Alert archive / Florida / Tornado Warnings in 2005

Tornado Warning 25, NWS Tampa Bay, FL

October 23, 2005Polk County, Florida

NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued this tornado warning at Oct 23, 2005, 7:13 PM EDT for Polk County, Florida. It was in force for 47 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
Oct 23, 2005, 7:13 PM EDT (23:13 UTC)
Expired
Oct 23, 2005, 8:00 PM EDT
In force
47 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), 49 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:15 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
Oct 23, 7:37 PM EDTTORNADOMulberry, FLMULBERRY POLICE DEPT REPORTED TRANSFORMERS BLOWING UP...FLYING DEBRIS...AND FRIEGHT TRAIN SOUND NEAR THEIR POLICE STATION.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched one storm report to this tornado warning; the first came 24 minutes after it went out.

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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Oct 23, 3:40 PM EDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Tampa Bay, FL (KTBW), launched 12:00Z, 11.2 hours before the alert went out and 49 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 2005-10-23Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1164 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 2005-10-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 67 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
1164 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-33 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
809 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
67 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
124 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.2
Supercell composite
2.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS52 KTBW 232317
TORTBW
FLC105-240000-
/O.NEW.KTBW.TO.W.0025.051023T2313Z-051024T0000Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
713 PM EDT SUN OCT 23 2005

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RUSKIN HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  POLK COUNTY IN FLORIDA.

* UNTIL 800 PM EDT

* AT 713 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  A DEVELOPING TORNADO 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BARTOW...MOVING NORTH AT 
  5 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL AFFECT...
  BARTOW.
  MULBERRY.
  WILLOW OAK.


OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING BRIEF TORNADOES ARE 
DEVELOPING ACROSS NORTHERN AND EASTERN POLK COUNTY. LOCATIONS SUCH 
AS POLK CITY...LAKELAND...WAVERLY...AND HIGHLAND CITY MAY ALSO BE 
AFFECTED. 

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.

TORNADOES ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS AT NIGHT. TAKE COVER NOW MOVE TO 
A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING. 
ABANDON MOBILE HOMES. LEAVE VEHICLES AND GET INTO A DITCH OR LOW 
SPOT.


&&

LAT...LON 2771 8196 2773 8187 2809 8178 2796 8206

$$

17
1 follow-up statement
000 
WWUS52 KTBW 232349
SVSTBW

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
748 PM EDT SUN OCT 23 2005

FLC105-240000-
/O.CON.KTBW.TO.W.0025.000000T0000Z-051024T0000Z/
POLK-
748 PM EDT SUN OCT 23 2005

...A TORNADO WARNING CONTINUES FOR POLK COUNTY UNTIL 800 PM EDT...

AT 748 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A 
STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH A DEVELOPING TORNADO 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF 
BARTOW...MOVING NORTH AT 5 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL AFFECT...
  BRADLEY JUNCTION.
  BARTOW.
  MULBERRY.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM ACT QUICKLY. GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM
ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING...AWAY FROM WINDOWS. COVER
YOUR HEAD WITH PILLOWS OR BLANKETS.

TORNADOES ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS AT NIGHT. TAKE COVER NOW MOVE TO
A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. ABANDON MOBILE HOMES.
LEAVE VEHICLES AND GET INTO A DITCH OR LOW SPOT.

REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. THEY
WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST
OFFICE IN RUSKIN.

&&

LAT...LON 2771 8196 2773 8187 2809 8178 2796 8206

$$

17

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 Oct 23, 2:50 PM EDT, 4 hours 23 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 23, 2:50 PM EDT, 4 hours 23 minutes before
WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
250 PM EDT SUN OCT 23 2005

...WILMA THEN WINTER ARE STILL ON TRACK...

