A family of four was on the beach at Sanibel Island as a thunderstorm moved overhead. Unfortunately a lightning strike hit the father and he died of his injuries.
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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.
A family of four was on the beach at Sanibel Island as a thunderstorm moved overhead. Unfortunately a lightning strike hit the father and he died of his injuries.
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 Jul 24, 1:38 PM EST, 2 hours 22 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tampa Bay Ruskin FL
238 PM EDT Sat Jul 24 2021
.DISCUSSION...
Although a trough axis is digging off the NE coast and a weak trough
remains draped across the area, the upper-level pattern is fairly
zonal; typical of summer. Closer to home and associated with the
trough in our area, disorganized shower and thunderstorm activity
continues across the Bahamas and into the southern portion of the
Florida peninsula. This is likely to continue through the rest of
the day given the ample moisture (PW values around 2in) and
instability (2500j/kg MLCAPE). Across the northern half of the
peninsula, though, drier air is advecting in with NE flow that is
associated the low pressure center along the trough axis. This is
expected to suppress shower and thunderstorm activity on the
whole, although isolated storms are certainly still a possibility
given that there is still some moisture (1.7-1.8in) and
instability (still about 2500 j/kg).
The potential for stronger storms looks fairly minimal. There does
not appear to be much drying in the lower levels, helping to
keep lapse rates on the weaker side (5-6km) even in areas where
more dry air is working in aloft. The column is also quite warm,
with 500mb temperatures running in the -6C to -7C. Of course, all
thunderstorms could produce gusty winds, frequent lightning, and
heavy rain. There may also be the potential for an isolated cell
to produce wind gusts in excess of 40mph, but this looks to be
fairly minimal on the whole. So overall, expecting pretty typical
storms, but likely lower coverage over than normal roughly from
I-4 north.
As the trough shifts farther west over the next couple days, rain
chances are expected to increase across the FL peninsula. From
tomorrow through the first half of the week, conditions are looking
perhaps a bit soggier than normal. There will be additional moisture
and instability to work with, likely increasing coverage across the
peninsula during the day. As such, scattered to numerous showers and
thunderstorms are expected, but that is likely to be the extent of
the change for the area.
As mid week approaches and the trough axis continues to drift west
into increasingly hostile conditions, the feature should fall apart
and the subtropical ridge axis is likely to regain control. As it
builds across the peninsula, ESE flow over the southern half and
more WSW flow is likely to set up over the northern half. More
typical shower and thunderstorm coverage mainly in the afternoon and
evening hours sets up in response with typical summertime weather
continuing into next weekend.
&&
.AVIATION...
Shower and thunderstorm activity is expected to remain in the
VCTY of southern terminals, while northern terminals sit more on
the edge of potential activity. Keeping VCTS mention in for
portions of the afternoon (now for southern sites, 21Z for
northern ones) with southern terminals have the greatest potential
for possible TAF AMDs to indicate TEMPO conditions dropping to
MVFR or possible IFR if storms drift overhead.
&&
.MARINE...
Showers and storms have been developing over land with a few
isolated storms over coastal waters. This has been the theme, and
remains the theme through today. Rain chances begin to increase over
the next couple days as a fairly weak and disorganized low pressure
disturbance meanders towards the peninsula, creating locally
hazardous waves and seas. However, conditions are expected to remain
fairly benign outside thunderstorms.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
Mostly dry and warm conditions are expected north of I-4, with
decent shower and storm coverage south. Moisture increases Sunday
through mid-week with scattered to widespread coverage expected.
Critical thresholds are not expected to be exceeded. Fire weather
concerns remain low.
&&
.Preliminary Point Temps/PoPs...
TPA 79 93 79 93 / 10 60 40 70
FMY 76 92 77 91 / 30 80 40 70
GIF 76 92 76 93 / 10 60 30 70
SRQ 76 91 77 91 / 40 70 40 70
BKV 73 93 74 92 / 0 50 40 70
SPG 79 91 80 91 / 20 60 40 60
&&
.TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...Beach Hazards Statement until 10 PM EDT this evening for Coastal
Manatee-Pinellas.
Gulf waters...None.
&&
FlanneryThe Tampa radar (KTBW), 145 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:59 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
A family of four was on the beach at Sanibel Island as a thunderstorm moved overhead. Unfortunately a lightning strike hit the father and he died of his injuries.
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, Lee | 2021-07-24 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, July 2021
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: 964040.