Alert archive / Florida / Tornado Warnings in 1994

Tornado Warning 18, NWS Tallahassee, FL

August 16, 1994Franklin County, Florida

NWS Tallahassee, FL issued this tornado warning at Aug 16, 1994, 5:28 PM EDT for Franklin County, Florida. It was in force for 32 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 16, 1994, 5:28 PM EDT (21:28 UTC)
Expired
Aug 16, 1994, 6:00 PM EDT
In force
32 min
Issued by
NWS Tallahassee, FL
Area
Whole counties

County Franklin County, FL

The nearest sounding before it

Tallahassee Rgnl, FL (KTLH), launched 12:00Z, 9.5 hours before the alert went out and 81 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 12:00Z on 1994-08-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 330 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 12:00Z on 1994-08-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -7 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
330 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-1 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
519 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
12 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-7 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
31 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KAQQ 162128
TORAQQ
FLC037-162200-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE APALACHICOLA FL
528 PM EDT TUE AUG 16 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN APALACHICOLA HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  600 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA
 
   ...FRANKLIN COUNTY
 
AND FOR MARINE INTERESTS ON THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS
 
 
AT 515 PM EDT THE PUBLIC REPORTED A WATERSPOUT OFF OF ST GEORGE ISLAND.
 
RESIDENTS OF ST GEORGE ISLAND SHOULD BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IF THIS
WATERSPOUT SHOULD MOVE ASHORE.
 
 
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED
BUILDING.  AS A LAST RESORT...SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH
OR LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.
 
 
 
NNNN

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, Aug 16, 1:41 PM EDT, 3 hours 47 minutes before
FLZ011-013-016>019-026>028-034-505-GAZ155>159-162045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
143 PM EDT TUE AUG 16 1994

...A FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR LEON AND WAKULLA COUNTIES OF NORTH
FLORIDA UNTIL 930 PM EDT...

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHWEST GEORGIA THROUGH
THIS AFTERNOON...

...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM EDT FOR MADISON...
TAYLOR AND DIXIE COUNTIES IN NORTH FLORIDA...AND FOR THOMAS AND BROOKS
COUNTIES IN SOUTHERN GEORGIA...

AT 130 PM EDT TROPICAL DEPRESSION BERYL WAS LOCATED EAST OF COLUMBUS
GEORGIA AND CONTINUED TO MOVE NORTH NORTHEAST. THE EFFECTS OF THE
DEPRESSION WILL CONTINUE OVER THE FLORIDA BIG BEND...PANHANDLE...AND
COASTAL WATERS...AS WELL AS SOUTH GEORGIA FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS
AFTERNOON.

STRONG ONSHORE WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE SOME COASTAL FLOODING ALONG
THE BIG BEND COAST. TIDES ALONG THE COAST OF TAYLOR AND DIXIE COUNTIES
WILL CONTINUE TO BE ABOVE NORMAL BEFORE DECREASING THIS EVENING.

TORNADOES ARE STILL A POSSIBILITY THIS AFTERNOON IN AND CLOSE TO THE
WATCH AREA. RESIDENTS SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER CLOSELY AND BE READY
TO MOVE TO A SAFE LOCATION SHOULD THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH OR IF A
WARNING IS ISSUED. TORNADOES CAN DEVELOP RAPIDLY AND WITH LITTLE OR
NO WARNING IN THESE TROPICAL CONDITIONS.

OVERNIGHT AND THIS MORNING...EXTREMELY HEAVY RAIN HAS CAUSED NUMEROUS
FLOODING PROBLEMS ACROSS THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA.
THE HEAVIER RAINS HAVE MOVED OUT OF THE AREA...EXCEPT FOR DIXIE COUNTY
WHERE ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE STILL POSSIBLE.
PEOPLE ARE REMINDED THAT LOCALIZED FLOODING CAN BE VERY HAZARDOUS. DO
NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THROUGH WATER ON ROADWAYS.

IN ADDITION TO THE FLOODING CONDITIONS...GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE OVER
THE AREA FOR THE REST OF THE AFTEROON.  THE GREATEST THREAT FOR HIGHER
WIND GUSTS OF UP TO 45 MPH WILL CONTINUE ACROSS DIXIE COUNTY.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER UPDATES
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 1:43 PM EDT, 3 hours 45 minutes before
FLZ011-013-016>019-026>028-034-505-GAZ155>159-162045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
143 PM EDT TUE AUG 16 1994

...A FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR LEON AND WAKULLA COUNTIES OF NORTH
FLORIDA UNTIL 930 PM EDT...

