Hillsborough storm history

Thunderstorm wind gusts knocked down power lines along the Courtney Campbell Causeway near the Rocky Point area on the evening of the 12th. The downed power lines apparently went unnoticed until the morning of the 13th, when a 47 year old man riding a bicycle was electrocuted and…

A 71 year old man was fishing in a lake at Edward Medard Park when he was apparently struck and killed by lightning. The man was found face down in the water just after 7 PM with signs of electrocution.

A fire burned down an apartment building at Garden Isles Apartments off North 56th Street and Sligh Avenue. Investigators determined that the fire was most likely caused by a lightning strike. One resident, a 58 year old woman, died in the fire.

A 21-year-old male employee at an area water park was standing in a 2 to 3 foot deep pool of water near a water slide tower when he was struck by lightning. It was the first strike in the area at the time. He went into cardiac arrest and later died at the hospital.

A 3-year-old girl was mistakenly left in a sport utility vehicle for around an hour and 45 minutes, and died in the heat, while three of the girl's cousins attended a church service on North 9th Street in Tampa. Temperatures during the time the girl was in the vehicle were in the…

An 11-year-old boy died of heat stroke during football practice. A 12-year-old boy died a few days earlier during football practice but the cause was undetermined.

A man was struck on a bicycle trying to escape an approaching storm. He had been fishing in the Tampa Bypass Canal near Interstate 75 and Fowler Avenue.

The broadcast media reported that a 44 year old male was struck on the top of the head and killed by lightning while walking under a group of large trees, near the intersection of Alumni and Laurel Drive, at the University of South Florida in Temple Terrace, during a rain storm.

A 27 year old male was struck and killed by lightning while fishing on a pond south of 19th Avenue near U.S. Highway 41 in Ruskin. Lightning struck the victims fishing rod and killed him instantly. Also, the lightning strike partially burned the victim's clothes and fishing boat.

Two men were struck by lightning, one fatal, while fishing in a boat near Cypress Street and Interstate 75 (Howard Franklin Bridge) in Old Tampa Bay.

A 38 year old male was attempting to close the roof vent of a metal camper when lightning struck a nearby tree, approximately ten to fifteen feet from his location. The individual was struck by a sideflash of the lightning bolt at the onset of a thunderstorm (light rain just bega…

An eight year old female drowned in a rip current while swimming offshore a peninsula named Picnic Island, nine miles southwest of Tampa.

Two female children, ages five and six, drowned in rip currents at the Ben T. Davis Municipal Beach along State Road 60 (Courtney Campbell Causeway).

A 26 year-old male was struck and killed by lightning while working on a third story roof along Princess Palm Avenue in Sabel Park.

Thunderstorm winds snapped a large 500-pound, 15 inch oak branch which fell atop and killed a 71 year old female while she walked along a sidewalk near the 6300 block of State Road 39 in Plant City.

Two males were struck and injured by lightning, one fatal, while at a golfing range near the intersection of Westshore Blvd. and West Columbus Drive. Eyewitnesses reported the golfers were struck by the first observed lightning bolt that emanated from the cirrus anvil of a distan…

The Florida State Watch Office relayed a report from Tampa Fire Rescue of a lightning strike across the street from Raymond James Stadium shortly after the conclusion of the Buccaneers football game. Lightning detection networks show that this was one of the first lightning strik…

Thirteen people were injured when estimated 60 mph thunderstorm winds ripped the tethers of a 600-square-foot food tent at the Florida State Fair, causing the tent to collapse. In addition, the winds blew over some tables and blew the cover off of an ATM machine.

Eight people were injured, while taking cover in a tent, when lightning struck a nearby tree and the tents central metal support rod, on Beer Can Island in Hillsborough Bay. An adult, holding the center metal support rod of the tent, was seriously injured from the lightning strik…

Nine people were injured when an add-on wall partition to a home was blown over by thunderstorm winds along S. Kings Avenue in Brandon.

Heavy rains from Hurricane Irma caused the Hillsborough River at Morris Bridge to rise above flood stage on the 12th, with flooding continuing through the 20th. The water level crested at 34.66 feet on the 14th, 0.66 feet above the moderate flooding threshold. This marks the high…

Heavy rains from Hurricane Irma caused the Alafia River at Lithia to rise above flood stage on the 11th, with flooding continuing through the 18th. The water level crested at 22.79 feet on the 12th, 3.79 feet above the major flooding threshold. This marks the 5th highest crest in…

Heavy rains from Hurricane Irma caused the Little Manatee River at Wimauma to rise above flood stage on the 10th, with flooding continuing through the 16th. The water level crested at 17.69 feet on the 12th, 0.69 feet above the major flooding threshold. The flood waters entered s…

Multiple days of heavy rain caused widespread road closures across the Tampa area. Dozens of roads were flooded including the major thoroughfares of Armenia Avenue, Dale Mabry Highway, Gandy Boulevard, Westshore Boulevard, Veteran's Expressway, US 41, and State Road 60. The flood…

Hillsborough county had below freezing temperatures for 10 to 13 hours, with temperatures below 28 degrees for 4 to 8 hours. The ASOS station at the Tampa International Airport recorded a low of 25 degrees, breaking the previous low of 27 degrees set in 1982. The lowest temperatu…

Lightning sparked a fire that completely destroyed a 6,000 square feet winery warehouse. About 27,000 wine bottles with a value of $500,000 and stored in a large walk-in cooler were destroyed. Heavy machinery and a wine tasting area were also destroyed.

Hurricane Charley created tropical storm force winds that brushed the far eastern part of the county with a wind gust of 61 mph recorded in Plant City. Damage was light and was limited to Plant City and areas to the south. The damage included downed trees and branches, sporadic p…

Strong winds knocked down numerous trees and power lines. Roofs of portable classrooms at two schools were damaged.

Public video posted to social media depicted fast-moving water approximately one foot deep from Howell Branch Creek overtopping both lanes of Trapnell Road just east of Smith Ryals Road. Flooding from the creek was also evident spreading across nearby adjacent fields also.

Home weather station along Wiggins Road in Plant City reported 9.38 inches of rain over the preceding 6 hours.

Home weather station along Kilgore Road in Plant City reported 8.66 inches of rain over the preceding 6 hours.

Home weather station near Smith Ryals Road in Plant City reported 8.76 inches of rain over the preceding 6 hours.

Broadcast media relayed reports of street flooding in the Tampa Heights area.

Broadcast media relayed reports of street flooding in the Seminole Heights area.