Alert archive / Maine / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Caribou, ME

May 31, 2009Aroostook County, Maine

NWS Caribou, ME issued this tornado warning at May 31, 2009, 5:25 PM EDT for Aroostook County, Maine. It was in force for 35 min. 19 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 31, 2009, 5:25 PM EDT (21:25 UTC)
Expired: May 31, 2009, 6:00 PM EDT
In force: 35 min
Issued by: NWS Caribou, ME
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Aroostook County, ME

The radar

The Caribou radar (KCBW), 61 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:28 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 31, 5:29 PM EDT	TORNADO 0	5 Sw Westfield, ME	NUMEROUS TREES BLOWN DOWN AROUND AND ATOP CAMP. CONFIRMED BY MAINE FOREST SERVICE AERIAL SURVEY.
May 31, 5:33 PM EDT	TORNADO 0	3 Wsw Westfield, ME	NUMEROUS TREES DOWN ALONG SIMPSON ROAD NEAR CAMPGROUND. CONFIRMED BY NWS STORM SURVEY AND MAINE FOREST SERVICE AERIAL SURVEY.
May 31, 5:35 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	3 Wsw Westfield, ME	NUMEROUS TREES DOWN 1.3 MILES WEST OF SIMPSON RD/SHOREY RD INTERSECTION.
May 31, 5:37 PM EDT	TORNADO 0	3 Wsw Westfield, ME	HUNDREDS OF TREES BLOWN DOWN AND/OR SNAPPED OFF NEAR TWO HOMES ON SIMPSON ROAD. HEAVY RAIN AND QUARTER SIZED HAIL ALSO REPORTED.
May 31, 5:37 PM EDT	TORNADO 0	5 Wsw Westfield, ME	MANY TREES DOWN ON SHOREY RD. SMALL FIRES ON POWER POLES. CONFIRMED BY NWS STORM SURVEY.
May 31, 5:37 PM EDT	TORNADO 0	6 Ssw Easton, ME	ROOF OFF GARAGE ON SHOREY RD. CONFIRMED BY NWS STORM SURVEY.
May 31, 5:42 PM EDT	TORNADO 0	3 Ssw Easton, ME	LARGE TREES DOWN ON EGYPT RD. STORAGE BUILDING BLOWN OFF FOUNDATAION. CONFIRMED BY MAINE FOREST SERVICE AERIAL SURVEY.
May 31, 5:45 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Westfield, ME	MANY TREES DOWN ON SHOREY RD
May 31, 5:45 PM EDT	HAIL 1	2 Nne Westfield, ME
May 31, 5:46 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	1 S Easton, ME	LARGE TREE SNAPPED OFF 10 FEET ABOVE GROUND ON WEST RIDGE ROAD.
May 31, 5:46 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	1 Se Easton, ME	SEVERAL TREES BLOWN DOWN ON BANGOR ROAD. SOME OUTBUILDINGS DAMAGED BY FALLING TREES.
May 31, 5:46 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	2 S Easton, ME	LARGE TREE DOWN ON WEST RIDGE ROAD.
May 31, 5:46 PM EDT	TORNADO 0	2 S Easton, ME	SEVERAL LARGE TREES BLOWN DOWN ON GETCHEL STREET. ONE TREE DESTROYED GARAGE/OUTBUILDING. SMALL STORAGE SHED BLOWN OFF FOUNDATAION.
May 31, 5:50 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Westfield, ME	ROOF OFF GARAGE ON SHOREY RD
May 31, 5:51 PM EDT	TORNADO 0	3 Ene Easton, ME	MANY TREES DOWN NEAR ROUTE 1A AT HENDERSON ROAD. CONFIRMED BY NWS STORM SURVEY.
May 31, 5:55 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	2 Nne Westfield, ME	LARGE TREES DOWN ON EGYPT RD
May 31, 5:55 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Easton, ME	MANY TREES DOWN ON 1A JUST SOUTH OF EASTON CENTER
May 31, 5:57 PM EDT	TORNADO 0	5 Ene Easton, ME	TORNADO DAMAGE IN THE CHUTE AREA OF EASTON. SEVERAL WITNESSES REPORT MERGING FUNNEL CLOUDS REACHING THE GROUND AND DEBRIS BEING LIFTED INTO THE SKY. NUMEROUS TREES KNOCKED DOWN, WITH A FEW SNAPPED OFF AT 10-15 FEET. METAL ROOF PEALED OFF DAIRY BARN AND BARN DO
May 31, 6:01 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Easton, ME	MANY TREES DOWN ON 1A JUST SOUTH OF EASTON CENTER

