An upper level trough of low pressure moved across South Florida interacting with abundant tropical moisture to produce some record amounts of rainfall across the Miami-Dade County metropolitan region.
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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 MFL wrote it up.
An upper level trough of low pressure moved across South Florida interacting with abundant tropical moisture to produce some record amounts of rainfall across the Miami-Dade County metropolitan region.
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 Miami, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 22, 12:50 PM EST, 0 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 150 PM EDT TUE MAY 22 2012 .AVIATION... WITH ACTIVE CONVECTION ALREADY UNDERWAY IN THE EASTERN HALF OF THE PENINSULA...ALL EAST COAST TERMINALS ASSIGNED VCTS AT 18Z EXCEPT WITH KPBI STARTING AT 19Z. IN THE VERY SHORT TERM OVER THE NEXT HOUR...TERMINALS KMIA AND KOPF MOST LIKELY TO BE AFFECTED BY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH PERIODS OF IFR CONDITIONS POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY AT KMIA. DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE AND SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW WILL CONTINUE TO FAVOR ACTIVE CONVECTION IN VICINITY OF EAST COAST TERMINALS THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING HOURS WITH BRIEF PERIODS OF IFR CONDITIONS POSSIBLE WITH OCCURRENCE OF HEAVY SHOWERS AND/OR THUNDERSTORMS AT THE TERMINALS. TERMINAL KAPF LESS LIKELY TO HAVE ACTIVE CONVECTION BUT ASSIGNED VCTS AT 20Z. 60 && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1059 AM EDT TUE MAY 22 2012/ ..SOME STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS POSSIBLE INTERIOR AND EAST COAST METRO AREAS THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING... UPDATE... A MID TO UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WAS LOCATED OVER THE SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES EXTENDING SOUTHWARD INTO THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO THIS MORNING. THE TROUGH WILL MOVE EAST AND THROUGH THE FLORIDA PENINSULA THIS AFTERNOON KEEPING THE STEERING FLOW OVER THE CWA IN A SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST DIRECTION. THE EAST AND WEST COAST SEA BREEZES WILL ALSO DEVELOP AND PUSH INLAND...BUT THE WEST COAST SEA BREEZE WILL PUSH ACROSS THE CWA WHILE THE EAST COAST SEA BREEZE REMAINS OVER THE EAST COAST METRO AREAS THIS AFTERNOON. THIS WILL FOCUS THE SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY OVER THE EAST METRO AREAS OF THE CWA FOR THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. SO WILL CONTINUE THE 30 PERCENT CHANCE POPS OVER THE WEST COAST METRO AREAS TO 50 PERCENT OVER THE EAST COAST METRO AREAS. THE 500 MB TEMP FROM THE MIA SOUNDING THIS MORNING WAS AROUND -10C. HOWEVER...COLD AIR ASSOCIATED WITH THE TROUGH WILL MOVE INTO THE CWA THIS AFTERNOON. THIS ALONG WITH VERY WARM TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 80S TO LOWER 90S WILL ALLOW FOR SOME STRONG TO EVEN SEVERE STORMS OVER THE INTERIOR AND EAST COAST METRO AREAS THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. THE PRIMARY IMPACTS FROM THE STORMS WILL BE FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES...STRONG WIND GUSTS...LARGE HAIL...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. SO WILL UPDATE THE HWO TO MENTION THE STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS MAINLY FOR THE INTERIOR AND EAST COAST METRO AREAS. REST OF THE FORECAST LOOKS GOOD AT THIS TIME AND NO OTHER CHANGES ARE PLANNED. UPDATE...54/BNB PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 734 AM EDT TUE MAY 22 2012/ AVIATION... INCREASING MOISTURE FROM THE SOUTH COMBINED WITH AN UPPER TROUGH TO THE WEST AND DAYTIME HEATING WILL RESULT IN THE RAINFALL CHANCES REMAINING UP TODAY WITH THE BEST CHANCE REMAINING OVER THE EAST COAST TERMINALS. WINDS WILL REMAIN LIGHT OUT OF THE SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS...THEN INCREASE INTO THE MODERATE RANGE THROUGH THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON PERIODS...MAINLY OVER THE EAST COAST TERMINALS. LIGHT SE FLOW WILL TURN ONSHORE ALONG THE GULF COAST THROUGH THE AFTERNOON PERIOD WITH THE SEA BREEZE. PERIODS WITH MVFR/IFR CIGS/VSBYS CANT BE RULED OUT THROUGH THE PERIOD IN AND AROUND SHOWERS/TSTMS. