Alert archive / Florida / Tornado Warnings in 2004
Tornado Warning 43, NWS Tampa Bay, FL
NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued this tornado warning at Sep 6, 2004, 9:29 AM EDT for Polk County, Florida. It was in force for 31 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- Sep 6, 2004, 9:29 AM EDT (13:29 UTC)
- Expired
- Sep 6, 2004, 10:00 AM EDT
- In force
- 31 min
- Issued by
- NWS Tampa Bay, FL
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
County Polk County, FL
The radar
The Tampa radar (KTBW), 60 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 13:29 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.
Did it verify
Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this tornado warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.
Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.
The watch it was issued in
The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 6, 7:55 AM EDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Tampa Bay, FL (KTBW), launched 12:00Z, 1.5 hours before the alert went out and 60 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
- 457 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -1 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 612 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 17 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 10 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 31 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.2
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 WFUS52 KTBW 061329 TORTBW FLC105-061400- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 930 AM EDT MON SEP 6 2004 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RUSKIN HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO WARNING FOR... CENTRAL POLK COUNTY IN FLORIDA. * UNTIL 1000 AM EDT * AT 930 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO 12 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BARTOW...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. * THE TORNADO WILL AFFECT... FORT MEADE. BARTOW. WAHNETA. CYPRESS GARDENS. LAKE ALFRED. HAINES CITY. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. MOVE INTO THE INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING...AWAY FROM WINDOWS. COVER YOUR HEAD AND BODY WITH PILLOWS OR BLANKETS. DO NOT USE YOUR VEHICLE TO OUTRUN A TORNADO. VEHICLES MAY BE MOVED BY THE STRONG WINDS. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...LEAVE THE VEHICLE AND GET IN A DITCH OR LOW SPOT...BUT WATCH FOR RISING WATERS. && LAT...LON 2771 8204 2765 8181 2807 8145 2822 8175 $$ 25
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 Sep 6, 8:10 AM EDT, 1 hour 19 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Sep 6, 8:10 AM EDT, 1 hour 19 minutes before
WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 810 AM EDT MON SEP 6 2004 .UPDATE...HAVE COORDINATED WITH SPC TO ISSUE A TORNADO WATCH FOR THE ENTIRE FA. LOTS OF ROTATION SEEN IN THE FRINGE BAND OF FRANCES FROM WRN LEE COUNTY TO SE POLK. THE ROTATIONS ARE MOVING VERY FAST AND ARE SHORTLIVED...SO SOME TORNADOES MAY DROP DOWN WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR UPDATED INFORMATION. HAVE UPDATED THE ZONES TO INCLUDE THE WATCH INFORMATION. ALSO USED THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE RAIN AND CLOUDS CATEGORICAL TODAY TILL 18Z FOR ALL NORTH AND CENTRAL AREAS...AND THEN ONLY HAD CATEGORICAL RAIN FROM THE TAMPA BAY AREA NORTH AFT 18Z. PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS FOLLOW .UPDATE...TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS DISCONTINUED FROM ENGLEWOOD TO BONITA BEACH. THIS WILL BE REPLACED BY A HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR SURF OF 4 TO 7 FEET TODAY ALONG WITH THE HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS. ALSO...THE INLAND TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING WILL BE DISCONTINUED FOR POLK...HARDEE...AND HIGHLANDS COUNTIES. WILL KEEP SUMTER COUNTY UP UNTIL NOON TODAY AS THE FEEDER BANDS MOVING THROUGH THE TAMPA BAY AREA COULD STILL BRING TROPICAL STORM FORCE GUSTS UP THERE LATER THIS MORNING. FINALLY...THE TORNADO WATCH FOR LEVY COUNTY HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL 2 PM. WILL UPDATE ZONES WITH NEW INFORMATION SHORTLY. