Lightning struck a house in Tallahassee and resulted in a fire.
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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 TAE wrote it up.
Lightning struck a house in Tallahassee and resulted in a fire.
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 Tallahassee, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 14, 10:09 AM EST, 4 hours 16 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 1109 AM EDT Wed Aug 14 2013 .NEAR TERM [This afternoon]... A surface trough running from central Georgia through south central Alabama, will provide the focus for showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. Weak shortwave energy moving in from the west will aid in this development, as evidenced by increasing convection across southern Mississippi and southwestern Alabama. Activity is rather limited this morning, so lowered PoPs over the eastern half with a later start anticipated. Over the west, kept PoPs the same with activity expected to become more widespread by 18z. Overall, the PoP distribution for today looks good with the highest rain chances over the northwestern half of the area (closest to the surface trough and approaching upper energy). 12Z sounding is not terribly unstable with light winds aloft, so do expect significant severe weather. However, an isolated strong storm or two remains possible. && .SHORT TERM [Tonight Through Friday Night]... An upper level trough axis will continue to the west with deep moisture overspreading the area. In addition, a tropical disturbance is lurking in the Caribbean, and additional moisture from that feature could get drawn northward. This overall patterns supports an enhanced and prolonged risk of heavy rainfall with potential flooding issues developing across portions of the area. && .LONG TERM [Saturday through Tuesday]... The unsettled weather will continue at least through the weekend as the CWA remains on the east side of the highly amplified upper level trough. To complicate matters, the GFS and EURO shows deep tropical moisture lifting northward and overspreading the southeast CONUS Friday through Saturday. The GFS has been consistent in developing a low in the northeast Gulf and tracking it inland over the Florida Panhandle on Saturday. This will have to be monitored closely for possible tropical development. Even without this feature, rainfall amounts could be excessive over portions of the local region during this time frame. There are now indications that this unsettled pattern may get shut off early next week as deep layer ridging builds in from the east. && .AVIATION... [Through 12 UTC Thursday] KABY and KECP will likely see the greatest aviation impacts through the afternoon with MVFR cigs and increasing showers and thunderstorms. Elsewhere, VFR conditions are forecast to prevail with scattered thunderstorms during the afternoon and early evening. && .MARINE... Winds and seas are expected to gradually increase over the next few days as a weak area of low pressure moves into the Gulf. Much of the forecast will depend on how strong the area of low pressure becomes and where it eventually tracks. At this time, it appears as though exercise caution level winds and seas could arrive on Friday night and continue into Saturday. && .FIRE WEATHER... Red flag conditions are not expected over the next several days, as wet humid weather will dominate the Tri-State region.. && .HYDROLOGY... Widespread rainfall totals 3 to 5 inches with locally higher amounts appear likely over the next week, particularly on Friday and Saturday. This will likely cause an increase in flows on area rivers. The vast majority of rivers and creeks in the area are below bankfull levels thanks to a relatively dry period in the past week or so, which is fortunate. However, MMEFS guidance does indicate that several rivers could eventually rise into at least minor flood stage if the widespread totals of 3 to 5 inches do occur. It is too early to determine how significant the flooding could be on specific rivers and creeks, as that will ultimately hinge on the location and intensity of the heaviest rainfall. This scenario will have to be monitored closely. A flood potential outlook was issued to address these concerns. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Tallahassee 92 74 90 74 86 / 60 40 70 50 80 Panama City 88 75 88 76 85 / 80 50 70 50 80 Dothan 88 73 88 72 86 / 80 60 80 60 70 Albany 89 73 87 72 87 / 80 60 80 60 80 Valdosta 92 73 89 72 86 / 60 50 70 50 80 Cross City 91 73 91 74 89 / 40 20 40 50 60 Apalachicola 89 76 88 75 84 / 50 30 50 50 80 && .TAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...None. GA...None. AL...None. GM...None. && NEAR TERM...Camp SHORT TERM...DVD LONG TERM...Barry AVIATION...Camp MARINE...Camp/DVD FIRE WEATHER...DVD HYDROLOGY...DVD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 240 PM EDT WED AUG 14 2013 FLZ017-027-141930- LEON FL-INLAND WAKULLA FL- 240 PM EDT WED AUG 14 2013 ...A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR LEON AND WAKULLA COUNTIES... * UNTIL 330 PM EDT AT 236 PM EDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS DETECTED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 12 MILES NORTH OF CRAWFORDVILLE...OR NEAR HELEN...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. WINDS AROUND 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. LIGHTNING IS ONE OF NATURES NUMBER ONE KILLERS. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL YOU HEAR THE SOUND OF THUNDER TO TAKE COVER. THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS WHICH MAY REDUCE VISIBILITY AND CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT (8 5 0) 9 4 2 8 8 3 3...OR CONTACT LAW ENFORCEMENT. LAT...LON 3063 8418 3036 8408 3022 8447 3037 8455 TIME...MOT...LOC 1840Z 241DEG 11KT 3034 8443 25-CAMP
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning struck a house on the 200 block of Timberlane Dr and resulted in a fire. The damage was estimated at $100,000. This was reported by the City of Tallahassee Fire Department facebook page.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, August 2013
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: 475665.