Alert archive / Florida / Tornado Warnings in 1993

Tornado Warning 8, NWS Tallahassee, FL

October 30, 1993Okaloosa County, Santa Rosa County, Florida

NWS Tallahassee, FL issued this tornado warning at Oct 30, 1993, 12:59 AM CDT for Okaloosa County, Santa Rosa County, Florida. It was in force for 61 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Oct 30, 1993, 12:59 AM CDT (05:59 UTC)
Expired
Oct 30, 1993, 2:00 AM CDT
In force
61 min
Issued by
NWS Tallahassee, FL
Area
Whole counties

Counties Okaloosa County, FL, Santa Rosa County, FL

The nearest sounding before it

Tallahassee Rgnl, FL (KTLH), launched 00:00Z, 6.0 hours before the alert went out and 242 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, Tallahassee Rgnl, FL at 00:00Z on 1993-10-30Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1006 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, Tallahassee Rgnl, FL at 00:00Z on 1993-10-30The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 336 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
1006 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-5 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
542 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
67 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
336 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
435 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.3
Supercell composite
10.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KPNS 300559
TORPNS
FLC091-113-300700-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
1259 AM CDT SAT OCT 30 1993
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PENSACOLA HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  200 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA
 
   ...SOUTHERN OKALOOSA COUNTY...SOUTHERN SANTA ROSA COUNTY
 
 
 
 
A POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS INDICATED BY RADAR IN SOUTHEAST PART OF SANTA
ROSA COUNTY FLORIDA. THE STORM WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.
 
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.

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, Oct 29, 10:18 PM CDT, 2 hours 41 minutes before
FLZ016-017-026-027-505-GAZ155-156-157-158-FLZ011-013-301715-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED TIME
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
1113 PM EDT (1013 PM CDT) SAT OCT 30 1993

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 5AM EDT (4AM CDT) FOR MUCH OF THE
FLORIDA BIG BEND AND PANHANDLE...AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT TONIGHT AND EARLY SATURDAY MORNING
FOR SOUTHWEST GEORGIA FROM THOMAS COUNTY WESTWARD...AND THE FLORIDA
PANHANDLE FROM LEON AND WAKULLA COUNTIES WESTWARD...UNTIL 5 AM EDT. A
WARM FRONT MOVING NORTHWARD OVER SOUTHERN ALABAMA AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA
THIS EVENING HAS ALLOWED WARM AND MOIST AIR TO RETURN OVER THE
PANHANDLE OF FLORIDA AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST GEORGIA. THE COMBINATION OF
WARM MOIST AIR AND STRONG WINDS ALOFT WILL CAUSE THE ATMOSPHERE TO
BECOME INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE OVERNIGHT.

A STRONG COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER THE LOWER
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL MOVE EASTWARD OVERNIGHT...TRIGGERING STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS.  THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR SOME THUNDERSTORMS BECOMING
SEVERE...PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS AND TORNADOES LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY
SATURDAY MORNING...IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.

PEOPLE ACROSS THE FLORIDA BIG BEND REGION AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA NEED TO
BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER OVERNIGHT.  LISTEN TO LOCAL
TV...RADIO...AND NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER UPDATES AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.  THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS
POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION OVERNIGHT.  WE NEVER CLOSE!!!
Special weather statement, Oct 29, 10:18 PM CDT, 2 hours 41 minutes before
FLZ016-017-026-027-505-GAZ155-156-157-158-FLZ011-013-301715-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED TIME
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
1113 PM EDT (1013 PM CDT) SAT OCT 30 1993

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 5AM EDT (4AM CDT) FOR MUCH OF THE
FLORIDA BIG BEND AND PANHANDLE...AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT TONIGHT AND EARLY SATURDAY MORNING
FOR SOUTHWEST GEORGIA FROM THOMAS COUNTY WESTWARD...AND THE FLORIDA
PANHANDLE FROM LEON AND WAKULLA COUNTIES WESTWARD...UNTIL 5 AM EDT. A
WARM FRONT MOVING NORTHWARD OVER SOUTHERN ALABAMA AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA
THIS EVENING HAS ALLOWED WARM AND MOIST AIR TO RETURN OVER THE
PANHANDLE OF FLORIDA AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST GEORGIA. THE COMBINATION OF
WARM MOIST AIR AND STRONG WINDS ALOFT WILL CAUSE THE ATMOSPHERE TO
BECOME INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE OVERNIGHT.

