Alert archive / Florida / Tornado Warnings in 2002

Tornado Warning 62, NWS Mobile, AL

December 31, 2002Okaloosa County, Florida

NWS Mobile, AL issued this tornado warning at Dec 31, 2002, 9:45 AM CST for Okaloosa County, Florida. It was in force for 45 min. 1 report 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
Dec 31, 2002, 9:45 AM CST (15:45 UTC)
Expired
Dec 31, 2002, 10:30 AM CST
In force
45 min
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Okaloosa County, FL

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Dec 31, 9:47 AM CSTTornado F1Florosa, FLA tornado moved onshore near Florosa and caused damage as it moved northeast through a small subdivision. Two older manufactured homes were destroyed near the water as the tornado moved inland. The tornado moved across U. S. Highway 98 before dissipating. S

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
Dec 31, 7:35 AM CSTTornado WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Tallahassee Rgnl, FL (KTLH), launched 12:00Z, 3.8 hours before the alert went out and 225 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, Tallahassee Rgnl, FL at 12:00Z on 2002-12-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Tallahassee Rgnl, FL at 12:00Z on 2002-12-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 300 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1011 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
52 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
300 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
360 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

470 
WFUS54 KMOB 311545
TORMOB
FLC091-311630-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
945 AM CST TUE DEC 31 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOBILE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  OKALOOSA COUNTY IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA

* UNTIL 1030 AM CST

* AT 939 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A 
TORNADO 8 MILES WEST OF MARY ESTHER...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. 
THIS RATE OF MOVEMENT IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE. 

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  MARY ESTHER BY 955 AM CST
  WRIGHT...CINCO BAYOU BY 1000 AM CST
  OCEAN CITY...SHALIMAR BY 1005 AM CST
  EGLIN AFB...DESTIN BY 1010 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.

LAT...LON 3039 8678 3038 8677 3039 8639 3074 8653

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 31, 9:10 AM CSTTornado WarningMOBEscambia, Santa Rosa35 min
Dec 31, 9:47 AM CSTTornado WarningMOBSanta Rosa28 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Florida, 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.