Alert archive / Virginia / Tornado Warnings in 2008
Tornado Warning 4, NWS Blacksburg, VA
NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this tornado warning at May 8, 2008, 7:38 PM EDT for Franklin County, Henry County, Patrick County, Virginia. It was in force for 67 min. 3 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, 7:38 PM EDT (23:38 UTC)
- Expired
- May 8, 2008, 8:45 PM EDT
- In force
- 67 min
- Issued by
- NWS Blacksburg, VA
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
Counties Franklin County, VA, Henry County, VA, Patrick County, VA
The radar
The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 32 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:39 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, 7:57 PM EDT | HAIL 0.75 | 1 W Philpott Dam, VA | |
| May 8, 8:00 PM EDT | TORNADO | 1 N Figsboro, VA | EF1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NORTH OF FIGSBORO NEAR STATE ROUTE 886 IN HENRY COUNTY AND MOVED NORTH FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE INTO FRANKLIN COUNTY BEFORE LIFTING NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF STATE ROUTE 618 AND STATE ROUTE 632. THE MAXIMUM WIDTH OF THE TORNADO WAS 75 Y |
| May 8, 8:45 PM EDT | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Sw Snow Creek, VA | TREES DOWN ON HOUSE ON RT 618 AND 632 MUDDY FORK RD |
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 12:00Z, 11.6 hours before the alert went out and 68 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 29 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -92 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 977 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 47 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 182 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 200 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 WFUS51 KRNK 082338 TORRNK VAC067-089-141-090045- /O.NEW.KRNK.TO.W.0004.080508T2338Z-080509T0045Z/ BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 738 PM EDT THU MAY 8 2008 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO WARNING FOR... NORTHEASTERN PATRICK COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA SOUTHWESTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA NORTHWESTERN HENRY COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA * UNTIL 845 PM EDT. * AT 735 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR CRITZ...OR NEAR STUART...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 29 MPH. * LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... CRITZ... SANVILLE... PHILPOTT DAM... BASSETT... OAK LEVEL... IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR...IT MEANS THAT STRONG ROTATION HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A TORNADO MAY ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND...OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM...MOVE INDOORS AND TO THE LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF DRIVING...DO NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS. 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 3692 8005 3680 7975 3663 8015 3667 8030 TIME...MOT...LOC 2338Z 230DEG 25KT 3667 8018 $$ WP
2 follow-up statements
000 WWUS51 KRNK 082350 SVSRNK SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 750 PM EDT THU MAY 8 2008 VAC067-089-141-090045- /O.CON.KRNK.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-080509T0045Z/ PATRICK VA-FRANKLIN VA-HENRY VA- 750 PM EDT THU MAY 8 2008 ...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 845 PM EDT FOR NORTHWESTERN HENRY...SOUTHERN FRANKLIN AND NORTHEASTERN PATRICK COUNTIES... AT 747 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR SANVILLE...OR 9 MILES NORTHWEST OF SPENCER...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 24 MPH. THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR... SANVILLE BY 755 PM EDT... PHILPOTT DAM AND FAIRY STONE STATE PARK BY 805 PM EDT... BASSETT AND STANLEYTOWN BY 810 PM EDT... OAK LEVEL BY 820 PM EDT... FIGSBORO BY 825 PM EDT... IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A STURDY SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS. THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS. LAT...LON 3692 8005 3680 7975 3668 8010 3672 8018 TIME...MOT...LOC 2350Z 230DEG 20KT 3671 8011 $$ WP
000 WWUS51 KRNK 090038 SVSRNK SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 838 PM EDT THU MAY 8 2008 VAC067-089-141-090048- /O.EXP.KRNK.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-080509T0045Z/ PATRICK VA-FRANKLIN VA-HENRY VA- 838 PM EDT THU MAY 8 2008 ...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN HENRY...SOUTHERN FRANKLIN AND NORTHEASTERN PATRICK COUNTIES EXPIRES AT 845 PM EDT... AT 838 PM...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THAT INDICATED AT TORNADO HAD MOVED NORTHEAST INTO EASTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY. TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...PLEASE CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG AT...1...8 6 6...2 1 5...4 3 2 4. LAT...LON 3692 8005 3680 7975 3668 8010 3672 8018 TIME...MOT...LOC 0038Z 230DEG 20KT 3688 7985 $$ WP
The office that day
Everything else NWS Blacksburg, VA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 6:42 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Bland, Giles | 63 min |
| May 8, 7:21 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Giles | 54 min |
| May 8, 7:27 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Franklin, Henry, Patrick, City of Martinsville | 63 min |
| May 8, 7:34 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Buckingham | 41 min |
| May 8, 7:40 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Craig, Giles, Montgomery, City of Radford | 65 min |
| May 8, 7:42 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Montgomery, Pulaski, City of Radford | 63 min |
| May 8, 7:43 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Carroll, Patrick | 62 min |
| May 8, 7:57 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | RNK | Franklin, Pittsylvania | 48 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Virginia, 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.