Alert archive / Florida / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 152, NWS Tampa Bay, FL
NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Oct 27, 1997, 8:24 AM EST for Pinellas County, Florida. It was in force for 51 min. 3 reports 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
- Oct 27, 1997, 8:24 AM EST (13:24 UTC)
- Expired
- Oct 27, 1997, 9:15 AM EST
- In force
- 51 min
- Issued by
- NWS Tampa Bay, FL
- Area
- Whole counties
County Pinellas County, FL
The radar
The Tampa radar (KTBW), 40 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 13:16 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 27, 8:42 AM EST | Tornado F1 | Indian Rocks Beach, FL | A tornado touched down near State Road 699 (Gulf Boulevard) and 6th Avenue, moved northeast and dissipated near the intersection of County Road 590 and Old Coachman Road. The tornado left thousands of electrical customers without power, knocked down numerous |
| Oct 27, 8:45 AM EST | Thunderstorm Wind 55 | St Petersburg, FL | |
| Oct 27, 8:48 AM EST | Tornado F0 | Clearwater, FL | A tornado briefly touched down and uprooted a few trees, twisted a couple of stop signs and downed a couple of power lines on Caladesi Island State Park. |
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
Tampa Bay, FL (KTBW), launched 12:00Z, 1.4 hours before the alert went out and 40 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
- 2501 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -3 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 494 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 54 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 142 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 158 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 2.3
- Supercell composite
- 8.7
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
540 WUUS1 KTBW 271327 RRA SVRTBW FLC103-FLZ504-271415- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 824 AM EST MON OCT 27 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 915 AM EST FOR ...PINELLAS COUNTY ...AND INCLUDING THE ADJACENT GULF COASTAL WATERS FROM ANCLOTE KEY TO THE MOUTH OF TAMPA BAY INCLUDING TAMPA BAY... AT 820 AM EST... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR IN RUSKIN INDICATED A DEVELOPING SEVERE THUNDERSTORM STRETCHING FROM 5 MILES WEST OF INDIAN ROCKS BEACH TO 20 MILES WEST OF EGMONT KEY. THE MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST NORTHEAST AROUND 50 MPH. BY DEFINITION...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE WINDS OF 58 MPH OR GREATER AND/OR DIME SIZE HAIL OR LARGER. IF THIS STORM APPROACHES YOUR AREA...GO INDOORS AND STAY UNTIL THE STORM PASSES.
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.
NWS Tampa Bay, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Oct 27, 3:03 AM EST, 5 hours 21 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Oct 27, 3:03 AM EST, 5 hours 21 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY-RUSKIN, FL 251 AM EST MON OCT 27 1997 ONGOING LINE OF SHWRS/TSTMS HAS DECELERATED AND TEMPORARILY WEAKEN AT THIS HOUR. THIS DUE TO A MODEL DEPICTED 5H VORT IMPULSE ROTATING RAPIDLY NEWD ACROSS NE FL INTO THE ATLANTIC. SYSTEM HAS SLOWED TO AWAIT RENEWED ENERGY FROM MAIN VORT MAX OVR LA ERLY THIS MORNG ASSOCIATED WITH THE 5H TROF PUSHING EWD. CONVECTION SHOULD BEGIN TO ACCELERATE AGAIN DURING TODAY AS MAIN ENERGY RENEWS SYSTEM. SO EXPECT CONVECTION CURRENTLY OVER NRN FA TO SLOLY MOVE SEWD AND ONLY BEGIN TO IMPACT TAMPA BAY AREA AROUND 7AM-8AM...AND TO FMY 11AM-NOON. PROSPECTS FOR SVR ARE MARGINAL BUT ALL INTERESTS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT. NOT SURE AS YET WHETHER SPC WILL EXTEND WX WATCH. INCREASED CLOUDINESS AND PCPN AFFECTED AREAS WILL HOLD TEMPS DOWN TDY IN THE 70S...ALTHOUGH SRN FA WILL WARM INTO LOWER 80S PRIOR TO ONSET OF RAIN MID DAY. COLD FRNT FOLLOWING INITIAL CONVECTION ABOUT 6 HRS CURRENTLY OVER THE PNHDL. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO WLY WITH THE CONVECTION THEN NWLY WITH THE COLD FRONT PASSAGE BOUT 1PM CDK...5PM TPA...AND 9PM FMY...WITH PCPN ENDING BOUT 3-4 HOURS AFTER FROPA. MUCH COOLER AIRMASS WILL FOLLOW FRONT WITH WITH MINS TNGT DROPPING INTO M/U 40S NRN FA WITH 50S INTO CNTRL PNSULA...TO NR 60 FMY BY DAWN. XPT CLEARING SKIES OVER NRN HLF FA DURING THE NGT BUT SLOWER DECREASE IN CLOUDINESS SRN FA TUES MRNG. COOL AIR ADVECTION WITH NLY WINDS TUES WILL HOLD MAX: TEMPS TO UPPER 60S LEVY CO TO JUST MID 70S SRN FA. DMR
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Oct 27, 3:19 AM EST, 5 hours 5 minutes before
