Alert archive / Florida / Tornado Warnings in 1997
Tornado Warning 50, NWS Tampa Bay, FL
NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued this tornado warning at Dec 27, 1997, 3:30 AM EST for Polk County, Florida. It was in force for 45 min. 2 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
- Dec 27, 1997, 3:30 AM EST (08:30 UTC)
- Expired
- Dec 27, 1997, 4:15 AM EST
- In force
- 45 min
- Issued by
- NWS Tampa Bay, FL
- Area
- Whole counties
County Polk County, FL
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 27, 3:56 AM EST | Tornado F0 | Bartow, FL | A tornado touched down in the Oakwood Estates mobile home park along Spirit Lake Road south of County Road 540. Approximately twelve mobile homes sustained minor to moderate roof, lanai and siding damage. |
| Dec 27, 4:08 AM EST | Tornado F2 | Haines City, FL | A strong F2 tornado touched down in the Lake Region mobile home park along U.S. Highway 27 and County Road 544 in Polk county. Several mobile homes sustained major to severe damage. Residents of Haines City who heard the tornado described that the sound rese |
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 00:00Z, 8.5 hours before the alert went out and 74 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
- 1128 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -9 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 518 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 52 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 230 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 326 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.6
- Supercell composite
- 8.6
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KTBW 270830 RRA TORTBW FLC105-270915- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 330 AM EST SAT DEC 27 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A...TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 415 AM EST FOR ...WESTERN POLK COUNTY AT 327 AM EST... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR IN RUSKIN INDICATED A DEVELOPING TORNADO 5 MILES WEST OF MULBERRY MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 TO 35 MPH. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM! ACT QUICKLY. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. AVOID WINDOWS AND DOORS. ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR A STURDY BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT. TORNADOES ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS AT NIGHT BECAUSE THEY ARE HARD TO SEE. TAKE COVER NOW. SEEK REFUGE IN A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. YOU MAY ONLY HAVE A FEW SECONDS. ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR A STRONG 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.
NWS Tampa Bay, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Dec 27, 2:52 AM EST, 38 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Dec 27, 2:52 AM EST, 38 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY-RUSKIN, FL 251 AM EST SAT DEC 27 1997 WARM FRONT NOW EXTENDING FROM JUST N OF DAB WEST TO CRYSTAL RIVER AT 07Z BASED ON DEW POINT ANALYSIS. WRMFNT WILL CONTINUE TO LIFT N TODAY AS SFC LOW CONTINUES TO DEVELOP OVER THE GLFMX AND TRACKS NORTHEAST ALONG THE FRONT MOVING ACROSS THE NORTHERN PENINSULA LATER THIS MORNING...AND THEN CONTINUING UP ALONG THE ERN SEABOARD THROUGH TONIGHT. MODELS ARE ALL FAIRLY SIMILAR WITH MOVING VERY IMPRESSIVE MID-UPPER LVL DYNAMICS...LOW LVL 50-60 KNOT JET ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PENINSULA THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. THESE FEATURES COMBINED WITH ENHANCED MOISTURE CONVERGENCE FROM DVLPG SURFACE LOW AND INCREASING UPPER LVL DIVERGENCE BEING ENHANCED BY STRONG 140+ KNOT JET ALOFT WILL RESULT IN LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS TODAY ALONG WITH THE THREAT OF SEVERE T-STORMS. AT THE MOMENT FIRST BATCH OF HEAVY RAIN AND ISOLATED T-STOMRS MOVING THROUGH MANATEE...HILLSBOROUGH AND POLK COUNTIES. AS THIS BAND CONTS MOVG RAPIDLY NEWD...MAY SEE A BRIEF BREAK IN THE PRECIP TOWARD SUNRISE...BEFORE A SECOND ROUND OF SHOWERS AND T-STORMS DEVELOP AND MOVE ACROSS THE REGION LATER THIS MORNING INTO THIS AFTERNOON ALONG AND AHEAD OF TRAILING COLD FRONT. THIS COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE NORTHERN FORECAST AREA LATER THIS MORNING..THEN THROUGH THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN FORECAST AREAS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. AS MENTIONED ABOVE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG AND AHEAD OF THIS COLD FRONT AS MID-UPPER DYNAMICS APPROACH AND WIND FIELDS INCREASE. ATTM WOULD SUGGEST CATEGORICAL POPS FOR ALL ZONES TODAY WITH THE MENTION OF HEAVY RAINS...POSSIBLE FLOODING AND WORDING FOR SEVERE T-STORMS. BY LATER TONIGHT THE COLD FRONT WILL BE MOVING OFF THE SE FLORIDA COAST WITH A MUCH DRIER AIRMASS MOVING INTO THE REGION ON A BRISK NORTHWESTERLY WIND FLOW. MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED IN THE WAKE OF THIS FRONT AS GOOD COLD AIR ADVECTION TAKES PLACE. AT THE MOMENT FAN NUMBERS MAY BE A BIT WITH MINS TEMPS WHICH TENDS TO BE A BIAS OF THIS MODEL...AND WITH FAIRLY BREEZY CONDITIONS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT...PERFER THE SLIGHTLY WARMER LOOKING FWC NUMBERS. ON SUNDAY HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN OVER THEj NRN PENINSULA WITH M. SUNNY SKIES AND COOL TEMPS EXPECTED. MCMICHAEL