A STRONG COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER THE LOWER
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL MOVE EASTWARD OVERNIGHT...TRIGGERING STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS.  THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR SOME THUNDERSTORMS BECOMING
SEVERE...PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS AND TORNADOES LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY
SATURDAY MORNING...IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.

PEOPLE ACROSS THE FLORIDA BIG BEND REGION AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA NEED TO
BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER OVERNIGHT.  LISTEN TO LOCAL
TV...RADIO...AND NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER UPDATES AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.  THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS
POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION OVERNIGHT.  WE NEVER CLOSE!!!
Special weather statement, Oct 29, 10:23 PM CDT, 2 hours 36 minutes before
FLZ016-017-026-027-505-GAZ155-156-157-158-FLZ011-013-300515-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED TIME AND DATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
1113 PM EDT (1013 PM CDT) FRI OCT 29 1993

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 5AM EDT (4AM CDT) FOR MUCH OF THE
FLORIDA BIG BEND AND PANHANDLE...AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT TONIGHT AND EARLY SATURDAY MORNING
FOR SOUTHWEST GEORGIA FROM THOMAS COUNTY WESTWARD...AND THE FLORIDA
PANHANDLE FROM LEON AND WAKULLA COUNTIES WESTWARD...UNTIL 5 AM EDT. A
WARM FRONT MOVING NORTHWARD OVER SOUTHERN ALABAMA AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA
THIS EVENING HAS ALLOWED WARM AND MOIST AIR TO RETURN OVER THE
PANHANDLE OF FLORIDA AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST GEORGIA. THE COMBINATION OF
WARM MOIST AIR AND STRONG WINDS ALOFT WILL CAUSE THE ATMOSPHERE TO
BECOME INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE OVERNIGHT.

A STRONG COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER THE LOWER
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL MOVE EASTWARD OVERNIGHT...TRIGGERING STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS.  THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR SOME THUNDERSTORMS BECOMING
SEVERE...PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS AND TORNADOES LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY
SATURDAY MORNING...IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.

PEOPLE ACROSS THE FLORIDA BIG BEND REGION AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA NEED TO
BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER OVERNIGHT.  LISTEN TO LOCAL
TV...RADIO...AND NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER UPDATES AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.  THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS
POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION OVERNIGHT.  WE NEVER CLOSE!!!
Special weather statement, Oct 29, 10:23 PM CDT, 2 hours 36 minutes before
FLZ016-017-026-027-505-GAZ155-156-157-158-FLZ011-013-300515-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED TIME AND DATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
1113 PM EDT (1013 PM CDT) FRI OCT 29 1993

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 5AM EDT (4AM CDT) FOR MUCH OF THE
FLORIDA BIG BEND AND PANHANDLE...AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT TONIGHT AND EARLY SATURDAY MORNING
FOR SOUTHWEST GEORGIA FROM THOMAS COUNTY WESTWARD...AND THE FLORIDA
PANHANDLE FROM LEON AND WAKULLA COUNTIES WESTWARD...UNTIL 5 AM EDT. A
WARM FRONT MOVING NORTHWARD OVER SOUTHERN ALABAMA AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA
THIS EVENING HAS ALLOWED WARM AND MOIST AIR TO RETURN OVER THE
PANHANDLE OF FLORIDA AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST GEORGIA. THE COMBINATION OF
WARM MOIST AIR AND STRONG WINDS ALOFT WILL CAUSE THE ATMOSPHERE TO
BECOME INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE OVERNIGHT.

