Alert archive / Florida / Tornado Warnings in 2005
Tornado Warning 26, NWS Tampa Bay, FL
NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued this tornado warning at Oct 23, 2005, 10:04 PM EDT for Polk County, Florida. It was in force for 26 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
- Oct 23, 2005, 10:04 PM EDT (02:04 UTC)
- Expired
- Oct 23, 2005, 10:30 PM EDT
- In force
- 26 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), 69 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:08 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 23, 9:25 PM EDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 14 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Tampa Bay, FL (KTBW), launched 00:00Z, 2.1 hours before the alert went out and 69 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
- 511 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -45 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 774 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 47 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 180 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 249 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.5
- Supercell composite
- 3.5
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 WFUS52 KTBW 240205 TORTBW FLC105-240230- /O.NEW.KTBW.TO.W.0026.051024T0204Z-051024T0230Z/ BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 1004 PM EDT SUN OCT 23 2005 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RUSKIN HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO WARNING FOR... NORTHWESTERN POLK COUNTY IN FLORIDA. * UNTIL 1030 PM EDT * AT 1004 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO OVER NORTHWESTERN POLK COUNTY...MOVING NORTHWEST AT 25 MPH. * THE TORNADO WILL AFFECT... NORTHERN GIBSONIA RURAL NORTHWESTERN POLK COUNTY. 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 2812 8201 2821 8183 2832 8191 2823 8209 $$ 17
1 follow-up statement
000 WWUS52 KTBW 240218 SVSTBW SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 1017 PM EDT SUN OCT 23 2005 FLC105-240230- /O.CON.KTBW.TO.W.0026.000000T0000Z-051024T0230Z/ POLK- 1017 PM EDT SUN OCT 23 2005 ...A TORNADO WARNING CONTINUES FOR NORTHWESTERN POLK COUNTY UNTIL 1030 PM EDT... AT 1017 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO 12 MILES EAST OF ZEPHYRHILLS...MOVING NORTHWEST AT 20 MPH. THE TORNADO WILL AFFECT... RURAL NORTHWESTERN POLK COUNTY. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM ACT QUICKLY. GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING...AWAY FROM WINDOWS. COVER YOUR HEAD WITH PILLOWS OR BLANKETS. TORNADOES ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS AT NIGHT. TAKE COVER NOW MOVE TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. ABANDON MOBILE HOMES. LEAVE VEHICLES AND GET INTO A DITCH OR LOW SPOT. REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. THEY WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN RUSKIN. && LAT...LON 2812 8201 2821 8183 2832 8191 2823 8209 $$ 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, 9:55 PM EDT, 9 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Oct 23, 9:55 PM EDT, 9 minutes before
WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 955 PM EDT SUN OCT 23 2005 .UPDATE...SENT OUT A QUICK UPDATE FOR TORNADO WATCH 837. MADE A FEW ADJUSTMENTS TO THE WORDING BUT OTHERWISE FORECAST STILL ON TRACK. .PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FOLLOWS... .DISCUSSION...WILMA CURRENTLY ABOUT 230 MILES SW OF FORT MYERS AND ABOUT 290 MILES SSW OF TAMPA. WILMA IS GETTING BETTER ORGANIZED AND STRENGTHENING AS IT MOVES TOWARD SW FL AT ABOUT 15 MPH. SHE IS STILL A STRONG CAT 2 CURRENTLY BUT COULD INCREASE TO NEAR CAT 3 STRENGTH AS SHE NEARS LANDFALL MONDAY MORNING. THE TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THIS EVENING FOR ALL COUNTIES EXCEPT LEVY UNTIL 1AM. CURRENT CONVECTION IS MAINLY ACROSS THE CENTRAL ZONES AND ACROSS ALL COASTAL WATERS. HAVE HAD 2 TORNADOES SO FAR THIS EVENING...ONE IN HARDEE COUNTY AND ANOTHER IN POLK COUNTY. CURRENT ZONES STILL VALID AND WILL NOT UPDATE AT THIS TIME. && .MARINE...WINDS OVER THE COASTAL WATERS CURRENTLY 20 TO 25 KNOTS FROM BUOY REPORTS WITH SEAS GENERALLY 8-15 FEET. THESE WILL BE INCREASING THROUGH THE NIGHT AS WILMA DRAWS CLOSER TO THE SW FL COAST. WILL MAKE SOME MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO THE WORDING FOR THE UPDATE BUT NO MAJOR CHANGES AS FORECAST ON TRACK. && .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 NON 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. TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 837 IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM MONDAY MORNING FOR ALL COUNTIES EXCEPT LEVY. && JLC
Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 23, 6:45 AM EDT, 15 hours 19 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, 4 hours 9 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.
&&
BSGLocal storm report, Oct 23, 8:09 PM EDT, 1 hour 55 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
809 PM EDT SUN OCT 23 2005
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0737 PM TORNADO MULBERRY 27.90N 81.97W
10/23/2005 POLK FL LAW ENFORCEMENT
MULBERRY POLICE DEPT REPORTED TRANSFORMERS BLOWING
UP...FLYING DEBRIS...AND FRIEGHT TRAIN SOUND NEAR THEIR
POLICE STATION.
&&
PETROThe office that day
Everything else NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 23, 9:18 PM EDT | Special Marine Warning | TBW | 42 min | |
| Oct 24, 3:50 AM EDT | Tornado Warning | TBW | Polk | 25 min |
| Oct 24, 4:36 AM EDT | Tornado Warning | TBW | Polk | 24 min |
| Oct 24, 5:49 AM EDT | Tornado Warning | TBW | Highlands | 26 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.