Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 178, NWS Birmingham, AL

August 26, 2008Lee County, Russell County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Aug 26, 2008, 2:29 AM CDT for Lee County, Russell County, Alabama. It was in force for 21 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
Aug 26, 2008, 2:29 AM CDT (07:29 UTC)
Expired
Aug 26, 2008, 2:50 AM CDT
In force
21 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Lee County, AL, Russell County, AL

The watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Aug 26, 1:36 AM CDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 7.5 hours before the alert went out and 125 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 00:00Z on 2008-08-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 629 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 00:00Z on 2008-08-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 138 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
629 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-17 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
606 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
138 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
213 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
2.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS54 KBMX 260729
TORBMX
ALC081-113-260800-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0178.080826T0729Z-080826T0800Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
229 AM CDT TUE AUG 26 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN LEE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  RUSSELL COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 300 AM CDT

* AT 229 AM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
  RUSSELL COUNTY SPORTS COMPLEX...OR 10 MILES EAST OF HURTSBORO...
  MOVING NORTH AT 30 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  RUSSELL COUNTY SPORTS COMPLEX BY 240 AM CDT...
  LADONIA...6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SMITHS STATION AND 8 MILES SOUTHEAST
  OF GRIFFEN MILL BY 300 AM CDT...

HEAVY RAINFALL MAY OBSCURE THIS TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW IF YOU WAIT
TO SEE OR HEAR IT COMING...IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE.

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 900 AM CDT TUESDAY MORNING
FOR SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...
CALL 1-800-856-0758.

LAT...LON 3260 8524 3252 8499 3216 8519 3223 8539
TIME...MOT...LOC 0729Z 202DEG 23KT 3228 8525

$$

JONES/90
2 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS54 KBMX 260742
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
242 AM CDT TUE AUG 26 2008

ALC081-113-260800-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0178.000000T0000Z-080826T0800Z/
RUSSELL AL-LEE AL-
242 AM CDT TUE AUG 26 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 300 AM CDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN LEE AND NORTHEASTERN RUSSELL COUNTIES...

AT 242 AM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONTINUED TO INDICATE A
TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR PARKMANVILLE...OR ABOUT 14
MILES NORTHEAST OF HURTSBORO...MOVING NORTH AT 30 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  7 MILES WEST OF PHENIX DRAG STRIP BY 245 AM CDT...
  CRAWFORD AND 7 MILES WEST OF LADONIA BY 250 AM CDT...
  GRIFFEN MILL...MONTEREY HEIGHTS AND 7 MILES WEST OF LADONIA SPORTS
  COMPLEX BY 255 AM CDT...
  SMITHS STATION BY 300 AM CDT...

HEAVY RAINFALL MAY OBSCURE THIS TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW IF YOU WAIT
TO SEE OR HEAR IT COMING...IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE.

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 900 AM CDT TUESDAY MORNING
FOR SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA.

LAT...LON 3233 8531 3245 8530 3257 8526 3260 8523
      3258 8517 3256 8514 3257 8512 3252 8500
      3229 8514
TIME...MOT...LOC 0742Z 194DEG 30KT 3240 8522

$$

JONES/90
000 
WWUS54 KBMX 260750
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
250 AM CDT TUE AUG 26 2008

ALC081-113-260800-
/O.CAN.KBMX.TO.W.0178.000000T0000Z-080826T0800Z/
RUSSELL AL-LEE AL-
250 AM CDT TUE AUG 26 2008

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN LEE AND NORTHERN RUSSELL
COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER HAS ENDED. THE STORMS THAT PROMPTED THE
WARNING HAVE WEAKENED.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 AM CDT TUESDAY MORNING
FOR SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA.

LAT...LON 3233 8531 3245 8530 3257 8526 3260 8523
      3258 8517 3256 8514 3257 8512 3252 8500
      3229 8514
TIME...MOT...LOC 0750Z 194DEG 30KT 3251 8520

$$

JONES/90

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 25, 8:07 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXElmore, Montgomery3 hr
Aug 25, 11:28 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXPike3 hr
Aug 26, 12:36 AM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXJefferson, Shelby3 hr
Aug 26, 1:35 AM CDTTornado WarningBMXBarbour, Bullock, Pike25 min
Aug 26, 1:53 AM CDTTornado WarningBMXBarbour, Russell37 min
Aug 26, 1:58 AM CDTTornado WarningBMXBullock19 min
Aug 26, 2:10 AM CDTAreal Flood WarningBMXJefferson2 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 2008Every tornado warning in 2008Tornadoes in 2008

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.