A strong long wave trough was centered over the mid Mississippi Valley extending south to the Gulf coast with several shortwaves rotating around it. During the April 29-30 time period, a strong MCS developed along the Gulf coast and trained across the area, producing extremely heavy rainfall rates and amounts on top of what had already been a very wet month with additional rainfall amounts of 6…
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 TAE wrote it up.
A strong long wave trough was centered over the mid Mississippi Valley extending south to the Gulf coast with several shortwaves rotating around it. During the April 29-30 time period, a strong MCS developed along the Gulf coast and trained across the area, producing extremely heavy rainfall rates and amounts on top of what had already been a very wet month with additional rainfall amounts of 6 to 10 inches common across the area. This led to serious flooding across portions of the Florida panhandle with several million dollars in damage reported, mainly to roads. However, several structures were also impacted by flood waters, especially in Walton county, and a FEMA disaster declaration was obtained across the area.
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 Apr 29, 1:49 AM EST, 7 hours 21 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
249 AM EDT Tue Apr 29 2014
...STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TODAY THROUGH
WEDNESDAY...
...HEAVY RAINFALL WITH AREAS OF FLASH AND RIVERINE FLOODING
EXPECTED AS WELL...
.Near Term [Through Today]...
The very strong cutoff upper level low pressure system will continue
to make some modest eastward gains today at the an expense of an
area just to the east of the broad low region, now centered across
the northern upper MS River Valley, and northward into the western
Great Lakes, and SC to SE Canada. Despite how far to the NW this low
center appears to be displaced for impacts over our area today, it's
circulation is enormous over the eastern CONUS, dominating
conditions from the north central Gulf of Mexico northward into much
of eastern Canada. This system will continue to develop band after
band of strong to severe thunderstorms that will form into fairly
large MCS features across the SE U.S. today, then continuing over
the next 2 to 3 days at least, before we are on the much safer and
drier westerly side of the upper low's circulation.
These first bands of convection were located over eastern and
central TN, extending SW into northern GA, northern and central AL,
to the eastern border with LA, as of early Tuesday morning. With
abundant deep layer tropical moisture in place, giving us excellent
Sfc and mean layer instabilities as well as steadily cooler air
aloft which will yield steepening low to mid-level lapse rates, very
high directional wind sheer with decent vertical speed sheer (all
feeding into an extremely negatively tilted trof axis), and the
stage appears to be set for all facets of severe weather to
potentially occur across our CWA during the next few days. This
includes the threat for Tornadoes (of which a few could be strong),
damaging wind gusts of 60-80 mph, and large hail. During the next 24
hours, which includes Today, the best threat for severe weather
will be over western portions of the CWA or almost the western 2/3
of the region. Additionally, even though the individual storm cells
will be moving quite fast in their respective to the MCS, the
overall effect for rainfall will lead echo training and cell
re-development as each MCS moves through. Therefore, since we are
expecting widespread storm total rainfalls of 3 to 5 inches (with
isolated areas around 10" or slightly greater will be possible) over
the next 3 days, as those areas within the Flash Flood Watch are
expected to get hit with 3 or more MCSs. High temps should be held
down to the 80 to 85 degree range with the increase in convection
and cloud cover.
&&
.Short Term [Tonight Through Thursday]...
For much of the short term period we will remain in a relatively
stagnant synoptic pattern with a strong, closed mid-upper level low
over the Upper Mississippi River Valley, and a cyclonically curved
mid-upper level jet rounding the base of that over the Southeast. In
general, the stronger flow aloft will remain just north of our area,
but there should be a favorable overlap of deep layer shear (0-6km
at least 40 knots) and moderate instability over the northwest half
of our area to support a continuation of the severe thunderstorm
threat into our area. Specific threats and timing will be highly
contingent upon the convective evolution in the near term period
(prior to 00Z Wednesday), which is still somewhat uncertain. In
general though, it looks like another substantial round of
thunderstorms should begin redeveloping west of the area this
afternoon and begin pushing into our area later tonight and into
Wednesday. We reflected this general timing in the grids. However,
it should be noted that it would be reasonable to expect convection,
some possibly severe storms, any time from tonight into Wednesday
evening - especially across the northwest half of the area. While
the main threat should be damaging winds, tornadoes and large hail
will also be possible. Based on quite a few convection allowing
models generating very high updraft helicity and updraft velocity
values, an isolated strong tornado or two cannot be ruled out. An
isolated significant wind gust (to 75 mph or higher) also cannot be
ruled out. There will be an accompanying flash flooding threat which
is detailed below in the hydrology section. Models suggest the front
is likely to linger into Thursday, but by then most rain should be
focused in the southeast half of our area. If the front is delayed
more than expected, the flash flooding threat could be prolonged.
