Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 20, NWS Birmingham, AL

February 6, 2008Lamar County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Feb 6, 2008, 1:29 AM CST for Lamar County, Alabama. It was in force for 31 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
Feb 6, 2008, 1:29 AM CST (07:29 UTC)
Expired
Feb 6, 2008, 2:00 AM CST
In force
31 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Lamar County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 14 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 07:30 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
Feb 6, 2:04 AM CSTTSTM WND DMG2 N Beaverton, ALPOSSIBLE TORNADO...POWERLINES AND TREES DOWN ON COUNTY ROAD 49.
Feb 6, 2:04 AM CSTTSTM WND DMGN Beaverton, ALPOSSIBLE TORNADO...POWERLINES AND TREES DOWN ON COUNTY ROAD 49. DAMAGE TO THE ROOF OF THE POST OFFICE IN BEAVERTON.
Feb 6, 2:04 AM CSTTORNADO 1Beaverton, ALNUMEROUS TREES UPROOTED OR SNAPPED OFF. ROOF DAMAGE AND TREES ON HOUSES IN BEAVERTON. TORNADO PATH APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES LONG WITH A MAXIMUM WIDTH OF 150 YARDS.
Feb 6, 2:05 AM CSTFUNNEL CLOUD3 E Sulligent, ALSIGHTED ON HWY 278 BETWEEN SULLIGENT AND BEAVERTON.

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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Feb 5, 10:01 PM CSTTornado WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 7.5 hours before the alert went out and 151 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, Birmingham, AL at 00:00Z on 2008-02-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 771 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, Birmingham, AL at 00:00Z on 2008-02-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 223 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
771 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-36 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
947 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
62 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
223 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
320 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.3
Supercell composite
4.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS54 KBMX 060729
TORBMX
ALC075-060800-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0020.080206T0729Z-080206T0800Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
129 AM CST WED FEB 6 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN LAMAR COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...VERNON...DETROIT...

* UNTIL 200 AM CST

* AT 126 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 18 MILES
  SOUTHWEST OF BEDFORD...OR NEAR COLUMBUS AFB...MOVING NORTHEAST AT
  45 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  BEDFORD BY 150 AM CST...
  6 MILES NORTHWEST OF LAMAR COUNTY AIRPORT BY 155 AM CST...
  SULLIGENT...CREWS...DETROIT AND 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF HENSON SPRINGS
  BY 200 AM CST...

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 500 AM CST WEDNESDAY MORNING
FOR NORTHERN ALABAMA.

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

LAT...LON 3370 8826 3377 8826 3384 8824 3404 8822
      3406 8820 3406 8817 3403 8799 3385 8795
      3368 8826 3369 8827
TIME...MOT...LOC 0729Z 225DEG 42KT 3370 8846

$$

14
1 follow-up statement
000 
WWUS54 KBMX 060742
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
142 AM CST WED FEB 6 2008

ALC075-060800-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0020.000000T0000Z-080206T0800Z/
LAMAR AL-
142 AM CST WED FEB 6 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM CST FOR NORTHERN
LAMAR COUNTY...

AT 139 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR BEDFORD...OR ABOUT
11 MILES WEST OF VERNON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  SULLIGENT AND LAMAR COUNTY AIRPORT BY 150 AM CST...
  PINE SPRINGS...CREWS...BEAVERTON AND 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DETROIT
  BY 155 AM CST...
  HENSON SPRINGS BY 200 AM CST...

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 500 AM CST WEDNESDAY MORNING
FOR NORTHERN ALABAMA.

LAT...LON 3370 8826 3377 8826 3384 8824 3404 8822
      3406 8820 3406 8817 3403 8799 3385 8795
      3368 8826 3369 8827
TIME...MOT...LOC 0742Z 230DEG 46KT 3383 8827

$$

14

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 6, 1:51 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXPickens54 min
Feb 6, 1:54 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXPickens51 min
Feb 6, 1:59 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXFayette, Lamar, Marion46 min
Feb 6, 2:30 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXWinston27 min
Feb 6, 2:39 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXFayette, Pickens, Tuscaloosa51 min
Feb 6, 2:57 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLamar48 min
Feb 6, 3:11 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXFayette, Walker39 min
Feb 6, 3:20 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXFayette, Lamar, Pickens40 min
Feb 6, 3:21 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXFayette, Lamar, Marion, Walker, Winston39 min
Feb 6, 3:38 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXGreene, Pickens, Sumter52 min
Feb 6, 3:48 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXFayette, Pickens, Tuscaloosa30 min
Feb 6, 3:53 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXFayette, Walker, Winston52 min
Feb 6, 4:05 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXGreene, Hale, Marengo, Sumter40 min
Feb 6, 4:13 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXFayette, Walker47 min
Feb 6, 4:14 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXBlount31 min
Feb 6, 4:27 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXHale, Marengo33 min
Feb 6, 4:53 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXDallas, Hale, Marengo, Perry37 min
Feb 6, 5:22 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXAutauga, Chilton, Dallas, Perry38 min
Feb 6, 5:50 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXChilton, Coosa40 min
Feb 6, 5:51 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBibb, Jefferson, Shelby, Tuscaloosa39 min
Feb 6, 6:24 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXClay, Coosa, Talladega21 min
Feb 6, 6:29 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXClay, Coosa, Talladega46 min
Feb 6, 7:05 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXCalhoun, Clay, Cleburne, Randolph, Talladega40 min
Feb 6, 7:08 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLowndes, Montgomery37 min
Feb 6, 7:25 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMontgomery50 min
Feb 6, 7:38 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXCleburne22 min
Feb 6, 7:40 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBarbour, Bullock, Elmore, Lee, Macon, Montgomery and 2 more65 min
Feb 6, 8:09 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBarbour, Bullock, Pike36 min
Feb 6, 9:13 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXRussell17 min

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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.