Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 13, NWS St. Louis, MO

May 8, 2009Randolph County, Illinois

NWS St. Louis, MO issued this tornado warning at May 8, 2009, 10:52 AM CDT for Randolph County, Illinois. It was in force for 38 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
May 8, 2009, 10:52 AM CDT (15:52 UTC)
Expired
May 8, 2009, 11:30 AM CDT
In force
38 min
Issued by
NWS St. Louis, MO
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Randolph County, IL

The radar

The St Louis radar (KLSX), 113 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 15:51 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
May 8, 11:13 AM CDTTSTM WND DMG2 W Steeleville, ILTWO LARGE TREES BLOWN DOWN AT THE INTERSECTION OF IL ROUTE 4 AND IL ROUTE 150.

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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 8, 9:21 AM CDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 12:00Z, 3.9 hours before the alert went out and 268 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, Lincoln, IL at 12:00Z on 2009-05-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 185 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, Lincoln, IL at 12:00Z on 2009-05-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -29 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 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
185 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-46 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
627 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
56 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-29 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
65 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS53 KLSX 081552
TORLSX
ILC157-081630-
/O.NEW.KLSX.TO.W.0013.090508T1552Z-090508T1630Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
1052 AM CDT FRI MAY 8 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ST LOUIS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN RANDOLPH COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS...

* UNTIL 1130 AM CDT

* AT 1053 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS
  STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR CHESTER...AND MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  CHESTER...BREMEN...STEELEVILLE...PERCY...NEW PALESTINE...
  ROCKWOOD...BLAIR AND WELGE.

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.

&&

LAT...LON 3796 8960 3782 8968 3783 8972 3790 8985
      3787 8990 3788 8994 3794 8997 3796 8996
      3796 8998 3803 9002 3812 8961
TIME...MOT...LOC 1553Z 260DEG 28KT 3794 8988

$$

TRUETT
2 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS53 KLSX 081620
SVSLSX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
1120 AM CDT FRI MAY 8 2009

ILC157-081630-
/O.CON.KLSX.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-090508T1630Z/
RANDOLPH IL-
1120 AM CDT FRI MAY 8 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1130 AM CDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN RANDOLPH COUNTY...

AT 1114 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR WELGE...OR 9 MILES
EAST OF CHESTER...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

THERE HAS BEEN AN UNCONFIRMED REPORT THAT A TORNADO OCCURRED WITH 
THIS STORM NEAR CHESTER AT APPROXIMATELY 11 AM.  

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF A STEELEVILLE...PERCY LINE. 

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 3796 8960 3782 8968 3806 8987 3812 8961
TIME...MOT...LOC 1618Z 260DEG 28KT 3797 8964

$$

TRUETT
000 
WWUS53 KLSX 081630
SVSLSX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
1130 AM CDT FRI MAY 8 2009

ILC157-081640-
/O.EXP.KLSX.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-090508T1630Z/
RANDOLPH IL-
1130 AM CDT FRI MAY 8 2009

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN RANDOLPH COUNTY EXPIRED AT
1130 AM CDT...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT OF THE WARNED
AREA.

ADDITIONAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE...AND A TORNADO 
WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4PM.

LAT...LON 3796 8960 3782 8968 3806 8987 3812 8961
TIME...MOT...LOC 1630Z 260DEG 28KT 3799 8953

$$

TRUETT

The office that day

Everything else NWS St. Louis, MO issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 7, 7:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLSXAdams13 min
May 7, 10:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLSXMadison47 min
May 7, 11:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLSXRandolph14 min
May 8, 10:34 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLSXMonroe, Randolph, Saint Clair41 min
May 8, 12:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLSXRandolph50 min
May 8, 12:38 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLSXMonroe, Randolph, Saint Clair, Washington5 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Illinois, 2009Every tornado warning in 2009Tornadoes 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.