Alert archive / Delaware / Tornado Warnings in 2006

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

August 29, 2006New Castle County, Delaware

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this tornado warning at Aug 29, 2006, 4:02 PM EDT for New Castle County, Delaware. It was in force for 28 min. 4 reports 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: Aug 29, 2006, 4:02 PM EDT (20:02 UTC)
Expired: Aug 29, 2006, 4:30 PM EDT
In force: 28 min
Issued by: NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County New Castle County, DE

The radar

The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 103 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:03 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Aug 29, 4:15 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Wilmington, DE	WIRES REPORTED DOWN ON WOODSDALE ROAD IN WILMINGTON.
Aug 29, 4:20 PM EDT	FUNNEL CLOUD	Wilmington, DE	A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS OBSERVED JUST WEST OF WILMINGTON.
Aug 29, 4:20 PM EDT	FUNNEL CLOUD	Wilmington, DE	A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS OBSERVED JUST WEST OF WILMINGTON NEAR ROUTE 48, HOWEVER NO TOUCHDOWN WAS OBSERVED OR REPORTED.
Aug 29, 4:20 PM EDT	FUNNEL CLOUD	Wilmington, DE	A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS OBSERVED JUST WEST OF WILMINGTON NEAR ROUTE 48. NO TOUCHDOWN OR DAMAGED REPORTED.

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

The watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Aug 29, 1:52 PM EDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Phillips Aaf/Abe, MD (KAPG), launched 12:00Z, 8.0 hours before the alert went out and 54 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 21 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -132 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 934 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 98 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 185 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS51 KPHI 292002
TORPHI
DEC003-292030-
/O.NEW.KPHI.TO.W.0003.060829T2002Z-060829T2030Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
402 PM EDT TUE AUG 29 2006

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOUNT HOLLY NJ HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL NEW CASTLE COUNTY IN NORTHERN DELAWARE
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF WILMINGTON

* UNTIL 430 PM EDT

* AT 359 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR ELSMERE...
  OR ABOUT 8 MILES WEST OF WILMINGTON...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.

* THE TORNADO IS WILL BE NEAR...
  ELSMERE BY 410 PM EDT...
  WILMINGTON BY 420 PM EDT...
  BELLEFONTE BY 425 PM EDT...

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 MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...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.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT TUESDAY EVENING
FOR NORTHERN DELAWARE AND NORTHEASTERN MARYLAND AND SOUTHERN NEW
JERSEY AND EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA.

LAT...LON 3979 7565 3976 7568 3969 7554 3979 7544

$$
 
TFG

2 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS51 KPHI 292008
SVSPHI

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
407 PM EDT TUE AUG 29 2006

DEC003-292030-
/O.CON.KPHI.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-060829T2030Z/
NEW CASTLE DE-
407 PM EDT TUE AUG 29 2006

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 430 PM EDT FOR NORTHERN
NEW CASTLE COUNTY...

AT 403 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE TWO POSSIBLE TORNADOES.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR 
STANTON...OR ABOUT 6 MILES WEST OF WILMINGTON...MOVING EAST AT 20 
MPH.

A SECOND POSSIBLY TORNADIC STORM IS CROSSING THE DELAWARE STATE 
LINE NEAR NEWARK. 

THE FIRST TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  WILMINGTON BY 420 PM EDT...
  EDGEMOOR AND BELLEFONTE BY 425 PM EDT...

THE SECOND POSSIBLE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR NEWARK BY 420 PM...

WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR...IT MEANS
THAT STRONG ROTATION HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A TORNADO MAY
ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND...OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY. IF YOU
ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM...MOVE INDOORS AND TO THE
LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF DRIVING...DO
NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS.

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 SAFE
STRUCTURE IS NEARBY...SEEK SHELTER IN A DITCH OR LOW SPOT AND COVER
YOUR HEAD.

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 MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...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.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT TUESDAY EVENING
FOR NORTHERN DELAWARE AND NORTHEASTERN MARYLAND AND SOUTHERN NEW
JERSEY AND EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA.

LAT...LON 3979 7561 3976 7567 3972 7579 3967 7579
      3970 7552 3980 7542

$$
 
TFG

000 
WWUS51 KPHI 292021
SVSPHI

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
420 PM EDT TUE AUG 29 2006

DEC003-292030-
/O.CON.KPHI.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-060829T2030Z/
NEW CASTLE DE-
420 PM EDT TUE AUG 29 2006

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 430 PM EDT FOR NORTHERN
NEW CASTLE COUNTY...

AT 416 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR BROOKSIDE...OR
ABOUT NEAR NEWARK...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  STANTON BY 425 PM EDT...
  WILMINGTON MANOR AND NEW CASTLE BY 430 PM EDT...

THE ROTATION WITH THE SECOND TORNADO NORTHWEST OF WILMINGTON HAS
WEAKENED.

WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR...IT MEANS
THAT STRONG ROTATION HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A TORNADO MAY
ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND...OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY. IF YOU
ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM...MOVE INDOORS AND TO THE
LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF DRIVING...DO
NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS.

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 MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...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.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT TUESDAY EVENING
FOR NORTHERN DELAWARE AND NORTHEASTERN MARYLAND AND SOUTHERN NEW
JERSEY AND EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA.

LAT...LON 3969 7560 3974 7566 3970 7578 3965 7578
      3961 7565 3968 7551 3969 7552

$$

TFG

The office that day

Everything else NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 29, 3:42 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	New Castle	33 min
Aug 29, 4:28 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	PHI	New Castle	47 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Delaware, 2006 Every tornado warning in 2006 Tornadoes in 2006

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.