Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 2002

Tornado Warning 4, NWS Midland/Odessa, TX

May 4, 2002Mitchell County, Scurry County, Texas

NWS Midland/Odessa, TX issued this tornado warning at May 4, 2002, 11:43 PM CDT for Mitchell County, Scurry County, Texas. It was in force for 32 min. 6 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
May 4, 2002, 11:43 PM CDT (04:43 UTC)
Expired
May 5, 2002, 12:15 AM CDT
In force
32 min
Issued by
NWS Midland/Odessa, TX
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Mitchell County, TX, Scurry County, TX

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 4, 11:45 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 61 EColorado City, TXAn NWS damage survey determined a large tree just off of Highway 208 on County Road 155 was uprooted by thunderstorm winds...possibly associated with the RFD...south of the tornado's path.
May 4, 11:45 PM CDTTornado F0Colorado City, TXStorm spotters reported a tornado. An NWS damage survey determined a path width of 250 yards with a length between one half mile and one mile. The tornado blew down sixteen power poles as it crossed Highway 208 north of Colorado City. Dollar estimates of da
May 4, 11:45 PM CDTHail 0.75Dunn, TX
May 5, 12:01 AM CDTHail 2.75Loraine, TXMultiple spotter reports.
May 5, 12:03 AM CDTTornado F0Loraine, TXStorm spotters reported a brief tornado.
May 5, 12:05 AM CDTThunderstorm Wind 61 ELoraine, TXAn NWS damage survey determined thunderstorm winds damaged a utility pole...destroyed the roof on a building...and caused minor roof damage to a church.

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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 4, 10:45 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Midland Regional, TX (KMAF), launched 00:00Z, 4.7 hours before the alert went out and 141 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, Midland Regional, TX at 00:00Z on 2002-05-05Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 806 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Midland Regional, TX at 00:00Z on 2002-05-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 78 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
806 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-6 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2597 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
57 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
78 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
145 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS54 KMAF 050443
TORMAF
TXC335-415-050515-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX
1141 PM CDT SAT MAY 4 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN SCURRY COUNTY IN WEST TEXAS
  NORTHEASTERN MITCHELL COUNTY IN WEST TEXAS

* UNTIL 1215 AM CDT

* AT 1141 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO OVER CHINA GROVE...OR
  ABOUT 8 MILES NORTH OF COLORADO CITY...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED BY THE STORM INCLUDE...
  DUNN...CHINA GROVE...INADALE...EXTREME NORTHEAST MITCHELL COUNTY
  AND HIGHWAY 84 IN SOUTHEAST SCURRY COUNTY

TORNADOES AT NIGHT ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL YOU
SEE OR HEAR THE TORNADO-IT MAY BE TOO LATE. A TORNADO MAY FORM AT 
ANY TIME-TAKE COVER NOW 

LAT...LON 3265 10103 3241 10100 3241 10067 3266 10068

The office that day

Everything else NWS Midland/Odessa, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 4, 7:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMAFScurry43 min
May 4, 8:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMAFScurry39 min
May 4, 9:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMAFScurry48 min
May 4, 9:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMAFMartin43 min
May 4, 9:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMAFBorden47 min
May 4, 9:59 PM CDTTornado WarningMAFScurry31 min
May 4, 10:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMAFMartin45 min
May 4, 10:21 PM CDTTornado WarningMAFBorden29 min
May 4, 10:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMAFBorden47 min
May 4, 10:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMAFScurry58 min
May 4, 11:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMAFGaines27 min
May 4, 11:07 PM CDTTornado WarningMAFScurry38 min
May 5, 4:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMAFBrewster58 min
May 5, 4:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMAFBrewster48 min
May 5, 5:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMAFPecos64 min
May 5, 5:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMAFBrewster31 min
May 5, 6:02 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningMAFPecos3 hr
May 5, 6:09 PM CDTTornado WarningMAFPecos51 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Texas, 2002Every tornado warning in 2002Tornadoes in 2002

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.