PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
820 PM EST THU FEB 26 2004
...HEAVY RAINS ACROSS MOST OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA...
FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE TROPICAL STORM HENRI IN EARLY SEPTEMBER
2003...HEAVY RAINFALL OCCURRED OVER A LARGE PORTION OF WEST CENTRAL
AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVING ACROSS
THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES COMBINED WITH A QUASI-STATIONARY FRONT AND
ATMOSPHERIC DISTURBANCES MOVING ALONG THE FRONT LED TO HEAVY RAINFALL
ACROSS A LARGE PORTION OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA.
MANY LOCATIONS IN WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA RECEIVED OVER
THREE INCHES OF RAIN SINCE ABOUT 8 PM MONDAY FEBRUARY 23RD WHEN THE
RAIN FIRST ARRIVED IN PORTIONS OF THE NATURE COAST. THE HEAVIEST
RAINS OCCURRED ACROSS HERNANDO AND NORTHERN PASCO COUNTIES EASTWARD
INTO SUMTER WHERE MANY LOCATIONS REPORTED OVER 5 INCHES.
SOME MINOR FLOODING WAS REPORTED ACROSS THE REGION...BUT SINCE ONLY
LIMITED AMOUNTS OF RAINFALL HAVE OCCURRED OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS
THE GROUND WAS ABLE TO ABSORB MOST OF THE RAIN AND THE MAJORITY OF
THE FLOODING OCCURRING IN LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. ALSO...
SOME OF THE RIVERS ROSE...BUT ONCE AGAIN SINCE IT HAS BEEN RATHER
DRY...VERY LITTLE RIVER FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED.
FOLLOWING ARE PRELIMINARY AND UNOFFICIAL TOTALS FOR THE EVENT FROM
8 PM FEBRUARY 23RD THROUGH 8 PM FEBRUARY 26TH AT SELECTED LOCATIONS
ACROSS WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA:
OBSERVING SITE COUNTY EVENT TOTAL
(INCHES)
...AIRPORTS...
BROOKSVILLE/HERNANDO CO HERNANDO 6.76
ST PETE/CLEARWATER INTL PINELLAS 4.44
TAMPA INTL HILLSBOROUGH 3.61
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE HILLSBOROUGH 3.43
ST PETE/ALBERT WHITTED PINELLAS 2.96
LAKELAND LINDER POLK 2.91
PUNTA GORDA/CHARLOTTE CO CHARLOTTE 2.74
WINTER HAVEN/GILBERT FIELD POLK 2.66
FORT MYERS/PAGE FIELD LEE 2.56
SARASOTA-BRADENTON INTL MANATEE 2.55
FORT MYERS/SW FLORIDA INTL LEE 2.39
...OTHERS...
BUSHNELL SUMTER 6.51
TRILBY (WITHLACOOCHEE RVR) HERNANDO 6.25
MASARYKTOWN 5 W HERNANDO 5.46
BROOKSVILLE CHIN HILL HERNANDO 5.33
ROYAL HIGHLANDS 5 E HERNANDO 5.10
BROOKSVILLE (FAWN) HERNANDO 4.88
DADE CITY 10 E (GREEN SWAMP) SUMTER 4.82
INGLIS LEVY 4.50
GOWERS CORNER 2 NW PASCO 4.40
CHASSAHOWITZKA CITRUS 4.33
PINELLAS PARK PINELLAS 4.32
THONOTOSASSA HILLSBOROUGH 4.02
RYE BRIDGE MANATEE 3.97
ARCHBOLD BIO STN HIGHLANDS 3.87
LAND O' LAKES PASCO 3.80
CLEARWATER PINELLAS 3.73
CHIEFLAND 5 SE LEVY 3.63
SAFETY HARBOR PINELLAS 3.60
DOVER (FAWN) HILLSBOROUGH 3.57
BRONSON (FAWN) LEVY 3.44
TARPON SPRINGS 5 ENE PINELLAS 3.33
FORT OGDEN 14 E DESOTO 3.31
ODESSA 3 S HILLSBOROUGH 3.31
FOUR CORNERS POLK 3.30
DUETTE MANATEE 3.29
HOLDER (WITHLACOOCHEE RVR) CITRUS 3.28
MYAKKA HEAD MANATEE 3.09
PLANT CITY HILLSBOROUGH 3.08
FORT OGDEN DESOTO 3.04
SAN ANTONIO PASCO 3.02
ST. LEO PASCO 2.99
WILLISTON LEVY 2.99
CRYSTAL RIVER 3 S CITRUS 2.98
MYAKKA CITY MANATEE 2.98
POINT LONESOME CHARLOTTE 2.98
MULBERRY POLK 2.97
LAKE GIBSON POLK 2.94
VENICE 3 NE SARASOTA 2.77
FLORAL CITY CITRUS 2.71
BRADENTON (FAWN) MANATEE 2.67
RUSKIN/NWS HILLSBOROUGH 2.67
GARDNER HARDEE 2.65
ARCADIA 8 WNW DESOTO 2.63
WAUCHULA 9 SW HARDEE 2.53
SEBRING (FAWN) HIGHLANDS 2.47
FORT MEADE POLK 2.45
ENGLEWOOD 4 NNW SARASOTA 2.42
WARES CREEK MANATEE 2.40
NORTH PORT SARASOTA 2.38
ONA HARDEE 2.33
LITHIA (ALAFIA RVR) HILLSBOROUGH 2.31
BARTOW POLK 2.27
WEST BRADENTON MANATEE 2.20
ONA (FAWN) HARDEE 2.16
LAKE ALFRED (FAWN) POLK 2.15
LAKE PANASOFFKEE SUMTER 2.14
BOWLING GREEN HARDEE 2.12
INVERNESS 3 SE CITRUS 2.01
BALM (FAWN) HILLSBOROUGH 1.99
PALMA SOLA MANATEE 1.95
WIMAUMA HILLSBOROUGH 1.85
AVON PARK 2 W HIGHLANDS 1.38
FOR MORE CLIMATE INFORMATION VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT THE FOLLOWING
LINK: HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TBW/ AND THEN CLICK ON THE PAST
LOCAL WEATHER LINK.
$$
PRC