Alert archive / Virginia / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 13, NWS Blacksburg, VA

May 8, 2008Franklin County, Henry County, Pittsylvania County, Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this tornado warning at May 8, 2008, 9:25 PM EDT for Franklin County, Henry County, Pittsylvania County, Virginia. It was in force for 50 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: May 8, 2008, 9:25 PM EDT (01:25 UTC)
Expired: May 8, 2008, 10:15 PM EDT
In force: 50 min
Issued by: NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Franklin County, VA, Henry County, VA, Pittsylvania County, VA

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 46 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:25 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
May 8, 9:25 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	2 Ssw Sydnorsville, VA	TREES DOWN ON HOUSE ON MUDDYFORK ROAD WITH ROOF PARTIALLY BLOWN OFF
May 8, 9:55 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Snow Creek, VA	LARGE TREES DOWN

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
May 8, 6:48 PM EDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 00:00Z, 1.4 hours before the alert went out and 41 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: 196 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -10 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1306 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 98 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 288 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.2
Supercell composite: 1.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS51 KRNK 090124
TORRNK
VAC067-089-143-090215-
/O.NEW.KRNK.TO.W.0013.080509T0125Z-080509T0215Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
925 PM EDT THU MAY 8 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA
  NORTHERN HENRY COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA
  WEST CENTRAL PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA

* UNTIL 1015 PM EDT.

* AT 921 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR PHILPOTT
  DAM...OR NEAR BASSETT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 28 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  BASSETT...
  OAK LEVEL...
  SYDNORSVILLE...
  SONTAG...
  PENHOOK...

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.

PLEASE RELAY SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
BY CALLING TOLL FREE...1...8 6 6...2 1 5...4 3 2 4.

LAT...LON 3704 7958 3704 7956 3689 7946 3667 8004
      3678 8008 3680 8003 3682 8006 3705 7959
TIME...MOT...LOC 0125Z 240DEG 24KT 3680 7998

$$

WP

1 follow-up statement

000 
WWUS51 KRNK 090142
SVSRNK

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
941 PM EDT THU MAY 8 2008

VAC067-089-143-090215-
/O.CON.KRNK.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-080509T0215Z/
FRANKLIN VA-HENRY VA-PITTSYLVANIA VA-
941 PM EDT THU MAY 8 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1015 PM EDT FOR WESTERN
PITTSYLVANIA...NORTHERN HENRY AND SOUTHEASTERN FRANKLIN COUNTIES...

AT 938 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR OAK LEVEL...OR
NEAR SYDNORSVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 23 MPH.
ANOTHER SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO WAS 
LOCATED ABOUT 3 MILES SOUTH OF SNOW CREEK MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO SNOW
CREEK...SONTAG...SOUTHERN SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE...SAGO...PENHOOK AND
AJAX.

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 3704 7958 3704 7956 3689 7946 3667 8004
      3678 8008 3680 8003 3682 8006 3705 7959
TIME...MOT...LOC 0141Z 244DEG 20KT 3682 7987

$$

WP

The office that day

Everything else NWS Blacksburg, VA issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 8, 8:03 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Carroll, Floyd, Patrick	42 min
May 8, 8:07 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Craig	30 min
May 8, 8:20 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Patrick	40 min
May 8, 8:44 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Bedford, Campbell, Franklin, Pittsylvania	46 min
May 8, 8:45 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Franklin, Henry, Patrick	30 min
May 8, 9:02 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Amherst, Bedford, Botetourt, Roanoke, Rockbridge, City of Buena Vista and 2 more	58 min
May 8, 9:16 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Campbell, Charlotte, Halifax, Pittsylvania	59 min
May 8, 9:45 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Henry, Patrick, City of Martinsville	45 min
May 8, 9:48 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Patrick	57 min
May 8, 9:56 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Amherst	23 min
May 8, 10:14 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Pittsylvania	61 min
May 8, 10:15 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RNK	Henry, City of Martinsville	6 hr
May 8, 10:22 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Henry	53 min
May 8, 10:30 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Henry, City of Martinsville	23 min
May 8, 10:42 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RNK	Campbell, Pittsylvania	6 hr
May 8, 11:05 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Campbell, Charlotte, Halifax	55 min
May 8, 11:15 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Charlotte, Halifax, Pittsylvania	90 min
May 9, 12:22 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RNK	Franklin, Henry, Pittsylvania	6 hr
May 9, 12:39 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RNK	Appomattox, Campbell	6 hr
May 9, 12:50 AM EDT	Flash Flood Watch	RNK	Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Buckingham, Campbell, Charlotte and 8 more	4 hr
May 9, 1:14 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RNK	Henry, Patrick	6 hr
May 9, 1:54 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Charlotte, Halifax	61 min
May 9, 2:00 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RNK	Henry, Pittsylvania, City of Danville	6 hr
May 9, 3:55 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RNK	Henry, City of Martinsville	6 hr
May 9, 5:15 AM EDT	Areal Flood Warning	RNK	Campbell, Pittsylvania	5 hr
May 9, 6:09 AM EDT	Areal Flood Warning	RNK	Franklin, Henry, Pittsylvania	4 hr
May 9, 6:15 AM EDT	Areal Flood Warning	RNK	Appomattox, Campbell	4 hr
May 9, 6:45 AM EDT	Areal Flood Warning	RNK	Henry, Patrick	6 hr
May 9, 7:10 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RNK	Henry, Pittsylvania, City of Danville	6 hr
May 9, 10:04 AM EDT	River Flood Warning	RNK	Pittsylvania, City of Danville	26 hr
May 9, 10:04 AM EDT	River Flood Warning	RNK	Halifax	36 hr
May 9, 10:04 AM EDT	River Flood Warning	RNK	Halifax	54 hr
May 9, 6:14 PM EDT	River Flood Warning	RNK	Charlotte, Halifax	10 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Virginia, 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.