Alert archive / Florida / Tornado Warnings in 1995

Tornado Warning 4, NWS Jacksonville, FL

March 8, 1995Alachua County, Florida

NWS Jacksonville, FL issued this tornado warning at Mar 8, 1995, 7:09 AM EST for Alachua County, Florida. It was in force for 36 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 8, 1995, 7:09 AM EST (12:09 UTC)
Expired
Mar 8, 1995, 7:45 AM EST
In force
36 min
Issued by
NWS Jacksonville, FL
Area
Whole counties

County Alachua County, FL

The nearest sounding before it

Jacksonville, FL (KJAX), launched 12:00Z, 0.2 hours before the alert went out and 111 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, Jacksonville, FL at 12:00Z on 1995-03-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 649 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, Jacksonville, FL at 12:00Z on 1995-03-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 267 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
649 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
638 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
26 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
267 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
286 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.5
Supercell composite
3.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KJAX 081208
TORJAX
FLC001-081245-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
709 AM EST WED MAR 8 1995
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSONVILLE HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  745 AM EST
FOR PERSONS IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS ...
 
IN NORTH FLORIDA
 
   ...ALACHUA COUNTY
 
AT 0706 AM EST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
POSSIBLE TORNADO JUST EAST OF ALACHULA IN NORTHERN ALACHULA COUNTY. THE
TORNADO WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 TO 40 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.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION.  ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF
AVAILABLE.  OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON 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 8, 3:19 AM EST, 3 hours 50 minutes before
FLZ020>023-029>032-035>037-081420-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
319 AM EST WED MAR 8 1995

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHEASTERN FLORIDA COUNTIES
OF
ALACHUA...BAKER...BRADFORD...CLAY...COLUMBIA...GILCHRIST...HAMILTON...LA
FAYETTE...PUTNAM..SUWANNEE AND UNION UNTIL 9 AM EST.

NATIONAL WEATHER RADAR AND SATELLITE IMAGES INDICATE A RAPIDLY
DEVELOPING LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHCENRAL FLORIDA EXTENDING
SOUTH INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING
EAST 15 TO 20 MPH.

RESIDENTS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR ADVERSE WEATHER TO RAPIDLY DEVELOP AND
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA FOR THE MOST
CURRENT WEATHER INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS
WEATHER SITUATION.

RAM
Special weather statement, Mar 8, 4:04 AM EST, 3 hours 5 minutes before
FLZ020>023-029>032-035>037-081005-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
404 AM EST WED MAR 8 1995

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF
NORTHEASTERN FLORIDA UNTIL 9 AM EST...
...ALACHUA...BAKER...BRADFORD...CLAY...COLUMBIA...GILCHRIST...
HAMILTON...LAFAYETTE...PUTNAM...SUWANNEE AND UNION.

A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WILL BE MOVING INTO
HAMILTON...SUWANNEE...GILCHRIST BY 5 AM. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE
RPIDLY MOVING TO THE NE 35 TO 40 MPH. STRONG GUSTY WINDS WILL BE
ASSOCIATED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS AS THEY CONTINUE TO MOVE RAPILDY
NORTHEAST.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR THE
LATEST UPDATES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS DANGEROUS
WEATHER SITUATION.

RAM
Special weather statement, Mar 8, 4:09 AM EST, 3 hours before
FLZ020>023-029>033-035>037-081010-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
409 AM EST WED MAR 8 1995

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF
NORTHEASTERN FLORIDA UNTIL 9 AM EST...
...ALACHUA...BAKER...BRADFORD...CLAY...COLUMBIA...GILCHRIST...
HAMILTON...LAFAYETTE...PUTNAM...SUWANNEE AND UNION.

A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WILL BE MOVING INTO
HAMILTON...SUWANNEE...GILCHRIST BY 5 AM. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE
RAPIDLY MOVING TO THE NE 35 TO 40 MPH. STRONG GUSTY WINDS WILL BE
ASSOCIATED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS AS THEY CONTINUE TO MOVE RAPILDY
NORTHEAST.
.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IN A HOME OR
BUSINESS IS AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR POSSIBLE.  AVOID
WINDOWS.

RAM.
Special weather statement, Mar 8, 5:05 AM EST, 2 hours 4 minutes before
FLZ020>023-029>032-035>037-081110-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
505 AM EST WED MAR 8 1995

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF
NORTHEASTERN FLORIDA UNTIL 9 AM EST...
...ALACHUA...BAKER...BRADFORD...CLAY...COLUMBIA...GILCHRIST...
HAMILTON...LAFAYETTE...PUTNAM...SUWANNEE AND UNION.

AN AREA OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL
CONTINUE MOVING NORTHEAST 35-40 MPH THROUGH
HAMILTON...SUWANNEE...COLUMBIA...GILCHRIST AND ALACHUA COUNTIES THROUGH
6AM EST. GUSTY WINDS UP TO 40 MPH HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THESE
STORMS.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IN A HOME OR
BUSINESS IS AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR POSSIBLE.  AVOID
WINDOWS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION
FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS SEVERE WEATHER
SITUATION.

RAM
Special weather statement, Mar 8, 6:05 AM EST, 1 hour 4 minutes before
FLZ020>023-029>032-035>037-081210-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
605 AM EST WED MAR 8 1995

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF
NORTHEASTERN FLORIDA UNTIL 9 AM EST...
...ALACHUA...BAKER...BRADFORD...CLAY...COLUMBIA...GILCHRIST...
HAMILTON...LAFAYETTE...PUTNAM...SUWANNEE AND UNION.

AN AREA OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN WITH SCATTERED EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS
WILL CONTINUE MOVING NORTHEAST 35-40 MPH THROUGH
HAMILTON...SUWANNEE...COLUMBIA...GILCHRIST...ALACHUA...UNION AND
BRADFORD COUNTIES THROUGH 7AM EST. FREQEUENT LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL
AND GUSTY WINDS CAN ACCOMPANY WITH THESE STORMS.

MARBLE SIZE HAIL HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE SOUTHWEST PORTION OF DIXIE
COUNTY.
.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IN A HOME OR
BUSINESS IS AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR POSSIBLE.  AVOID
WINDOWS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION
FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS SEVERE WEATHER
SITUATION.

RAM

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 8, 6:30 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJAXGilchrist30 min
Mar 8, 6:56 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJAXAlachua34 min
Mar 8, 7:32 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJAXBaker28 min
Mar 8, 7:51 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJAXClay54 min
Mar 8, 8:00 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJAXDuval45 min
Mar 8, 8:05 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJAXNassau25 min
Mar 8, 8:28 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJAXPutnam47 min
Mar 8, 8:44 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJAXDuval61 min
Mar 8, 9:06 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJAXNassau69 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Florida, 1995Every tornado warning in 1995Tornadoes in 1995

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.