Alert archive / Virginia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 75, NWS Charleston, WV

July 2, 1997Buchanan County, Virginia

NWS Charleston, WV issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 2, 1997, 11:55 PM EDT for Buchanan County, Virginia. It was in force for 50 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Jul 2, 1997, 11:55 PM EDT (03:55 UTC)
Expired
Jul 3, 1997, 12:45 AM EDT
In force
50 min
Issued by
NWS Charleston, WV
Area
Whole counties

County Buchanan County, VA

The radar

The Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 118 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:57 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 3, 12:20 AM EDTThunderstorm WindHurley, VATrees and power lines were blown down in the vicinity. Minor roof damage occurred to at least one home.

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in.

The nearest sounding before it

Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 00:00Z, 3.9 hours before the alert went out and 225 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, Roanoke, VA at 00:00Z on 1997-07-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 158 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, Roanoke, VA at 00:00Z on 1997-07-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 41 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
158 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-58 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1455 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
41 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
139 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KCRW 030356 RRA
SVRCRW
VAC027-030445-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
1155 PM EDT WED JUL 2 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1245 AM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION......
 
IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA
 
   ...BUCHANAN COUNTY
 
CHARLESTON RADAR HAS INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM MOVING INTO
BUCHANAN COUNTY. THIS STORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH. THIS STORM
WILL BE AFFECTING HURLEY AREA AN WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ALONG THE
VIRGINIA AND WEST VIRGINIA STATE LINE.
 
<< CALL TO ACTION >> SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND
IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND
VERY HEAVY RAIN.FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON
THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS
QUICKLY SO DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.
 
 
END/SIKORA

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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, Jul 2, 10:38 PM EDT, 1 hour 17 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
1038 PM EDT WED JUL 02 1997

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0830 PM                              OH   WIND DAMAGE
07/02/97   JACKSON                   WV   SEVERAL REPORTS OF TREES
                                          DOWN TO POLICE DURING 8:30
                                          TO 9:10 PM TIME PERIOD

0830 PM    MC ARTHUR                 OH
07/02/97   VINTON                         UNCONFIRMED FUNNEL CLOUD
                                          REPORTED SOUTH OF MC
                                          ARTHUR

0850 PM    COALTON                   OH   WIND DAMAGE
07/02/97   JACKSON                        NUMEROUS TREES DOWNED IN
                                          COALTON AREA. TREES

                                          BLOCKING ROADS.

0916 PM    GALLIPOLIS                OH   WIND DAMAGE
07/02/97   GALLIA                         MULTIPLE TREES DOWNED IN
                                          GALLIPOLIS AND SURROUNDING
                                          AREA. A TREE LANDED ON A
                                          CAR.

0932 PM    BLACKFORK JCT             OH   WIND DAMAGE
07/02/97   JACKSON                        SEVERAL TREES REPORTED
                                          DOWNED

0935 PM    MASON                     WV   WIND DAMAGE
07/02/97   MASON                          SEVERAL TREES DOWNED

1010 PM    CHARLESTON YEAGER ARPT    WV
07/02/97   KANAWHA                        FUNNEL CLOUD REPORTED BY
                                          PILOT 10 MILES NORTH OF
                                          YEAGER AIRPORT
Local storm report, Jul 2, 10:46 PM EDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
1038 PM EDT WED JUL 02 1997

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0830 PM                              OH   WIND DAMAGE
07/02/97   JACKSON                   WV   SEVERAL REPORTS OF TREES
                                          DOWN TO POLICE DURING 8:30
                                          TO 9:10 PM TIME PERIOD

0830 PM    MC ARTHUR                 OH
07/02/97   VINTON                         UNCONFIRMED FUNNEL CLOUD
                                          REPORTED SOUTH OF MC
                                          ARTHUR

0850 PM    COALTON                   OH   WIND DAMAGE
07/02/97   JACKSON                        NUMEROUS TREES DOWNED IN
                                          COALTON AREA. TREES

                                          BLOCKING ROADS.

0916 PM    GALLIPOLIS                OH   WIND DAMAGE
07/02/97   GALLIA                         MULTIPLE TREES DOWNED IN
                                          GALLIPOLIS AND SURROUNDING
                                          AREA. A TREE LANDED ON A
                                          CAR.

