Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 155, NWS Mobile, AL

October 8, 2008Covington County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this tornado warning at Oct 8, 2008, 12:54 AM CDT for Covington County, Alabama. 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 8, 2008, 12:54 AM CDT (05:54 UTC)
Expired
Oct 8, 2008, 1:20 AM CDT
In force
26 min
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Covington County, AL

The radar

The Eglin Afb radar (KEVX), 86 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 05:55 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Tallahassee Rgnl, FL (KTLH), launched 00:00Z, 5.9 hours before the alert went out and 228 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, Tallahassee Rgnl, FL at 00:00Z on 2008-10-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 911 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Tallahassee Rgnl, FL at 00:00Z on 2008-10-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 32 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
911 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-11 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
629 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
32 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
89 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 KMOB 080554
TORMOB
ALC039-080630-
/O.NEW.KMOB.TO.W.0155.081008T0554Z-081008T0630Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
1254 AM CDT WED OCT 8 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOBILE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTH CENTRAL COVINGTON COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF ANDALUSIA...

* UNTIL 130 AM CDT

* AT 1251 AM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 4 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
  WING...OR ABOUT 16 MILES NORTH OF CRESTVIEW...MOVING NORTH AT 21
  MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL MOVE OVER...
  RURAL SOUTHERN COVINGTON COUNTY THROUGH 110 AM CDT
  ENTER RURAL CENTRAL COVINGTON COUNTY AT 120 AM CDT

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING...PREFERABLY IN AN INTERIOR HALLWAY OR A ROOM SUCH AS
A CLOSET OR BATHROOM. IF POSSIBLE...GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR OTHER
PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY
AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS
STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE DAMAGING HAIL OR DAMAGING
STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

IF YOU ARE IN MOBILE HOME...EVACUATE IT AND GET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF A NEARBY STURDY BUILDING OR IN AN UNDERGROUND STORM SHELTER. IF NO
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER IS AVAILABLE AND A TORNADO IS FAST APPROACHING...
SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH OR LOW DEPRESSION AND COVER YOUR
HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

LAT...LON 3099 8651 3100 8662 3135 8663 3133 8638
TIME...MOT...LOC 0551Z 187DEG 18KT 3100 8655

$$

PURDY
2 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS54 KMOB 080607
SVSMOB

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
107 AM CDT WED OCT 8 2008

ALC039-080630-
/O.CON.KMOB.TO.W.0155.000000T0000Z-081008T0630Z/
COVINGTON AL-
107 AM CDT WED OCT 8 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 130 AM CDT FOR CENTRAL
COVINGTON COUNTY...

AT 107 AM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONTINUED TO INDICATE A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS
11 MILES SOUTH OF CAROLINA...OR ABOUT 16 MILES SOUTH OF ANDALUSIA...
MOVING NORTH AT 23 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
LIBERTYVILLE AND BECK

IF YOU ARE IN MOBILE HOME...EVACUATE IT AND GET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF A NEARBY STURDY BUILDING OR IN AN UNDERGROUND STORM SHELTER. IF NO
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER IS AVAILABLE AND A TORNADO IS FAST APPROACHING...
SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH OR LOW DEPRESSION AND COVER YOUR
HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

LAT...LON 3106 8651 3106 8657 3134 8661 3134 8649
      3134 8648 3134 8642 3133 8641 3132 8641
TIME...MOT...LOC 0607Z 188DEG 20KT 3110 8654

$$

PURDY
000 
WWUS54 KMOB 080620
SVSMOB

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
120 AM CDT WED OCT 8 2008

ALC039-080630-
/O.CAN.KMOB.TO.W.0155.000000T0000Z-081008T0630Z/
COVINGTON AL-
120 AM CDT WED OCT 8 2008

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CENTRAL COVINGTON COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

LAT...LON 3106 8651 3106 8657 3134 8661 3134 8649
      3134 8648 3134 8642 3133 8641 3132 8641
TIME...MOT...LOC 0620Z 188DEG 20KT 3117 8653

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 8, 9:35 AM CDTTornado WarningMOBCovington25 min
Oct 8, 10:00 AM CDTTornado WarningMOBCovington45 min
Oct 8, 10:32 AM CDTTornado WarningMOBCovington58 min
Oct 8, 11:03 AM CDTTornado WarningMOBCovington28 min
Oct 8, 11:03 AM CDTTornado WarningMOBCovington31 min
Oct 8, 11:40 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningMOB80 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.