.SHORT TERM (TONIGHT - TUESDAY)...NOT MUCH MORE NEEDS TO BE
DISCUSSED THAT HASNT ALREADY BEEN SO.  AFTER ABOUT 24 HOURS OF
ROUGH CONDITIONS...THE DOOR OPENS FOR UNSEASONABLY COOL AND SOMEWHAT
BLUSTERY WEATHER FOLLOWED BY THE RELIEF MANY OF US HAVE BEEN WAITING
FOR DURING THIS RATHER LONG SUMMER.  THOUGH HURRICANE SEASON RUNS
THROUGH NOVEMBER 30...YOU CAN PUT A FORK IN THIS ONE AS WATER
TEMPERATURES WILL PLUMMET FOLLOWING THIS VIGOROUS COLD
FRONT...PERHAPS INTO THE LOWER OR MID 70S...WHICH IS VERY HOSTILE
FOR ANY STORMS TO SURVIVE AS OCTOBER MOVES INTO NOVEMBER.

FOR THE SENSIBLE WEATHER...THE ONLY ADDITIONAL CONCERN IS THE THREAT
FOR OUTER BAND TORNADOES LATER THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH MIDNIGHT OR
SO. SUNSHINE HAS WARMED AREAS INTO THE MID 80S ACROSS CENTRAL AND
SOUTH ZONES...AND WITH DEW POINTS IN THE SWELTERING MID 70S AND
ATMOSPHERIC PROFILES BECOME MORE FAVORABLE FOR ROTATION...THERE IS
CONCERN FOR QUICK SPIN-UP TORNADOES TO DEVELOP AS THE OUTER BANDS
MOVE ONSHORE.  HELICITY VALUES RISE TO MORE THAN 500 J/KG BY 00Z
ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL PORTION OF THE AREA.  WOULD
NOT BE SURPRISED...IN FACT EXPECT...A TORNADO WATCH IN A FEW HOURS
FOR AT LEAST THE SOUTH HALF OF THE AREA AND EXPECT A FEW TO FORM
WELL AHEAD OF THE CORE OF WILMA.  ZONE TEXT WILL INCLUDE THIS
POSSIBILITY AS WELL.

OTHERWISE...THE HURRICANE IS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 KT AND GRADUALLY
ACCELERATING FROM A SPOT NOW 335 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FORT MYERS.
LANDFALL IS STILL ON TARGET FOR 7 TO 8 AM...AND THE WORST IMPACTS
DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE STORM ARE EXPECTED BETWEEN 6 AM AND 10 AM
(PERHAPS UP TO 11 AM OR NOON FARTHEST EAST) AS STORM WILL BE HAULING
AT AROUND 25 MPH (OR MORE) AT THAT TIME.  VIRTUALLY NO CHANGE TO
WIND FIELD AND ZONE FORECAST OUTSIDE OF THE INITIAL SEVERE WEATHER
THREAT.  FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WIND IMPACTS...CHECK OUT EITHER THE
HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WMO CODE WTUS82 KTBW OR OUR INLAND
HURRICANE/TROPICAL STORM PRODUCTS (WMO CODE WWUS72).

PLAN NO CHANGES TO THE FLOOD WATCH.  THE POSSIBLE BAND OF
OVERRUNNING THAT MIGHT HAVE DEVELOPED ALONG THE FRONT HAS NOT
MATERIALIZED...AND PROBABLY WONT BASED ON THE LACK OF EVEN LOW
LEVEL ISENTROPIC LIFT ABOVE THE FRONT ITSELF.  SO...THESE AREAS
REMAIN LARGELY DRY AND WILL SOAK UP THE EXPECTED 1 TO 3
INCHES...LOCALLY 4 INCHES...WE ARE FORECASTING.  CHARLOTTE AND LEE
ARE UNDER THE GUN FOR THE HIGHEST RAINS...3 TO 5 INCHES AND PERHAPS
6 INCHES IN SPOTS GIVEN PROXIMITY TO THE CONVERGENCE ZONE. WILL
REFRESH FFA FOR ANOTHER 12 HOURS BY 4 PM.