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FOLLOWS WITH UPDATED WATCH/WARNING SECTION .SHORT TERM (TODAY-WED)...FIRST PERIOD STILL DOMINATED BY CIRCULATION OF FRANCES. SEE LATEST TPC ADVISORIES FOR LATEST UPDATES. WILL CONTINUE TO UPDATE FORECASTS AS SOON AS NEW DATA COME IN. VWP HAS WINDS 50 TO 60 KNOTS JUST ABOVE THE SFC...WHICH IS PARTIALLY COMING DOWN IN GUSTS AS THE FEEDER BANDS COME IN. SEVERAL COASTAL LOCATIONS ARE STILL GUSTING JUST TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE. SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST FLOW COMING OVER US WILL CONTINUE TO PULL IN MOISTURE ALONG FEEDER BANDS AS IT IS DOING NOW. FLOOD WATCH THROUGH TONIGHT FOR THE ENTIRE AREA LOOKS GOOD AS STILL CANNOT PREDICT EXACT LOCATION OF BANDING. AS OF NOW...THE INLAND PARTS OF THE TAMPA BAY AREA HAVE HAD THE MOST RAIN WITH SOME ISOLD PARTS OF ERN HILLSBOROUGH AND WRN POLK GETTING AROUND 6 INCHES DURING THE STORM SO FAR. AS EXPECTED...THIS IS NOT GOOD FOR THE RIVERS SO STAY TUNED FOR UPDATED RIVER FLOOD FORECASTS. BEYOND LABOR DAY...THE FLOW SHOULD BECOME SRLY WITH DECREASING SPEEDS. HAVE TRENDED POPS DOWN EACH DAY AND TRIMMED POPS FOR THE INTERIOR...AS RAIN WILL HAVE DIFFICULT TIME MAKING IT ALL THE WAY INLAND. MADE MINOR TWEAKS DOWN TO TEMPS UP NORTH TO ACCOUNT FOR EXPECTED CLOUD COVER...OTHERWISE TEMPS LOOK GOOD. .LONG TERM (WED NIGHT-SUN)...TRAILING TROUGH AXIS FROM FRANCES WILL CONTINUE OVER THE EASTERN GULF AND FORECAST AREA THROUGH FRIDAY AND THIS COMBINED WITH AMPLE LINGERING MOISTURE WILL RESULT IN SCATTERED DIURNAL POPS EACH DAY. DURING SATURDAY AND SUNDAY THE DEEPER MOISTURE DROPS OFF SOME AS UPPER TROUGH DEEPENS OVER THE EASTERN U.S. BUT STILL ENOUGH FOR SCATTERED DIURNAL CONVECTION EACH DAY. TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE NEAR NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .MARINE...BUOY 42036 HAS WAVE HEIGHTS IN THE 15 TO 20 FOOT RANGE AND STEADILY RISING. AS FRANCES MOVES ASHORE IN THE PANHANDLE EXPECT WINDS AND SEAS TO QUICKLY DROP...BUT STAY AT LEAST IN SCEC RANGE THRU TUE NIGHT. && .FIRE WEATHER...DISPERSIONS WILL STAY HI FOR ONE MORE DAY. AFTER THAT MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO BE HIGH WITH A STEADY SRLY FLOW FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... TPA 89 77 90 77 / 70 50 50 20 FMY 88 77 90 76 / 70 50 50 20 GIF 89 76 90 74 / 70 50 40 20 SRQ 88 78 89 77 / 70 50 50 20 BKV 87 76 89 74 / 70 70 60 30 && .TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HURRICANE WARNING FOR HILLSBOROUGH...PINELLAS...PASCO...HERNANDO... CITRUS...AND LEVY COUNTIES. TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR MANATEE AND SARASOTA COUNTIES. HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR CHARLOTTE AND LEE COUNTIES. FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR ALL OF FORECAST AREA. INLAND TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING UNTIL 12 PM FOR SUMTER COUNTY. TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 PM FOR ALL COUNTIES. && SHORT TERM...RJS LONG TERM...PRC
Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 6, 5:46 AM EDT, 3 hours 43 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 546 AM EDT MON SEP 6 2004 FLZ039-061530- LEVY- 546 AM EDT MON SEP 6 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR LEVY COUNTY. .DAY ONE...TODAY: ...TORNADO THREAT CONTINUES THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON... CONDITIONS REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF BRIEF TORNADOES IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE FEEDER BANDS FROM TROPICAL STORM FRANCES. SMALL TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH 2 PM. TREES...POWER LINES...AND POORLY CONSTRUCTED BUILDINGS WILL BE MOST AT RISK. WINDS COULD ALSO GUST UP TO 60 MPH IN ASSOCIATION WITH SOME OF THE SPIRAL BANDS WRAPPING AROUND TROPICAL STORM FRANCES. ALONG THE COAST...THESE WINDS WILL CREATE HIGH SURF AND A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS. AVOID GOING OUT INTO THE WATER TODAY. IN ADDITION...HEAVY RAINS COULD CAUSE FLOODING OF ROADWAYS. A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL TONIGHT. REMEMBER...WHEN YOU SEE WATER RUSHING ACROSS A ROAD...OR YOU CANNOT SEE HOW DEEP THE WATER IS...TURN AROUND DONT DROWN. THE MAIN CAUSE OF DEATHS FROM HURRICANES AND TROPICAL STORMS IS INLAND FLOODING. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR UPDATES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY: SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEK. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. && FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION...CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TBW (LOWER CASE) FLZ042-043-048>051-055-060-061530- CITRUS-HERNANDO-HILLSBOROUGH-MANATEE-PASCO-PINELLAS-SARASOTA-SUMTER- 546 AM EDT MON SEP 6 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE NATURE COAST AND WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY: ...WINDS AND RAINS CONTINUE FROM TROPICAL STORM FRANCES... SPIRAL BANDS WILL CONTINUE TO PULL MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINS ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. WINDS COULD ALSO GUST UP TO 60 MPH IN ASSOCIATION WITH SOME OF THESE BANDS. ALONG THE COAST...THESE WINDS WILL CREATE HIGH SURF AND A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS. AVOID GOING OUT INTO THE WATER TODAY. IN ADDITION...THE HEAVY RAINS COULD CAUSE FLOODING OF ROADWAYS. A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT. REMEMBER...WHEN YOU SEE WATER RUSHING ACROSS A ROAD...OR YOU CANNOT SEE HOW DEEP THE WATER IS...TURN AROUND DONT DROWN. THE MAIN CAUSE OF DEATHS FROM HURRICANES AND TROPICAL STORMS IS INLAND FLOODING. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR UPDATES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY: SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEK. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. && FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION...CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TBW (LOWER CASE) FLZ052-056-057-061-061530- DE SOTO-HARDEE-HIGHLANDS-POLK- 546 AM EDT MON SEP 6 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE INLAND COUNTIES OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY: ...WINDS AND RAINS CONTINUE FROM TROPICAL STORM FRANCES... SPIRAL BANDS WILL CONTINUE TO PULL MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINS ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. WINDS COULD ALSO GUST UP TO 40 MPH IN ASSOCIATION WITH SOME OF THESE BANDS. ALONG THE COAST...THESE WINDS WILL CREATE HIGH SURF AND A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS. AVOID GOING OUT INTO THE WATER TODAY. IN ADDITION...THE HEAVY RAINS COULD CAUSE FLOODING OF ROADWAYS. A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT. REMEMBER...WHEN YOU SEE WATER RUSHING ACROSS A ROAD...OR YOU CANNOT SEE HOW DEEP THE WATER IS...TURN AROUND DONT DROWN. THE MAIN CAUSE OF DEATHS FROM HURRICANES AND TROPICAL STORMS IS INLAND FLOODING. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR UPDATES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY: SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEK. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. && FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION...CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TBW (LOWER CASE) FLZ062-065-061530- CHARLOTTE-LEE- 546 AM EDT MON SEP 6 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY: ...WINDS AND RAINS CONTINUE FROM TROPICAL STORM FRANCES... SPIRAL BANDS WILL CONTINUE TO PULL MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINS ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. WINDS COULD ALSO GUST UP TO 40 MPH IN ASSOCIATION WITH SOME OF THESE BANDS. ALONG THE COAST...THESE WINDS WILL CREATE HIGH SURF AND A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS. AVOID GOING OUT INTO THE WATER TODAY. IN ADDITION...THE HEAVY RAINS COULD CAUSE FLOODING OF ROADWAYS. A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT. REMEMBER...WHEN YOU SEE WATER RUSHING ACROSS A ROAD...OR YOU CANNOT SEE HOW DEEP THE WATER IS...TURN AROUND DONT DROWN. THE MAIN CAUSE OF DEATHS FROM HURRICANES AND TROPICAL STORMS IS INLAND FLOODING. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR UPDATES. RJS
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Sep 6, 5:17 AM EDT, 4 hours 12 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 517 AM EDT MON SEP 6 2004 FLZ039-061800- LEVY- 517 AM EDT MON SEP 6 2004 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER #803 IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 PM EDT... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RUSKIN HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR LEVY COUNTIES. AS TROPICAL STORM FRANCES MOVES WEST NORTHWEST THROUGH THE EXTREME NORTHEAST GULF...THE THREAT OF TORNADOES WILL CONTINUE ACROSS LEVY COUNTY. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR UPDATES. && FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TBW (LOWER CASE) RJS
Special weather statement, Sep 6, 6:27 AM EDT, 3 hours 2 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 627 AM EDT MON SEP 6 2004 FLZ052-056-057-061-062-065-061230- CHARLOTTE-DE SOTO-HARDEE-HIGHLANDS-LEE-POLK- 627 AM EDT MON SEP 6 2004 ...STRONG WINDS WILL AFFECT POLK...HARDEE...DESOTO...HIGHLANDS...CHARLOTTE...AND LEE COUNTIES... OUTER BANDS ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL STORM FRANCIS WILL CONTINUE TO QUICKLY ROTATE OVER INTERIOR AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA THIS MORNING. THESE BANDS AND EMBEDDED CONVECTION IS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR TORNADOS TO QUICKLY DEVELOP WITHIN THESE BANDS. GUSTY WINDS 40 TO 50 MPH MAY CAUSE LOOSE OBJECTS TO BLOW AROUND. MINOR DAMAGE TO TREE LIMBS AND WIRES IS POSSIBLE. TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL REDUCE VISIBILITY TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES. MOTORISTS MAY WANT TO DELAY TRAVEL. DAVIS
The office that day
Everything else NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 6, 6:26 AM EDT | Tornado Warning | TBW | Hardee, Highlands | 34 min |
| Sep 6, 6:46 AM EDT | Tornado Warning | TBW | DeSoto | 29 min |
| Sep 6, 7:01 AM EDT | Tornado Warning | TBW | Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Lee, Polk | 59 min |
| Sep 6, 7:59 AM EDT | Tornado Warning | TBW | DeSoto, Highlands, Polk | 61 min |
| Sep 6, 8:32 AM EDT | Tornado Warning | TBW | Hardee, Hillsborough, Manatee, Polk | 28 min |
| Sep 6, 9:04 AM EDT | Tornado Warning | TBW | Hardee, Manatee, Polk | 26 min |
| Sep 6, 9:24 AM EDT | Special Marine Warning | TBW | 36 min | |
| Sep 6, 10:36 AM EDT | Tornado Warning | TBW | Hillsborough, Polk | 24 min |
| Sep 6, 11:46 AM EDT | Special Marine Warning | TBW | 119 min | |
| Sep 6, 1:45 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | TBW | Polk | 30 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Florida, 2004Every tornado warning in 2004Tornadoes in 2004
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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.