Alert archive / Virginia / Tornado Warnings in 1995
Tornado Warning 2, NWS Morristown, TN
NWS Morristown, TN issued this tornado warning at May 18, 1995, 5:47 PM EDT for Wise County, Virginia. It was in force for 35 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- May 18, 1995, 5:47 PM EDT (21:47 UTC)
- Expired
- May 18, 1995, 6:22 PM EDT
- In force
- 35 min
- Issued by
- NWS Morristown, TN
- Area
- Whole counties
County Wise County, VA
The nearest sounding before it
Huntington/Tri S, WV (KHTS), launched 12:00Z, 9.8 hours before the alert went out and 155 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 550 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -87 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 971 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 67 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 371 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 379 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 4.6
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KTYS 182149 TORTRI VAC195-182245- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BRISTOL TN ISSUED BY KNOXVILLE TRI CITY TN 547 PM EDT THU MAY 18 1995 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 645 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA ...NORTHERN WISE COUNTY AT 544 PM EDT A TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED IN SOUTHERN LETCHER COUNTY IN KENTUCKY. THIS STORM WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. THIS STORM WILL LIKELY MOVE IN BETWEEN THE TOWNS OF POUND AND DUNBAR WITHIN THE NEXT 15 MINUTES. 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
Local storm report, May 18, 1:01 PM EDT, 4 hours 46 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHATTANOOGA TN
100 PM EDT THU MAY 18 1995
...DELAYED REPORT...
TIME(EDT) .....CITY/LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
.....COUNTY.....
0220 AM CASH CANYON ROAD ALONG TN TORNADO F0 100 FEET WIDE
04/21/95 THE TENNESSEE RIVER PATH WIDTH 100 FEET.
0.7 MILE WESTNORTHWEST PATH LENGTH 500 FEET.
OF THE NORTHERN TIP OF MANY TREES UPROOTED OR
WILLIAMS ISLAND WITH TOPS TWISTED OFF.
HAMILTON NO INJURIES.
FM 0225 REDBANK AND TN TORNADO F1 (BRIEFLY F2)
TO 0240 AM CHATTANOOGA PATH WIDTH VARIED FROM
04/21/95 HAMILTON 100 TO 1000 FEET WIDE.
PATH LENGTH 5 MILES.
PATH BEARING 200 DEGREES.
NO INJURIES.
50 HOMES WITH ROOF DAMAGE
(ROOF DAMAGE TO ABOUT 45
HOMES IN RED BANK AND 5
HOMES IN CHATTANOOGA).
15 COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS
WITH ROOF DAMAGE, ALL IN
RED BANK.
3 APARTMENT BUILDINGS WITH
ROOF DAMAGE, ALL IN RED
BANK AND ALL ON DAYTON
BLVD. AT THE HILLCREST
APARTMENTS, THE ROOF WAS
TOTALLY DESTROYED AND 43
RESIDENTS WERE EVACUATED.
ROOF DAMAGE ALSO AT THE
CHALET APARTMENTS AND AT
THE GREY FOX APARTMENTS.
TORNADO WAS MOSTLY IN THE
CITY LIMITS OF RED BANK
BUT IT WAS PARTIALLY OR
COMPLETELY IN THE
CHATTANOOOGA CITY LIMITS
FOR THE LAST 7000 FEET OF
ITS TRACK.
FM 0230 CHATTANOOGA TN TORNADO F1
TO 0235 AM AND RED BANK PATH WIDTH VARIED FROM
04/21/95 HAMILTON 100 TO 900 FEET.
PATH LENGTH 1 MILE.
PATH BEARING 240 DEGREES.
NO INJURIES.
10 HOMES WITH ROOF DAMAGE.
MANY TREES UPROOTED OR
WITH TOPS SNAPPED OR
TWISTED OFF. TORNADO WAS
MOSTLY IN THE CHATTANOOGA
CITY LIMITS.
TWO HOMES WITH ROOF DAMAGE
ON KNOLLWOOD DRIVE IN RED
BANK AND EIGHT HOMES WITH
ROOF DAMAGE ALONG ASHWOOD
TERRACE AND ELY ROAD IN
CHATTANOOGA.
BETWEEN CHATTANOOGA TN WIND DAMAGE.
0215 AM HAMILTON $100,000 OF ROOF DAMAGE TO
AND FOUR MAIN UNITS OF THE
0230 AM MOUNTAIN CREEK APARTMENTS
04/21/95 ON MOUNTAIN CREEK ROAD.
TREES UPROOTED ALONG
MOUNTAIN CREEK ROAD, AND
NORTH OF RUNYAN ROAD AND
EAST OF MOUNTAIN CREEK.
0240 AM CHATTANOOGA TN WIND DAMAGE.
04/21/95 HAMILTON ROOF DAMAGE TO THE HARMON
AUTO GLASS STORE IN THE
5500 BLOCK OF HIXSON PIKE.
THE TRUCK 'N TRAILER STORE
ON HIXSON PIKE ACROSS FROM
HARMON AUTO GLASS HAD
CAMPER TOPS BLOWN AROUND.
