Alert archive / New York / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 7, NWS New York, NY

August 15, 2008Bronx County, New York County, New York; Bergen County, New Jersey

NWS New York, NY issued this tornado warning at Aug 15, 2008, 5:16 PM EDT for Bronx County, New York County, New York; Bergen County, New Jersey. It was in force for 29 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
Aug 15, 2008, 5:16 PM EDT (21:16 UTC)
Expired
Aug 15, 2008, 5:45 PM EDT
In force
29 min
Issued by
NWS New York, NY
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Bergen County, NJ, Bronx County, NY, New York County, NY

The radar

The Brookhaven radar (KOKX), 86 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:20 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
Aug 15, 5:30 PM EDTHAIL 0.75Woodlawn, NYPENNY SIZE HAIL.
Aug 15, 5:42 PM EDTTSTM WND GST 712 Sw Pelham Manor, NYCARDINAL SPELLMAN HIGH SCHOOL.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Brookhaven, NY (KOKX), launched 12:00Z, 9.3 hours before the alert went out and 86 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, Brookhaven, NY at 12:00Z on 2008-08-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 192 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, Brookhaven, NY at 12:00Z on 2008-08-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 54 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
192 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-27 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
694 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
54 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
91 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 
WFUS51 KOKX 152116
TOROKX
NJC003-NYC005-061-152145-
/O.NEW.KOKX.TO.W.0007.080815T2116Z-080815T2145Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE UPTON NY
516 PM EDT FRI AUG 15 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN UPTON NY HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NEW YORK (MANHATTAN) COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST NEW YORK...
  BRONX COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST NEW YORK...
  EASTERN BERGEN COUNTY IN NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY...

* UNTIL 545 PM EDT...

* AT 515 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR
  ENGLEWOOD...OR NEAR BERGENFIELD...MOVING EAST AT 19 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  RIVERDALE BY 525 PM...
  EAST TREMONT BY 530 PM...
  CO-OP CITY AND CITY ISLAND BY 540 PM...

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
QUARTER SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

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 4094 7404 4097 7390 4093 7390 4091 7386
      4091 7384 4089 7383 4089 7379 4086 7379
      4086 7380 4083 7379 4083 7406
TIME...MOT...LOC 2116Z 268DEG 16KT 4090 7396

$$

BAS
1 follow-up statement
000 
WWUS51 KOKX 152138
SVSOKX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE UPTON NY
538 PM EDT FRI AUG 15 2008

NJC003-NYC061-152148-
/O.CAN.KOKX.TO.W.0007.000000T0000Z-080815T2145Z/
BERGEN NJ-NEW YORK (MANHATTAN) NY-
538 PM EDT FRI AUG 15 2008

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NEW YORK (MANHATTAN) AND EAST CENTRAL
BERGEN COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

THE THUNDERSTORM HAS MOVED OUT OF MANHATTAN AND BERGEN COUNTY NEW 
JERSEY.

LAT...LON 4089 7391 4093 7391 4092 7389 4091 7388
      4091 7384 4089 7383 4087 7385
TIME...MOT...LOC 2138Z 268DEG 16KT 4088 7383

$$

NYC005-152145-
/O.CON.KOKX.TO.W.0007.000000T0000Z-080815T2145Z/
BRONX NY-
538 PM EDT FRI AUG 15 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 545 PM EDT FOR BRONX
COUNTY...

AT 534 PM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG ROTATION.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED
NEAR WOODLAWN...OR NEAR EAST TREMONT...MOVING EAST AT 18 MPH.

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 4089 7391 4093 7391 4092 7389 4091 7388
      4091 7384 4089 7383 4087 7385
TIME...MOT...LOC 2138Z 268DEG 16KT 4088 7383

$$

BAS

The office that day

Everything else NWS New York, NY issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 15, 2:02 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningOKXNassau109 min
Aug 15, 2:06 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningOKXSuffolk114 min
Aug 15, 2:18 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningOKXNassau, Suffolk104 min
Aug 15, 2:44 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningOKXSuffolk2 hr
Aug 15, 2:47 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningOKX43 min
Aug 15, 2:56 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOKXSuffolk49 min
Aug 15, 4:28 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOKXRockland47 min
Aug 15, 4:43 PM EDTTornado WarningOKXRockland32 min
Aug 15, 4:57 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningOKXOrange, Putnam, Rockland, Westchester2 hr
Aug 15, 5:06 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOKXRockland, Westchester39 min
Aug 15, 5:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOKXBronx, New York, Westchester52 min
Aug 15, 5:13 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningOKXBronx, New York2 hr
Aug 15, 5:23 PM EDTTornado WarningOKXWestchester37 min
Aug 15, 5:26 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningOKX64 min
Aug 15, 5:46 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOKXBronx, Nassau, Suffolk44 min
Aug 15, 5:50 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningOKXBronx, Nassau, Queens, Westchester115 min
Aug 15, 6:26 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOKXNassau, Suffolk49 min
Aug 15, 6:36 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningOKXSuffolk99 min
Aug 15, 6:43 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningOKX2 hr
Aug 15, 7:08 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryOKXKings, Nassau, Queens, Richmond82 min
Aug 15, 4:30 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningOKXBergen, Passaic2 hr
Aug 15, 6:20 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningOKXEssex, Union115 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in New York, 2008Tornado Warnings in New Jersey, 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.