Slow moving thunderstorms over the Panama City area resulted in 2 to 3 inches of rain falling in just 1 hour. Several roads were flooded.
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 TAE wrote it up.
Slow moving thunderstorms over the Panama City area resulted in 2 to 3 inches of rain falling in just 1 hour. Several roads were flooded.
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 Tallahassee, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 24, 12:12 PM CST, 33 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tallahassee FL
212 PM EDT Sat Oct 24 2020
.AVIATION...
[Through 18Z Sunday]
MVFR cigs and vsbys can be expected with the widespread showers
and thunderstorms moving from west to east across our area this
afternoon/evening. Most convection will move east of the VLD
terminal by 06z. In the wake of the departing rain, widespread low
clouds and fog will develop with IFR/LIFR conditions overnight
through at least 14z. VFR conditions return to all zones by 17z.
Outside of thunderstorms, winds will be light through the TAF
cycle.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION [902 AM EDT]...
.NEAR TERM [Through Tonight]...
Calm conditions are ongoing early this morning as surface high
pressure remains anchored over the southeast US. Plentiful low-level
moisture, coupled with subsidence and light winds should allow a mix
of low-to-mid clouds to persist into the morning. Areas of fog are
also expected to develop along and west of the I-75 corridor before
sunrise. Meanwhile, a shortwave trough associated with a cold front
is approaching from MS. Satellite imagery already shows a large
convective mass along and ahead of the frontal boundary. This system
will serve as the focus for scattered to numerous convection today
as it translates across our area, beginning this morning, then
spreading east in the afternoon. The greatest activity (i.e.,
widespread showers and isolated thunderstorms) is forecast to occur
during peak heating hours. The severe weather threat appears low,
but we cannot rule out a strong storm or two.
Rain chances decrease from west to east this evening, but lingering
showers are possible across the northeast half of the CWA near the
departing shortwave. Patchy fog then develops overnight over the
Panhandle and southeast AL, before spreading to southwest GA and the
Big Bend at the end of the near-term period. Mild-to-warm
temperatures are on tap, with highs in the low 80s, and lows in the
mid/upper 60s. Some areas out west could see upper 70s this
afternoon if precipitation/cloud cover is prolonged.
.SHORT TERM [Sunday Through Monday]...
Deep-layer ridging will replace the departing shortwave to finish
the weekend and start the new week. Widespread or meaningful rain
amounts are not expected, though a stray shower cannot be ruled
out on Monday in the easterly convergent flow on the far northern
reaches of the trough axis associated with a wave in the western
Caribbean. Expect highs in the low to mid 80s, with overnight lows
on Sunday night in the middle to upper 60s.
.LONG TERM [Monday Night Through Saturday]...
The main feature of note in the extended range forecast is the
tropical wave in the western Caribbean that currently has a high
likelihood of becoming a tropical cyclone this weekend. While the
early stages of genesis will play an important role on the
eventual track, if it should enter the southeast GOMEX it will
have a period in a low shear environment over anomalously warm
eastern Gulf waters. However, organization could be difficult as
the storm would likely be lopsided due to the presence of dry air
over much of the Gulf. As mid-week approaches, upper-level shear
will as well with the arrival of our next frontal system. So, what
can be said at this point is that a tropical wave/depression/storm
is probably going to slowly enter the Gulf and get swept up in a
mid-week frontal system. While periods of light rain could begin
as early as Tuesday, it's most likely that the best chances for
heavy rain would be in the Wed-Fri time frame, with the front
clearing everything out by the end of the week. Stay tuned as the
forecast becomes more clear over the few couple of days.
.MARINE...
Generally light winds and low seas are forecast through early next
week. Showers and storms are expected today, with dry conditions
to finish the weekend and begin next week. Quite a bit of
uncertainty exists as we move into next week as a tropical wave is
forecast to enter the southern Gulf. Marine conditions could begin
deteriorating by mid-week.
.FIRE WEATHER...
Scattered to numerous showers with isolated thunderstorms are
forecast on Sat, followed by a brief period of dry conditions before
rain chances return on Tues. Other than low dispersions across the
area this weekend, there are no red-flag concerns over the next few
days.
.HYDROLOGY...
Showers and storms through tonight could bring average rain
amounts of an inch or so to areas along and west of a line from
Apalachicola through Tifton. Pockets of higher amounts on the
order of 2-3" could also be possible. However, these amounts are
not forecast to bring a risk for flash or riverine flooding.
Mostly dry conditions are then expected through early next week.
Beyond that, the evolution of a tropical wave in the western
Caribbean and an approaching frontal boundary will play a
significant role in how much rain we end up getting through the
end of next week. It's simply too early to tell what impact (if
any) future rain amounts could have on area rivers late next week.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
Spotter activation is not requested. However, spotters are always
encouraged to safely report significant weather conditions when they
occur (while following all local, state, and CDC guidelines) by
calling the office or tweeting us @NWSTallahassee.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Tallahassee 68 84 68 85 69 / 40 0 0 0 0
Panama City 69 82 68 84 70 / 20 0 0 0 10
Dothan 65 81 64 82 66 / 40 0 0 0 0
Albany 66 82 66 83 66 / 50 0 0 0 0
Valdosta 66 83 67 84 67 / 40 0 0 0 0
Cross City 68 87 69 87 70 / 20 0 0 10 0
Apalachicola 70 81 70 83 72 / 20 0 0 0 10
&&
.TAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...High Rip Current Risk through late tonight for Coastal Bay-
Coastal Franklin-South Walton.
GA...None.
AL...None.
GM...None.
&&
NEAR TERM...IG
SHORT TERM...Harrigan
LONG TERM...Harrigan
AVIATION...Barry
MARINE...Harrigan
FIRE WEATHER...IG
HYDROLOGY...HarriganPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
235 PM EDT SAT OCT 24 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0200 PM HEAVY RAIN MILLVILLE 30.15N 85.63W
10/24/2020 M2.16 INCH BAY FL MESONET
MESONET STATION FW4416 PANAMA CITY.
&&
EBThe Eglin Afb radar (KEVX), 46 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:44 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Several roadways were reported to be underwater across the Panama City area due to 2 to 3 inches of rain falling in 1 hour.
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, October 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: 922928.