Sea breeze thunderstorm causes lightning injures.
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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.
Sea breeze thunderstorm causes lightning injures.
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 29, 1:00 PM EST, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tampa Bay Ruskin FL 200 PM EDT Fri May 29 2020 .SYNOPSIS... Strong stacked ridging continues to reside over the Western Atlantic. Meanwhile, a highly amplified pattern over the US with ridging out West and troughing over the eastern half of the CONUS. Associated surface cold fronts slowly work their way southeast over the upcoming weekend. Finally, the tropical wave to the east- southwest Bermuda, which has the potential of subtropical development, will quickly get pulled off to the north and away from the CONUS in the coming days as it becomes sandwiched between a digging trough in the northwest Atlantic and a large omega block over the north/central Atlantic. && .DISCUSSION... Today, surface ridging has built slightly and move north, bringing more of a southerly/southeasterly flow to our area compared to yesterday. This will favor rain chances a little bit farther west towards the I-75 corridor along an area of enhanced convergence formed near the west coast sea breeze. 12Z sounding out of KTBW shows 500mb temps have warmed approximately 1.5 degrees so the threat of hail will be slightly less. However, forecast PWAT and MLCAPE are still impressively high for late May with ~2 inches, and 2500-3000 J/kg, respectively. Furthermore, afternoon forecast RAP soundings for TBW show wind <10 knots from the surface to 250mb. This suggests storm motion solely driven by sea breeze and outflow boundaries. With much of the area receiving 1-2 with localized 3-4 inches of rain yesterday (and a lot of rain the previous day as well for some spots) , the threshold for minor urban and small stream flooding will be lower. So this will be something to watch for. Low dewpoint depressions and calm winds will promote some patchy fog north of I-4 and inland tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, the ridge will axis will be located across the Suncoast, 1000mb-700mb flow becomes light and variable in this location so initial storm development will be favored across the spine of the peninsula in Central FL. However, weak/moderate southwest flow across the Nature Coast will promote a few earlier showers/storms in this area. Later tomorrow, a weak upper level trough stretched across the panhandle through the carolinas will push eastward. At the surface, an associated weak frontal boundary will sag south into the Big Bend of FL by Sunday morning. Westerly low-level flow will usher in relatively drier air which will limit rain and thunderstorm coverage some, especially for our western counties. This front will be very weak and nearly stalled out across our area on Sunday before very broad surface high pressure builds across the eastern half of the CONUS. This reinforcing high pressure will push it south-southwestward as a backdoor front. This will bring breezy easterly winds to the area by Monday Night or Tuesday and much drier air with less oppressive humidity, especially along and north of I-4 corridor. Rain chances will still be possible in the region of higher PWAT (South Central and Southwest FL) through mid-week. The enhanced easterly flow will also promote more showers/storms over the Gulf waters just about anytime of day. Models diverge by Friday but it does appear moisture will begin to get advected back northward as the western flank of the ridge axis begins to degrade. && .AVIATION... Winds 7-10 knots during the afternoon as the west coast sea breeze develops. VCTS are in all TAF sites with TEMPO everywhere except TPA, PIE, and SRQ. Storms end later this evening and VFR along with light winds return through the overnight hours. && .MARINE... Surface high pressure will continue to across the Gulf waters keeping mostly light winds and calm seas through the weekend. However, isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms each day will be capable of producing frequent lightning, locally gusty winds, and rough seas. Early next week a breezy east to northeast flow will setup with winds speeds approaching exercise caution criteria. && .FIRE WEATHER... Ample moisture will preclude any major fire weather concerns through the weekend with overall weak winds. Daily afternoon showers and thunderstorms will be capable of frequent lightning and gusty winds from outflow boundaries. Some patchy fog will be possible late overnight into Saturday morning for Pasco county northward. && .Preliminary Point Temps/PoPs... TPA 74 89 75 89 / 20 40 10 20 FMY 74 89 74 89 / 50 60 10 30 GIF 72 89 72 89 / 40 80 10 50 SRQ 73 89 75 89 / 10 30 10 10 BKV 70 89 71 90 / 20 50 10 20 SPG 75 89 75 89 / 10 40 10 10 && .TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...None. Gulf waters...None. && DISCUSSION/AVIATION/MARINE/FIRE WEATHER...42/Norman DECISION SUPPORT...97/Flannery
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Tampa Bay Area Ruskin FL
330 PM EDT Fri May 29 2020
FLZ242-292000-
Inland Citrus FL-
330 PM EDT Fri May 29 2020
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTH CENTRAL CITRUS COUNTY UNTIL
400 PM EDT...
At 330 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 7
miles north of Beverly Hills. This storm was nearly stationary.
Penny size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with
this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Stokes Ferry and Citrus Springs.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.
&&
LAT...LON 2901 8242 2902 8240 2900 8238 2900 8236
2899 8236 2899 8234 2894 8247 2903 8252
2905 8250 2905 8247
TIME...MOT...LOC 1930Z 239DEG 3KT 2902 8243
TBWThe Tampa radar (KTBW), 121 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:44 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Two children ages 4 and 11 received minor injuries while outdoors due to lightning strike across street from yard.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, May 2020
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: 883971.