KEY OUT 20 NM- STRAITS OF FLORIDA FROM CRAIG KEY TO WEST END OF SEVEN MILE BRIDGE OUT 20 NM- STRAITS OF FLORIDA FROM WEST END OF SEVEN MILE BRIDGE TO SOUTH OF HALFMOON SHOAL OUT 20 NM- STRAITS OF FLORIDA FROM HALFMOON SHOAL TO 20 NM WEST OF DRY TORTUGAS OUT 20 NM- STRAITS OF FLORIDA FROM OCEAN REEF TO CRAIG KEY 20 TO 60 NM OUT- STRAITS OF FLORIDA FROM CRAIG KEY TO WEST END OF SEVEN MILE BRIDGE 20 TO 60 NM OUT- STRAITS OF FLORIDA FROM WEST END OF SEVEN MILE BRIDGE TO SOUTH OF HALFMOON SHOAL 20 TO 60 NM OUT- STRAITS OF FLORIDA FROM HALFMOON SHOAL TO 20 NM WEST OF DRY TORTUGAS 20 TO 60 NM OUT- 550 PM EDT MON OCT 3 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT THE FLORIDA KEYS AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS TONIGHT. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE WIND GUSTS NEAR 35 KNOTS...FREQUENT CLOUD TO SURFACE LIGHTNING STRIKES...AND BRIEF...HEAVY RAIN...TEMPORARILY REDUCING THE VISIBILITY TO NEAR ONE MILE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE ISLAND CHAIN AND SURROUNDING WATERS TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THE PRIMARY THUNDERSTORM HAZARDS WILL BE CLOUD TO SURFACE LIGHTNING STRIKES AND LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS. IN ADDITION...A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MAY BE REQUIRED FOR ALL KEYS COASTAL WATERS TUESDAY NIGHT. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WILL LIKELY BE REQUIRED FOR ALL KEYS COASTAL WATERS WEDNESDAY THROUGH AT LEAST SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. BS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
249 PM EDT MON OCT 03 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0345 PM WATER SPOUT 2 SSE BIG COPPITT KEY 24.57N 81.65W
10/02/2011 GMZ044 FL TRAINED SPOTTER
A TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTER AND AN OFF-DUTY NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE EMPLOYEE EACH OBSERVED A THIN WATERSPOUT
OVER HAWK CHANNEL SOUTH OF BIG COPPITT KEY. DURATION 4
MINUTES.
0220 PM WATER SPOUT 5 WSW KEY WEST 24.53N 81.84W
10/03/2011 GMZ044 FL NWS EMPLOYEE
AN OFF-DUTY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EMPLOYEE OBSERVED A
BRIEF...THIN WATERSPOUT OVER HAWK CHANNEL ABOUT TWO OR
THREE MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF FORT ZACHARY TAYLOR STATE
PARK. DURATION ONE MINUTE.
&&
KASPERSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL 815 PM EDT MON OCT 3 2011 FLZ078-040115- MONROE/LOWER KEYS FL- 815 PM EDT MON OCT 3 2011 ...A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR LOWER KEYS IN MONROE COUNTY FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS VALID UNTIL 915 PM EDT... AT 814 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A CLUSTER OF STRONG SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CENTERED OVER CUDJOE KEY AND SUGARLOAF KEY...MOVING NORTHWEST AT 20 MPH. GUSTY WINDS NEAR 45 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG WITH POSSIBLE MINOR WIND DAMAGE. REPORT DAMAGE TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OR YOUR COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT...OR YOU CAN CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN KEY WEST DIRECTLY AT 3 0 5...2 9 6...1 3 1 6...EXTENSION 3. 11
The Key West radar (KBYX), 24 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:19 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Several 3-inch diameter tree limbs were downed and newspaper stand boxes blown over along Jolly Roger Drive on Cudjoe Key.
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, October 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: 352750.