Southwest flow led to scattered thunderstorms moving through much of West Central and Southwest Florida. A lightning strike from one of these storms sparked a house fire in Hillsborough county causing minor damage.
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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 TBW wrote it up.
Southwest flow led to scattered thunderstorms moving through much of West Central and Southwest Florida. A lightning strike from one of these storms sparked a house fire in Hillsborough county causing minor damage.
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 Aug 3, 1:52 PM EST, 2 hours 8 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL 252 PM EDT SAT AUG 3 2013 .SYNOPSIS... ALOFT - A LOW ALONG THE ALBERTA/MONTANA BORDER TROUGHED TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST...A RIDGE CENTERED ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS REACHED TO THE FAR NORTHERN PLAINS AND EAST TO FL...AND A LOW OVER HUDSON BAY TROUGHED DOWN ACROSS MUCH OF THE EASTERN U.S. AT THE SURFACE - HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE CENTRAL CANADIAN PROVINCES EXTENDED TO A FRONT THAT ARCED FROM THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS TO THE SAINT LAWRENCE VALLEY...A STALLED FRONT WAS OVER AND OFF THE MID- ATLANTIC STATES...TROPICAL DEPRESSION DORIAN WAS OFF THE FL EAST COAST (PLEASE SEE THE LATEST FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER)...AND HIGH PRESSURE ALONG AND SOUTH OF 30 NORTH LATITUDE RIDGED ACROSS SOUTH FL TO THE GULF. && .SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY)... THE SOUTHERN U.S. UPPER RIDGE BUILDS IN SLIGHTLY OVER THE GULF AND FL AS THE EASTERN TROUGH SHIFTS OFFSHORE...WITH WHAT EVER IS LEFT OF DORIAN MOVING AWAY FROM THE STATE. THE PLAINS FRONT WEAKENS AS IT MOVES INTO THE SE U.S. SUN...THEN SAGS IN ACROSS NORTH FL AS A FRONTAL TROUGH. MEANWHILE THE ATLANTIC SURFACE RIDGE HANGS ON OVER SOUTH FL. THE SURFACE RIDGE TO THE SOUTH DOMINATES THE FORECAST WITH A MOISTURE RICH PREVAILING SOUTHWEST TO WEST FLOW ENHANCED BY THE AFTERNOON WEST COAST SEA BREEZE. MODEL PWAT VALUES RUN FROM 1.8 TO NEAR 2,0 INCHES/ FROM NORTH TO SOUTH/ DOWN THE CWA THROUGH LATE SUN. THIS GRADIENT SHIFTS SOUTH MON AS A PLUME OF PWAT VALUES AROUND 2 INCHES DRIFTS INTO THE NORTH...AS THE FRONTAL TROUGH SETTLES ACROSS NORTH FL. EXPECT A PATTERN OF ISOLATED OVER NIGHT GULF CONVECTION MOVING ONSHORE IN THE MORNINGS THEN INLAND AND INCREASING DURING THE AFTERNOONS. THE HIGHEST COVERAGE WILL BE INLAND AND HAVE GONE ABOVE BOTH MAV/MET MOS POPS AND CLOSER TO CLIMO. .LONG TERM (MONDAY NIGHT-SATURDAY)... THE MOIST PATTERN CONTINUES THROUGH THE EXTENDED AS THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH SLIDES EAST AND THE NEXT TROUGH MOVES IN OVER THE EASTERN UNITED STATES TO END THE WEEK. A SURFACE FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE SOUTHEAST US AND HELP DRIVE AN UNSETTLED PATTERN TO OUR NORTH. MUCH OF THE RAIN PATTERN IN THE EXTENDED FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WILL BE DRIVEN BY SEA BREEZES AND OTHER BOUNDARIES. ONE UNCERTAIN FEATURE...AN UPPER LEVEL LOW...COULD NEAR THE REGION FROM THE EAST AT THE END OF THE EXTENDED FORECAST PERIOD. IF THIS TRANSPIRES...THE LOW COULD POSSIBLY INCREASE RAIN CHANCES TO END THE FORECAST PERIOD. TEMPERATURES DID NOT STRAY FAR FROM NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. && .AVIATION... CONVECTION HAS MOSTLY MOVED INLAND FROM THE TERMINALS EXCEPT KLAL...THOUGH A FEW ISOLATED STORMS ARE LINGERING IN THE COASTAL VICINITY AND WILL KEEP THE VCTS IN PLACE FOR A COUPLE MORE HOURS. OUTSIDE OF ANY