Abundant moisture and instability across South Florida allowed thunderstorms to develop along the east coast sea breeze in the afternoon. Sea breeze and outflow boundaries continued to allow storms to develop over the same region causing flooding in Miami-Dade County and a Tornado in Broward.
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.
Abundant moisture and instability across South Florida allowed thunderstorms to develop along the east coast sea breeze in the afternoon. Sea breeze and outflow boundaries continued to allow storms to develop over the same region causing flooding in Miami-Dade County and a Tornado in Broward. These storms also produced frequent to excessive lightning causing fatalities and damage across the east coast.
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 Jul 10, 12:34 PM EST, 1 hour 11 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Miami FL 134 PM EDT Tue Jul 10 2018 .AVIATION... Scattered showers and thunderstorms will be in the vicinity of all terminals, least so at KPBI and most so at KAPF and KTMB through about 0z, then activity reinvigorating midday Wednesday along sea breeze boundaries. Expect afternoon onshore wind around 10 KT, otherwise light/calm wind. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 1025 AM EDT Tue Jul 10 2018/ UPDATE... Naples tied record high maximum yesterday with 96 degrees, which was tied for the hottest temperature of the year so far. Increased rain and thunderstorm chances this afternoon should keep temperatures below record threatening levels today. Still, heat indices around Naples, Collier County, and the Everglades will be near 105 degrees from late morning through mid-afternoon. 12z sounding revealed much more moist atmosphere in place, though overall instability is down a bit. Have reduced rain chances across the area slightly based on latest guidance and radar trends, but still thing coverage will be much greater than previous few days and more around climatological normals for early July. A few strong thunderstorms with gusty winds and waterspouts cant be ruled out, and locally heavy rainfall is also possible. Look for activity to develop midday close/just inland of east coast, then spread slowly southwestward with time, increasing in coverage over the interior. PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 802 AM EDT Tue Jul 10 2018/ BEACH FORECAST... Moderate risk of rip currents exists today on Atlantic beaches; this will likely continue through much of the week due to swell from Tropical Storm Chris. PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 347 AM EDT Tue Jul 10 2018/ DISCUSSION... Surface high pressure continues to exert its influence over the region as Tropical Storm Chris sits off the Carolina coast. The light flow, typical of summertime, will allow the sea breeze circulation to develop and push inland quite efficiently over the next several days. The focus for convection with this pattern is generally from late morning/early afternoon into the evening hours. Not expecting the pattern to stray from this over the coming days, though a mid-level boundary lingering over the region could focus any surges in moisture over the region creating a heavy rainfall threat. This boundary is loosely appearing like a tail of convection leading to Tropical Storm Chris that points towards the localized heavy rain potential if enough moisture were present today. A tropical upper tropospheric trough, or TUTT, sitting over Cuba is another feature to monitor as it could contribute to storm coverage and strength on Wednesday as it pushes over South Florida. Tropical Storm Chris will begin to push into the northern portions of the Atlantic by Thursday. This will open the door for the remnants of Beryl to push into the Bahamas. The flow around the ridge will steer these remnants into the Atlantic. The pattern at the mid-levels is unsettled enough to allow for the sea breeze convection that develops over coming days to become thunderstorms fairly easily. As is common with an easterly flow regime, you have periods of relatively moist air followed by relatively drier air and then back to moist air again. This is no different, but the changes in moisture will not be sufficient to completely suppress convection during the drier periods. Temperatures remain in the lower to mid 90s for daytime highs, which will be more than enough to establish the sea breeze circulation and cause heat index values to reach into the 100s. MARINE... The waters off Palm Beach County could reach cautionary conditions with the swell generating higher waves. The lack of persistently higher wind speeds should keep the rest of the waters well below cautionary criteria. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... West Palm Beach 76 90 76 92 / 10 30 20 30 Fort Lauderdale 78 90 78 91 / 10 40 20 40 Miami 77 90 78 91 / 20 50 20 40 Naples 75 91 76 92 / 20 40 20 40 && .MFL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...None. AM...None. GM...None. && UPDATE...23/SK DISCUSSION...02/RAG MARINE...02/RAG AVIATION...23/SK BEACH FORECAST...23/SK
Hazardous Weather Outlook for South Florida National Weather Service Miami FL 219 PM EDT Tue Jul 10 2018 AMZ610-630-650-651-670-671-FLZ063-066>075-168-172>174-GMZ656-657-676- 110630- 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 from 20 to 60 NM- Waters from Deerfield Beach to Ocean Reef FL from 20 to 60 NM excluding the territorial waters of 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- Waters from Chokoloskee to Bonita Beach FL from 20 to 60 NM- 219 PM EDT Tue Jul 10 2018 ...Moderate Risk of Rip Currents All Atlantic Beaches... ...Thunderstorms Possible for South Florida Through the Evening Hours... This hazardous weather outlook is for South Florida. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT Rip currents: Swells from Tropical Storm Chris will move into the local waters today, leading to a moderate risk of rip currents along all east coats beaches. Thunderstorms: Scattered thunderstorms are forecast across South Florida this afternoon and evening, especially over inland South Florida. The main threat will be lightning and urban street flooding. The strongest thunderstorms will be capable of producing gusty winds and funnel clouds. Waterspouts: Isolated waterspouts are possible across all South Florida waters today, especially with any boundary collisions that may occur. Wind: The strongest storms today will be capable of producing wind gusts in excess of 50 mph. Flooding: There is a threat for flooding of streets and poor drainage areas. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms are forecast each afternoon and evening across South Florida. Lightning will be the main hazard. However conditions will remain favorable for a few strong storms with gusty winds. Northeasterly swell from Tropical Storm Chris will continue to move into the local Atlantic waters through mid week, bringing elevated seas and less favorable boating conditions. This will lead to a moderate, to potentially high, risk of rip currents along the Atlantic beaches through at least Thursday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed today. For more information...visit the National Weather Service in Miami website at www.weather.gov/miami.
The Miami radar (KAMX), 120 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:45 UTC.
2 lightning, 1 tornado, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Multiple media outlets reported that 2 men were working in a wooded area when a tree near them was struck by lightning sending the current into them. They both were then transported to local area hospitals where one man was deceased and the other survived his injuries.
Multiple photos shared from broadcast media showed a tornado in western Broward County. The tornado occurred west of Griffin Road over the Everglades lasting a few minutes. There was no damage reported as it stayed over the open Everglades.
Lightning struck and downed a power pole along the south side of NW 7th Street near NW 15th Avenue in Miami. the power pole fell across NW 7th Street, resulting in the closure of both the street and the third base parking garage at Marlins Park.
An off duty NWS employee called to report that the express lanes on I-95 had been closed due to flooding from heavy rainfall with thunderstorms training over the same region.
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, Palm Beach | 2018-07-10 | 39 | Male | Under Tree | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Florida, 2018Warnings in Florida, July 2018
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: 774393, 774397, 774402, 774400.