An upper-level trough crossed east-central Florida and increased instability. This combined with abundant moisture and boundary collisions produced severe storms and areas of damage across Brevard County, as well isolated wind damage near Apopka and Okeechobee.
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 MLB wrote it up.
An upper-level trough crossed east-central Florida and increased instability. This combined with abundant moisture and boundary collisions produced severe storms and areas of damage across Brevard County, as well isolated wind damage near Apopka and Okeechobee. Several funnel clouds and small hail were also observed during the episode.
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 Melbourne, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 21, 8:25 AM EST, 5 hours 34 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 925 AM EDT TUE AUG 21 2012 .DISCUSSION... ...CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR STRONG STORMS AGAIN TODAY... .UPDATE...CENTRAL FL MORNING SOUNDINGS INDICATE PWATS FROM 1.8-1.9 INCHES THIS MORNING AND 0-6KM AVG WIND FROM 230 AT 20 KNOTS. MID LVL TEMPS BTWN -7 TO -7.5 DEGS C THOUGH GFS INDICATES SOME MID LVL COOLING THIS AFTERNOON. MORNING VISIBLE IMAGERY SHOWS IT WILL BE MOSTLY SUNNY THROUGH LATE MORNING BEFORE CONVECTIVE CUMULUS FIELD DEVELOPS. THIS SHOULD ALLOW MORE SFC HEATING AND HAVE NUDGED HIGH TEMPS UP ACROSS THE NORTH INTO THE UPPER 80S A FEW DEGS HIGHER THAN MOS GUID. STRENGTH OF LOW LVL FLOW WSW/SW FLOW SHOULD HOLD OFF INLAND PUSH OF EAST COAST SEA BREEZE AND WILL LIKELY BE PINNED NEAR THE EAST COAST THIS AFTERNOON BUT MAKE IT ONSHORE ACROSS THE BARRIER ISLANDS BY MID TO LATE AFTERNOON. VORT ENERGY ACROSS THE NORTH AND FAVORABLE UPPER DIVERGENCE WILL ALSO ENHANCE STORM DEVELOP DURING THE HOURS OF PEAK HEATING. WILL KEEP SHOWER/TSTM CHCS IN THE LIKELY RANGE WITH MUCH OF THE COVERAGE FROM MID AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING HOURS. ACROSS SRN SECTIONS HIGHS SHOULD REACH INTO THE 90S EXCEPT ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST AND BARRIER ISLANDS. NEAR SHORE SURF TEMPS IN THE 70S SHOULD PROVIDE FOR A VIGOROUS SEA BREEZE CIRCULATION... THOUGH ITS PUSH ONSHORE WILL BE LIMITED BY STRONG LOW LVL OFFSHORE FLOW. MAIN TSTM HAZARDS WILL BE FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLY A FUNNEL CLOUD OR WATERSPOUT NEAR THE EAST COAST FROM THE CAPE SOUTHWARD. && .AVIATION... EXPECT SCT-NMRS SHRA/TSRA TO PUSH QUICKLY ACROSS THE AREA FROM SW- NE DURING THE AFTN... PRIMARILY 17Z-23Z. THE EAST COAST SEA BREEZE SHOULD FORM ALNG THE TREASURE COAST AND POSSIBLY UP TO THE CAPE. HAVE INCLUDED TEMPO IFR CONDS FOR MLB/VRB/FPR/SUA WITH CONVECTIVE WIND GUSTS AROUND 25 KNOTS BUT STRONGER WINDS ARE POSSIBLE. && .MARINE... MAIN MARINE CONCERN WILL BE OFFSHORE MOVING SHOWERS AND STORMS WITH WIND GUSTS OVER 34 KNOTS POSSIBLE. BOATERS ON THE INTRACOASTAL AND NEAR SHORE ATLANTIC WATERS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO SAFE HARBOR THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING AS STRONG STORMS MOVE TOWARD THE EAST COAST WITH DEEP LAYER SW FLOW AT 15-20 KNOTS. STORM MOTION WILL BE TOWARD THE NE AT 20 KNOTS THIS AFTERNOON. && .MLB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...NONE. AM...NONE. && VOLKMER/GLITTO
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 1028 AM EDT TUE AUG 21 2012 AMZ550-552-555-570-572-575-FLZ041-044>047-053-054-058-059-064-141- 144-147-212000- COASTAL WATERS FROM FLAGLER BEACH TO VOLUSIA BREVARD COUNTY LINE OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM VOLUSIA BREVARD COUNTY LINE TO SEBASTIAN INLET OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM SEBASTIAN INLET TO JUPITER INLET OUT 20 NM- WATERS FROM FLAGLER BEACH TO VOLUSIA BREVARD COUNTY LINE 20 TO 60 NM OFFSHORE- WATERS FROM VOLUSIA BREVARD COUNTY LINE TO SEBASTIAN INLET 20 TO 60 NM OFFSHORE- WATERS FROM SEBASTIAN INLET TO JUPITER INLET 20 TO 60 NM OFFSHORE- INLAND VOLUSIA-NORTHERN LAKE-ORANGE-SEMINOLE-SOUTHERN