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHWEST GEORGIA THROUGH
THIS AFTERNOON...

...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM EDT FOR MADISON...
TAYLOR AND DIXIE COUNTIES IN NORTH FLORIDA...AND FOR THOMAS AND BROOKS
COUNTIES IN SOUTHERN GEORGIA...

AT 130 PM EDT TROPICAL DEPRESSION BERYL WAS LOCATED EAST OF COLUMBUS
GEORGIA AND CONTINUED TO MOVE NORTH NORTHEAST. THE EFFECTS OF THE
DEPRESSION WILL CONTINUE OVER THE FLORIDA BIG BEND...PANHANDLE...AND
COASTAL WATERS...AS WELL AS SOUTH GEORGIA FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS
AFTERNOON.

STRONG ONSHORE WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE SOME COASTAL FLOODING ALONG
THE BIG BEND COAST. TIDES ALONG THE COAST OF TAYLOR AND DIXIE COUNTIES
WILL CONTINUE TO BE ABOVE NORMAL BEFORE DECREASING THIS EVENING.

TORNADOES ARE STILL A POSSIBILITY THIS AFTERNOON IN AND CLOSE TO THE
WATCH AREA. RESIDENTS SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER CLOSELY AND BE READY
TO MOVE TO A SAFE LOCATION SHOULD THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH OR IF A
WARNING IS ISSUED. TORNADOES CAN DEVELOP RAPIDLY AND WITH LITTLE OR
NO WARNING IN THESE TROPICAL CONDITIONS.

OVERNIGHT AND THIS MORNING...EXTREMELY HEAVY RAIN HAS CAUSED NUMEROUS
FLOODING PROBLEMS ACROSS THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA.
THE HEAVIER RAINS HAVE MOVED OUT OF THE AREA...EXCEPT FOR DIXIE COUNTY
WHERE ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE STILL POSSIBLE.
PEOPLE ARE REMINDED THAT LOCALIZED FLOODING CAN BE VERY HAZARDOUS. DO
NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THROUGH WATER ON ROADWAYS.

IN ADDITION TO THE FLOODING CONDITIONS...GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE OVER
THE AREA FOR THE REST OF THE AFTEROON.  THE GREATEST THREAT FOR HIGHER
WIND GUSTS OF UP TO 45 MPH WILL CONTINUE ACROSS DIXIE COUNTY.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER UPDATES
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 4:17 PM EDT, 1 hour 11 minutes before
FLZ011-013-016>019-026>028-034-505-GAZ155>159-162120-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
419 PM EDT TUE AUG 16 1994

...A FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR LEON AND WAKULLA COUNTIES OF NORTH
FLORIDA UNTIL 930 PM EDT...

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHWEST GEORGIA THROUGH
THIS AFTERNOON...

...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM EDT FOR MADISON...
TAYLOR AND DIXIE COUNTIES IN NORTH FLORIDA...AND FOR THOMAS AND BROOKS
COUNTIES IN SOUTHERN GEORGIA...

AT 400 PM EDT TROPICAL DEPRESSION BERYL WAS LOCATED BETWEEN ATLANTA
AND MACON GEORGIA AND CONTINUED TO MOVE NORTH NORTHEAST. SCATTERED
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPING AROUND THIS SYSTEM AND
WILL CONTINUE TO EFFECT THE FLORIDA BIG BEND...AND COASTAL WATERS...AS
WELL AS SOUTH GEORGIA INTO THIS EVENING.

STRONG ONSHORE WINDS CONTINUE TO CAUSE SOME COASTAL FLOODING ALONG
THE BIG BEND COAST. TIDES ALONG THE COAST OF TAYLOR AND DIXIE COUNTIES
WILL CONTINUE TO BE ABOVE NORMAL BEFORE DECREASING THIS EVENING.

