page_title: Tropical Storm Beryl (2012)
section_title: Florida
hierarchical_section_title: Tropical Storm Beryl (2012) / Preparations, impact, and records / Florida
caption_attribution_description: English: Storm total rainfall map of Tropical Storm Beryl during May 2012.
context_page_description: Tropical Storm Beryl was the strongest off-season Atlantic tropical cyclone on record to make landfall in the United States. The second tropical cyclone of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, Beryl developed on May 26 from a low-pressure system offshore North Carolina. Initially subtropical, the storm slowly acquired tropical characteristics as it tracked across warmer sea surface temperatures and within an environment of decreasing vertical wind shear. Late on May 27, Beryl transitioned into a tropical cyclone less than 120 miles from North Florida. Early the following day, the storm moved ashore near Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with peak winds of 65 mph. It quickly weakened to a tropical depression, dropping heavy rainfall while moving slowly across the southeastern United States. A cold front turned Beryl to the northeast, and the storm became extratropical on May 30.
  The precursor to Beryl produced heavy rainfall in Cuba, causing flooding, mudslides and two deaths. Torrential rain also affected south Florida and the Bahamas. After forming, Beryl produced rough surf along the US southeastern coast, leaving one person from Folly Beach, South Carolina missing.
context_section_description: Prior to being classified as a tropical cyclone, the precursor to Beryl produced locally heavy rainfall in South Florida, reaching 9.7 in (250 mm) at Miami International Airport. The total was the second highest daily rainfall ever recorded in the month of May at the station. The rain caused extensive street flooding, especially in Sweetwater and Doral, stranding drivers and afternoon commuters. Miami Dade College was forced to cancel morning classes on May 23.
  When the NHC issued their first advisory, the agency also issued a tropical storm warning from the Brevard/Volusia county line in Florida to Edisto Beach, South Carolina. A tropical storm watch was issued northward to the mouth of the Santee River in South Carolina. A state of emergency was issued in Jacksonville, Florida, causing the early ending of a jazz festival and Memorial Day events. When Beryl moved ashore, airports around Jacksonville canceled all flights except for JetBlue Airways and Delta Air Lines.
  A teenager died in high seas in Daytona Beach, Florida. High surf and rip currents caused lifeguards in the region to restrict swimming in the ocean. The highest storm surge was 3.73 ft (1.14 m) at Fernandina Beach. When the storm moved ashore, Beryl produced strong winds along the coast, peaking at 54 mph (87 km/h) at Huguenot Park in Jacksonville; nearby Buck Island reported a peak wind gust of 72 mph (117 km/h). The winds prompted the Mathews Bridge and Wonderwood Bridge to close. Toppled power lines left about 38,000 residences in Jacksonville without power. In Jacksonville, flash flooding affected areas along Hogans Creek, and waves damaged a seawall and some docks. The waters entered a condominium and three vehicles. Flash flooding covered a portion of U.S. Route 129 in Suwannee County. Damage in Jacksonville was estimated at $20,000. South of Jacksonville, the outer circulation of Beryl spawned a short-lived EF0 tornado in Port Saint Lucie that caused minor damage to two homes. Damage from the tornado was estimated at $20,000. Another tornado was reported in Yankeetown. Due to its slow motion, Beryl dropped heavy rainfall across Florida, peaking at 15.0 in (380 mm) in Wellborn. Just South of Wellborn, a motorcyclist in Taylor County, Florida was killed when a car hydroplaned on the flooded highway and struck him head-on. First responders noted that it took them 20 minutes to cover the ten miles due to the nonexistent visibility. Gainesville reported 3.25 in (83 mm) on May 28, which broke the previous daily rainfall record. Hernando County Airport broke its daily rainfall record on May 29 with a total of 3.65 in (93 mm), which was also the greatest daily rainfall to date in 2012. The rains extinguished 80 percent of the 25 wildfires in northern Florida. In Levy County, a waterspout dissipated while moving onshore. The high rains flooded several homes in Citrus County, causing about $108,000 in damage.
caption: Storm total rainfall produced by Tropical Storm Beryl across the Southeast United States
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