Abundant moisture helped fuel strong thunderstorms associated with a prefrontal trough. Some of these thunderstorms produced frequent lightning strikes.
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 TBW wrote it up.
Abundant moisture helped fuel strong thunderstorms associated with a prefrontal trough. Some of these thunderstorms produced frequent lightning strikes.
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 Sep 22, 12:37 PM EST, 2 hours 29 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL 137 PM EDT THU SEP 22 2011 .SHORT TERM (TONIGHT - SATURDAY)... A WARM AND MOIST TROPICAL AIRMASS WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA TONIGHT AND THROUGH FRIDAY WITH PWATS AROUND 2 INCHES AND LIS IN THE -7 TO -8 RANGE FRI AFTERNOON. EXPECT NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE LATE AFTERNOON DECREASING TO SCATTERED THIS EVENING. A COLD FRONT BOUNDARY REACHES THE FL PENINSULA BY LATE FRIDAY AND GRADUALLY STALLS ACROSS THE CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE STATE BY SATURDAY. WITH THE PROXIMITY OF THE FRONT ON FRIDAY...WILL GO AHEAD AND INCREASE POPS TO 60 PERCENT FOR THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE NATURE COAST....AND KEEP 50 PERCENT ELSEWHERE. ENOUGH MOISTURE REMAINS IN PLACE TO THE SOUTH AND ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WHICH HELPS IN BRINGING ANOTHER ROUND OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY AFTERNOON. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN IN THE UPPER 80S TO LOWER 90S EACH DAY...AND MORNING LOWS REMAINING IN THE LOWER TO UPPER 70S. && .LONG TERM (SATURDAY NIGHT-WEDNESDAY)... DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO STREAM INTO THE REGION ON A DEEP SOUTHWEST WIND FLOW SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY AS THE FORECAST AREA REMAINS SANDWICHED IN BETWEEN A CUT OFF UPPER LOW OVER THE OHIO VALLEY AND THE STRONG SUBTROPICAL RIDGE OVER THE ATLANTIC WITH A SURFACE FRONTAL BOUNDARY ALONG THE EASTERN SEA BOARD EXTENDING SOUTH INTO THE CENTRAL FLORIDA PENINSULA. THE DEEP MOISTURE (PW'S AOA 2 INCHES) INTERACTING WITH THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY AND EMBEDDED SHORT WAVES ALOFT WILL SUPPORT CONSIDERABLE CLOUDINESS ON SUNDAY ALONG WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS (POPS 50 PERCENT) AND THUNDERSTORMS. DURING MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE GFS AND ECMWF DIFFER ON THE MOVEMENT OF THE CUT OFF LOW...WITH THE 12Z RUN OF THE ECMWF MOVING IT MUCH FASTER TO THE EAST...WHILE THE 00Z GFS RUN STILL HAS IT OVER THE GREAT LAKES REGION. GIVEN THE STRONG BLOCKING PATTERN WE BEEN UNDER I BELIEVE THE ECMWF SOLUTION IS TOO FAST IN EJECTING THE CUT OFF LOW TO THE EAST AND PREFER THE SLOWER GFS SOLUTION. DESPITE THESE DIFFERENCES THE MODELS DO AGREE THAT DRIER AIR WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION FROM THE WEST AND NORTH WHICH SHOULD SUPPORT LOWER RAIN CHANCES ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA WITH ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS (POPS IN THE 20 TO 30 PERCENT RANGE NORTH TO SOUTH) EXPECTED ALONG THE SEA BREEZE CIRCULATIONS EACH DAY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. TEMPERATURES WILL RUN A FEW DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .AVIATION... NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE WEST COAST THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING WITH MAIN AREA OF CONVECTION CONTINUING TO DEVELOP OVER SOUTHWEST FLORIDA AROUND FMY/RSW AND THEN SPREADING NORTHWARD ALONG SEA BREEZE INTO THE TAMPA BAY AREA DURING MID-LATE AFTERNOON. ANY CONVECTION COULD CAUSE SOME MVFR/LOCAL IFR CONDITIONS AND BRIEF GUSTY WINDS...OTHERWISE VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED INTO FRIDAY MORNING. HOWEVER...COULD SEE CONVECTION DEVELOP BY MID TO LATE MORNING ON FRIDAY AS A MORE SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST FLOW SETS UP. && .MARINE... A WEAK TROUGH AND PLENTY OF TROPICAL MOISTURE REMAIN ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS TONIGHT. A COLD FRONT REACHES THE NORTHERN COASTAL WATERS LATE FRIDAY...AND GRADUALLY STALLS ACROSS CENTRAL FL AND THE CENTRAL COASTAL WATERS BY SATURDAY. THIS BOUNDARY REMAINS IN PLACE THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH WINDS AND SEAS REMAINING GENERALLY LIGHT THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .FIRE WEATHER... NO CONCERNS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... TPA 78 90 77 89 / 30 50 20 50 FMY 77 90 76 89 / 30 50 20 50 GIF 75 92 75 91 / 30 50 20 50 SRQ 76 89 77 89 / 30 50 20 50 BKV 73 91 71 90 / 30 50 20 50 SPG 79 88 79 87 / 30 50 20 50 && .TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...NONE. GULF WATERS...NONE. && SHORT TERM/MARINE/FIRE WEATHER...22/AR LONG TERM...57/MCMICHAEL AVIATION...69/CLOSE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL 546 AM EDT THU SEP 22 2011 FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-221500- LEVY-CITRUS-SUMTER-HERNANDO-PASCO-PINELLAS-HILLSBOROUGH-POLK- MANATEE-HARDEE-HIGHLANDS-SARASOTA-DE SOTO-CHARLOTTE-LEE- 546 AM EDT THU SEP 22 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ...THUNDERSTORM IMPACT... NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS THE SEABREEZE FORMS AND INTERACTS WITH THE WARM...MOIST AND UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT IN PLACE. FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND BRIEF HEAVY RAINS CAUSING MINOR FLOODING WILL BE THE MAIN HAZARDS WITH THE STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. ...THUNDERSTORM IMPACT... SCATTERED MAINLY AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS WILL FORM EACH DAY ALONG SEABREEZE BOUNDARIES. STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND DEADLY LIGHTNING WILL BE THE MAIN HAZARDS WITH THE STRONGER STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER AND SELF ACTIVATE IF NEEDED. COLSON
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 252 PM EDT THU SEP 22 2011 FLZ061-062-221930- DE SOTO-CHARLOTTE- 252 PM EDT THU SEP 22 2011 ...EXCESSIVE LIGHTNING WILL AFFECT EASTERN CHARLOTTE AND SOUTHERN DESOTO COUNTIES... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATES A THUNDERSTORM LOCATED NEAR BABCOCK WEBB WMA...OR 13 MILES EAST OF PUNTA GORDA... MOVING NORTH AT 15 MPH...WILL AFFECT BABCOCK WEBB WMA...TROPICAL GULF ACRES...BABCOCK RANCH AND CHARLOTTE COUNTY AIRPORT...UNTIL 330 PM 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. TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL REDUCE VISIBILITY TO NEAR ZERO AND WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. && LAT...LON 2678 8208 2711 8204 2714 8169 2678 8157 TIME...MOT...LOC 1852Z 165DEG 14KT 2689 8185
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
326 PM EDT THU SEP 22 2011
FLZ056-057-061-222015-
DE SOTO-HARDEE-HIGHLANDS-
326 PM EDT THU SEP 22 2011
...EXCESSIVE LIGHTNING WILL AFFECT CENTRAL HIGHLANDS...SOUTHEASTERN
HARDEE AND NORTHEASTERN DESOTO COUNTIES...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATES A THUNDERSTORM
LOCATED NEAR PLACID LAKES...OR 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LAKE PLACID...
MOVING NORTH AT 10 MPH...WILL AFFECT ARCHBOLD AND LAKE PLACID...UNTIL
415 PM 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. TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL REDUCE
VISIBILITY TO NEAR ZERO AND WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS.
&&
LAT...LON 2720 8095 2721 8116 2715 8116 2708 8151
2745 8162 2751 8123 2739 8111 2734 8104
2731 8102 2729 8099 2726 8099 2722 8097
2723 8095 2721 8094
TIME...MOT...LOC 1926Z 167DEG 10KT 2718 8144SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
406 PM EDT THU SEP 22 2011
FLZ056-057-061-222030-
DE SOTO-HARDEE-HIGHLANDS-
406 PM EDT THU SEP 22 2011
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AND EXCESSIVE LIGHTNING WILL AFFECT NORTHERN
HIGHLANDS...HARDEE AND NORTHERN DESOTO COUNTIES...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATES A LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED NEAR CREWSVILLE...OR 11 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
WAUCHULA...MOVING NORTH AT 10 MPH...WILL AFFECT CREWSVILLE...
SWEETWATER...ZOLFO SPRINGS AND AVON PARK EXECUTIVE AIRPORT...UNTIL
430 PM 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. TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL REDUCE
VISIBILITY TO NEAR ZERO AND WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS.
&&
LAT...LON 2758 8115 2753 8120 2749 8120 2745 8116
2739 8117 2730 8197 2764 8201 2764 8114
TIME...MOT...LOC 2006Z 161DEG 8KT 2749 8165The Tampa radar (KTBW), 32 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:06 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
A 35-year-old woman using a computer inside her residence heard thunder overhead and then felt her arms go numb. She was transported 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, September 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: 348826.