BREVARD- OSCEOLA-INDIAN RIVER-OKEECHOBEE-ST. LUCIE-MARTIN-COASTAL VOLUSIA- SOUTHERN LAKE-NORTHERN BREVARD- 1028 AM EDT TUE AUG 21 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. .THUNDERSTORM IMPACT... AN UNUSUALLY STRONG UPPER LEVEL FEATURE OVER THE EASTERN UNITED STATES WILL PRODUCE CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR STRONG STORMS THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. A FEW STORMS WILL BEGIN TO FORM BY MIDDAY WITH STORM COVERAGE INCREASING OVER THE INTERIOR EARLY TO MID AFTERNOON. STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO FURTHER INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND STRENGTHEN INTO THE LATE AFTERNOON AS THEY APPROACH THE EAST COAST AND INTERACT WITH THE EAST COAST SEA BREEZE BOUNDARY. STORMS TODAY WILL MOVE QUICKLY TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT 20 TO 25 MPH AND BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH ALONG WITH FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES. ALSO...THE EAST COAST SEA BREEZE IS FORECAST TO DEVELOP FIRST ALONG THE TREASURE COAST...THEN ZIPPER UP TO THE BREVARD COAST THIS AFTERNOON...BUT SHOULD NOT MAKE SIGNIFICANT INLAND PENETRATION. STORMS THAT MOVE FROM THE INTERIOR AND INTERACT WITH THE SEA BREEZE BOUNDARY WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS NEAR 60 MPH...HAIL AND EXCESSIVE LIGHTNING STRIKES...PRIMARILY NEAR THE COAST. A BRIEF TOUCHDOWN OF A FUNNEL CLOUD WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. .FLOOD IMPACT... LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN MAY ACCUMULATE UP TO 3 INCHES IN AN HOUR OR TWO CAUSING PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS AND IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. .MARINE THUNDERSTORM GUST IMPACT... SCATTERED LIGHTNING STORMS WILL FORM OVER LAND AND MOVE QUICKLY TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT 20 TO 25 KNOTS...AND OFFSHORE. STORMS MAY PRODUCE STRONG WIND GUSTS OF 35 TO 45 KNOTS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES OVER THE INLAND LAKES...INTRACOASTAL AND NEARSHORE ATLANTIC WATERS. ONE OR TWO STORMS THAT INTERACT WITH THE EAST COAST SEA BREEZE NEAR THE COAST COULD PRODUCE AROUND 50 KNOTS OF WIND AND HAIL...ESPECIALLY FROM CAPE CANAVERAL SOUTHWARD. .WATERSPOUT IMPACT... STORMS OVER THE INTERIOR THAT INTERACT WITH THE EAST COAST SEA BREEZE NEAR THE COAST MAY PRODUCE BRIEF FUNNEL CLOUDS OR A WATERSPOUT AS THEY MOVE ACROSS THE INTRACOASTAL AND NEARSHORE ATLANTIC WATERS...ESPECIALLY FROM CAPE CANAVERAL SOUTHWARD. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. SCATTERED AFTERNOON LIGHTNING STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH TOWARD THE EAST COAST AND OFFSHORE WEDNESDAY. THE ATLANTIC SURFACE RIDGE WILL LIFT NORTHWARD INTO CENTRAL FLORIDA BY THURSDAY ALONG WITH SOME DRIER AIR. THIS CHANGE WILL ALLOW FOR MORE INLAND PENETRATION OF THE EAST COAST SEA BREEZE AND LOWER STORM COVERAGE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. A TROPICAL CYCLONE IS FORECAST PUSH WEST INTO THE NORTHEAST CARIBBEAN SEA LATE THIS WEEK. EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA MAY FEEL EFFECTS FROM THIS SYSTEM EARLY NEXT WEEK. STAY TUNED TO THE LATEST FORECASTS FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER ON THIS DEVELOPING SITUATION. WE ARE ENTERING THE CLIMATOLOGICAL PEAK OF THE HURRICANE SEASON IN THE ATLANTIC BASIN. NOW IS THE TIME TO REVIEW YOUR HURRICANE PLANS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO MONITOR THE WEATHER AND SELF ACTIVATE IF NEEDED. KELLY/GLITTO
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
133 PM EDT TUE AUG 21 2012
FLZ041-044>046-144-211830-
INLAND VOLUSIA COUNTY-NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY-ORANGE-SEMINOLE-SOUTHERN
LAKE COUNTY-
133 PM EDT TUE AUG 21 2012
...A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR STRONG WIND GUSTS
UP TO 50 MPH AND SMALL HAIL OVER LAKE COUNTY...WESTERN ORANGE
COUNTY...NORTHWESTERN SEMINOLE COUNTY...WESTERN VOLUSIA COUNTY...