.Long Term [Thursday Night Through Monday]...
The latest GFS and ECMWF solutions continue in to be in fairly
good agreement WRT the upper level pattern. The stacked low
pressure system will be over the Great Lakes Region with a broad
deep trough roughly from the continental divide to the east coast
to start the period. A potent shortwave will further sharpen the
trough as it drops from the central plains into the southeast
Thursday night into Friday. As the shortwave moves east the
mid/upper level flow becomes zonal by the end of the weekend. Weak
ridging returns to the area to begin the next week. At the
surface, a weak front will cut through our CWA Thursday and push
to our east by Friday. A wave is forecast to develop on the
boundary over the northeast Gulf on Friday. This along with the
approaching shortwave and increasing deep layer moisture will keep
rain chances in the forecast Friday. High pressure builds in with
dry weather for the local region over the weekend and early next
week. Temps will be below seasonal levels Friday in the wake of
the front with max temps in the upper 60s to lower 70s. Otherwise,
temps will be at or just above climo through the period.
&&
.Aviation...
[Through 12Z Thursday] IFR to MVFR Cigs with some BR in the MVFR
range will hold until mid to late this morning, with the MCS
development and movement important to determine each locations
potential for brief improvement in the afternoon. At this time,
still expect DHN and ECP to likely remain in the MVFR range
throughout, with a period of VFR levels this afternoon. Also,
numerous showers and thunderstorms (some strong to severe) will
arrive from the northwest at KDHN and KECP before dawn this morning,
after sunrise at TLH and ABY, and possibly not until late morning at
VLD.
&&
.Marine...
Southerly winds at 15 to 20 knots are expected over the coastal
waters today and tonight with seas at peaking at 4 to 6 feet late
this morning or this afternoon. No longer expect a Small Craft
Advisory with winds and seas expected to decrease below headline
levels thereafter by Wednesday might. Behind the cold front, winds
and seas will shift to offshore for much of the period, with lower
winds and seas by Friday and the upcoming weekend the northwest
then north.
&&
.Fire Weather...
Plenty of low level moisture will remain both during and after this
widespread heavy rainfall. Therefor re, no fire weather concerns
are expected.
&&
.Hydrology...
Earlier high resolution model forecast showed substantial rainfall
totals over the area, but recent runs have backed off slightly.
Still, the expectation is that an average of 2-5 inches of rain will
fall over much of the area along and west of a line from
Apalachicola to Tallahassee to Albany. Isolated rainfall totals in
those areas could exceed 8 inches, and rainfall rates in slower
moving or training thunderstorms could reach 2 inches per hour.
Therefore, the threat of flash flooding remains on track and if some
of the higher-end rainfall totals are realized some isolated
locations could see some more significant flash flooding. The most
likely location for training thunderstorms and persistent high
rainfall rates seems to be further west in our area roughly from
Panama City to Marianna to Cuthbert and points to the west - from
later this afternoon into tonight.
In general, these amounts should be sufficient to place some of the
area rivers into flood stage again. However, with the location of
the heaviest bands of rain still uncertain it is tough to say which
rivers would be most prone to flooding. Flooding also continues on
the Suwannee River in the eastern Big Bend, but most other rivers
are receding or have receded.
&&
.Preliminary Point Temps/PoPs...
Tallahassee 85 71 86 66 80 / 40 30 60 40 50
Panama City 79 72 80 65 74 / 50 70 70 40 50
Dothan 81 70 81 59 74 / 70 80 70 40 40
Albany 82 70 83 61 77 / 70 60 70 50 40
Valdosta 87 69 88 66 80 / 40 20 50 40 50
Cross City 86 70 87 70 82 / 30 20 20 30 50
Apalachicola 79 73 81 67 76 / 40 40 60 40 50
&&
.TAE Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
FL...Flash Flood Watch through Wednesday evening for Calhoun-Central
Walton-Coastal Bay-Coastal Franklin-Coastal Gulf-Coastal
Wakulla-Gadsden-Holmes-Inland Bay-Inland Franklin-Inland
Gulf-Inland Wakulla-Inland Walton-Jackson-Leon-Liberty-
South Walton-Washington.
