A sheared out upper level trough moved across the area from the Gulf and combined with diurnal heating produced scattered strong to severe storms across the area.
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 JAX wrote it up.
A sheared out upper level trough moved across the area from the Gulf and combined with diurnal heating produced scattered strong to severe storms 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 Jacksonville, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 17, 7:45 AM EST, 5 hours 30 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Jacksonville FL 845 AM EDT TUE MAY 17 2016 .UPDATE...Big increase in moisture over the area since yesterday. Surface dewpoints now in the lower 70s with PWAT values near 1.75". Upper shortwave trough over the north central Gulf will shear out and weaken as it moves the area today. Vertical wind speed shear with breaks in overcast may produce enough instability to produce isolated strong storms this afternoon. && .AVIATION...VFR conditions this morning with cigs above 10kft. Showers and thunderstorms will increase from the west this afternoon with MVFR conditions expected to develop after 17z. && .MARINE...S to SE winds today near 15 knots with seas in 2 to 4 foot range. Showers and thunderstorms will increase over the waters from the west this afternoon and evening. RIP CURRENTS: Moderate risk of rip currents today and low risk on Wednesday. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... AMG 81 68 83 68 / 80 60 60 30 SSI 78 69 80 69 / 90 70 50 40 JAX 82 70 83 70 / 90 70 70 30 SGJ 82 69 81 71 / 100 70 60 30 GNV 84 69 85 69 / 80 60 80 20 OCF 85 70 86 70 / 80 60 60 30 && .JAX Watches/Warnings/Advisories... FL...None. GA...None. AM...None. && Zibura/Combs/Walker
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL 917 AM EDT TUE MAY 17 2016 AMZ450-452-454-470-472-474-FLZ020>025-030>033-035>038-040-124-125- GAZ132>136-149>154-162>166-180745- COASTAL WATERS FROM ALTAMAHA SOUND TO FERNANDINA BEACH FL OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM FERNANDINA BEACH TO ST. AUGUSTINE FL OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM ST. AUGUSTINE TO FLAGLER BEACH FL OUT 20 NM- WATERS FROM ALTAMAHA SOUND GA TO FERNANDINA BEACH FL FROM 20 TO 60 NM- WATERS FROM FERNANDINA BEACH TO ST. AUGUSTINE FL FROM 20 TO 60 NM- WATERS FROM ST. AUGUSTINE TO FLAGLER BEACH FL FROM 20 TO 60 NM- HAMILTON-SUWANNEE-COLUMBIA-BAKER-INLAND NASSAU-INLAND DUVAL-UNION- BRADFORD-CLAY-ST. JOHNS-GILCHRIST-ALACHUA-PUTNAM-FLAGLER-MARION- COASTAL NASSAU-COASTAL DUVAL-COFFEE-JEFF DAVIS-BACON-APPLING- WAYNE-ATKINSON-WARE-PIERCE-BRANTLEY-INLAND GLYNN-COASTAL GLYNN- ECHOLS-CLINCH-CHARLTON-INLAND CAMDEN-COASTAL CAMDEN- 917 AM EDT TUE MAY 17 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST FLORIDA... SOUTHEAST GEORGIA AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... SHOWERS WITH ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ISOLATED STRONG STORMS ARE POSSIBLE OVER MAINLY NORTHEAST FLORIDA. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE...WHICH MAY LEAD TO PONDING ON ROADWAYS AND STREET FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY... THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSONVILLE WEBSITE ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV/JAX.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
1258 PM EDT TUE MAY 17 2016
FLZ021-171730-
SUWANNEE FL-
1258 PM EDT TUE MAY 17 2016
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN SUWANNEE COUNTY UNTIL
130 PM EDT...
AT 1257 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR
LURAVILLE...OR 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LIVE OAK...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25
MPH.
GUSTY WINDS OF UP TO 45 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG WITH POSSIBLE
MINOR DAMAGE. DOPPLER RADAR HAS INDICATED WEAK ROTATION WITHIN THIS
STORM AND A FUNNEL CLOUD IS POSSIBLE.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
REPORT DAMAGE TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OR YOUR COUNTY
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
LAT...LON 3042 8298 3041 8295 3040 8295 3038 8291
3039 8289 3037 8289 3034 8284 3028 8279
3022 8279 3009 8309 3009 8311 3011 8312
3010 8313 3023 8323
TIME...MOT...LOC 1657Z 235DEG 20KT 3020 8310
SHASHYSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
112 PM EDT TUE MAY 17 2016
FLZ023-GAZ164-171745-
BAKER FL-CHARLTON GA-
112 PM EDT TUE MAY 17 2016
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BAKER AND SOUTH CENTRAL CHARLTON
COUNTIES UNTIL 145 PM EDT...
AT 112 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR
OLUSTEE...OR 15 MILES NORTHWEST OF RAIFORD...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25
MPH.
GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG WITH POSSIBLE
MINOR WIND DAMAGE.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
REPORT DAMAGE TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OR YOUR COUNTY
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY LEAD
TO LOCALIZED FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADWAYS.
&&
LAT...LON 3056 8232 3039 8206 3014 8235 3021 8246
3033 8246
TIME...MOT...LOC 1712Z 215DEG 22KT 3026 8238
SHASHYSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
200 PM EDT TUE MAY 17 2016
FLZ124-GAZ153-154-165-166-171845-
COASTAL NASSAU FL-INLAND CAMDEN GA-INLAND GLYNN GA-COASTAL GLYNN GA-
COASTAL CAMDEN GA-
200 PM EDT TUE MAY 17 2016
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN NASSAU...CAMDEN AND
SOUTHERN GLYNN COUNTIES UNTIL 245 PM EDT...
AT 159 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR
KINGSLAND...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.
SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 45 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG
WITH POSSIBLE MINOR DAMAGE. VERY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO EXPECTED
WITH THIS STORM.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
REPORT DAMAGE TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OR YOUR COUNTY
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
LAT...LON 3110 8137 3095 8139 3068 8158 3073 8166
3075 8166 3075 8168 3087 8186 3130 8159
3116 8129
TIME...MOT...LOC 1759Z 211DEG 32KT 3085 8171
SHASHYThe Jacksonville radar (KJAX), 31 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:13 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was blown down onto a power line along Scubby Bluff Road. The cost of damage was estimated.
A tree was blown down onto a vehicle on Jekyll Island.
A tree was blown down on Taylor Drive.
Power lines were blown down on Blythe Island.
A 12-inch diameter tree was snapped at 15-20 ft about the ground on Thornhill Drive near Cartwright Circle. The time of damage was based on radar. The cost of damage was estimated.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, May 2016
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: 629305, 629308, 629310, 629315, 629324.