CONVECTION THAT MAY CAUSE BRIEF MVFR CONDITIONS...VFR WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .MARINE... A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE SOUTH OF THE WATERS MOVES TO NORTH OF THE WATERS BY MID-WEEK. A WEST FLOW PATTERN SHIFTS TO SOUTHEASTERLY BUT WITH AFTERNOON SEA BREEZES WED-THU. WINDS AND WAVES ARE BELOW HEADLINE CRITERIA WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THE MAIN CONCERN. && .FIRE WEATHER... MINIMUM RH ABOVE CRITICAL LEVELS AND LIGHT WINDS PRECLUDE ANY FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... TPA 78 91 79 91 / 20 40 20 40 FMY 76 91 77 92 / 20 40 20 40 GIF 75 94 75 93 / 10 40 20 50 SRQ 78 91 78 91 / 20 40 20 40 BKV 74 93 74 92 / 20 40 30 40 SPG 80 90 80 90 / 20 40 20 40 && .TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...NONE. GULF WATERS...NONE. && SYNOPSIS/SHORT TERM/MARINE/FIRE WEATHER...09/RUDE LONG TERM...GARCIA AVIATION...24/COLSON
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL 513 AM EDT SAT AUG 3 2013 FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-GMZ830-850-853-856-870- 873-876-041000- LEVY-CITRUS-SUMTER-HERNANDO-PASCO-PINELLAS-HILLSBOROUGH-POLK- MANATEE-HARDEE-HIGHLANDS-SARASOTA-DESOTO-CHARLOTTE-LEE- TAMPA BAY WATERS-TARPON SPRINGS TO SUWANNEE RIVER OUT 20 NM- ENGLEWOOD TO TARPON SPRINGS OUT 20 NM- BONITA BEACH TO ENGLEWOOD OUT 20 NM- TARPON SPRINGS TO SUWANNEE RIVER OUT 20 TO 60 NM- ENGLEWOOD TO TARPON SPRINGS OUT 20 TO 60 NM- BONITA BEACH TO ENGLEWOOD OUT 20 TO 60 NM- 513 AM EDT SAT AUG 3 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ...THUNDERSTORM IMPACT... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AS THE EAST AND WEST COAST SEA BREEZES COLLIDE LATER THIS AFTERNOON. THE MAIN HAZARDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE GUSTY WINDS...OCCASIONAL TO FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. FUNNEL CLOUDS AND BRIEF WATERSPOUTS ARE POSSIBLE TODAY...PARTICULARLY AROUND BOUNDARY COLLISIONS. ...RIVER FLOOD IMPACT... MINOR FLOODING CONTINUES ON THE MYAKKA RIVER AT MYAKKA RIVER STATE PARK. SEE THE LATEST FLOOD STATEMENT FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. ...THUNDERSTORM IMPACT... SCATTERED MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED EACH DAY WITH THE STRONGER STORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH...LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN...AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. ...RIVER FLOOD IMPACT... RIVER FLOODING WILL LIKELY CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND ON THE MYAKKA RIVER AT MYAKKA RIVER STATE PARK. SEE THE LATEST FLOOD STATEMENT FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER AND SELF ACTIVATE IF NEEDED. GARCIA
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 256 PM EDT SAT AUG 3 2013 FLZ062-065-031945- CHARLOTTE-LEE- 256 PM EDT SAT AUG 3 2013 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN LEE AND SOUTHEASTERN CHARLOTTE COUNTIES... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED 9 MILES NORTHEAST OF FORT MYERS...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH... THAT WILL AFFECT AREAS AROUND FORT MYERS SHORES...UNTIL 345 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 2670 8186 2682 8182 2683 8156 2662 8156 TIME...MOT...LOC 1855Z 280DEG 8KT 2675 8178
The Tampa radar (KTBW), 27 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:02 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Broadcast media reported an attic fire started by lightning on Lido Drive in Brandon. Fire crews were able to put the fire out.
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: 457842.