The upper low was near the NE Florida coastline, and shifted WSW towards Gainesville during the day. Cool temperatures aloft increased diurnal instability.
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 JAX wrote it up.
The upper low was near the NE Florida coastline, and shifted WSW towards Gainesville during the day. Cool temperatures aloft increased diurnal instability. The sea breezes and outflow triggered scattered severe storms in the afternoon and evening. Slow and erratic storm motion promoted locally heavy rainfall.
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 Jul 17, 1:40 PM EST, 1 hour 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL 240 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012 .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS INLAND LOCATIONS WITH LESS COVERAGE CLOSER TO THE COAST...AS UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE INTERACTS WITH SEABREEZE/OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES. COVERAGE WILL INCREASE LATE THIS AFTERNOON...AND WILL USE NUMEROUS POPS INLAND...WITH SCATTERED ALONG THE COAST. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 488 CONTINUES FOR INLAND SE GA/NE FL UNTIL 8 PM. OUTSIDE THE WATCH...A FEW STRONG STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING...WITH WINDS/HAIL THE MAIN CONCERNS. ACTIVITY WILL DIMINISH THIS EVENING...WITH MOST INLAND AREAS DRY BY MIDNIGHT...WITH A FEW COASTAL SHOWERS POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT/EARLY WEDNESDAY. FOR WEDNESDAY...THE UPPER LOW WILL NUDGE WESTWARD ACROSS INLAND NORTHERN FL. WITH A SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE TO THE SOUTH...THIS WILL ALLOW FOR A SW FLOW...AND THE WEST COAST SEABREEZE COLLIDING WITH THE ATLANTIC SEABREEZE WHICH WILL BE PINNED NEAR THE EAST COAST. WILL USE HIGH END SCATTERED POPS WEDNESDAY AFTN/EVENING. SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL HIGH TEMPERATURES CAN BE EXPECTED UNDER SW FLOW. THURSDAY AND FRIDAY... UPPER LOW WILL MOVE NORTH AWAY FROM THE AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THEN BECOME ABSORBED INTO AN AMPLIFYING EASTERN UNITED STATES TROUGH ON THURSDAY. AT THE SAME TIME...HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE FLORIDA PENINSULA...MAINTAINING A DEEP MOIST SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ACROSS THE REGION. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ALONG AND NORTH OF I-10...WITH POPS TAPERING OFF AS YOU GO SOUTH TOWARD THE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE AXIS. TEMPERATURES WILL WARM INTO THE MID 90S ACROSS MUCH OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA WITH SLIGHTLY LOWER TEMPS ACROSS GEORGIA DUE TO INCREASED CLOUDS AND PRECIP NEAR THE UPPER TROUGH AXIS. DRIER AIR WILL BEGIN TO PUSH NORTH INTO NORTHERN FLORIDA ON FRIDAY WHICH WILL KEEP THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY MORE ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED SOUTH OF I-10. BETTER CHANCES OF PRECIP WILL EXIST ACROSS SOUTHEAST GEORGIA WHERE DEEPER MOISTURE (PWATS IN EXCESS OF 2 INCHES) WILL CONTINUE TO RESIDE. LESS CLOUD COVER AND PRECIP ALONG WITH BUILDING HEIGHTS WILL RESULT IN HOT CONDITIONS ACROSS NORTHEAST FLORIDA WITH HIGHS SOLIDLY IN THE MID 90S...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE I-95 CORRIDOR AS DEEP SOUTHWEST FLOW PUSHES THE HEAT TOWARD THE ATLANTIC COAST. && .LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY DRIER AIR WILL CONTINUE TO WORK NORTH AROUND THE RIDGE THIS WEEKEND. MODELS ARE NOW COMING IN FARTHER NORTH WITH THE DRY AIR...WHICH WOULD RESULT IN A DRIER FORECAST ACROSS SOUTHEAST GEORGIA THAN PREVIOUSLY EXPECTED. WILL NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES IN THIS DIRECTION JUST YET...BUT IF THIS TREND CONTINUES...WE WILL NEED TO LOWER POPS ACROSS SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. IN ANY EVENT...HOT AND DRY CONDITIONS CONTINUE TO LOOK LIKELY ACROSS MUCH OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA THIS WEEKEND. && .AVIATION... THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY SHOULD INCREASE ACROSS NORTHEAST FLORIDA AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES. MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS WILL ACCOMPANY THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG