Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 50, NWS Mobile, AL

April 11, 2008Choctaw County, Washington County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this tornado warning at Apr 11, 2008, 5:15 PM CDT for Choctaw County, Washington County, Alabama. It was in force for 30 min. 2 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: Apr 11, 2008, 5:15 PM CDT (22:15 UTC)
Expired: Apr 11, 2008, 5:45 PM CDT
In force: 30 min
Issued by: NWS Mobile, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Choctaw County, AL, Washington County, AL

The radar

The Mobile radar (KMOB), 121 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:18 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
Apr 11, 5:18 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	2 N Millry, AL	TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN BETWEEN MILLARY AND SILAS.
Apr 11, 5:30 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	Bladon Springs, AL	NUMEROUS TREES DOWN ACROSS CR-6 NEAR ENTRANCE TO BLADON SPRINGS PARK. ALSO POWER LINES DOWN IN BLADON SPRINGS.

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
Apr 11, 3:07 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Jackson, MS (KJAN), launched 12:00Z, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 188 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: 1611 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -1 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 542 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 55 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 332 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 358 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 3.5
Supercell composite: 13.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS54 KMOB 112216
TORMOB
ALC023-129-112245-
/O.NEW.KMOB.TO.W.0050.080411T2215Z-080411T2245Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
515 PM CDT FRI APR 11 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOBILE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTH CENTRAL CHOCTAW COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...
  NORTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 545 PM CDT

* AT 514 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A WALL CLOUD     
  EAST OF AQUILA...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.  DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUES   
  TO SHOW A DEEP CIRCULATION IN THIS STORM. 

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  KOENTON BY 520 PM CDT...
  BLADON SPRINGS BY 525 PM CDT...
  BLADON SPRINGS...SILVER CROSS...8 MILES NORTH OF BIGBEE AND 9 MILES
  SOUTH OF WOMACK HILL BY 530 PM CDT...
  SERVICE AND FRANKVILLE BY 535 PM 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.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT FRIDAY
EVENING FOR SOUTHWESTERN ALABAMA AND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI.

LAT...LON 3186 8818 3184 8816 3182 8818 3178 8817
      3176 8814 3176 8810 3160 8807 3161 8842
      3175 8840
TIME...MOT...LOC 2215Z 268DEG 26KT 3172 8831

$$

2 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS54 KMOB 112230
SVSMOB

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
528 PM CDT FRI APR 11 2008

ALC023-129-112245-
/O.CON.KMOB.TO.W.0050.000000T0000Z-080411T2245Z/
WASHINGTON AL-CHOCTAW AL-
528 PM CDT FRI APR 11 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 545 PM CDT FOR SOUTH
CENTRAL CHOCTAW AND NORTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON COUNTIES...

AT 526 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A POSSIBLE TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED JUST EAST OF 
CULLOMBURG NEAR BLADON SPRINGS...AND WAS MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL PASS BETWEEN BLADON SPRINGS AND SILVER CROSS WHILE 
PASING OVER RURAL AREAS OF SOUTHEASTERN CHOCTAW AND RURAL NORTHERN 
WASHINGTON COUNTIES THROUGH 540 PM CDT.  TREES AND POWERLINES HAVE 
BEEN REPORTED DOWN ALONG THIS PATH. 

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
STURDY SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE NEAREST
DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

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.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT FRIDAY
EVENING FOR SOUTHWESTERN ALABAMA AND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI.

LAT...LON 3181 8819 3179 8817 3176 8814 3176 8810
      3160 8807 3164 8829 3175 8828
TIME...MOT...LOC 2228Z 266DEG 34KT 3171 8818

$$

000 
WWUS54 KMOB 112242
SVSMOB

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
542 PM CDT FRI APR 11 2008

ALC023-129-112252-
/O.EXP.KMOB.TO.W.0050.000000T0000Z-080411T2245Z/
WASHINGTON AL-CHOCTAW AL-
542 PM CDT FRI APR 11 2008

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL CHOCTAW AND NORTH CENTRAL 
WASHINGTON COUNTIES WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 545 PM CDT...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT FRIDAY
EVENING FOR SOUTHWESTERN ALABAMA AND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI.

LAT...LON 3181 8819 3179 8817 3176 8814 3176 8810
      3160 8807 3164 8829 3175 8828
TIME...MOT...LOC 2242Z 266DEG 34KT 3170 8814

$$

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 11, 11:45 AM CDT	Flash Flood Watch	MOB	Covington, Escambia	11 hr
Apr 11, 2:07 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MOB	Choctaw, Clarke	38 min
Apr 11, 4:22 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	MOB	Choctaw, Washington	53 min
Apr 11, 4:53 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MOB	Choctaw, Clarke, Washington	52 min
Apr 11, 5:34 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	MOB	Clarke	41 min
Apr 11, 5:52 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	MOB	Choctaw, Clarke, Washington	113 min
Apr 11, 6:09 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MOB	Choctaw	27 min

Nearby

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