Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2002

Tornado Warning 55, NWS Mobile, AL

December 24, 2002Clarke County, Washington County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this tornado warning at Dec 24, 2002, 2:19 AM CST for Clarke County, Washington County, Alabama. It was in force for 7 days. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Dec 24, 2002, 2:19 AM CST (08:19 UTC)
Expired
Dec 31, 2002, 9:45 AM CST
In force
7 days
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Clarke County, AL, Washington County, AL

The watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Dec 23, 8:20 PM CSTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Slidell Radar S, LA (KSIL), launched 00:00Z, 8.3 hours before the alert went out and 251 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, Slidell Radar S, LA at 00:00Z on 2002-12-24Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 18 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Slidell Radar S, LA at 00:00Z on 2002-12-24The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 658 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
18 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-144 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
472 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
63 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
658 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
957 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
3.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

185 
WFUS54 KMOB 240819
TORMOB
ALC025-129-240900-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
219 AM CST TUE DEC 24 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOBILE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  WASHINGTON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA
  CLARKE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA

* UNTIL 300 AM CST

* AT 213 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  TORNADO 3 MILES SOUTHEAST OF TOPTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  TOINETTE...SUNFLOWER BY 225 AM CST
  PRESTWICK...CORTELUOU BY 230 AM CST
  CARSON...LEROY BY 235 AM CST
  JACKSON BY 240 AM CST

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...ABANDON VEHICLES AND TRAILER
HOMES AND SEEK A REINFORCED SHELTER UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.

DO NOT USE YOUR CAR TO TRY TO OUTRUN A TORNADO. CARS ARE EASILY
TOSSED AROUND BY TORNADO WINDS. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT IN THE PATH OF A
TORNADO...LEAVE THE CAR AND GO TO A STRONG BUILDING. IF NO STRUCTURE
IS NEARBY...SEEK SHELTER IN A DITCH OR LOW SPOT.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN A MOBILE HOME OR VEHICLE...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

LAT...LON 3128 8823 3116 8808 3143 8776 3156 8794

The office that day

Everything else NWS Mobile, AL issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 23, 8:35 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOB25 min
Dec 23, 9:54 PM CSTTornado WarningMOBWashington7 days
Dec 23, 10:32 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOB43 min
Dec 24, 2:07 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOB38 min
Dec 24, 2:09 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOB36 min
Dec 24, 2:23 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOB37 min
Dec 24, 2:36 AM CSTTornado WarningMOBMonroe7 days
Dec 24, 2:40 AM CSTTornado WarningMOBChoctaw7 days
Dec 24, 3:02 AM CSTTornado WarningMOBClarke, Washington43 min
Dec 24, 3:18 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOB42 min
Dec 24, 3:33 AM CSTSpecial Marine WarningMOB117 min
Dec 24, 3:33 AM CSTSpecial Marine WarningMOB117 min
Dec 24, 3:52 AM CSTTornado WarningMOBMonroe38 min
Dec 24, 4:14 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOB46 min
Dec 24, 4:17 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOB43 min
Dec 24, 4:28 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOB17 min
Dec 24, 4:52 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOB38 min
Dec 24, 6:13 AM CSTSpecial Marine WarningMOB2 hr
Dec 24, 6:20 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOB40 min
Dec 24, 6:25 AM CSTSpecial Marine WarningMOB2 hr
Dec 24, 7:00 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOB45 min
Dec 24, 7:26 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOB34 min
Dec 24, 8:18 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningMOBCrenshaw117 min
Dec 24, 8:29 AM CSTSpecial Marine WarningMOB61 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.