GUSTY WINDS WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS. GNV...VQQ...AND JAX HAVE THE HIGHEST CHANCES OF SEEING THUNDERSTORMS AND TEMPO GROUPS FOR TSRA HAVE BEEN INCLUDED AT THESE TERMINALS. THUNDERSTORMS WILL WIND DOWN EARLY THIS EVENING AND VFR CONDITIONS ARE THEN EXPECTED TO PREVAIL THE REST OF THIS TAF PERIOD. && .MARINE... WINDS AND SEAS WILL REMAIN UNDER SCEC UNDER GENERAL S/SW FLOW. BRIEF PERIODS OF 15 KT WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. SEAS MAINLY 4 FT OR LESS...WITH AN ELY SWELL 2-3 FT PERSISTING OVER THE FEW DAYS. .RIP CURRENT RISK...MODERATE RISK THROUGH WEDNESDAY DUE TO LINGERING EASTERLY SWELL. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... AMG 72 95 73 94 / 40 50 40 50 SSI 76 90 77 90 / 20 70 70 60 JAX 71 94 74 94 / 30 60 60 60 SGJ 73 91 75 92 / 20 60 60 60 GNV 71 93 73 94 / 50 50 40 60 OCF 70 94 73 93 / 50 50 40 60 && .JAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...NONE. GA...NONE. AM...NONE. && SHULER/ALLEN/
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL 1255 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012 AMZ450-452-454-470-472-474-FLZ020>025-030>033-035>038-040- GAZ132>136-149>154-162>166-180830- ALTAMAHA SOUND GA TO FERNANDINA BEACH FL OUT 20 NM- FERNANDINA BEACH TO ST AUGUSTINE FL OUT 20 NM- ST AUGUSTINE TO FLAGLER BEACH FL OUT 20 NM- ALTAMAHA SOUND GA TO FERNANDINA BEACH FL 20 NM TO 60 NM OFFSHORE- FERNANDINA BEACH TO ST AUGUSTINE FL 20 NM TO 60 NM OFFSHORE- ST AUGUSTINE TO FLAGLER BEACH FL 20 NM TO 60 NM OFFSHORE-HAMILTON- SUWANNEE-COLUMBIA-BAKER-NASSAU-DUVAL-UNION-BRADFORD-CLAY-ST JOHNS- GILCHRIST-ALACHUA-PUTNAM-FLAGLER-MARION-COFFEE-JEFF DAVIS-BACON- APPLING-WAYNE-ATKINSON-WARE-PIERCE-BRANTLEY-INLAND GLYNN- COASTAL GLYNN-ECHOLS-CLINCH-CHARLTON-INLAND CAMDEN-COASTAL CAMDEN- 1255 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012 THIS OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST FLORIDA...SOUTHEAST GEORGIA AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. ...STRONG TO LOCALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING... ...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON... ...MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS TODAY... .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... AN UPPER LOW OVER NORTHEAST FLORIDA WILL HELP PRODUCE SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. SLOW MOVING STORMS WILL PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. STRONG TO LOCALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR OVER INLAND AREAS...WITH STRONG WINDS AND HAIL THE MAIN THREATS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM FOR PORTIONS OF INTERIOR SOUTHEAST GEORGIA AND NORTHEAST FLORIDA. THERE WILL BE A MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS TODAY DUE TO LONG PERIOD EASTERLY SWELLS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY... SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...BECOMING NUMEROUS NEAR THE EAST COAST AS THE SEABREEZE FRONTS COLLIDE LATE IN THE DAY. A FEW STORMS MAY BE STRONG AND PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME MORE SCATTERED FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY. A MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS WILL CONTINUE ON WEDNESDAY DUE TO LINGERING EASTERLY SWELLS. .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.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
310 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0225 PM TSTM WND DMG AMBROSE 31.59N 83.01W
07/17/2012 COFFEE GA EMERGENCY MNGR
TREES DOWN NEAR THE TOWN CENTER OF AMBROSE
&&
ZALLENPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
312 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0230 PM TSTM WND DMG NICHOLLS 31.52N 82.64W
07/17/2012 COFFEE GA EMERGENCY MNGR
LARGE TREES DOWN ON 2 HOMES ON BIRMINGHAM AVENUE IN
NICHOLLS. IN ADDITION...QUARTER SIZED HAIL WAS REPORTED.
&&
ZALLENSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
320 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012
GAZ149-163-172000-
ATKINSON-CLINCH-
320 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012
...A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR EXTREME
SOUTHEASTERN ATKINSON AND NORTHERN CLINCH COUNTIES FOR STRONG WINDS
VALID UNTIL 400 PM EDT...
