Heavy rain fell in northeastern Hillsborough county, with some sites reporting over 7 inches of rain. This led to street flooding along Highway 60 near Plant City, resulting in two vehicles ending up in the ditch and becoming partially submerged.
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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.
Heavy rain fell in northeastern Hillsborough county, with some sites reporting over 7 inches of rain. This led to street flooding along Highway 60 near Plant City, resulting in two vehicles ending up in the ditch and becoming partially submerged.
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 May 17, 1:54 PM EST, 36 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tampa Bay Ruskin FL 254 PM EDT Thu May 17 2018 .SHORT TERM (Remainder of today - Friday)... Aloft - A low meandering above the Mid-Mississippi Valley region troughs down over the central/eastern Gulf of Mexico. Surface - A weak low moves into the Deep South and merges with a frontal boundary tonight while Atlantic high pressure...centered well east of Bermuda...ridges across FL over night and continues westward over the Gulf Fri. As the upper low meanders the Gulf trough axis eases eastward... with southwesterly 1000-700mb flow becoming more south- southwesterly to southerly...and a subtle decrease in deep moisture. Forecast model PWAT values of 1.8 to over 2 inches dip down to 1.6 to 1.9 inches by Fri afternoon. This moisture along with some daytime heating and afternoon sea breezes will provide at least one more day of the ongoing pattern: Late night/early morning showers and storms on the Gulf transition onshore in the morning then push inland in the afternoon with increased coverage...similar to today. Fro this afternoon the heaviest activity has for the most part pushed inland although some scattered showers and a few storms on the Gulf will move onshore this afternoon and early evening. Overnight these will trend down but not entirely end. .MID-LONG TERM (Friday Night through Thursday)... Upper low moving through the Ohio River valley lifts into New England Saturday as the weak residual troughiness in the N Central Gulf remains in place through the weekend. Next week, the local area to remain in a weakness in between two upper ridges, one in the W Atlantic and another from Mexico into the Southern Plains. At the surface and lower levels, Bermuda/W Atlantic high pressure ridge axis to stretch into the Deep South and N Gulf Coast maintaining SE flow over the area as abundant moisture remains in place. Continue to expect daytime heating and sea breeze boundary interactions to produce mainly afternoon/evening showers/storms through the week. Fairly high dewpoints and warm temperatures to make for humid and muggy conditions as well. && .AVIATION... 17/18Z TAFs. Scattered bands of SHRA/TSRA for the most part have cleared the coastal terminals...but hanging around the southern terminals with some TEMPO groups early afternoon. However some SHRA/FEW TSRA remain on the Gulf and could slide onshore through late afternoon...with VCNTY remarks in place. Anticipate late night/early morning TSRA VCNTY at TPA/PIE/SRQ. SSW winds become light and southerly/variable overnight. && .MARINE... Low pressure departs the Gulf as high pressure ridges in from the Atlantic...with south to southwest gradually becoming southeast to east...except for afternoon sea breezes. Main concern will be thunderstorms with higher winds and seas. && .FIRE WEATHER... A very moist air mass and light winds preclude any significant fire weather concerns && .HYDROLOGY... Rainfall amounts between 4-6 inches over west central Florida has caused rivers to slowly rise over the area. This has caused the Manatee River at Myakka Head to rise into action stage. Currently we are not forecasting any rivers to get into flood stage but with an additional 1-3 inches of rain forecasted over the next few days rivers will have to be watch closely. && .Preliminary Point Temps/PoPs... TPA 73 82 74 85 / 30 30 0 70 FMY 71 84 72 84 / 20 40 10 60 GIF 71 85 71 84 / 50 70 60 60 SRQ 73 80 73 83 / 40 30 0 70 BKV 70 84 70 86 / 30 40 10 60 SPG 73 84 73 86 / 40 40 0 60 && .TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...None. Gulf waters...None. && SHORT TERM/AVIATION/MARINE/FIRE WEATHER...09/Rude MID TERM/LONG TERM/DECISION SUPPORT...25/Davis HYDROLOGY...27/Shiveley
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Tampa Bay Ruskin FL 444 AM EDT Thu May 17 2018 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- 873-876-172200- 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- 444 AM EDT Thu May 17 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for West Central And Southwest Florida. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. ...THUNDERSTORM IMPACT... Abundant tropical moisture remains over the region as an area of low pressure remains in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. This will continue to favor scattered showers and thunderstorms, becoming more numerous during the afternoon hours. The potential for localized flooding remains, as heavy rainfall will accompany any thunderstorms. Storms will also be slow moving and could impact areas where heavy rains fell yesterday. Remember, if you encounter water of unknown depth over the road, turn around don't drown. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. ...THUNDERSTORM IMPACT... Showers and thunderstorms will remain in the forecast each day, becoming most numerous over inland areas during the afternoon hours. Any thunderstorms that develop will contain very heavy rainfall, gusty winds, and lightning. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed today. Wynn
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Broadcast media relayed pictures of two vehicles in a flooded ditch along Highway 60 south of Plant City. The water was up to the hood of both cars. Nearby rain gauges reported as much as 7 inches of rain.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, May 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: 749435.