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Dec 26, 10:29 PM EST, 5 hours 1 minute before
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-GMZ830-850-853-270930- WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 1030 PM EST FRI DEC 26 1997 ...FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING FOR LEVY...CITRUS... SUMTER...HERNANDO...PASCO...PINELLAS...HILLSBOROUGH AND POLK COUNTIES... ...SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA TONIGHT MAINLY NORTH OF SARASOTA... A WARM FRONT STRETCHES ACROSS THE CENTRAL FLORIDA PENINSULA TO A SURFACE LOW OVER THE NORTH CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO. THE LOW WILL DEEPEN AND MOVE EAST NORTHEAST TO NORTH FLORIDA BY SUNRISE WITH A COLD FRONT TRAILING OVER THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO. RAIN WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT. LATE TONIGHT A SQUALL LINE WILL LIKELY DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT OVER THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO. THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE THROUGH THE CEDAR KEY AND CRYSTAL RIVER AREA AROUND SUNRISE...THE TAMPA AREA MID TO LATE MORNING...AND THE FMY AREA DURING THE EARLY AFTERNOON. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT AND TOMORROW WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS OF OVER 50 MPH...VERY HEAVY RAIN WHICH MAY CAUSE FLASH FLOODING...FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL...AND POSSIBLY TORNADOES. THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE COASTAL WATERS MAY PRODUCE WATERSPOUTS...GUSTY SHIFTING WINDS...AND VERY ROUGH SEAS. MARINERS MUST STAY ALERT AND RETURN TO PORT IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES. THE GROUND REMAINS SATURATED WITH MANY RIVERS ALREADY ABOVE FLOOD STAGE. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE NORTH OF TAMPA WITH 1 TO 3 INCHES SOUTH OF TAMPA THROUGH SATURDAY. THIS COULD CAUSE SERIOUS FLOODING IN THE WATCH AREA WITH RIVERS LIKELY RISING FURTHER. PERSONS LIVING IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS MUST BE PREPARED TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION AND EVACUATE THEIR HOMES IF NECESSARY. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO/TV OR CABLE TV STATIONS FOR UPDATES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS DURING THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION. OGLESBY
Special weather statement, Dec 26, 10:30 PM EST, 5 hours before
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-GMZ830-850-853-270930- WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 1030 PM EST FRI DEC 26 1997 ...FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING FOR LEVY...CITRUS... SUMTER...HERNANDO...PASCO...PINELLAS...HILLSBOROUGH AND POLK COUNTIES... ...SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA TONIGHT MAINLY NORTH OF SARASOTA... A WARM FRONT STRETCHES ACROSS THE CENTRAL FLORIDA PENINSULA TO A SURFACE LOW OVER THE NORTH CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO. THE LOW WILL DEEPEN AND MOVE EAST NORTHEAST TO NORTH FLORIDA BY SUNRISE WITH A COLD FRONT TRAILING OVER THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO. RAIN WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT. LATE TONIGHT A SQUALL LINE WILL LIKELY DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT OVER THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO. THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE THROUGH THE CEDAR KEY AND CRYSTAL RIVER AREA AROUND SUNRISE...THE TAMPA AREA MID TO LATE MORNING...AND THE FMY AREA DURING THE EARLY AFTERNOON. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT AND TOMORROW WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS OF OVER 50 MPH...VERY HEAVY RAIN WHICH MAY CAUSE FLASH FLOODING...FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL...AND POSSIBLY TORNADOES. THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE COASTAL WATERS MAY PRODUCE WATERSPOUTS...GUSTY SHIFTING WINDS...AND VERY ROUGH SEAS. MARINERS MUST STAY ALERT AND RETURN TO PORT IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES. THE GROUND REMAINS SATURATED WITH MANY RIVERS ALREADY ABOVE FLOOD STAGE. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE NORTH OF TAMPA WITH 1 TO 3 INCHES SOUTH OF TAMPA THROUGH SATURDAY. THIS COULD CAUSE SERIOUS FLOODING IN THE WATCH AREA WITH RIVERS LIKELY RISING FURTHER. PERSONS LIVING IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS MUST BE PREPARED TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION AND EVACUATE THEIR HOMES IF NECESSARY. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO/TV OR CABLE TV STATIONS FOR UPDATES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS DURING THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION. OGLESBY
The office that day
Everything else NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 27, 5:50 AM EST | Tornado Warning | TBW | Hillsborough, Pinellas | 60 min |
| Dec 27, 6:56 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TBW | Hillsborough, Manatee, Polk | 64 min |
| Dec 27, 6:56 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TBW | Pinellas | 64 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Florida, 1997Every tornado warning in 1997Tornadoes 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.