FLZ039-042-043-048-049-270900- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 319 AM EST MON OCT 27 1997 THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS CANCELLED EFFECTIVE AT 3AM FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA... LEVY...CITRUS...HERNANDO...PASCO AND SUMTER. ALTHOUGH A BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE AREA THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS...THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER HAS DIMINISHED. HOWEVER ALL PERSONS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON RADIO...TELEVISION...OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO CONCERNING THE PROGRESS OF THIS WEATHER SYSTEM. DMR
Special weather statement, Oct 27, 3:22 AM EST, 5 hours 2 minutes before
FLZ039-042-043-048-049-270900- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 319 AM EST MON OCT 27 1997 THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS CANCELLED EFFECTIVE AT 3AM FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA... LEVY...CITRUS...HERNANDO...PASCO AND SUMTER. ALTHOUGH A BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE AREA THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS...THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER HAS DIMINISHED.b HOWEVER ALL PERSONS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON RADIO...TELEVISION...OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO CONCERNING THE PROGRESS OF THIS WEATHER SYSTEM. DMR
Special weather statement, Oct 27, 6:00 AM EST, 2 hours 24 minutes before
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-504-505-271600- WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA RUSKIN FL 600 AM EST MON OCT 27 1997 ...SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA SOUTH OF BROOKSVILLE TO NAPLES... AN IMPRESSIVE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE NORTH CENTRAL PENINSULA WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH SOUTHEASTWARD AT 15 TO 20 MPH THROUGH WEST CENTRAL TO SOUTHWEST FLORIDA TODAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE GENERATING IN ADVANCE OF A COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. HEAVIER THUNDERSTORMS WILL GENERATE GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH... FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND DOWNPOURS OF RAIN. THERE IS A RISK FOR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS TO BECOME NEAR SEVERE WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR A DAMAGING WIND GUST OF ISOLATED BRIEF TORNADO AS THE INITIAL HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORMS AFFECT A GIVEN AREA. RESIDENTS IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA MAY WANT TO PLAN AHEAD FOR THUNDERSTORMS PUSHING INTO THE METROPOLITAN AREA FROM 7AM TO 910AM THIS MORNING...SO MORNING COMMUTERS SHOULD PLAN ACCORDINGLY. SOME PONDING OF WATER IN ROADS AND INTERSECTIONS IS POSSIBLE DURING THE MID TO LATE MORNING HOURS. RAINFALL AMOUNTS SHOULD AVERAGE BETWEEN 1.5 AND TWO INCHES. THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED INTO THE FORT MYERS AREA UNTIL AROUND NOON. MARINE SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT. ALL SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THEIR RADIO...TELEVISION OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER WEATHER STATEMENTS. RITTENBERRY
Special weather statement, Oct 27, 6:00 AM EST, 2 hours 24 minutes before
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-504-505-271600- WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA RUSKIN FL 600 AM EST MON OCT 27 1997 ...SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA BETWEEN BROOKSVILLE AND NAPLES... AN IMPRESSIVE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE NORTH CENTRAL PENINSULA WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH SOUTHEASTWARD AT 15 TO 20 MPH THROUGH WEST CENTRAL TO SOUTHWEST FLORIDA TODAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE GENERATING IN ADVANCE OF A COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. HEAVIER THUNDERSTORMS WILL GENERATE GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH... FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND DOWNPOURS OF RAIN. THERE IS A RISK FOR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS TO BECOME NEAR SEVERE WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR A DAMAGING WIND GUST OR AN ISOLATED BRIEF TORNADO AS THE INITIAL HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORMS AFFECT A GIVEN AREA. RESIDENTS IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA MAY WANT TO PLAN AHEAD FOR THUNDERSTORMS PUSHING INTO THE METROPOLITAN AREA FROM 7AM TO 10AM THIS MORNING...SO MORNING COMMUTERS SHOULD PLAN ACCORDINGLY. SOME PONDING OF WATER IN ROADS AND INTERSECTIONS IS POSSIBLE DURING THE MID TO LATE MORNING HOURS. RAINFALL AMOUNTS SHOULD AVERAGE BETWEEN 1.5 AND TWO INCHES. THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED INTO THE FORT MYERS AREA UNTIL AROUND NOON. MARINE SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT. ALL SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THEIR RADIO...TELEVISION OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER WEATHER STATEMENTS. RITTENBERRY
