A weak upper level trough moving across North Florida led to scattered showers and storms across South Florida and local Atlantic.
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 MFL wrote it up.
A weak upper level trough moving across North Florida led to scattered showers and storms across South Florida and local Atlantic.
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 Miami, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 8, 12:40 PM EST, 2 hours 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 140 PM EDT SAT AUG 8 2015 .AVIATION... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO FORM THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING.A COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO DRIFT SOUTHWARD TONIGHT AND BRING ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND STORMS TOMORROW, POSSIBLY BY LATE MORNING. SHORT RANGE MODELS DO INDICATE IT MAY BE CLOSER TO MID TO LATE AFTERNOON BEFORE THE REALLY AFFECT THE COAST. THEY SHOULD DWINDLE IN THE EARLY EVENING. VFR CONDITIONS WILL BE THE GENERAL RULE THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF BRIEF IFR UNDER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1010 AM EDT SAT AUG 8 2015/ UPDATE... MINOR TWEAKS TO FORECAST TODAY. MODELS STILL SHOW A COLD FRONT DRIFTING SOUTH INTO CENTRAL FLORIDA. THIS WILL BRING INCREASING INSTABILITY OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 758 AM EDT SAT AUG 8 2015/ AVIATION... A COLD FRONT WILL SLOWLY DRIFT SOUTH INTO CENTRAL FLORIDA, THIS WILL INCREASING CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORM TODAY. HAVE VCTS IN ALL SOUTHEAST FLORIDA TAF SITES. EXPECT THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY TO WIND DOWN THIS EVENING. OTHERWISE VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 347 AM EDT SAT AUG 8 2015/ SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH MONDAY/... EVENING CONVECTIVE FLAREUP OVER NORTHERN FLORIDA HAS DISSIPATED...WITH DEBRIS CI SPREADING SWD INTO S FL EARLY THIS MRNG. SOUTH FLORIDA REMAINS WARM/HUMID WITH MAINLY SLY/OFFSHORE FLOW AND TEMPERATURES NEAR 80F. SYNOPTIC SETUP FOR THE SHORT TERM /AND INTO LONG RANGE FOR THAT MATTER/ CONSISTS OF STRONG H5 RIDGE CENTERED OVER SRN PLAINS...WITH A LEAST MODEST TROUGHS OVER BOTH COASTS. THIS WILL PLACE FL PENINSULA IN NW FLOW ALOFT. AT SURFACE...SOUTH FLORIDA REMAINS DOMINATED BY SUBTROPICAL RIDGE...WHICH WILL GRADUALLY WEAKEN/FLATTEN THIS WEEKEND...ALLOWING PROGRESSIVELY MORE MOIST ENVIRONMENT TO TAKE HOLD. SFC CDFNT OVER S GA THIS MORNING WILL SPILL INTO N FL TODAY...THEN TO I-4 CORRIDOR OR JUST N OF LAKE OKEECHOBEE SUN/MON AS IT SLOWLY DISSIPATES. MOISTURE POOLING ALONG IT AND LOW-LEVEL CONVERGENCE WILL LEAD TO MUCH BETTER COVERAGE OF SHWRS/TSTMS ALONG THE BOUNDARY...BUT ACTIVITY WILL ALSO INCREASE ACROSS OUR CWA AS BOUNDARY NEARS AND AFOREMENTIONED MOISTENING ENSUES. TDA WILL STILL BE GENERALLY MORE OF THE SAME...WITH ISOLATED TO SCATTERED ATLC SEA-BREEZE ACTIVITY BY MID/LT AFTERNOON...FOCUSED OVER WESTERN EAST COAST SUBURBS AND ADJACENT INTERIOR MIAMI-DADE/BROWARD/PALM BEACH CNTYS. MORE ORGANIZED CONVECTION CANT BE RULED OUT MAINLY OVER GLADES COUNTY...AND WILL MENTION WIND IN HWO TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS. BETTER CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS /LIKELY OVER INTERIOR/ ARE FORECAST SUNDAY AND EVEN MORESO MONDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN NEAR/JUST ABV AVG FOR MID- AUG...WITH HIGHS IN L90S AND LOWS IN 70S TO AROUND 80F. LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... SFC BOUNDARY WASHES OUT MON NGT/TUE...BUT MOISTURE RMNS SO RAIN CHANCES WILL CONT...ESPECIALLY OVER INTERIOR...THROUGH WED. BY THU/FRI...ANOTHER FRONT APPROACHES NORTH FLORIDA SO RAIN CHANCES AGAIN INCREASE. AS FLOW TURNS MORE SOUTHWESTERLY BY THE END OF THE PERIOD...RAIN CHANCES ALONG EAST COAST WILL INCREASE. MARINE... SW WINDS AROUND 10 KT THIS WEEKEND...DURING SSE FOR THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK AT SIMILAR SPEEDS. INCREASING CHANCES FOR TSTMS BY ERY NEXT WEEK...WITH LIKELY AFTN/EVE ACTIVITY OVER LAKE OKEECHOBEE. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WEST PALM BEACH 76 92 76 91 / 40 40 40 50 FORT LAUDERDALE 78 91 78 91 / 30 40 50 50 MIAMI 79 92 78 91 / 20 40 50 50 NAPLES 78 88 76 90 / 30 30 40 40 && .MFL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...NONE. AM...NONE. GM...NONE. && SHORT TERM...13/SI LONG TERM....60/BD AVIATION...13/SI