* UNTIL 230 PM EDT.
AT 130 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
BAND OF STORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG WINDS AND SMALL HAIL
AROUND 15 MILES EAST OF THE VILLAGES...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
ADDITIONAL STORMS WERE DEVELOPING ALONG THIS BAND TO THE SOUTHWEST
AND THESE STORMS ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO STRENGTHEN.
THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES AND
GUSTY WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...WHICH CAN CAUSE UNSECURED OBJECTS TO BLOW
AROUND...SNAP TREE LIMBS OR CAUSE POWER OUTAGES. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL
TEMPORARILY REDUCE VISIBILITY. SEEK SHELTER INDOORS UNTIL THE STORM
PASSES.
LAT...LON 2896 8196 2896 8166 2905 8166 2905 8164
2928 8165 2932 8168 2938 8145 2940 8142
2927 8141 2926 8133 2900 8119 2835 8162
2836 8185 2834 8186 2834 8196
TIME...MOT...LOC 1732Z 243DEG 21KT 2901 8220
52PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
233 PM EDT TUE AUG 21 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0225 PM TSTM WND GST ORLANDO EXECUTIVE AIRPO 28.55N 81.34W
08/21/2012 M45 MPH ORANGE FL ASOS
KORL ASOS MEASURED A THUNDERSTORM WIND GUST OF 39 KT/45
MPH.
&&
ARBSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 238 PM EDT TUE AUG 21 2012 FLZ041-044>047-053-141-144-147-211930- COASTAL VOLUSIA-INLAND VOLUSIA-NORTHERN BREVARD-NORTHERN LAKE-ORANGE- OSCEOLA-SEMINOLE-SOUTHERN BREVARD-SOUTHERN LAKE- 238 PM EDT TUE AUG 21 2012 ...A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS STORMS...WITH A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON... STORMS WERE RAPIDLY INCREASING OVER THE AREA AT MID AFTERNOON...AND THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON THIS TREND IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE. A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY NORTHWARD FROM MELBOURNE AND LAKE KISSIMMEE. 52
The Melbourne radar (KMLB), 54 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:00 UTC.
12 thunderstorm wind, 2 funnel cloud, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
The NASA Shuttle Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center recorded a wind gust of 59 kts/68 mph during a thunderstorm.
U.S. Air Force Wind Tower 300 at the Kennedy Space Center measured a 54 kt/62 mph wind gust as a thunderstorm moved through.
A trained spotter observed penny sized hail north of Mims.
A large tree weighing several thousand pounds was uprooted near Apopka as a storm on the leading edge of a larger line intensified and became severe.
Several wooden power poles to the northeast of Okeechobee, near 7200 U.S. Highway 441 North, were tilted by severe thunderstorm winds, with the two poles experiencing broken cross members. While a funnel cloud was reported in the area (see separate event), the wind damage appeared to be due to straight line winds.
Okeechobee County Fire/Rescue relayed a public report of a funnel cloud near Okeechobee.
A citizen recorded a 55 kt/63 mph wind gust on their handheld instrument during a thunderstorm in Palm Bay.
A large tree was knocked down into the road at the intersection of Troutman Blvd. and Port Malabar Blvd. southwest of Palm Bay.
Mesonet station AR717 near Malabar measured a 68 kt/78 mph wind gust as a severe thunderstorm moved overhead.
A home on Duke Street in Melbourne lost its roof as a thunderstorm moved by producing severe winds.
Debris during a 56 kt/64 mph wind gust hit and damaged the body of a police cruiser near Palm Bay.
Windows were cracked and signs blown over in a muffler shop located at Babcock Street and Lake in the Woods Drive in Palm Bay.
The roofs of several carports were blown down at the Malabar Lakes Apartments.
An off-duty weather officer from Patrick Air Force Base observed a funnel cloud over the Pineda Causeway in Melbourne.
A large plate glass window was blown in on Banana River Boulevard in Cocoa Beach as a severe thunderstorm moved through. A screen was also damaged.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, August 2012
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: 393010, 393011, 393012, 393007, 398777, 398779, 393013, 393400, 393014, 393015, 393016, 393017, 393018, 393019, 393008.