AT 318 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG OUTFLOW WINDS FROM THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHERN CLINCH
COUNTY...MOVING SOUTH AT 15 MPH. RADAR INDICATES 40 TO 55 MPH WINDS
ARE SPREADING AHEAD OF THESE STORMS ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
CLINCH COUNTY. THESE WINDS COULD CAUSE MINOR DAMAGE.
REPORT DAMAGE TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OR YOUR COUNTY
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
LAT...LON 3119 8268 3109 8262 3105 8261 3091 8252
3089 8297 3105 8298 3118 8298 3119 8299
TIME...MOT...LOC 1918Z 354DEG 13KT 3109 8281
TRABERTSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
327 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012
FLZ020-021-172000-
HAMILTON-SUWANNEE-
327 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012
...A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR NORTHWESTERN
HAMILTON AND NORTHWESTERN SUWANNEE COUNTIES FOR STRONG WINDS AND
EXCESSIVE LIGHTNING VALID UNTIL 400 PM EDT...
AT 327 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM CENTERED 3 MILES NORTH OF SUWANNEE RIVER STATE
PARK...MOVING SOUTH AT 5 MPH. THIS STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL ALSO
AFFECT AREAS AROUND WEST LAKE...JENNINGS...BLUE SPRINGS AND SUWANNEE
RIVER STATE PARK THROUGH 400 PM EDT. EXCESSIVE CLOUD-TO-GROUND
LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG WITH
POSSIBLE MINOR DAMAGE.
REPORT DAMAGE TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OR YOUR COUNTY
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
LAT...LON 3061 8309 3028 8305 3028 8324 3030 8324
3031 8322 3035 8322 3036 8320 3041 8318
3042 8323 3046 8323 3047 8325 3052 8325
3055 8326 3062 8327
TIME...MOT...LOC 1927Z 359DEG 6KT 3044 8318
TRABERTSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
341 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012
FLZ021-172015-
SUWANNEE-
341 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012
...A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR WESTERN
SUWANNEE COUNTY FOR STRONG WINDS...SMALL HAIL AND EXCESSIVE LIGHTNING
VALID UNTIL 415 PM EDT...
AT 341 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
THUNDERSTORM CENTERED 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF LURAVILLE...OR 7 MILES
NORTH OF MAYO...STATIONARY. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL ALSO AFFECT AREAS
AROUND LURAVILLE...NEWBURN AND DOWLING PARK THROUGH 415 PM EDT. HAIL
UP TO THREE QUARTER INCH IN DIAMETER...EXCESSIVE CLOUD-TO-GROUND
LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG WITH
POSSIBLE MINOR DAMAGE.
REPORT DAMAGE TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OR YOUR COUNTY
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
LAT...LON 3028 8324 3028 8305 3008 8309 3010 8315
3010 8321 3011 8323 3015 8324 3017 8324
3018 8325 3022 8325 3025 8326
TIME...MOT...LOC 1941Z 179DEG 2KT 3016 8321
TRABERTSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL 353 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012 FLZ032-037-172030- CLAY-PUTNAM- 353 PM EDT TUE JUL 17 2012 ...A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR SOUTHERN CLAY AND NORTHWESTERN PUTNAM COUNTIES FOR STRONG WINDS...SMALL HAIL AND EXCESSIVE LIGHTNING VALID UNTIL 430 PM EDT... AT 353 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CENTERED 8 MILES NORTH OF FLORAHOME...OR 15 MILES NORTHEAST OF MELROSE...MOVING NORTHWEST AT 5 MPH. THESE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO AFFECT AREAS AROUND PUTNAM HALL...LAKE GENEVA...KEYSTONE HEIGHTS...FLORAHOME...CARRAWAY...PENNEY FARMS AND KINGSLEY THROUGH 430 PM EDT. HAIL UP TO THREE QUARTER INCH IN DIAMETER...EXCESSIVE CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG WITH POSSIBLE MINOR DAMAGE. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL PRODUCE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AND MINOR FLOODING OF LOW-LYING AREAS. REPORT DAMAGE TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OR YOUR COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. LAT...LON 3001 8169 2970 8172 2970 8205 3003 8204 TIME...MOT...LOC 1953Z 153DEG 6KT 2985 8187 SHULER
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees were blown down east of Dowling Park and Luraville which caused partial road blockage. The time of damage was based on radar data.
Trees and power lines were damage. A corn field was damaged due to a microburst. The event time was based on radar.
Trees and power lines were blown down along Harlow Road on the Westside of Jacksonville. The tree was about 12 inches in diamater. Power lines were also blown down along Tom Thumb Drive. The time of damage was based on radar, and the cost of damage was estimated.
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, July 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: 398900, 398901, 398909.