High Rip Current Risk through Wednesday evening for Coastal Bay-
Coastal Franklin-Coastal Gulf-South Walton.
GA...Flash Flood Watch through Wednesday evening for Baker-Ben Hill-
Calhoun-Clay-Colquitt-Decatur-Dougherty-Early-Grady-Irwin-
Lee-Miller-Mitchell-Quitman-Randolph-Seminole-Terrell-
Thomas-Tift-Turner-Worth.
AL...Flash Flood Watch through Wednesday evening for Coffee-Dale-
Geneva-Henry-Houston.
GM...None.
&&
NEAR TERM...GOULD
SHORT TERM...LAMERS
LONG TERM...BARRY
AVIATION...GOULD
MARINE...GOULD
FIRE WEATHER...GOULD
HYDROLOGY...LAMERSThe Tallahassee radar (KTLH), 35 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:09 UTC.
27 flash flood, 12 thunderstorm wind, 8 flood, 2 tornado, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A few trees were blown down in northern and eastern Leon county with a couple down on power lines.
A tree was blown down onto a house on Long Road. Monetary damage was estimated.
A trained spotter estimated winds of 60 to 70 mph with dime size hail.
A tree was blown down on Main Stree and Davis Street with power lines down on Graham Ave.
A trained spotter estimated winds near 60.
Four to five trees were blown down on Dead River Road.
A tree was blown down on Bay Grove Road.
A car was stuck in water on High Note Road due to flash flooding.
High water was running across Clear Springs Road.
A tree fell on a house on Owens Community Road near Vernon. Monetary damage was estimated.
Several trees were blown down.
This tornado touched down a half mile or so east of Highway 77 south of Graceville. Damage was mostly to trees, but several homes were also damaged. One was severely damaged when a large oak tree toppled onto it. Damage to trees and to one home east of Highway 77 was consistent with EF1 damage with peak winds around 110 mph. This tornado also exhibited a debris signature on dual-pol radar. Monetary damage was estimated.
A second tornado was confirmed in Jackson county starting along Highway 231 southeast of Campbellton with a few trees blown over and snapped. There was evidence of sporadic damage to trees to the north-northeast. The second, and more significant area of damage of damage was to a grove of pine trees east of Campbellton along Highway 2. There was clear evidence of a tornado at this location consistent with higher end EF1 damage. There was no evidence of damage very far to the northeast of this road. Peak winds were estimated to be around 110 mph, and this tornado produced a debris signature on dual-pol radar. Monetary damage was estimated.
Numerous trees were blown down across the county.
Several roads were flooded across the county with barricades placed due to heavy rainfall in a short period of time.
Significant flash flooding occurred for an unusually long period of time as very heavy rain moved repeatedly over the area. At least three cars were flooded in the Miramar Beach area. Monetary damage was estimated.
Portions of Highway 79 near Bonifay were underwater due to flash flooding.
Significant flash flooding occurred for an unusually long period of time as very heavy rain moved repeatedly over the area. A house was surrounded by water on Shore Drive.
A barn was blown down near Altha. This was reported by the public on the WDHN news Facebook page. Monetary damage was estimated.
Part of Long Road was underwater near a creek that eventually flows in the Shoal River in northern Walton County.
Approximately 64 roads were closed or underwater across Jackson county due to heavy rain and flash flooding.
Multiple roads were impassible and closed across Washington county due to flash flooding.
Multiple roads were closed including Clear Creek Road from Timber Run Road to Ann Elizabeth Lane and Oak Tree Lane. One stretch of road had a three foot washout.
Significant flash flooding occurred for an unusually long period of time as very heavy rain moved repeatedly over the area. At least three vehicles stalled out in high water on Thompson Road. Water was up to the door handles on one car.
Significant flash flooding occurred for an unusually long period of time as very heavy rain moved repeatedly over the area. On Spotted Dolphin Drive, all homes were taking on water with stalled vehicles in the area.