A CONCRETE BLOCK WALL WAS
BLOWN OVER AT THE HOME
DEPOT STORE UNDER
CONSTRUCTION AT THE TIME
ON NORTHPOINT BLVD.
ONE TREE UPROOTED
IN THE 5400 BLOCK OF
HIXSON PIKE AND TREES
BLOWN DOWN ON LONGVIEW
DRIVE. THREE HOMES WITH
ROOF DAMAGE AND TREES
UPROOTED ALONG CLEAR CREEK
ROAD IN HIXSON.
FM 0240 CHATTANOOGA TN WIND DAMAGE.
TO 0300 AM HAMILTON TREES UPROOTED ALONG
ESTIMATED HIXSON PIKE IN THE CREEKS
04/21/95 BEND GOLF CLUB. ROOF
DAMAGE AND TREES UPROOTED
IN THE VALLEYBROOK
SUBDIVISION.
TREES BLOWN DOWN NORTH OF
HIXSON PIKE BETWEEN EAST
BOY SCOUT ROAD AND
THRASHER PIKE.
END
APSpecial weather statement, May 18, 1:10 PM EDT, 4 hours 37 minutes before
TNZ015>018-042>047-VAZ001-002-005-006-008-181915- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KNOXVILLE/TRI-CITIES TN 108 PM EDT THU MAY 18 1995 ...THE TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA HAS BEEN CANCELLED... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS CANCELLED THE TORNADO WATCH ISSUED EARLIER FOR SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER ESPECIALLY TORNADOES HAS ENDED. HOWEVER...ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON AS THE ATMOSPHERE CONTINUES TO DESTABILIZE. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BECOME RATHER STRONG WITH THE MAIN THREAT FROM DAMAGING WINDS. AT 106 PM RADAR DETECTED WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND NORTHEAST TN. THE STRONGEST STORM WAS LOCATED JUST TO THE SOUTH OF KINGSPORT. ALL OF THIS ACTIVITY WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.
Special weather statement, May 18, 1:25 PM EDT, 4 hours 22 minutes before
TNZ011-012-013-034-035-066-181830- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KNOXVILLE TN 125 PM EDT (1225 PM CDT) THU MAY 18 1995 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR THE PLATEAU UNTIL 1 PM CDT/ 2PM EDT... ...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE PLATEAU THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING... AT 1220 PM CDT/ 120 PM EDT WEATHER SERVICE RADAR DETECTED NO SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION IN MIDDLE EAST TENNESSEE. HOWEVER CONDITIONS ARE QUITE FAVORABLE FOR THE FORMATION OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. RESIDENTS OF EAST TENNESSEE BE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO..LOCAL RADIO OR TV FOR THE LASBTEST WEATHER INFORMATION. JW NNNN
Special weather statement, May 18, 4:19 PM EDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before
TNZ011-012-034-182045- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KNOXVILLE TN 419 PM EDT (319 PM CDT) THU MAY 18 1995 ...A TORNADO WATCH FOR PICKETT COUNTY UNTIL 10 PM CDT... AT 310 PM CD
Special weather statement, May 18, 4:23 PM EDT, 1 hour 24 minutes before
VAZ001-002-005-006-008-182115- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TRI-CITIES TN ISSUED BY MORRISTOWN TN 422 PM EDT THU MAY 18 1995 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING FROM SOUTHEAST KY TOWARD SOUTHWEST VA... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1000 PM EDT. THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES ARE INCLUDED IN THE WATCH: LEE...WISE...SCOTT...RUSSELL AND WASHINGTON. THIS WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN OR NEAR THE WATCH AREA. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE FROM DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL. HOWEVER ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE IN THE WATCH AREA AS SOME OF THESE STORMS HAVE HAD A HISTORY OF PRODUCING TORNADOES WHEN THEY WERE LOCATED OVER MIDDLE TN EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON. AT 418 PM EDT DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED SEVERAL SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 45 TO 50 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL BEGIN AFFECTING SOUTHWEST VIRIGINIA WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR. PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD KEEP ALERT TO YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 18, 5:17 PM EDT, 30 minutes before
VAZ001-002-005-006-008-182115- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TRI-CITIES TN ISSUED BY MORRISTOWN TN 516 PM EDT THU MAY 18 1995 ...A TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM IS OCCURRING OVER SOUTHERN LESLIE COUNTY KY... AT 510 PM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR IN MORRISTOWN DETECTED A TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM OVER SOUTHERN LESLIE COUNTY. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM AND WILL MOST LIKELY AFFECT NORTHERN SECTIONS OF WISE COUNTY VIRGINIA BY 600 PM EDT. PERSONS IN WISE COUNTY SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AS THIS STORM APPROACHES. BE PREPARED TO SEEK TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY IF A TORNADO IS OBSERVED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED. ALSO THERE IS A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA UNTIL 1000 PM EDT. THIS WATCH INCLUDES LEE...WISE...RUSSELL...SCOTT AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES. REMEMBER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES. MPH. THESE STORMS WILL BEGIN AFFzECTING SOUTHWEST VIRIGINIA WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR. PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD KEEP ALERT TO YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Virginia, 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.