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

The nearest sounding before it

Caribou, ME (KCAR), launched 12:00Z, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 33 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 1068 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 8 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 76 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 KCAR 312125
TORCAR
MEC003-312200-
/O.NEW.KCAR.TO.W.0002.090531T2125Z-090531T2200Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
525 PM EDT SUN MAY 31 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CARIBOU MAINE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  EAST CENTRAL AROOSTOOK COUNTY IN NORTHERN MAINE...

* UNTIL 600 PM EDT

* AT 525 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 11 MILES WEST OF
  MARS HILL...OR 14 MILES SOUTH OF PRESQUE ISLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT
  35 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  MARS HILL BY 540 PM EDT...
  EASTON BY 545 PM EDT...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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 REPORT SEVERE WEATHER BY CONTACTING YOUR NEAREST LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AND ASK THEM TO RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE.

&&

LAT...LON 4650 6777 4641 6813 4650 6820 4679 6779
      4679 6778
TIME...MOT...LOC 2125Z 240DEG 30KT 4649 6808

$$

WALKER

2 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS51 KCAR 312139
SVSCAR

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
539 PM EDT SUN MAY 31 2009

MEC003-312200-
/O.CON.KCAR.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-090531T2200Z/
AROOSTOOK ME-
539 PM EDT SUN MAY 31 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM EDT FOR EAST
CENTRAL AROOSTOOK COUNTY...

AT 538 PM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG ROTATION.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED
NEAR WESTFIELD...OR 10 MILES SOUTH OF PRESQUE ISLE...MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 35 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  WESTFIELD BY 540 PM EDT...
  EASTON BY 545 PM EDT...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

PLEASE REPORT SEVERE WEATHER BY CONTACTING YOUR NEAREST LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AND ASK THEM TO RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE.

&&

LAT...LON 4650 6777 4646 6797 4660 6806 4679 6779
      4679 6778
TIME...MOT...LOC 2138Z 240DEG 30KT 4654 6794

$$

WALKER

000 
WWUS51 KCAR 312159
SVSCAR

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
559 PM EDT SUN MAY 31 2009

MEC003-312207-
/O.EXP.KCAR.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-090531T2200Z/
AROOSTOOK ME-
559 PM EDT SUN MAY 31 2009

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL AROOSTOOK COUNTY WILL EXPIRE
AT 600 PM EDT...

DOPPLER INDICATED TORNADO WILL EXIT MAINE INTO CANADA APPROXIMATELY 
5 MILES SOUTH OF FORT FAIRFIELD NEAR 600 PM EST. PLEASE REPORT 
SEVERE WEATHER BY CONTACTING YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AND 
ASK THEM TO RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE 
FORECAST OFFICE.

LAT...LON 4650 6777 4646 6797 4660 6806 4679 6779
      4679 6778
TIME...MOT...LOC 2157Z 221DEG 33KT 4671 6779

$$

WALKER

The office that day

Everything else NWS Caribou, ME issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 31, 3:59 AM EDT	Small Craft Advisory	CAR		35 hr
May 31, 2:32 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAR	Piscataquis, Somerset	43 min
May 31, 3:18 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAR	Aroostook, Piscataquis, Somerset	42 min
May 31, 4:01 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAR	Aroostook, Penobscot, Piscataquis	44 min
May 31, 4:38 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	CAR	Aroostook, Penobscot	37 min
May 31, 4:48 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAR	Aroostook, Penobscot	27 min
May 31, 5:15 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAR	Aroostook	45 min
May 31, 6:02 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAR	Aroostook	19 min
May 31, 6:19 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	CAR	Aroostook	3 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Maine, 2009 Every tornado warning in 2009 Tornadoes in 2009

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.