Alert archive / Florida / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2001

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 4, NWS Tampa Bay, FL

March 4, 2001Sarasota County, Florida

NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 4, 2001, 11:18 AM EST for Sarasota County, Florida. It was in force for 42 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
Mar 4, 2001, 11:18 AM EST (16:18 UTC)
Expired
Mar 4, 2001, 12:00 PM EST
In force
42 min
Issued by
NWS Tampa Bay, FL
Area
Whole counties

County Sarasota County, FL

The radar

The Tampa radar (KTBW), 58 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 16:20 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
Mar 4, 11:26 AM ESTThunderstorm WindSarasota, FLUtility company representatives reported that thunderstorm winds downed numerous large trees, branches and power lines from Sarasota east to the Interstate 75 corridor in Sarasota county.

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, 4.3 hours before the alert went out and 58 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, Tampa Bay, FL at 12:00Z on 2001-03-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 605 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, Tampa Bay, FL at 12:00Z on 2001-03-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 160 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
605 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-8 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
725 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
160 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
192 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.4
Supercell composite
4.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS52 KTBW 041619
SVRTBW
FLC115-041700-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
1118 AM EST SUN MAR 4 2001

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RUSKIN FLORIDA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN SARASOTA COUNTY.

* UNTIL NOON EST.

* AT 1118 AM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...OVER
  SARASOTA...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT...
  SARASOTA.
  RIDGE WOOD HEIGHTS.
  BEE RIDGE.
  VAMO.

MOVE INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING. DAMAGING WIND...LARGE HAIL...
TORRENTIAL RAIN...AND DEADLY LIGHTNING ARE EXPECTED. STAY INSIDE AWAY
FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE
WARNING. MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY...AN INTERIOR ROOM IN THE LOWEST
FLOOR OF YOURK HOUSE OR BUSINESS.

$$

LAT...LON 2739 8262 2727 8270 2719 8245 2738 8240

25
NNNN

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 Mar 4, 10:23 AM EST, 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 4, 10:23 AM EST, 55 minutes before
WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA  RUSKIN FL
1023 AM EST SUN MAR 4 2001

I SEE NO REASON TO MAKE ANY WHOLESALE CHANGES TO THE FORECAST THIS
MORNING.  THE WEATHER IS FALLING INTO PLACE JUST AS THE MID SHIFT
HAD INDICATED.

.TBW...SCA FROM BONITA BEACH TO SUWANNEE RIVER INCLUDING TAMPA BAY
       HEAVY SURF ADVISORY BONITA BEACH TO SUWANNEE RIVER
       FIRE WEATHER WATCH HERNAcNDO CITRUS SUMTER AND LEVY
       MONDAY AFTERNOON.

SOBIEN

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 4, 6:30 AM EST, 4 hours 48 minutes before
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-041600-

WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
630 AM EST SUN MAR 4 2001

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR LEVY...CITRUS...SUMTER AND HERNANDO
COUNTIES UNTIL 1100 AM...
...POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER ELSEWHERE ACROSS WEST CENTRAL AND
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON...

AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OVER THE SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES WILL
CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN AS IT MOVES NORTHEAST. A TRAILING COLD FRONT
FROM THIS LOW WILL SWEEP ACROSS WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
DURING THE DAY...BRINGING MUCH COLDER WEATHER FOR THE UPCOMING WEEK.

AHEAD OF THE FRONT...THE COMBINATION OF INCREASED ATMOSPHERIC
MOISTURE...SUFFICIENT INSTABILITY AND INCREASED LOW AND MID LEVEL
WIND FIELDS...WILL PROVIDE THE POSSIBILITY OF STRONG TO SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS THIS MORNING ACROSS WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA AND THIS
AFTERNOON ACROSS SOUTHWEST FLORIDA.

THE PRIMARY THREATS FROM THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE VERY STRONG GUSTY
WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING
STRIKES...ALTHOUGH SMALL HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES OR WATERSPOUTS
ARE ALSO POSSIBLE.

THE TIMES OF GREATEST RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER...FROM LEVY TO PASCO
COUNTY...WILL BE FROM 6 AM TO 9 AM. FOR THE TAMPA BAY REGION...THE
STRONGEST STORMS WILL MOST LIKELY OCCUR BETWEEN 9 AM AND NOON. FOR
AREAS SOUTH OF TAMPA AND INTERIOR COUNTIES...THE GREATEST THREAT
FOR STRONG STORMS WILL LIKELY OCCUR BETWEEN 10 AM AND 4 PM.

OVER THE COASTAL WATERS...GUSTY SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE
INCREASING TO 25 KNOTS TODAY...WITH SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES IN
PLACE. THE STRONGER WINDS WILL RESULT IN BUILDING SEAS AND THE
POSSIBILITY OF HIGHER THAN NORMAL WATER LEVELS ALONG THE COAST.
MARINERS AND COASTAL RESIDENTS ARE ADVISED TO MONITOR WEATHER
FORECASTS AND NOT VENTURE FROM PORT.

SKYWARN SPOTTERS HAVE BEEN ACTIVATED AND ARE ADVISED TO MONITOR
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND FORWARD THEIR SEVERE REPORTS TO THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RUSKIN.

ALL RESIDENTS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA PLANNING ANY
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES TODAY SHOULD STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS ON THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.

GARRARD
Special weather statement, Mar 4, 9:15 AM EST, 2 hours 3 minutes before
FLZ039-042-043-048-041515-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
915 AM EST SUN MAR 4 2001

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR LEVY...CITRUS...SUMTER AND HERNANDO
COUNTIES HAS BEEN CANCELED...

THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVER SOUTH AND EAST OF THE AREA...
THEREFORE THE WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELED .

SKYWARN SPOTTERS HAVE BEEN ACTIVATED AND ARE ASKED TO CONTINUE
TO MONITOR WEATHER CONDITIONS AND FORWARD THEIR SEVERE REPORTS TO THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RUSKIN.

ALL RESIDENTS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA PLANNING ANY
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES TODAY SHOULD STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS ON THIS DEVmELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
Local storm report, Mar 4, 9:35 AM EST, 1 hour 43 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
935 AM EST SUN MAR 04 2001

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

0815 AM    HUDSON                    FL   WIND DAMAGE
03/04/01   PASCO                          THERE HAVE BEEN
                                          NUMEROUS REPORTS OF
                                          WIND DAMAGE IN THE
                                          HUDSON AREA OF PASCO
                                          COUNTY.   A NWS
                                          REPRESENTATIVE WILL
                                          INVERSTIGATE THE AREA
                                          THIS MORNING TO
                                          DETERMINE WHETHER THE
                                          DAMAGE WAS A TORNADO OR
                                          STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 4, 7:30 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTBWCitrus45 min
Mar 4, 7:39 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTBWPasco, Pinellas51 min
Mar 4, 11:11 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTBWManatee34 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Florida, 2001Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2001

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.