Lightning from an isolated, pulse thunderstorm resulted in numerous injuries on Eglin Air Force Base during a training operation.
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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 MOB wrote it up.
Lightning from an isolated, pulse thunderstorm resulted in numerous injuries on Eglin Air Force Base during a training operation.
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 Mobile, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 12, 3:02 PM CST, 58 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL 402 PM CDT WED AUG 12 2015 .SHORT TERM [TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON]...DRIER AIR CONTINUES TO MOVE SOUTH ACROSS THE FA NORTH OF A BOUNDARY CURRENTLY OFF THE GULF COAST. AS THE DRIER AIR CONTINUES TO MOVE SOUTH ACROSS THE FA...ANY CHANCE FOR RAIN WILL BE SHUNTED SOUTH. THE FEW SHRA CURRENTLY OVER THE SOUTHERN MAY LAST INTO THE EVENING HOURS...BUT FEEL NOT FOR LONG. AND WITH THE DRIER AIR...OVERNIGHT TEMPS FALLING INTO THE 60S ARE EXPECTED OVER THE NORTHERN TWO THIRDS OF THE FA...AROUND 70S CLOSE TO THE COAST. FOR THURSDAY...WITH THE DRIER AIRMASS OVER THE FA AND NO SIGNIFICANTLY COOLER AIR MOVING OVER THE FA...TEMPS RISING TO A BIT ABOVE SEASONAL LEVELS EXPECTED. /16 [THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT]...THE CENTER OF THE UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY OVER THE FOUR CORNERS REGION...WITH UPPER LEVEL WEAKNESS REMAINING OVER THE SOUTHEAST STATES. A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY OVER THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO WILL DISSIPATE OVER THE NEXT TWO DAYS. A VERY LOW CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE SHORT TERM...WITH THE BEST CHANCE (20%) FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...MAINLY ALONG THE COASTAL COUNTIES. HIGH TEMPERATURES FRIDAY WILL STILL MANAGE TO REACH THE LOWER TO MID 90S INLAND AREAS...WITH UPPER 80S AT THE BEACHES. LOW TEMPERATURES THURSDAY NIGHT WILL RANGE FROM 64 TO 69 DEGREES INLAND AREAS...AND FROM 70 TO 75 DEGREES ALONG THE COASTAL SECTIONS. LOW TEMPERATURES FRIDAY NIGHT WILL RANGE FROM 69 TO 74 INLAND AREAS...WITH MID 70S ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COASTAL SECTIONS. /22 && .LONG TERM [SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY]...THE DRY AIR WILL CONTINUE TO RETREAT ON SATURDAY AS THE AREA RECOVERS WITH MOISTURE AND RAIN CHANCES ON THE INCREASE ONCE AGAIN. THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH ACROSS THE EAST COAST WILL CONTINUE TO LIFT NORTHEAST THROUGH THE EARLY PART OF THE WEEKEND AS THE LARGE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE REMAINS SITUATED ACROSS THE DESERT SOUTHWEST THROUGH THE WEEKEND...BEFORE DAMPENING OUT EARLY IN THE WORK WEEK. MODELS CONTINUE TO INDICATE A BROAD UPPER LEVEL LOW FORMING AND DRIFTING ACROSS THE AREA OVER THE WEEKEND...MEANING SLIGHTLY LOWER DAYTIME TEMPERATURES AND SCATTERED COVERAGE OF STORMS THROUGH EARLY IN THE WORK WEEK. DAYTIME HIGHS WILL ONLY REACH INTO THE LOW 90S THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE EXTENDED PERIOD...WITH LOCATIONS SOUTH OF THE I-10 CORRIDOR STRUGGLING TO REACH 90 LATE IN THE WEEKEND THROUGH NEXT WEEK. EVEN WITH THE ANTICIPATED INCREASE IN MOISTURE...LUCKILY NOT ANTICIPATING A SURGE IN DEWPOINTS INTO THE UPPER 70S OR NEAR 80 IN THE EXTENDED PERIOD. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL MODERATE BACK INTO THE LOW 70S ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE AREA WITH SOME LOCATIONS FURTHER INLAND STILL DIPPING INTO THE UPPER 60S OVER THE WEEKEND. 07/MB && .AVIATION... 