Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 53, NWS Mobile, AL

April 18, 2008Washington County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this tornado warning at Apr 18, 2008, 7:55 PM CDT for Washington County, Alabama. It was in force for 50 min. 1 report 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 18, 2008, 7:55 PM CDT (00:55 UTC)
Expired: Apr 18, 2008, 8:45 PM CDT
In force: 50 min
Issued by: NWS Mobile, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Washington County, AL

The radar

The Mobile radar (KMOB), 77 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:56 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 18, 8:15 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	1 Se Fruitdale, AL	TWO PINE TREES WERE SNAPPED ALONG US HIGHWAY 45 SOUTH OF FRUITDALE. TIME ESTIMATED.

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 18, 6:43 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Slidell Radar S, LA (KSIL), launched 00:00Z, 0.9 hours before the alert went out and 190 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: 695 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -12 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 712 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 56 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 396 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 515 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.8
Supercell composite: 9.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS54 KMOB 190057
TORMOB
ALC129-190145-
/O.NEW.KMOB.TO.W.0053.080419T0055Z-080419T0145Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
755 PM CDT FRI APR 18 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOBILE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL WASHINGTON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF CHATOM...

* UNTIL 845 PM CDT

* AT 752 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGIST DETECTED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 11 MILES WEST OF
  FRUITDALE...OR ABOUT 11 MILES NORTH OF LEAKESVILLE...MOVING EAST AT
  30 MPH. THIS STORM IS ALSO CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE     
  HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  FRUITDALE AND YELLOW PINE BY 810 PM CDT...
  ESCATAWPA BY 815 PM CDT...
  TIBBIE AND 6 MILES SOUTH OF CHATOM BY 830 PM CDT...
  SEABOARD BY 835 PM CDT...
  HAWTHORN...SUNFLOWER AND 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WAGARVILLE BY 845 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 TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT SATURDAY MORNING
FOR SOUTHWESTERN ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA.

LAT...LON 3154 8801 3127 8797 3127 8798 3124 8796
      3122 8844 3140 8844 3141 8846 3145 8846
TIME...MOT...LOC 0055Z 258DEG 29KT 3132 8857

$$

2 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS54 KMOB 190113
SVSMOB

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
811 PM CDT FRI APR 18 2008

ALC129-190145-
/O.CON.KMOB.TO.W.0053.000000T0000Z-080419T0145Z/
WASHINGTON AL-
811 PM CDT FRI APR 18 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 845 PM CDT FOR CENTRAL
WASHINGTON COUNTY...

AT 809 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A ROTATING WALL 
CLOUD WITH THIS STORM IN GREENE COUNTY MISSISSIPPI. THIS POSSIBLE 
TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR FRUITDALE...OR ABOUT 14 MILES SOUTHWEST OF 
CHATOM...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  TIBBIE AND 7 MILES SOUTH OF CHATOM BY 830 PM CDT...
  SEABOARD AND 6 MILES NORTH OF TOPTON BY 835 PM CDT...
  HAWTHORN BY 840 PM CDT...
  SUNFLOWER...WAGARVILLE...6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CORTELUOU AND 6 MILES
  NORTHWEST OF TOINETTE BY 845 PM CDT...

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING UP 
TO BASEBALL SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS IN EXCESS 
OF 70 MPH. WINDS IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THIS 
STORM IN GREENE COUNTY.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FRIDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI. A TORNADO WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT
UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT SATURDAY MORNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN ALABAMA AND
NORTHWEST FLORIDA.

LAT...LON 3154 8801 3127 8797 3127 8798 3124 8796
      3124 8843 3140 8844 3141 8846 3145 8846
TIME...MOT...LOC 0111Z 258DEG 29KT 3133 8841

$$

000 
WWUS54 KMOB 190126
SVSMOB

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
825 PM CDT FRI APR 18 2008

ALC129-190145-
/O.CON.KMOB.TO.W.0053.000000T0000Z-080419T0145Z/
WASHINGTON AL-
825 PM CDT FRI APR 18 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 845 PM CDT FOR CENTRAL
WASHINGTON COUNTY...

AT 822 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR TIBBIE...OR ABOUT
9 MILES SOUTH OF CHATOM...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  SEABOARD BY 830 PM CDT...
  TOPTON BY 835 PM CDT...
  HAWTHORN BY 840 PM CDT...
  SUNFLOWER...TOINETTE...CORTELUOU AND WAGARVILLE BY 845 PM CDT...

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 
BASEBALL SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 
70 MPH. DESTRUCTIVE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH HAVE BEEN REPORTED 
WITH THIS STORM AS IT MOVED THROUGH GREENE COUNTY

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 TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FRIDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI. A TORNADO WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT
UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT SATURDAY MORNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN ALABAMA AND
NORTHWEST FLORIDA.

LAT...LON 3136 8799 3135 8798 3127 8798 3124 8796
      3124 8843 3140 8844 3141 8846 3145 8846
      3154 8801
TIME...MOT...LOC 0125Z 258DEG 29KT 3134 8825

$$

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 18, 8:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MOB	Clarke, Washington	51 min
Apr 18, 8:46 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	MOB	Washington	3 hr
Apr 18, 9:16 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MOB	Washington	44 min
Apr 18, 9:26 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MOB	Clarke, Monroe, Washington	49 min
Apr 18, 10:12 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MOB	Conecuh, Monroe	48 min
Apr 18, 10:35 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MOB	Clarke, Conecuh, Monroe	40 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.