Alert archive / Florida / Tornado Warnings in 1993

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Melbourne, FL

March 13, 1993Lake County, Florida

NWS Melbourne, FL issued this tornado warning at Mar 13, 1993, 12:08 AM EST for Lake County, Florida. It was in force for 67 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 13, 1993, 12:08 AM EST (05:08 UTC)
Expired
Mar 13, 1993, 1:15 AM EST
In force
67 min
Issued by
NWS Melbourne, FL
Area
Whole counties

County Lake County, FL

The radar

The Melbourne radar (KMLB), 126 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 05:10 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Cape Canaveral, FL (KXMR), launched 00:00Z, 5.1 hours before the alert went out and 123 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Cape Canaveral, FL at 00:00Z on 1993-03-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 701 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Cape Canaveral, FL at 00:00Z on 1993-03-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 145 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
701 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-9 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
721 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
48 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
145 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
175 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.4
Supercell composite
2.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KMLB 130510
TORMLB
FLC069-130615-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
1208 AM EST SAT MAR 13 1993
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MELBOURNE HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  115 AM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN CENTRAL FLORIDA
 
   ...LAKE COUNTY
 
 
AT 1210 AM...A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH A HISTORY OF PRODUCING
TORNADOES EXTENDED FROM ABOUT 25 MILES NORTHWEST LEESBURG TO 35
SOUTHWEST OF LEESBURG. THE LINE OF STORMS WAS RACING EAST AT 50 MPH.
 
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. ACT QUICKLY. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF
THIS LINE OF STORMS MOVE TO A SHELTER IF AVAILABLE.  OTHERWISE
GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM O~N THE LOWEST FLOOR POSSIBLE. AVOID
WINDOWS. ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR
GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 12, 9:44 PM EST, 2 hours 24 minutes before
FLZ009-011>012-016>017-130340-

SPECIAL EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA WEATHER UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
940 PM EST FRI MAR 12 1993

...LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER GULF OF MEXICO...

AT 940 PM...A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WAS ABOUT 75 MILES OFFSHORE ST
PETERSBURG. THIS LINE OF STORMS WAS MOVING EAST AT BETTER THAN 40 MPH AND
SHOULD BE MOVING ONSHORE THE WEST COAST AROUND 11 PM. THIS HAS PROMPTED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR ALL OF THE FLORIDA PENINSULA.

THIS LINE IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN AFFECTING WESTERN COUNTIES OF EAST CENTRAL
FLORIDA AROUND OR SHORTLY AFTER THE MIDNIGHT HOUR. THESE STORMS HAVE THE
POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE A SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK. PEOPLE ACROSS EAST
CENTRAL FLORIDA SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST WEATHER STATEMENTS AND BE PREPARED
TO MOVE TO SHELTER AS WARNINGS ARE ISSUED.

RL
Special weather statement, Mar 12, 10:36 PM EST, 1 hour 32 minutes before
FLZ006>017-020-130425-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DAYTONA BEACH FL
1030 PM EST FRI MAR 12 1993

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA PENINSULA UNTIL 700 AM
EST AND INCLUDES MARION COUNTY AS WELL AS FLAGLER AND VOLUSIA COUNTIES
AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS...

AT 1025 PM EST...DAYTONA BEACH RADAR SHOWED A LARGE AREA OF RAIN OVER
THE WESTERN THIRD OF THE FLORIDA PENINSULA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO<.
THE LEADING EDGE OF THIS RAIN EXTENDED FROM GAINESVILLE TO DUNNELLON TO
ST PETERSBURG AND WAS MOVING RAPIDLY EAST AT 60 MPH.
Special weather statement, Mar 12, 10:52 PM EST, 1 hour 16 minutes before
FLZ009-011>012-016>017-130340-

SPECIAL EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA WEATHER UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
1050 PM EST FRI MAR 12 1993

...LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ABOUT TO MOVE ONSHORE THE WEST COAST...

AT 1050 PM...A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WAS ABOUT 25 MILES OFFSHORE ST
PETERSBURG. THE LINE OF STORMS WAS MOVING EAST AT BETTER THAN 50 MPH AND
WILL BE MOVING ONSHORE THE WEST COAST SHORTLY. THIS LINE WAS ABOUT 110 MILES
AWAY FROM THE ORLANDO AREA.

THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BEGIN TO AFFECT LAKE COUNTY AROUND MIDNIGHT AND ORLANDO
BY ABOUT 1 AM. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE FLORIDA PENINSULA.
THESE STORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE A SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER
OfUTBREAK. PEOPLE ACROSS ALL OF EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST
WEATHER STATEMENTS AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO SHELTER AS WARNINGS ARE ISSUED.

RL
Special weather statement, Mar 12, 10:56 PM EST, 1 hour 12 minutes before
FLZ009-011>012-016>017-130450-

SPECIAL EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA WEATHER UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
1050 PM EST FRI MAR 12 1993

...LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ABOUT TO MOVE ONSHORE THE WEST COAST...

AT 1050 PM...A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WAS ABOUT 25 MILES OFFSHORE ST
PETERSBURG. THE LINE OF STORMS WAS MOVING EAST AT BETTER THAN 50 MPH AND
WILL BE MOVING ONSHORE THE WEST COAST SHORTLY. THIS LINE WAS ABOUT 110 MILES
AWAY FROM THE ORLANDO AREA.

THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BEGIN TO AFFECT LAKE COUNTY AROUND MIDNIGHT AND ORLANDO
BY ABOUT 1 AM. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE FLORIDA PENINSULA.
THESE STORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE A SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER
OUrTBREAK. PEOPLE ACROSS ALL OF EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST
WEATHER STATEMENTS AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO SHELTER AS WARNINGS ARE ISSUED.

RL
Special weather statement, Mar 12, 11:41 PM EST, 27 minutes before
FLZ006>017-020-130525-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DAYTONA BEACH FL
1130 PM EST FRI MAR 12 1993

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA PENINSULA UNTIL 700 AM
EST SATURDAY AND INCLUDES MARION COUNTY AS WELL AS FLAGLER AND VOLUSIA
COUNTIES AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS...

AT 1125 PM EST...DAYTONA BEACH RADAR DETECTED A LINE OF VERY STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE GULF COASTAL WATERS FROM JUST OFFSHORE ST PETERSBURG
TO CEDAR KEY.  THIS LINE WAS MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH.

MEANWHILE...RAIN BLANKETED MUCH OF NORTH AND WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA.
THE LEADING EDGE OF THIS AREA OF RAIN EXTENDED FROM LAKELAND TO ASTOR PARK
TO JACKSONVILLE AND WAS MOVING EAS*T AT 50 MPH.

ISOLATED SHOWERS HAD RECENTLY DEVELOPED BETWEEN SANFORD AND MELBOURNE.
Special weather statement, Mar 12, 11:51 PM EST, 17 minutes before
FLZ017-011-016-012-009-130545-

SPECIAL EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA WEATHER UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
1150 PM EST FRI MAR 12 1993

...LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ONSHORE THE WEST COAST...

AT 1150 PM...A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WAS JUST MOVING ONSHORE
THE WEST COAST. THERE ARE PRELIMINARY REPORTS OF DAMAGE IN LEVY
COUNTY AROUND THE CHIEFLAND AREA. THE LINE OF STORMS WAS ABOUT
45 MILES WEST OF LEESBURG AND MOVING EAST AT BETTER THAN
50 MPH.

STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN AFFECTING LAKE COUNTY BETWEEN
1215 AND 1245 AM.

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE FLORIDA PENINSULA.
PEOPLE ACROSS EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA SHOULD BE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY
CHANGING WEATHER CONDITINONS AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER AS
THE STORMS APPROACH AND WARNINGS ARE ISSUED.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Melbourne, FL issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 13, 12:37 AM ESTTornado WarningMLBOrange68 min
Mar 13, 12:48 AM ESTTornado WarningMLBSeminole57 min
Mar 13, 1:05 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMLBMarion85 min
Mar 13, 1:05 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMLBFlagler, Volusia10 min
Mar 13, 1:05 AM ESTTornado WarningMLBOsceola55 min
Mar 13, 1:15 AM ESTTornado WarningMLBFlagler, Volusia75 min
Mar 13, 1:42 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMLBOrange63 min
Mar 13, 1:58 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMLBBrevard62 min
Mar 13, 2:00 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMLBOsceola60 min
Mar 13, 4:05 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMLBIndian River55 min
Mar 13, 4:31 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMLBPalm Beach59 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Florida, 1993Every tornado warning in 1993Tornadoes in 1993

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.