High Wind — Coastal Hillsborough, Florida

2018-12-21 · Coastal Hillsborough, Florida

Event narrative

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge was closed from around 9 am to 5 pm on December 21 due to 78 mph wind gusts at the the road surface which is about 200 feet above the water.

Wider weather episode

A strong cold front moved southeast through the eastern Gulf of Mexico and Florida Peninsula on the 20th, preceded by a squall line. The storms produced 4 tornadoes, and damaging wind gusts, in addition to strong gradient winds behind the front on the 21st. The strong onshore winds also produced coastal flooding along the coast and moderate to major beach erosion from Pinellas County to Lee County. .

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 791308. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.