12/18Z TAF ISSUANCE...VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THOUGH THE PACKAGE...WITH DRIER AIR SLOWLY MOVING SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA. A FEW AFTERNOON SHRA/TSRA POSSIBLE ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE COAST...BUT AM EXPECTING THESE TO BE ISOLATED AT MOST. /16 && .MARINE...A WEAK FRONT WILL MOVE TO JUST SOUTH OF THE MARINE ZONES OVERNIGHT...WITH LIGHT OFFSHORE FLOW MOVING IN. THIS BOUNDARY WILL WASH OUT QUICKLY LATER THURSDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...WITH LIGHT AND VARIABLE FLOW RETURNING TO MOST O0F THE UNPROTECTED WATERS. NEAR- SHORE AND BAYS WILL SEE A DIURNAL DAYTIME ONSHORE/NIGHT-TIME OFFSHORE FLOW SETTING IN. SATURDAY INTO THE COMING WEEK...SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE MOVES OVER THE MID ATLANTIC REGION...BRINGING A GENERAL EASTERLY FLOW...WITH NEAR SHORE AND PROTECTED WATERS SEEING A SOUTHERLY COMPONENT AS A GULF BREEZE FORMS AND MOVES INLAND. /16 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... MOBILE 72 94 71 93 73 / 20 05 20 20 20 PENSACOLA 74 93 75 91 75 / 20 10 20 20 20 DESTIN 77 92 77 91 76 / 30 10 20 20 20 EVERGREEN 65 95 66 95 69 / 05 05 05 05 05 WAYNESBORO 68 93 66 95 70 / 00 00 05 05 05 CAMDEN 65 94 65 94 69 / 00 05 05 05 05 CRESTVIEW 69 96 69 94 69 / 10 10 05 20 20 && .MOB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. FL...NONE. MS...NONE. GM...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL 843 AM CDT WED AUG 12 2015 ALZ051>060-261-262-MSZ067-075-076-078-079-131345- CHOCTAW-WASHINGTON-CLARKE-WILCOX-MONROE-CONECUH-BUTLER-CRENSHAW- ESCAMBIA-COVINGTON-MOBILE INLAND-BALDWIN INLAND-WAYNE-PERRY- GREENE-STONE-GEORGE- 843 AM CDT WED AUG 12 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...SOUTHWEST ALABAMA AND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF SKYWARN SEVERE STORM SPOTTER NETWORKS IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH TUESDAY. ALZ263>266-FLZ201>206-131345- MOBILE CENTRAL-BALDWIN CENTRAL-MOBILE COASTAL-BALDWIN COASTAL- ESCAMBIA INLAND-ESCAMBIA COASTAL-SANTA ROSA INLAND- SANTA ROSA COASTAL-OKALOOSA INLAND-OKALOOSA COASTAL- 843 AM CDT WED AUG 12 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TODAY AND THIS EVENING. SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BE STRONG TO MARGINALLY SEVERE...WITH DAMAGING WIND GUSTS BEING THE PRIMARY THREAT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF SKYWARN SEVERE STORM SPOTTER NETWORKS IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH TUESDAY. GMZ630>635-650-655-670-675-131345- NORTHERN MOBILE BAY-SOUTHERN MOBILE BAY-MISSISSIPPI SOUND- PERDIDO BAY-PENSACOLA BAY SYSTEM-CHOCTAWHATCHEE BAY- COASTAL WATERS FROM PENSACOLA FL TO PASCAGOULA MS OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM DESTIN TO PENSACOLA FL OUT 20 NM- WATERS FROM PENSACOLA FL TO PASCAGOULA MS FROM 20 TO 60 NM- WATERS FROM DESTIN TO PENSACOLA FL FROM 20 TO 60 NM- 843 AM CDT WED AUG 12 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE COASTAL WATERS OF ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY AND INTO THE EVENING HOURS. LOCALLY ROUGH SEAS AND GUSTY WINDS COULD POSE A THREAT TO BOATERS WITH BRIEF STRONG GUSTY WINDS...LOCALLY ROUGH SEAS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The Eglin Afb radar (KEVX), 61 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:59 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning struck near a battalion of Army Ranger Trainees on Eglin Air Force Base in southern Okaloosa County. Four instructors and 40 trainees were evaluated, and 20 (3 instructors and 17 students) were hospitalized overnight.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, August 2015
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: 588578.