A pre-frontal trough with elevated moisture and instability under a passing mid-level short wave trough triggered strong to severe storms across NE FL. Cold temperatures aloft and bulk sheer of 35-40 kts between the surface and 6 km produced small hail (pea size).
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 JAX wrote it up.
A pre-frontal trough with elevated moisture and instability under a passing mid-level short wave trough triggered strong to severe storms across NE FL. Cold temperatures aloft and bulk sheer of 35-40 kts between the surface and 6 km produced small hail (pea size).
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 Jacksonville, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 4, 1:15 PM EST, 24 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Jacksonville FL 215 PM EDT Sun May 4 2025 ...ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS POSSIBLE NORTHEAST FL THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING... ...New NEAR TERM, SHORT TERM, LONG TERM, AVIATION, MARINE... .NEAR TERM... Issued at 200 PM EDT Sun May 4 2025 For the latest NE FL and SE GA Daily Key Messages please visit: https://www.weather.gov/media/jax/briefings/nws-jax-briefing.pdf Weak cold front looks to be near a line from Jesup GA to the Suwannee Valley area around Live Oak this afternoon. Isolated to scattered convection ongoing just southeast of the front at 2 PM, and will continue to increasing coverage while moving east around 15-20 mph. In the next 2-4 hours, best forcing likely will come from the east coast sea breeze / low level troughing generally along a corridor from Fernandina Beach to Flagler Beach. Whatever convection develops will move offshore late afternoon and into the evening hours, then moving east of the waters after about 1 AM. By sunrise Monday, the cold front will have moved off to a line from off the southeast GA coast to JAX metro to GNV and to near or just south of Cross City. Some patchy fog and low stratus may be near or just south of the front early Monday morning. Becoming cooler with lows able to bottom out 55-60 from inland southeast GA to the Suwannee Valley and lower 60s elsewhere. && .SHORT TERM... (Monday through Tuesday night) Issued at 200 PM EDT Sun May 4 2025 Cold front will lay northeast to southwest across NE FL Monday, as weak high pressure builds from the north. The front will be a focus for convection over NE FL during the afternoon with diurnal heating providing instability. This activity will dissipate during the evening with loss of heating. The front will drift back north into NE FL Monday night as a warm front, then to near the GA/FL Tuesday. The boundary will be over SE GA Tuesday night. A dry overnight is forecast for Monday night. A few storms will be possible in the warm sector over NE FL Tuesday due to diurnal heating and sea breeze interactions. This activity will dissipate Tuesday afternoon due to loss of heating. Temperatures this period will trend above normal. && .LONG TERM... (Wednesday through next Sunday) Issued at 200 PM EDT Sun May 4 2025 A nearly stalled frontal boundary will waiver north and south across the forecast area throughout this period. Waves of energy will move east along this boundary, leading to rounds of showers and thunderstorms. In general, this will be a wet and stormy period. Temperatures will be above normal Wednesday through Thursday, then near to a little below Friday through the weekend. && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 200 PM EDT Sun May 4 2025 Scattered thunderstorms are located from Lake City to just west of Cecil Field at 2 PM moving east-northeast about 15-20 kt. Expect a chance of TSRA impacts to JAX Metro TAFs (JAX, CRG, and VQQ) as well as GNV over the next 4 hours. Slightly later impacts possible for SGJ, staring about 19z. A storm or two may near SSI in a few hours. Otherwise, showers and storms expected to move offshore by about 00z-01z with a lingering shower possible still around 01z-02z. Predominate VFR conditions overnight though some chance of MVFR vsby at VQQ by 08z-12z. A small chance of light fog and scattered stratus deck around GNV early Monday 08z-12z, then VFR. For sfc winds, winds will be southwest to west about 8-12 kt with gusts near 20 kt until 00z. Light west and southwest winds expected after 00z into Monday. && .MARINE... Issued at 200 PM EDT Sun May 4 2025 A chance of thunderstorms will exist over the area waters through late evening ahead of a cold front. The front will slowly shift southeast into the area waters tonight but stall over the region into Monday and Monday night, The front may drift a little further south Tuesday into Wednesday morning before moving back to the north Wednesday afternoon into Thursday. An area of low pressure will move toward the area Thursday while the front remains nearly stationary across parts of GA. The approach of the low and an influx of moisture will bring a good chance of shower and thunderstorms from Wednesday onward. Rip Current: Moderate risk of rip currents at area northeast FL beaches today with risk a bit lower going into southeast GA beaches. A low to moderate risk expected for Monday. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... AMG 55 83 56 86 / 0 0 0 10 SSI 63 82 65 83 / 10 10 0 10 JAX 60 88 62 89 / 10 10 0 10 SGJ 63 85 65 86 / 10 20 10 20 GNV 59 88 59 91 / 0 20 0 20 OCF 62 88 60 92 / 10 30 0 20 && .JAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...None. GA...None. AM...None. &&
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Jacksonville FL
127 PM EDT Sun May 4 2025
FLZ021-023-030-422-522-041800-
Southeastern Columbia FL-Baker FL-Union FL-Southwestern Columbia FL-
Suwannee FL-
127 PM EDT Sun May 4 2025
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHWESTERN BAKER...