Significant flash flooding occurred for an unusually long period of time as very heavy rain moved repeatedly over the area. On Highway 393, at least one car was stalled out in high water.
Harrison at 14th Street and Wilson at 12 Street were flooded due to heavy rain in a short period of time.
Major flooding occurred across Holmes county at the end of the month due to a combination of very heavy rainfall and already saturated conditions. Many roads in the county sustained damage with damage estimated at $945,255.
Numerous roads were flooded across Calhoun county with barricades in place due to heavy rain in a short period of time.
Significant flash flooding occurred for an unusually long period of time as very heavy rain moved repeatedly over the area. A section of driveway and part of a house washed out just off of Highway 30A. Monetary damage was estimated.
Significant flash flooding occurred for an unusually long period of time as very heavy rain moved repeatedly over the area. A car was stalled out in high water up to the headlights near Southwinds condos.
Significant flash flooding occurred for an unusually long period of time as very heavy rain moved repeatedly over the area. Some washouts of land, pavement and roads occurred near Edgewater Condos.
The public reported a car underwater, a camper flooded, and water 2 feet from a house at 10304 River Alley Road.
Disastrous flooding occurred across Walton county at the end of the month due to a combination of very heavy rainfall and already saturated conditions. Many roads in the county sustained damage, and some structures were impacted by flooding including several businesses. Road damage in the county was estimated at $1,464,696. At least 10 businesses were impacted with damage estimated at approximately $300,000.
Parts of Cincinnati Ave were underwater via pictures from the Panama City New Herald with water encroaching on some nearby homes.
Everitt Ave was flooded with water encroaching on some nearby homes.
Significant flash flooding occurred for an unusually long period of time as very heavy rain moved repeatedly over the area. Some residents were evacuated from the Rue Caribe subdivision.
Major flooding occurred across Washington county at the end of the month due to a combination of very heavy rainfall and already saturated conditions. Many roads in the county sustained damage with damage estimated at $2,155,731.
Major flooding occurred across Jackson county at the end of the month due to a combination of very heavy rainfall and already saturated conditions. Many roads in the county sustained damage with damage estimated at $6,691,424.
Significant flash flooding occurred for an unusually long period of time as very heavy rain moved repeatedly over the area. The parking lot of the Silver Sands Outlet Mall was covered with water.
Significant flash flooding occurred for an unusually long period of time as very heavy rain moved repeatedly over the area. A section of Norwood Drive was underwater up to a depth of approximately the tops of tires on vehicles.
A tree was blown down across power lines and blocking Lake Grove Road.
Significant flash flooding occurred for an unusually long period of time as very heavy rain moved repeatedly over the area. All of Highway 30A was closed due to high water and flooding in multiple locations.
Areal flooding occurred across Lafayette county at the end of the month due to a combination of heavy rainfall and already saturated conditions. Many roads in the county sustained damage with damage estimated at $855,857.
Areal flooding occurred across Dixie county at the end of the month due to a combination of heavy rainfall and already saturated conditions. Many roads in the county sustained damage with damage estimated at $398,676.
Major flooding occurred across Calhoun county at the end of the month due to a combination of very heavy rainfall and already saturated conditions. Many roads in the county sustained damage with damage estimated at $3,234,208.
Major flooding occurred across Bay county at the end of the month due to a combination of very heavy rainfall and already saturated conditions. Many roads in the county sustained damage with damage estimated at $1,591,122. In addition, some businesses suffered flood damage with estimates at approximately $250,000.
State Route 71 at East River Road was closed to south bound traffic due to flooding.
Significant flash flooding occurred for an unusually long period of time as very heavy rain moved repeatedly over the area. A section of one lane of Highway 30A washed out near Little Redfish Lake.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Florida, 2014Warnings in Florida, April 2014
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: 515507, 515508, 515503, 515514, 515499, 515502, 515382, 515517, 515928, 515929, 515512, 515509, 515067, 515071, 515510, 515926, 515931, 515927, 515932, 515504, 515930, 515842, 515919, 515921, 515933, 515934, 515935, 515900, 515462, 515893, 515936, 515937, 515938, 515922, 515455, 515902, 515904, 515939, 515467, 515483, and more.