A STRONG COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER THE LOWER
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL MOVE EASTWARD OVERNIGHT...TRIGGERING STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS.  THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR SOME THUNDERSTORMS BECOMING
SEVERE...PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS AND TORNADOES LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY
SATURDAY MORNING...IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.

PEOPLE ACROSS THE FLORIDA BIG BEND REGION AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA NEED TO
BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER OVERNIGHT.  LISTEN TO LOCAL
TV...RADIO...AND NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER UPDATES AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.  THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS
POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION OVERNIGHT.  WE NEVER CLOSE!!!
Special weather statement, Oct 29, 11:40 PM CDT, 1 hour 19 minutes before
FLZ016-017-018-026-027-GAZ155-156-157-158-FLZ011-013-300545-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
1240 AM EDT (1140 PM CDT) SAT OCT 30 1993

...TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5AM EDT (4AM CDT) SATURDAY
MORNING FOR THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND A LARGE PART OF SOUTHWEST
GEORGIA...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THIS SATURDAY MORNING UNTIL 5AM EDT
(4AM CDT) FOR SOUTHWEST GEORGIA FROM THOMAS COUNTY WESTWARD...AND FOR
THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE FROM LEON AND WAKULLA COUNTIES WESTWARD.
CONDITIONS REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...AND
POSSIBLY TORNADOES...TO DEVELOP ACROSS THESE AREAS THROUGH THE EARLY
MORNING HOURS.

AT 1235 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED A LINE
OF SHOWERS WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM THE
JEFFERSON-THOMAS COUNTY GEORGIA LINE NORTH OF MONTICELLO...TO THE WEST
ACROSS LEON COUNTY AND SOUTHERN GADSDEN COUNTY. THE LINE CONTINUED TO
15 MILES NORTH OF PANAMA CITY. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED
ABOUT 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF QUINCY IN GADSDEN COUNTY FLORIDA. THE
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 30 TO 35
MILES AN HOUR.

A LARGER AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS STILL OFF TO THE WEST
OVER THE PANHANDLE...APPROACHING FROM THE WEST.

ALTHOUGH NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED AS OF THIS TIME...THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS SITUATION. STAY
TUNED FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Oct 29, 11:40 PM CDT, 1 hour 19 minutes before
FLZ016-017-018-026-027-GAZ155-156-157-158-FLZ011-013-300545-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
1240 AM EDT (1140 PM CDT) SAT OCT 30 1993

...TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5AM EDT (4AM CDT) SATURDAY
MORNING FOR THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND A LARGE PART OF SOUTHWEST
GEORGIA...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THIS SATURDAY MORNING UNTIL 5AM EDT
(4AM CDT) FOR SOUTHWEST GEORGIA FROM THOMAS COUNTY WESTWARD...AND FOR
THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE FROM LEON AND WAKULLA COUNTIES WESTWARD.
CONDITIONS REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...AND
POSSIBLY TORNADOES...TO DEVELOP ACROSS THESE AREAS THROUGH THE EARLY
MORNING HOURS.

AT 1235 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED A LINE
OF SHOWERS WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM THE
JEFFERSON-THOMAS COUNTY GEORGIA LINE NORTH OF MONTICELLO...TO THE WEST
ACROSS LEON COUNTY AND SOUTHERN GADSDEN COUNTY. THE LINE CONTINUED TO
15 MILES NORTH OF PANAMA CITY. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED
ABOUT 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF QUINCY IN GADSDEN COUNTY FLORIDA. THE
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 30 TO 35
MILES AN HOUR.

A LARGER AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS STILL OFF TO THE WEST
OVER THE PANHANDLE...APPROACHING FROM THE WEST.

ALTHOUGH NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED AS OF THIS TIME...THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS SITUATION. STAY
TUNED FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 30, 12:48 AM CDTTornado WarningTAEWalton57 min
Oct 30, 2:08 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTAEHolmes37 min
Oct 30, 2:23 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTAEJackson52 min
Oct 30, 3:20 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTAEBay55 min
Oct 30, 4:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTAEGulf45 min
Oct 30, 4:59 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTAELeon46 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.