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 301 AM EDT TUE MAY 22 2012/ DISCUSSION...PRECIPITABLE WATER AT 22/00Z NEAR NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR BUT ALSO WILL INCREASE THROUGH TODAY INTO WEDNESDAY. A SHORT WAVE DIVING INTO THE LONG WAVE TROUGH OVER E 1/3RD OF THE COUNTRY PULLS SOME OF THE TROPICAL MOISTURE THAT HAS BEEN TO THE SOUTH NORTH -WARD OVER S FLA. CURRENT RADAR INDICATES DEVELOPING SHOWERS OVER THE SW N ATLC/FLA STRAITS AND SE GULF OF MEX WITH THE ACTIVITY MOV -ING NORTHWARD AROUND 15 MPH. THIS WILL SPREAD OVER S FLA AND WITH STEERING WINDS ALOFT SW...THE E 1/2 OF S FLA MORE VULNERABLE TO MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY TODAY. AFTER EVENING ACTIVITY WANES...WINDS BEGIN TO BACK BEHIND SHORT WAVE MOVING NE AND OVERNIGHT ACTIVITY MAY OCCUR ALONG THE COASTS. ON WEDNESDAY... STEERING FLOW BECOMES MORE SE AND HIGHER POPS SHUNTED SOMEWHAT TOWARD THE INTERIOR AND NW. ON THURSDAY...SOME MID LEVEL DRYING OCCURS AND THE STEERING FLOW BECOMES SW AGAIN WITH THE E COAST AGAIN BECOMING MORE FAVORED FOR AFTERNOON/EVENING ACTIVITY. FOR TODAY...S FLA IN RRQ OF UPPER LEVEL JET GIVING SOME INCREASED INSTABILITY ALOFT OVER S FLA AS SPEED DIVERGENCE NOTED. COMBINED WITH DIURNAL HEATING...LOW LEVEL SEA BREEZE CONVERGENCE...SOME OF THE THUNDER -STORMS THAT DEVELOP HAVE A GOOD POTENTIAL TO BE STRONG WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS. EXTENDED PERIOD...FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY...HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE SE U.S. AND DRIFTS ENE TO THE MID ATLC STATES OVER THE WEEKEND AND INTO THE ATLC EARLY NEXT WEEK. A DEEP EASTERLY FLOW DEVELOPS AND ACTIVITY WILL BE MAINLY NOCTURNAL E AND DIURNAL INTERIOR AND W. THE EASTERLY FLOW GRADUALLY INCREASES MOISTURE AND THE CHANCES OF RAIN SUNDAY AND MONDAY. MARINE...GFS SEEMS AGGRESSIVE IN PULLING SURFACE LOW OVER THE YUCATAN NE TOWARD S FLA. APPEARS THAT A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL EXTEND FROM THE NW CARIB NE TO THE SE OF S FLA. AT THIS TIME WILL BLEND WINDS FROM THE EURO WITH GFS TO TEMPER WIND SPEEDS. ALBERTO CONTINUES TO WEAKEN AND MOVE NE. A MINIMAL NE SWELL (1 FOOT) TODAY. FIRE WEATHER...NO FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WEST PALM BEACH 75 86 76 87 / 40 50 30 30 FORT LAUDERDALE 76 85 78 89 / 40 50 40 30 MIAMI 75 86 77 89 / 40 50 40 30 NAPLES 71 89 73 91 / 20 30 20 30 && .MFL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...NONE. AM...NONE. GM...NONE. && DISCUSSION/MARINE/FIRE...54/BNB AVIATION/RADAR...60/BD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTH FLORIDA...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 1108 AM EDT TUE MAY 22 2012 AMZ610-630-FLZ063-066>075-168-172>174-230615- LAKE OKEECHOBEE-BISCAYNE BAY-GLADES-HENDRY-INLAND PALM BEACH- METRO PALM BEACH-COASTAL COLLIER-INLAND COLLIER-INLAND BROWARD- METRO BROWARD-INLAND MIAMI DADE-METRO MIAMI DADE-MAINLAND MONROE- COASTAL PALM BEACH-COASTAL BROWARD-COASTAL MIAMI DADE- FAR SOUTH MIAMI DADE- 1108 AM EDT TUE MAY 22 2012 ...SOME STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS POSSIBLE INTERIOR AND EAST COAST AREAS TODAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS: SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST TO DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING. THE MAIN THREATS FROM ANY STRONG STORM THAT DEVELOPS WILL BE FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES, STRONG WIND GUSTS, HAIL, AND HEAVY RAINS. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. WIND: WIND GUSTS TO AROUND 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS INTERIOR AND EAST COAST METRO AREAS. HAIL: LARGE HAIL IS POSSIBLE WITH A FEW OF THE STRONGEST STORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING MAINLY OVER THE INTERIOR AND EAST COAST METRO AREAS. FLOODING: LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN ISOLATED STREET FLOODING AND FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. TORNADOES: A BRIEF TORNADO JUST CANNOT BE RULED OUT ALONG THE ATLANTIC COAST LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING, ESPECIALLY WHERE THE EAST AND WEST COAST SEA BREEZES COLLIDE. RIP CURRENTS: THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF RIP CURRENTS AT THE EAST COAST BEACHES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED DAILY WITH LIGHTNING AND LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINS BEING THE PRIMARY RISKS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WIDESPREAD SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED, HOWEVER INDIVIDUAL SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT HIGH WIND, HAIL AND FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN MIAMI. FOR MORE INFORMATION...VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MIAMI WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MIAMI. BAXTER
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
1102 AM EDT TUE MAY 22 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0910 AM WATER SPOUT BOYNTON BEACH 26.53N 80.09W
