Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 39, NWS Huntsville, AL

May 10, 20084 counties in Alabama

NWS Huntsville, AL issued this tornado warning at May 10, 2008, 10:44 PM CDT for 4 counties in Alabama. It was in force for 61 min. 13 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
May 10, 2008, 10:44 PM CDT (03:44 UTC)
Expired
May 10, 2008, 11:45 PM CDT
In force
61 min
Issued by
NWS Huntsville, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Colbert County, AL, Lauderdale County, AL, Lawrence County, AL, Limestone County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 115 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:46 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
May 10, 11:00 PM CDTTSTM WND DMG3 W Waterloo, ALIN THE MACEDONIA COMMUNITY, TREES AND POWERLINES WERE KNOCKED DOWN BY THUNDERSTORM WINDS. POWER OUTAGES REPORTED IN THE AREA.
May 10, 11:00 PM CDTTSTM WND DMGWaterloo, ALTREES DOWN AND ROOFS BLOWN OFF BARNS ON COUNTY ROAD 14
May 10, 11:00 PM CDTTORNADO3 Ese Wright, ALEF-1 TORNADO WITH PATH LENGTH OF 1.6 MI AND MAX WIDTH OF 250 YDS NEAR AND ALONG CR 14 BETWEEN WRIGHT AND RHODESVILLE. EXTENSIVE TREE DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED WITH MANY TREES UPROOTED AND SNAPPED...AN AWNING WAS RIPPED OFF A METAL OUTBUILDING...AND AN ALL METAL BARN
May 10, 11:20 PM CDTFUNNEL CLOUD12 W Tuscumbia, ALFUNNEL CLOUD REPORTED BY PUBLIC EAST OF HIGHWAY 72 AND 247 INTERSECTION NEAR THE PRIDE COMMUNITY.
May 10, 11:22 PM CDTTSTM WND DMGTuscumbia, ALTREE DOWN AT 1ST AND JEFFERSON ST
May 10, 11:25 PM CDTFUNNEL CLOUDZip City, ALFUNNEL CLOUD REPORTED ON HIGHWAY 17 IN THE ZIP CITY COMMUNITY.
May 10, 11:26 PM CDTTSTM WND DMGTuscumbia, ALTREE DOWN AT FRANKFORT AND FLATWOOD RD
May 10, 11:28 PM CDTTSTM WND DMGTuscumbia, ALTREE DOWN AT W 3RD ST
May 10, 11:30 PM CDTTSTM WND DMGTuscumbia, ALPOWERLINES AND TREES REPORTED DOWN IN WESTERN PORTIONS OF TUSCUMBIA.
May 10, 11:35 PM CDTTSTM WND DMGSheffield, ALTREES REPORTED DOWN ON HOUSE IN THE SHEFFIELD COMMUNITY BY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS.
May 10, 11:36 PM CDTTSTM WND DMGTuscumbia, ALTREE REPORTED DOWN ON HOUSE IN NORTHWESTERN PORTION OF TUSCUMBIA.
May 10, 11:40 PM CDTTSTM WND DMGTuscumbia, ALPOWER LINES DOWN ON COVE RD
May 10, 11:49 PM CDTTSTM WND DMGTuscumbia, ALTREE DOWN AT KELLER QUARRY RD AND WALKER CAMP RD

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
May 10, 7:08 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 00:00Z, 3.7 hours before the alert went out and 179 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 00:00Z on 2008-05-11Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 85 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 00:00Z on 2008-05-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 46 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
85 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-216 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1322 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
46 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
140 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS54 KHUN 110345
TORHUN
ALC033-077-079-083-110445-
/O.NEW.KHUN.TO.W.0039.080511T0344Z-080511T0445Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1044 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  WESTERN LIMESTONE COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  COLBERT COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...TUSCUMBIA...SHEFFIELD...MUSCLE
  SHOALS...
  LAUDERDALE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...UNDERWOOD-PETERSVILLE...FLORENCE...
  NORTHERN LAWRENCE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 1145 PM CDT

* AT 1040 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 13 MILES
  NORTHWEST OF CHEROKEE...OR NEAR IUKA...MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH.

* LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO INCLUDE...
  CHEROKEE.
  UNDERWOOD-PETERSVILLE.
  KILLEN.
  TOWN CREEK.
  ROGERSVILLE.

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.

LAT...LON 3500 8697 3467 8707 3467 8710 3453 8712
      3455 8753 3457 8754 3456 8789 3458 8812
      3474 8813 3488 8810 3491 8815 3498 8815
TIME...MOT...LOC 0344Z 267DEG 56KT 3484 8811

$$
1 follow-up statement
000 
WWUS54 KHUN 110422
SVSHUN

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1121 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008

ALC033-077-079-083-110445-
/O.CON.KHUN.TO.W.0039.000000T0000Z-080511T0445Z/
LAUDERDALE AL-LIMESTONE AL-COLBERT AL-LAWRENCE AL-
1121 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1145 PM CDT FOR NORTHERN
LAWRENCE...COLBERT...WESTERN LIMESTONE AND LAUDERDALE COUNTIES...

AT 1117 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR TUSCUMBIA...MOVING 
EAST AT 55 MPH.

DAMAGE HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE WATERLOO AREA IN LAUDERDALE COUNTY.

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.

LAT...LON 3500 8697 3467 8707 3467 8710 3464 8711
      3453 8712 3455 8753 3457 8754 3458 8812
      3471 8811 3476 8799 3498 8798
TIME...MOT...LOC 0421Z 268DEG 57KT 3473 8764

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 10, 10:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNFranklin, Lawrence55 min
May 10, 11:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNJackson23 min
May 10, 11:44 PM CDTTornado WarningHUNLauderdale, Limestone, Madison46 min
May 10, 11:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNFranklin, Lawrence, Limestone, Morgan42 min
May 11, 12:04 AM CDTTornado WarningHUNCullman41 min
May 11, 12:27 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNJackson, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, Morgan63 min
May 11, 12:40 AM CDTTornado WarningHUNCullman35 min
May 11, 12:45 AM CDTTornado WarningHUNMadison, Marshall, Morgan27 min
May 11, 1:08 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNDeKalb, Marshall32 min
May 11, 4:44 AM CDTWind AdvisoryHUNColbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale and 5 more14 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.