TORNADOES ARE STILL A POSSIBILITY THIS AFTERNOON IN AND CLOSE TO THE
WATCH AREA. RESIDENTS SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER CLOSELY AND BE READY
TO MOVE TO A SAFE LOCATION SHOULD THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH OR IF A
WARNING IS ISSUED. TORNADOES CAN DEVELOP RAPIDLY AND WITH LITTLE OR
NO WARNING IN THESE TROPICAL CONDITIONS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER UPDATES
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 4:19 PM EDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before
FLZ011-013-016>019-026>028-034-505-GAZ155>159-162120-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
419 PM EDT TUE AUG 16 1994

...A FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR LEON AND WAKULLA COUNTIES OF NORTH
FLORIDA UNTIL 930 PM EDT...

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHWEST GEORGIA THROUGH
THIS AFTERNOON...

...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM EDT FOR MADISON...
TAYLOR AND DIXIE COUNTIES IN NORTH FLORIDA...AND FOR THOMAS AND BROOKS
COUNTIES IN SOUTHERN GEORGIA...

AT 400 PM EDT TROPICAL DEPRESSION BERYL WAS LOCATED BETWEEN ATLANTA
AND MACON GEORGIA AND CONTINUED TO MOVE NORTH NORTHEAST. SCATTERED
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPING AROUND THIS SYSTEM AND
WILL CONTINUE TO EFFECT THE FLORIDA BIG BEND...AND COASTAL WATERS...AS
WELL AS SOUTH GEORGIA INTO THIS EVENING.

STRONG ONSHORE WINDS CONTINUE TO CAUSE SOME COASTAL FLOODING ALONG
THE BIG BEND COAST. TIDES ALONG THE COAST OF TAYLOR AND DIXIE COUNTIES
WILL CONTINUE TO BE ABOVE NORMAL BEFORE DECREASING THIS EVENING.

TORNADOES ARE STILL A POSSIBILITY THIS AFTERNOON IN AND CLOSE TO THE
WATCH AREA. RESIDENTS SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER CLOSELY AND BE READY
TO MOVE TO A SAFE LOCATION SHOULD THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH OR IF A
WARNING IS ISSUED. TORNADOES CAN DEVELOP RAPIDLY AND WITH LITTLE OR
NO WARNING IN THESE TROPICAL CONDITIONS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER UPDATES
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 5:18 PM EDT, 10 minutes before
FLZ019-028-034-162325-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
520 PM EDT TUE AUG 16 1994

...TORNADO WATCH #732 HAS EXPIRED...

THE TORNADO WATCH THAT WAS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM EDT FOR MADISON...
TAYLOR...AND DIXIE COUNTIES HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUES OVER THE NORTHEAST
GULF AND APALACHEE BAY. THIS AREA OF STORMS EXTENDS ALONG A LINE FROM
THE WESTERN PORTION OF ST GEORGE ISLAND...EASTWARD TO THE TAYLOR COUNTY
COAST. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 20
MPH. THE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN WEAKENING AS THEY MOVE ONSHORE INTO
TAYLOR COUNTY.

RESIDENTS IN TAYLOR AND DIXIE COUNTIES CAN EX6PECT PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN
AND BRIEF GUSTY WINDS THROUGHOUT THE EARLY EVENING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS.
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 5:20 PM EDT, 8 minutes before
FLZ019-028-034-162325-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
520 PM EDT TUE AUG 16 1994

...TORNADO WATCH #732 HAS EXPIRED...

THE TORNADO WATCH THAT WAS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM EDT FOR MADISON...
TAYLOR...AND DIXIE COUNTIES HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUES OVER THE NORTHEAST
GULF AND APALACHEE BAY. THIS AREA OF STORMS EXTENDS ALONG A LINE FROM
THE WESTERN PORTION OF ST GEORGE ISLAND...EASTWARD TO THE TAYLOR COUNTY
COAST. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 20
MPH. THE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN WEAKENING AS THEY MOVE ONSHORE INTO
TAYLOR COUNTY.

RESIDENTS IN TAYLOR AND DIXIE COUNTIES CAN EXPECT PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN
AND BRIEF GUSTY WINDS THROUGHOUT THE EARLY EVENING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 15, 8:23 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTAECalhoun52 min
Aug 15, 11:24 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTAEJackson51 min
Aug 16, 3:29 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningTAEJefferson, Taylor, Wakulla6 hr
Aug 16, 3:29 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningTAEGadsden, Leon6 hr
Aug 16, 3:43 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTAETaylor62 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Florida, 1994Every tornado warning in 1994Tornadoes in 1994

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.