0932 PM    BLACKFORK JCT             OH   WIND DAMAGE
07/02/97   JACKSON                        SEVERAL TREES REPORTED
                                          DOWNED

0935 PM    MASON                     WV   WIND DAMAGE
07/02/97   MASON                          SEVERAL TREES DOWNED

1010 PM    CHARLESTON YEAGER ARPT    WV
07/02/97   KANAWHA                        FUNNEL CLOUD REPORTED BY
                                          PILOT 10 MILES NORTH OF
 `                                         YEAGER AIRPORT
Local storm report, Jul 2, 10:49 PM EDT, 1 hour 6 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT    ...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
1038 PM EDT WED JUL 02 1997

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0830 PM                              OH   WIND DAMAGE
07/02/97   JACKSON                        SEVERAL REPORTS OF TREES
                                          DOWN TO POLICE DURING 8:30
                                          TO 9:10 PM TIME PERIOD

0830 PM    MC ARTHUR                 OH
07/02/97   VINTON                         UNCONFIRMED FUNNEL CLOUD
                                          REPORTED SOUTH OF MC
                                          ARTHUR

0850 PM    COALTON                   OH   WIND DAMAGE
07/02/97   JACKSON                        NUMEROUS TREES DOWNED IN
                                          COALTON AREA. TREES

                                          BLOCKING ROADS.

0916 PM    GALLIPOLIS                OH   WIND DAMAGE
07/02/97   GALLIA                         MULTIPLE TREES DOWNED IN
                                          GALLIPOLIS AND SURROUNDING
                                          AREA. A TREE LANDED ON A
                                          CAR.

0932 PM    BLACKFORK JCT             OH   WIND DAMAGE
07/02/97   JACKSON                        SEVERAL TREES REPORTED
                                          DOWNED

0935 PM    MASON                     WV   WIND DAMAGE
07/02/97   MASON                          SEVERAL TREES DOWNED

1010 PM    CHARLESTON YEAGER ARPT    WV
07/02/97   KANAWHA                        FUNNEL CLOUD REPORTED BY
                                          PILOT 10 MfILES NORTH OF
                                          YEAGER AIRPORT

CORRECTED FIRST JACKSON OHIO REPORT
Local storm report, Jul 2, 11:03 PM EDT, 52 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
1103 PM EDT WED JUL 02 1997

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0945 PM    WINFIELD                  WV   WIND DAMAGE
07/02/97   PUTNAM                         SEVERAL TREES DOWN IN
                                          COUNTY, SOME LARGE.
                                          SEVERAL FIRES AND
                                          TRANSFORMERS BLOWN DUE TO
                                          HIGH NUMBER OF LIGHTNING
                                          STRIKES.

1000 PM    CHARLESTON                WV   WIND DAMAGE
07/02/97   KANAWHA                        SEVERAL REPORTS OF TREES
                                          DOWN IN SISSONVILLE, ST
                                          ALBANS AND CHARLESTON FROM
                                          10 PM TO 1030 PM.
Local storm report, Jul 2, 11:06 PM EDT, 49 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
1103 PM EDT WED JUL 02 1997

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0945 PM    WINFIELD                  WV   WIND DAMAGE
07/02/97   PUTNAM                         SEVERAL TREES DOWN IN
                                          COUNTY, SOME LARGE.
                                          SEVERAL FIRES AND
                                          TRANSFORMERS BLOWN DUE TO
                                          HIGH NUMBER OF LIGHTNING
                                          STRIKES.

1000 PM    CHARLESTON                WV   WIND DAMAGE
07/02/97   KANAWHA                        SEVERAL REPORTS OF TREES
                                          DOWN IN SISSONVILLE, ST
                                          ALBANS AND CHARLESTON FROM
                                          10 PM TO 1030 PM.
Local storm report, Jul 2, 11:18 PM EDT, 37 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
1118 PM EDT WED JUL 02 1997

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0920 PM    MC ARTHUR                 OH   WIND DAMAGE
07/02/97   VINTON                         TREES REPORTED DOWNED BY
                                          WIND

0930 PM    MIDDLEPORT                OH   WIND DAMAGE
07/02/97   MEIGS                          POLICE REPORTED SEVERAL
                                          TREES DOWNED

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Virginia, 1997Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1997

Sources

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