THEREAFTER...THE CHILL SETS IN. AM FORECASTING STEADY/FALLING
TEMPERATURES MON AFTERNOON ALONG WITH CONTINUED NORTHWEST WINDS OVER
20 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WE MAY NEED A WIND ADVISORY IN THE
AFTERNOON TIME FRAME PAST STORM PASSAGE...BUT WILL DEAL WITH THAT
LATER TONIGHT.  TUE WILL DAWN WITH TEMPERATURES HAVING PLUMMETED INTO
THE 40S TO LOWER 50S...EXCEPT 55 TO 60 NEAR THE WATER (AND WHERE THE
WINDS WILL BE STRONGER). AND IT WONT GET MUCH WARMER DURING THE DAY
WITH CONTINUE LOW LEVEL COLD ADVECTION DESPITE MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES.
HIGHS WILL ONLY BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S MOST AREAS...LOWER 70S
SOUTH.  HIGH SURF IS A DEFINITE MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

.LONG TERM (TUE NIGHT-SUN)...AN UPPER TROUGH OVER THE EAST U.S.
COAST LIFTS UP TO THE NE AS HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE UPPER MISS. RIVER
VALLEY SLIDES SOUTH...REACHING THE GULF COASTAL STATES BY THU. THIS
HIGH WILL BE REINFORCED FROM THE UPPER MIDWEST AND ROTATES TOWARD
THE EASTERN SEA BOARD AS A SHORT WAVE TROUGH SWINGS THROUGH THE
GREAT LAKES AND INTO NEW ENGLAND BY SUN. A DRY COOL CLEAR FORECAST
IS IN PLACE FOR THE EARLY PART OF THE PERIOD BUT THESE WILL BE
MODERATING GOING INTO THE WEEKEND AS THE FLOW BECOMES MORE
NORTHEASTERLY AND MOISTURE INCREASES ENOUGH TO SUPPORT SOME LOW
AFTERNOON POPS.

&&

.MARINE...AGAIN...FORECAST ON TRACK WITH SEAS CONTINUING TO RISE AND
WINDS GRADUALLY INCREASING AHEAD OF WILMA.  WILL BUMP UP SEAS JUST A
BIT IN THE GRIDS AND TEXT...DROPPING IN SOME 22 FOOT VALUES BASED
ON BUOY 03 TRENDS AND PROPAGATION OF HIGHEST SWELLS INTO THE SOUTH
AND CENTRAL LEGS LATER TONIGHT INTO MIDDAY MONDAY.  THEREAFTER...A
MORE GRADUAL DROP OFF THAN USUAL GIVEN STRONG COLD ADVECTION OVER
(STILL) WARM WATERS.  WILL LIKELY NEED TO REPLACE TROPICAL CYCLONE
WARNINGS WITH SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES INTO TUESDAY.

&&

.AVIATION...WILL INCREASE WINDS TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE ABOUT
MIDNIGHT AND CONTINUE ALONG WITH HIGHER GUSTS THROUGH THE END OF
THE TAF PERIOD. SCT CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON INCREASES TO NUMEROUS
LATER TONIGHT INTO MON MORNING.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...STRONG WINDS WILL LEAD TO
HIGH DISPERSION VALUES MONDAY...BUT MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY SHOULD
STILL BE ABOVE 50 PERCENT THANKS TO COOLER TEMPERATURES.  WE MAY
APPROACH CRITICAL HUMIDITY VALUES ACROSS THE INTERIOR NATURE COAST
THROUGH INTERIOR WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA TUESDAY...HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON
HOW LOW THE DEW POINTS FALL ON NORTHWESTERLY WINDS.  STAY TUNED.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
TPA 73 73 51 67 / 90 90 00 00
FMY 77 77 53 72 / 90 90 00 00
GIF 73 73 48 68 / 90 90 00 00
SRQ 76 76 52 69 / 90 90 00 00
BKV 66 68 40 66 / 90 90 00 00

