Severe Thunderstorms Pound Palm Beach and Broward Counties
Three severe thunderstorm warnings hit southeastern Florida on June 20, with 60 mph gusts and hail up to half dollar size targeting Palm Beach and Broward counties.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA — The National Weather Service in Miami issued several severe thunderstorm warnings Saturday afternoon for parts of Palm Beach and Broward counties in southeastern Florida, with storms producing wind gusts up to 60 mph and hail that threatened vehicles, rooftops, and trees.
Three Warnings Issued Within Hours
The first warning was issued at 4:53 p.m. EDT on June 20, covering north central Broward County and south central Palm Beach County. Radar detected a severe thunderstorm located 7 miles southwest of Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, or 12 miles northwest of Coral Springs, moving north at 5 mph. That warning remained in effect until 5:30 p.m. EDT.
A second warning followed at 5:29 p.m. EDT, targeting northern Broward County and set to expire at 6:00 p.m. EDT. At 5:28 p.m., that storm was located near the Miccosukee Service Plaza, approximately 28 miles west of Sunrise, and was described as nearly stationary over mainly rural areas of northern Broward County.
A third and final warning was issued at 5:41 p.m. EDT for east central Palm Beach County, lasting until 6:30 p.m. EDT. Radar placed that storm near Wellington at 5:40 p.m., moving southeast at 10 mph.
Hazards: High Winds and Large Hail
All three storms carried a hazard of 60 mph wind gusts, with the potential for significant hail. The storms associated with the earlier two warnings produced quarter-size hail, while the third storm near Wellington was producing half dollar-size hail, according to the National Weather Service.
Officials warned that hail damage to vehicles was expected across affected areas. Residents were also told to anticipate wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees throughout the warned zones.
All three warnings were radar-indicated, meaning the National Weather Service detected the storms’ severity through radar data rather than confirmed ground reports.
Affected Communities
The communities and areas identified as being in the path of the storms included Wellington, Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, and the rural portions of northern Broward County near the Miccosukee Service Plaza. The storms tracked across a broad swath of southeastern Florida during the late afternoon hours of June 20.
Residents in these areas were advised to take shelter, move away from windows, and protect vehicles from hail damage for the duration of each warning period. The National Weather Service’s Miami office monitored the storms throughout the afternoon as they progressed across the region.
