Thunderstorms moved through the Florida peninsula during the afternoon and early evening hours. A lightning strike from one of these storms damaged a drinking water facility in Inverness.
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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.
Thunderstorms moved through the Florida peninsula during the afternoon and early evening hours. A lightning strike from one of these storms damaged a drinking water facility in Inverness.
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 Jul 13, 1:32 PM EST, 28 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL 232 PM EDT MON JUL 13 2015 .SHORT TERM (THIS AFTERNOON-TUESDAY)...DIURNAL CONVECTION ONGOING EXPECTED TO EXPAND INLAND INTO THE EVENING HOURS WHILE INDIVIDUAL CELLS CONTINUE GENERALLY SOUTHWARD MOVEMENT. SOME STORMS MAY BE STRONG WITH GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL POSSIBLE AS WELL. MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH UPPER HIGH DOMINATING THE SOUTHERN PLAINS REGION WHILE UPPER TROUGH ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD DIGS SOUTHWARD PRODUCING DIFFLUENT FLOW OVER THE FL PENINSULA AS A SERIES OF UPPER VORT MAXES DROP INTO THE AREA. LOW LEVEL SW FLOW TO SLOWLY DEEPEN TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY AS ATLANTIC RIDGE AXIS HOLDS OVER THE FL STRAITS. LATEST LOCAL HI REZ MODELS INDICATING CONVERGENT BAND OF CONVECTION TO DEVELOP OVERNIGHT FROM ALONG THE SW FL TO TAMPA BAY AREA COASTAL ZONES...SO HAVE HI END SCATTERED POPS THERE AND ISOLATED ELSEWHERE. WARM AND MUGGY OVERNIGHT TEMPS TO CONTINUE ABOVE SEASONAL NORMS WHILE DAYTIME TEMPS TO HOLD WITHIN A FEW DEGREES OF NORMAL BUT HEAT INDEX REMAINS AROUND 100. .LONG TERM (TUESDAY NIGHT-MONDAY)...MID/UPPER-LEVEL RIDGING WILL HOLD OVER THE SOUTH-CENTRAL U.S. THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH A TROUGH MOVING OFF THE EAST COAST TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEK. AT THE SURFACE...TROUGHING NORTH OF THE AREA WILL KEEP THE SURFACE RIDGE AXIS ACROSS FAR SOUTH FLORIDA...WHICH WILL KEEP A WEST TO SOUTHWEST FLOW IN PLACE. WITH THIS PATTERN IN PLACE FOR WEDNESDAY...EXPECT THE BEST RAIN CHANCES TO BE OVER THE GULF AND COASTAL AREAS DURING THE OVERNIGHT AND EARLY MORNING HOURS AND THEN TRANSITIONING INLAND DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. FOR THURSDAY AND INTO THE FIRST PART OF THE WEEKEND...MID-LEVEL TROUGHING PERSISTS WITH A SURFACE BOUNDARY DIPPING SOUTH OVER THE PENINSULA...WITH HIGHER RAIN CHANCES AND COVERAGE EXPECTED. THE SURFACE RIDGE AXIS LOOKS TO REMAIN POSITIONED TO OUR SOUTH INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...SO WEST TO SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL REMAIN IN PLACE. TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE PERIOD WILL BE NEAR NORMAL...EXCEPT FOR LOWS NEAR THE COAST...WHICH MIGHT BE A BIT ABOVE NORMAL DUE TO THE ONSHORE WIND FLOW. && .AVIATION...GENERALLY VFR CONDITIONS...EXCEPT IN AND NR SCATTERED SHRA AND TSRA WITH BRIEF IFR OR LIFR VSBY AND CIGS THIS AFTERNOON AND AGAIN TUESDAY. && .MARINE...HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE OVER THE FL STRAITS TO KEEP MODERATE TO OCCASIONALY GUSTY SW LOW LEVEL WIND FLOW AND SLIGHTLY ELEVATED AND CHOPPY SEAS OVER THE EASTERN GULF WATERS THE REST OF THE WEEK. THIS PATTERN PRODUCES EARLY MORNING INTO EARLY AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE COASTAL WATERS AND POSSIBLE WATERSPOUTS AS WELL. AND AS ALWAYS...EXPECT WINDS AND SEAS HIGHER IN AND NEAR STORMS...SO MARINERS NEED TO PLAN ACCORDINGLY. && .FIRE WEATHER...ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE TO MIN RHS WELL ABOVE CRITICAL LEVELS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... TPA 79 90 80 90 / 30 50 30 40 FMY 77 92 77 92 / 20 40 20 40 GIF 76 92 76 91 / 20 50 20 40 SRQ 78 90 79 91 / 40 50 30 40 BKV 75 91 75 90 / 20 40 30 50 SPG 80 90 79 90 / 40 50 30 40 && .TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...NONE. GULF WATERS...NONE. && SHORT TERM/AVIATION/MARINE/FIRE WEATHER...25/DAVIS LONG TERM...05/CARLISLE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL 535 AM EDT MON JUL 13 2015 FLZ043-050-052-056-057-061-139-142-148-149-151-155-160-162-165- 239-242-248-249-251-255-260-262-265-GMZ830-836-850-853-856-870- 873-876-140200- SUMTER-PINELLAS-POLK-HARDEE-HIGHLANDS-DESOTO-COASTAL LEVY- COASTAL CITRUS-COASTAL HERNANDO-COASTAL PASCO- COASTAL HILLSBOROUGH-COASTAL MANATEE-COASTAL SARASOTA- COASTAL CHARLOTTE-COASTAL LEE-INLAND LEVY-INLAND CITRUS- INLAND HERNANDO-INLAND PASCO-INLAND HILLSBOROUGH-INLAND MANATEE- INLAND SARASOTA-INLAND CHARLOTTE-INLAND LEE-TAMPA BAY WATERS- CHARLOTTE HARBOR AND PINE ISLAND SOUND- COASTAL WATERS FROM TARPON SPRINGS TO SUWANNEE RIVER FL OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM ENGLEWOOD TO TARPON SPRINGS FL OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM BONITA BEACH TO ENGLEWOOD FL OUT 20 NM- WATERS FROM TARPON SPRINGS TO SUWANNEE RIVER FL OUT 20 TO 60 NM- WATERS FROM ENGLEWOOD TO TARPON SPRINGS FL OUT 20 TO 60 NM- WATERS FROM BONITA BEACH TO ENGLEWOOD FL OUT 20 TO 60 NM- 535 AM EDT MON JUL 13 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ...THUNDERSTORM IMPACT... PLENTY OF MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE REGION TODAY AND THIS COMBINED WITH DAYTIME HEATING...THE SEA BREEZE...AND OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES WILL LEAD TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL... FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. ...THUNDERSTORM IMPACT... THE SURFACE RIDGE AXIS WILL SHIFT SOUTH WITH A SOUTHWEST TO WEST FLOW SETTING UP ALONG WITH PLENTY OF MOISTURE CONTINUING. THIS WILL LEAD TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS EACH DAY STARTING OUT OVER THE COASTAL WATERS AND NEAR THE COAST EACH MORNING THEN MIGRATING INLAND AND ACROSS THE FLORIDA PENINSULA EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS AND FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING STRIKES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY. PRC
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA / RUSKIN FL
159 PM EDT MON JUL 13 2015
FLZ043-142-239-242-131845-
COASTAL CITRUS-SUMTER-INLAND LEVY-INLAND CITRUS-COASTAL CITRUS-
159 PM EDT MON JUL 13 2015
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN CITRUS AND SOUTHEASTERN
LEVY COUNTIES...
AT 158 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
RAINBOW LAKES ESTATES...MOVING SOUTH AT 15 MPH.
WINDS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH AND PEA SIZE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
INVERNESS...BEVERLY HILLS...HOMOSASSA SPRINGS...INVERNESS HIGHLANDS
NORTH...CRYSTAL RIVER AIRPORT...BLACK DIAMOND...INVERNESS HIGHLANDS
SOUTH...HERNANDO...STOKES FERRY...PINE RIDGE...CITRONELLE...BRENT
WOOD...RIVER LAKES MANOR...CITRUS HILLS...GOSPEL ISLAND...CRYSTAL
OAKS...LECANTO...CRYSTAL MANOR...CITRUS SPRINGS AND ARBOR LAKES.
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY CAUSE
LOCALIZED FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADWAYS.
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM.
LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 15 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE
SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE.
LAT...LON 2912 8261 2912 8253 2905 8253 2904 8252
2905 8247 2901 8242 2902 8240 2897 8232
2881 8220 2884 8265
TIME...MOT...LOC 1758Z 359DEG 13KT 2905 8251The Tampa radar (KTBW), 126 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:58 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Florida Division of Emergency Management relayed a report of a water treatment facility in Inverness that was damaged by a lightning strike, disrupting the drinking water supply to the town. As a result, a boil water notice went into effect and was not lifted until July 20th.
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, July 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: 578184.