Special weather statement, Oct 27, 6:09 AM EST, 2 hours 15 minutes before
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-504-505-271600- WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA RUSKIN FL 600 AM EST MON OCT 27 1997 ...SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA SOUTH OF BROOKSVILLE TO NAPLES... AN IMPRESSIVE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE NORTH CENTRAL PENINSULA WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH SOUTHEASTWARD AT 15 TO 20 MPH THROUGH WEST CENTRAL TO SOUTHWEST FLORIDA TODAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE GENERATING IN ADVANCE OF A COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. HEAVIER THUNDERSTORMS WILL GENERATE GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH... FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND DOWNPOURS OF RAIN. THERE IS A RISK FOR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS TO BECOME NEAR SEVERE WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR A DAMAGING WIND GUST OF ISOLATED BRIEF TORNADO AS THE INITIAL HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORMS AFFECT A GIVEN AREA. RESIDENTS IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA MAY WANT TO PLAN AHEAD FOR THUNDERSTORMS PUSHING INTO THE METROPOLITAN AREA FROM 7AM TO 910AM THIS MORNING...SO MORNING COMMUTERS SHOULD PLAN ACCORDINGLY. SOME PONDING OF WATER IN ROADS AND INTERSECTIONS IS POSSIBLE DURING THE MID TO LATE MORNING HOURS. RAINFALL AMOUNTS SHOULD AVERAGE BETWEEN 1.5 AND TWO INCHES. THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED INTO THE FORT MYERS AREA UNTIL AROUND NOON. MARINE SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT. ALL SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THEIR RADIO...TELEVISION OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER WEATHER STATEMENTS. RITTENBERRY
Special weather statement, Oct 27, 6:18 AM EST, 2 hours 6 minutes before
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-504-505-271600- WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA RUSKIN FL 600 AM EST MON OCT 27 1997 ...SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA BETWEEN BROOKSVILLE AND NAPLES... AN IMPRESSIVE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE NORTH CENTRAL PENINSULA WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH SOUTHEASTWARD AT 15 TO 20 MPH THROUGH WEST CENTRAL TO SOUTHWEST FLORIDA TODAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE GENERATING IN ADVANCE OF A COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. HEAVIER THUNDERSTORMS WILL GENERATE GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH... FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND DOWNPOURS OF RAIN. THERE IS A RISK FOR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS TO BECOME NEAR SEVERE WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR A DAMAGING WIND GUST OR AN ISOLATED BRIEF TORNADO AS THE INITIAL HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORMS AFFECT A GIVEN AREA. RESIDENTS IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA MAY WANT TO PLAN AHEAD FOR THUNDERSTORMS PUSHING INTO THE METROPOLITAN AREA FROM 7AM TO 10AM THIS MORNING...SO MORNING COMMUTERS SHOULD PLAN ACCORDINGLY. SOME PONDING OF WATER IN ROADS AND INTERSECTIONS IS POSSIBLE DURING THE MID TO LATE MORNING HOURS. RAINFALL AMOUNTS SHOULD AVERAGE BETWEEN 1.5 AND TWO INCHES. THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED INTO THE FORT MYERS AREA UNTIL AROUND NOON. MARINE SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT. ALL SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THEIR RADIO...&TELEVISION OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER WEATHER STATEMENTS. RITTENBERRY
The office that day
Everything else NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 26, 10:02 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TBW | Levy | 88 min |
| Oct 27, 7:08 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TBW | Pasco, Pinellas | 62 min |
| Oct 27, 8:34 AM EST | Tornado Warning | TBW | Pinellas | 26 min |
| Oct 27, 8:46 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TBW | Hillsborough, Pasco | 44 min |
| Oct 27, 8:46 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TBW | Manatee | 44 min |
| Oct 27, 9:00 AM EST | Tornado Warning | TBW | Hillsborough | 30 min |
| Oct 27, 9:15 AM EST | Tornado Warning | TBW | Polk | 45 min |
| Oct 27, 10:01 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TBW | Polk | 29 min |
| Oct 27, 10:27 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TBW | Hillsborough, Manatee | 48 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Florida, 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.