Sea breeze boundary collisions took place along the I-75 corridor. Easterly flow pushed the storms into the Tampa metro area producing strong winds and damage to trees, powerlines and area homes.
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 TBW wrote it up.
Sea breeze boundary collisions took place along the I-75 corridor. Easterly flow pushed the storms into the Tampa metro area producing strong winds and damage to trees, powerlines and area homes.
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 9, 9:42 AM EST, 4 hours 13 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL 1042 AM EDT FRI AUG 9 2013 .UPDATE... CURRENT RADAR IMAGERY SHOWS VERY LIMITED SHOWER ACTIVITY AS THERE IS SOME DRIER AIR STILL IN PLACE FROM AN UPPER LEVEL LOW SPINNING OVER THE FLORIDA STRAITS. DEEP-LAYERED EASTERLY FLOW CONTINUES WITH THE RIDGE AXIS NORTH OF THE AREA...SO THE WEST COAST SEA BREEZE IS EXPECTED TO FORM AND THEN REMAIN VERY CLOSE TO THE COAST AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON. BASED ON THAT...HAVE ADJUSTED POPS TO SHOW HIGHER RAIN CHANCES ALONG THE COAST FROM AROUND TAMPA BAY SOUTHWARD BEGINNING SOMETIME AROUND 18Z WITH ACTIVITY ENDING A FEW HOURS AFTER SUNSET. OTHERWISE NO CHANGES TO THE ONGOING FORECAST. && .AVIATION... SCATTERED SHRA/TSRA EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AROUND 18Z WITH ACTIVITY CONTINUING INTO THE EVENING. WILL HANDLE WITH VCTS FOR NOW AND AMEND AS COVERAGE/TIMING BECOMES MORE CLEAR. SHOULD SEE SHRA/TSRA END BY 00Z SATURDAY...WITH VFR CONDITIONS THEN EXPECTED OVERNIGHT. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... TPA 89 76 91 77 / 60 40 40 20 FMY 90 75 93 76 / 70 40 40 20 GIF 92 74 94 75 / 50 30 30 10 SRQ 91 75 92 76 / 50 40 40 20 BKV 92 72 93 74 / 50 40 40 20 SPG 90 78 92 79 / 60 50 40 20 && .TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...NONE. GULF WATERS...NONE. && UPDATE...05/CARLISLE AVIATION...21/JELSEMA
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL 530 AM EDT FRI AUG 9 2013 FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-GMZ830-850-853-856-870- 873-876-092200- 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- 530 AM EDT FRI AUG 9 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ...THUNDERSTORM IMPACT... AN EAST TO SOUTHEAST FLOW COMBINED WITH AMPLE MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY WILL LEAD TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER THE INTERIOR DURING THE MIDDAY AND EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS THEN MOVING TOWARDS THE WEST COAST DURING THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING. THE GREATEST HAZARDS WILL BE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...GUSTY WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. ...THUNDERSTORM IMPACT... SUFFICIENT MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE SEA BREEZE BOUNDARIES EACH DAY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY. PRC
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
238 PM EDT FRI AUG 9 2013
FLZ060-062-065-091945-
SARASOTA-CHARLOTTE-LEE-
238 PM EDT FRI AUG 9 2013
...A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR CHARLOTTE...LEE
AND SOUTH CENTRAL SARASOTA COUNTIES FOR A LINE OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS WITH STRONG WIND GUSTS VALID UNTIL 345 PM EDT...
AT 238 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATES A
LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM
CAPE CORAL TO 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF BONITA SPRINGS...MOVING NORTH AT
15 MPH WILL AFFECT CAPTIVA. THESE STORMS WILL AFFECT FORT MYERS
BEACH...LOVERS KEY STATE PARK AND BONITA SPRINGS.
GUSTY WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED WHICH CAN CAUSE UNSECURED
OBJECTS TO BLOW AROUND...SNAP TREE LIMBS AND CAUSE POWER OUTAGES.
FREQUENT TO CONTINUOUS 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 2632 8185 2647 8198 2641 8207 2647 8218
2667 8227 2677 8227 2692 8237 2694 8213
2692 8217 2678 8214 2676 8223 2672 8225
2671 8213 2668 8210 2680 8207 2694 8209
2697 8156 2642 8156 2641 8166 2631 8166
TIME...MOT...LOC 1838Z 162DEG 12KT 2659 8208 2643 8172PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
242 PM EDT FRI AUG 09 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0230 PM MARINE TSTM WIND 2 SW CAPE CORAL 26.55N 82.01W
08/09/2013 M55 MPH LEE FL MESONET
WIND GUST OF 48 KTS MEASURED AT THE CAPE HARBOUR MARINA.
&&
MCKAUGHANThe Tampa radar (KTBW), 126 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:53 UTC.
7 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Cape Coral Police Department reported a couple of downed trees in the Veterans Parkway and Skyline Boulevard area. Time estimated off radar velocities.
Highlands County Emergency Management reported roof damage to 6 homes in Lake Josephine. One home on Leona Dr. lost the majority of the roof. Trees, power lines, and a few carports were blown down as well. The time was estimated by radar.
Pinellas County Emergency Management relayed a report of a lightning strike to a house in Seminole causing minor damage.
Thunderstorm winds caused roof damage to a lanai in the Town N Country area. The time was estimated by radar.
Trained spotter reports numerous 3 to 4 inch diameter tree branches down on Benjamin Road just north of Sligh Avenue. A power pole and wires were leaning into a tree on the side of the road.
Thunderstorm wind gusts knocked down trees just east of Tampa International Airport near Lois Avenue and Ohio Avenue. The time was estimated by radar.
Thunderstorm wind gusts knocked a tree down on Benjamin Road just north of Barry Avenue. The Sheriff and Fire Department were on the scene.
Broadcast media relayed a report of down burst winds that knocked over power poles and trees, and damaged a car port and balcony near Gulf Winds Circle and Gulf View Drive in Hernando Beach. The time was estimated from radar.
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: 471134, 471135, 474227, 471136, 471137, 471151, 471154, 474404.