&&

.TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
 HURRICANE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM LONGBOAT KEY SOUTH INCLUDING THE
  SHORELINES OF SARASOTA...CHARLOTTE...LEE...AND DESOTO.
 TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM LONGBOAT KEY NORTH
  INCLUDING THE SHORELINES OF MANATEE...PINELLAS...HILLSBOROUGH
  PASCO...HERNANDO...CITRUS...AND LEVY COUNTIES.
 INLAND HURRICANE WARNING IN EFFECT TONIGHT AND EARLY MONDAY
  FOR NON COASTAL AND NON TIDAL SARASOTA...CHARLOTTE...LEE...
  HARDEE... HIGHLANDS AND DESOTO COUNTIES.
 INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN EFFECT TONIGHT THROUGH EARLY
 MONDAY EVENING FOR NO COASTAL AND NON TIDAL MANATEE...
 HILLSBOROUGH...PASCO...HERNANDO...CITRUS...SUMTER...POLK...AND LEVY
 COUNTIES.
 FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH
 MONDAY AFTERNOON FOR CHARLOTTE AND LEE COUNTIES.

&&

SHORT TERM...BSG
LONG TERM....RKR
Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 23, 6:45 AM EDT, 12 hours 28 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
645 AM EDT SUN OCT 23 2005

FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-231600-
LEVY-CITRUS-SUMTER-HERNANDO-PASCO-PINELLAS-HILLSBOROUGH-POLK-
MANATEE-HARDEE-HIGHLANDS-SARASOTA-DE SOTO-CHARLOTTE-LEE-
645 AM EDT SUN OCT 23 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA AND WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT
HURRICANE WILMA WILL APPROACH SOUTHWEST FLORIDA TODAY AND TONIGHT
BRINGING INCREASING WINDS AND RAIN ALONG WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR
ISOLATED TORNADOES...ESPECIALLY ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA. OVER THE COASTAL WATERS THESE EFFECTS WILL BEGIN LATE
THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT. MARINERS SHOULD
RETURN TO PORT THIS AFTERNOON AND REMAIN IN PORT THROUGH MONDAY
NIGHT. FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION AS TO THE WINDS...RAINFALL...
TORNADIC AND MARINE THREATS FROM WILMA REFER TO OUR HURRICANE LOCAL
STATEMENTS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY
WILMA WILL MOVE RAPIDLY ACROSS THE FLORIDA PENINSULA MONDAY
MORNING WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS AND HEAVY RAINFALL COMING TO AN
END BY EARLY AFTERNOON. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE
EXPECTED ACROSS MOST AREAS...EXCEPT 3 TO 6 INCHES WITH LOCALLY UP
TO A 8 INCHES ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA.

BY MONDAY NIGHT...SKIES WILL CLEAR WITH MUCH COOLER DRIER AIR
SWEEPING IN BEHIND WILMA FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY AS HIGH
PRESSURE MOVES BUILDS INTO THE SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES. A GRADUAL
MODERATING TREND IS EXPECTED LATE IN THE WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED TONIGHT.

&&

FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION...CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT
HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TBW (LOWER CASE)

PRC

In the hours before

Local storm report, Oct 23, 5:55 PM EDT, 1 hour 18 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
555 PM EDT SUN OCT 23 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0535 PM     TORNADO          2 SW ZOLFO SPRINGS      27.47N 81.82W
10/23/2005                   HARDEE             FL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            SEVERAL PUBLIC REPORTS OF A TORNADO ON THE GROUND NEAR
            ZOLFO SPRINGS. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.

&&

BSG

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 23, 5:48 PM EDTTornado WarningTBWHardee, Hillsborough, Manatee, Polk27 min
Oct 23, 5:56 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningTBW49 min
Oct 23, 6:18 PM EDTTornado WarningTBWSarasota27 min
Oct 23, 7:19 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningTBW56 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Florida, 2005Every tornado warning in 2005Tornadoes in 2005

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.