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTH FLORIDA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 656 AM EDT SAT AUG 8 2015 AMZ610-630-650-651-670-671-FLZ063-066>075-168-172>174-GMZ656-657-676- 082300- LAKE OKEECHOBEE-BISCAYNE BAY- COASTAL WATERS FROM JUPITER INLET TO DEERFIELD BEACH, FL OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM DEERFIELD BEACH TO OCEAN REEF, FL OUT 20 NM- WATERS FROM JUPITER INLET TO DEERFIELD BEACH, FL EXTENDING FROM 20 NM TO 60 NM- WATERS FROM DEERFIELD BEACH TO OCEAN REEF, FL EXTENDING FROM 20 NM TO THE TERRITORIAL WATERS OF THE BAHAMAS-GLADES-HENDRY- INLAND PALM BEACH-METRO PALM BEACH-COASTAL COLLIER-INLAND COLLIER- INLAND BROWARD-METRO BROWARD-INLAND MIAMI DADE-METRO MIAMI DADE- MAINLAND MONROE-COASTAL PALM BEACH-COASTAL BROWARD- COASTAL MIAMI DADE-FAR SOUTH MIAMI DADE- COASTAL WATERS FROM CHOKOLOSKEE TO BONITA BEACH, FL OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM EAST CAPE SABLE TO CHOKOLOSKEE, FL OUT 20 NM- GULF WATERS FROM CHOKOLOSKEE TO BONITA BEACH, FL EXTENDING FROM 20 TO 60 NM- 656 AM EDT SAT AUG 8 2015 ...SLIGHT CHANCE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS: A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY OVER THE EAST COAST METROPOLITAN AREAS...LAKE OKEECHOBEE...AND GLADES COUNTY. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS IS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...ALTHOUGH ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS COULD CONTAIN GUSTY WINDS. WIND: THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH. GUSTY THUNDERSTORM WINDS ARE MOST LIKELY OVER LAKE OKEECHOBEE AND GLADES COUNTY. WATERSPOUTS: THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF A WATERSPOUT FORMING IN THE COASTAL WATERS ALONG THE ATLANTIC COAST. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS MAINLY AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED EACH DAY. THE GREATEST COVERAGE WILL BE OVER INTERIOR SOUTH FLORIDA. THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. FOR MORE INFORMATION...VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MIAMI WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MIAMI.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
408 PM EDT SAT AUG 8 2015
FLZ074-173-082045-
COASTAL MIAMI DADE COUNTY FL-METROPOLITAN MIAMI DADE FL-
408 PM EDT SAT AUG 8 2015
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR FREQUENT TO EXCESSIVE
LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL AND 45 TO 55 MPH WINDS FOR NORTHEASTERN
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY UNTIL 445 PM EDT...
* AT 407 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER OPA-LOCKA...OR NEAR HIALEAH...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
* FREQUENT TO EXCESSIVE LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS FROM 45 TO 55 MPH...
SMALL HAIL...TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS...OR A COMBINATION OF THESE ARE
POSSIBLE. LIGHTNING IS THE NUMBER ONE WEATHER RELATED KILLER IN
FLORIDA. TREES AND OPEN SHELTERS OFFER NO PROTECTION. THESE WINDS
CAN DOWN SMALL TREE LIMBS AND BRANCHES...AND BLOW AROUND UNSECURED
SMALL OBJECTS. SEEK SHELTER IN A SAFE BUILDING UNTIL THE STORM
PASSES.
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
MIAMI...HIALEAH...MIAMI BEACH...SURFSIDE...MIAMI GARDENS...NORTH
MIAMI...NORTH MIAMI BEACH...AVENTURA...MIAMI LAKES...SUNNY ISLES
BEACH...OPA-LOCKA...MIAMI SPRINGS...MIAMI SHORES...NORTH BAY
VILLAGE...EL PORTAL...PINEWOOD...LITTLE HAITI...GLADEVIEW...MIAMI
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND GOLDEN GLADES.
LAT...LON 2590 8012 2585 8012 2585 8014 2586 8013
2588 8016 2586 8018 2585 8015 2584 8015
2585 8018 2583 8018 2579 8030 2593 8030
2597 8014 2592 8012 2591 8013 2591 8014
TIME...MOT...LOC 2007Z 239DEG 14KT 2589 8025
GREGORIAThe Miami radar (KAMX), 14 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:16 UTC.
2 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning struck house on the 3500 block of SW 123rd Court leading to an attic fire that spread across entire roof. Information via public and broadcast media.
One person killed and 2 injured by lightning strike near a group of men sheltering under tree in park in Northeast Miami-Dade County. Exact location and time estimated.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning, Miami-Dade | 2015-08-08 | 54 | Male | Under Tree | Direct |
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: 594078, 594076.