05/22/2012 PALM BEACH FL PUBLIC
WATERSPOUTS WERE REPORTED BY THE PUBLIC AND MEDIA ALONG
THE ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS FROM BOYNTON BEACH TO LAKE
WORTH
&&
EBAUGHSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 1226 PM EDT TUE MAY 22 2012 FLZ067-221700- INLAND PALM BEACH COUNTY FL 1226 PM EDT TUE MAY 22 2012 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MIAMI HAS ISSUED A * SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR... SOUTH CENTRAL PALM BEACH COUNTY * UNTIL 100 PM EDT * AT 1223 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A THUNDERSTORM 11 MILES WEST OF MISSION BAY...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 5 MPH. * THE STORM WILL AFFECT... RURAL SOUTHERN PALM BEACH COUNTY AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. THE PRIMARY IMPACTS WILL BE GUSTY WINDS UP TO 45 MPH. THESE WINDS CAN DOWN SMALL TREE LIMBS AND BRANCHES...AND BLOW AROUND UNSECURED SMALL OBJECTS. SEEK SHELTER IN A SAFE BUILDING UNTIL THE STORM PASSES. ALSO...THIS STORM IS DEVELOPING IN AN ENVIRONMENT FAVORABLE FOR FUNNEL CLOUDS. LAT...LON 2649 8037 2640 8028 2636 8038 2641 8043 TIME...MOT...LOC 1625Z 233DEG 5KT 2641 8038 RIVERA
The Miami radar (KAMX), 79 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:48 UTC.
2 flash flood, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
A funnel cloud was observed by motorists along the Sawgrass Expressway in NW metro Broward County. The funnel cloud was just west of the highway in an unpopulated area and extended very close to the ground, although there were no confirmed reports of a touchdown.
A band of showers and a few thunderstorms along with torrential rainfall developed over the far western portions of the Miami-Dade County metropolitan area and moved east through the area from Kendall to Doral and Miami Springs. The ASOS at Miami International Airport recorded 4.40 inches of rainfall between 1245 and 2 PM EDT. During this time, a trained spotter reported 1 foot of water covering NW 82nd Avenue south of NW 25th Street in Doral. Shortly after 2 PM, an off-duty meteorologist reported cars floating in the street near the intersection of NW 36th Street and NW 82nd Avenue in Doral. Several cars in the area stalled out in high waters that had inundated the streets. On NW 82nd Avenue along the 2800 block, a large pickup stalled out in the flood waters and a tow truck pulled it to safety with two occupants still inside. On 87th Avenue, a woman driving a minivan stalled out and had to wait for a tow truck to pull her to safety. Other rainfall reports received in this event were 3.64 inches at the National Weather Service Forecast Office on the FIU South Campus and 4.03 inches at Ruben Dario Middle School in Sweetwater.
Damage totals for this event are included in the event which occurred later in the evening over the same area.
A second band of numerous showers and a few thunderstorms accompanied with intense rainfall moved through the same area of Miami-Dade County that received very heavy rainfall earlier in the day. The first significant report of flooding with this event was received at 810 PM EDT in Doral by the media stating that the canal running along NW 25th Street near NW 107th Avenue had overflowed its banks and flooded a nearby police department parking lot. Later reports received at 830 PM EDT indicated that rising flood waters had inundated some apartments at the Fountainbleau Gardens Apartments on 81st Avenue and NW 7th Street. A HAM radio operator reported at 938 PM EDT road closure of 87th Avenue near NW 12th Street due to flooding and at 950 PM EDT the same person reported that the Dolphin Expressway...State Road 836...was nearly impassable near the Palmetto Expressway...State Road 826...overpass due to standing water on the roadway. Many roads in Doral were under several feet of water, resulting in stalled cars and water entering businesses in warehouse districts.
Damage totals indicated for this event also include the previous flooding earlier in the afternoon.
The ASOS at Miami International Airport received an additional three plus inches of rainfall making the total for the calendar day to 9.7 inches which was a record daily amount. This also made it the second wettest day recorded in Miami for the month of May with continuous records back to 1895. Storm total rainfall amounts in the Sweetwater and Doral areas ranged from 8 to 10 inches, with an area of 4 to 7 inches extending from the FIU area to near the Dolphin Mall.
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, May 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: 386032, 385347, 385348.