Severe Thunderstorms and Heavy Rain in the Southern Plains; Fire Weather Threat in the Southwest U.S.

Thunderstorms, some severe, may produce heavy to excessive rainfall and isolated flooding over portions of the Southern Plains today and Saturday. Dry conditions, combined with gusty winds and low relative humidities will continue to support an elevated to critical fire weather threat in the Desert Southwest into to early next week. Read More >

Collier County Heavy Rain-Flood
September 29, 2003

      On September 29, 2003, a cold front stalled over central Florida…as a tropical disturbance moved from the southwest Caribbean Sea into the Southern Gulf of America. This set up a southwest flow over southern Florida, and allowed for deep tropical moisture to move into south Florida from the Caribbean and southern Gulf of America.

      Rainfall amounts between 4 inches to 8 inches fell across Collier County. But western Collier County got the heaviest of the rainfall with locally 8 to 10 inches. Marco Island received 8.10 inches of rainfall, Bonita Springs received 5.00 inches of rainfall, and Naples set an all time daily rainfall record of 6.93 inches.

      By early afternoon, Collier County Emergency Management Officials were asking everyone in the western Collier County to stay off the roads if they did not absolutely have to travel as canals were swelling and spilling over their banks, several roads were closed, and houses were starting to flood. There were also reports of people surfing in the streets in the Naples region of Western Collier County.

      By evening, most of the rainfall had ended over Collier County…but it took until late Tuesday (September 30, 2003) to get the streets and back yards of houses to dry out.

Baxter (National Weather Service, Miami Florida)

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Severe Thunderstorms and Heavy Rain in the Southern Plains; Fire Weather Threat in the Southwest U.S.

September 29 2003