NORTHWESTERN UNION...SOUTHEASTERN SUWANNEE AND SOUTHERN COLUMBIA
COUNTIES THROUGH 200 PM EDT...
At 127 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Providence, or 9 miles south of Lake City, moving northeast at 25
mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts around 40 mph and pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Palestine Community, Columbia, Watertown, Lulu, Olustee, Johnstown,
Lake Butler, and Lake City.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
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.
&&
LAT...LON 3028 8241 3003 8226 2997 8284 3007 8288
TIME...MOT...LOC 1727Z 239DEG 22KT 3007 8259
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
NELSONSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Jacksonville FL
157 PM EDT Sun May 4 2025
FLZ023-030-031-322-422-041830-
Southeastern Columbia FL-Baker FL-Union FL-Northern Columbia FL-
Bradford FL-
157 PM EDT Sun May 4 2025
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT NORTHERN BRADFORD...SOUTHWESTERN
BAKER...NORTHERN UNION AND EAST CENTRAL COLUMBIA COUNTIES THROUGH 230
PM EDT...
At 156 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Olustee, or 9 miles east of Lake City, moving northeast at 25 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts around 40 mph and pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Palestine Community, Sanderson, Ellerbee, Watertown, Lulu, and
Olustee.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
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.
&&
LAT...LON 3004 8255 3020 8262 3041 8231 3009 8211
TIME...MOT...LOC 1756Z 237DEG 23KT 3018 8249
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
NELSONSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Jacksonville FL
232 PM EDT Sun May 4 2025
FLZ132-232-041900-
Eastern Clay FL-Western Clay FL-
232 PM EDT Sun May 4 2025
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT NORTHERN CLAY COUNTY THROUGH 300
PM EDT...
At 231 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Middleburg, moving east at 20 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts around 40 mph and pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Asbury Lake, Fleming Island, Doctors Inlet, Green Cove Springs,
Orange Park, Penney Farms, Lakeside, Middleburg, Oakleaf Plantation,
and Bellair-Meadowbrook Terrace.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
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.
&&
LAT...LON 2992 8161 2993 8164 3000 8205 3018 8205
3017 8169 3014 8169 3012 8168 3008 8168
3005 8169 3003 8169 3001 8168 2997 8161
2993 8160
TIME...MOT...LOC 1831Z 270DEG 18KT 3001 8184
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
NELSONThe Jacksonville radar (KJAX), 146 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:44 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind, 1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
Florida State Watch Office reported that the | Southeast 1st Street wildfire near Lynne in | the Ocala National Forest is 150 acres and | is 80 percent contained.
An anchored pergola was lifted and thrown into the neighbor's yard and a newly planted | tree was uprooted along Evening Oaks Ln. | Images and video were sent via social media. | Time was estimated by radar and the cost of damage was estimated for inclusion in Storm Data.
Multiple trees down area-wide in St Johns | County spanning areas between US-1 and World | Golf Villages.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, May 2025
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: 1250350, 1250348, 1250349.