Alert archive / Florida / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 29, NWS Melbourne, FL

December 18, 2009Osceola County, Florida

NWS Melbourne, FL issued this tornado warning at Dec 18, 2009, 5:12 PM EST for Osceola County, Florida. It was in force for 48 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: Dec 18, 2009, 5:12 PM EST (22:12 UTC)
Expired: Dec 18, 2009, 6:00 PM EST
In force: 48 min
Issued by: NWS Melbourne, FL
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Osceola County, FL

The radar

The Melbourne radar (KMLB), 55 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:15 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
Dec 18, 5:40 PM EST	TSTM WND DMG	7 Sse Holopaw, FL	SEVERAL LARGE OAK TREES TOPPLED/SPLIT. VERY MINOR DAMAGE TO ROOF OF BARN AND ROOF VENT ON VISITOR CENTER AT FOREVER FLORIDA RANCH. SEVERAL FENCES DAMAGED. ESTIMATED 50-60 MPH WINDS.
Dec 18, 5:45 PM EST	TSTM WND DMG	7 Sse Holopaw, FL	POSSIBLE TORNADO AT FOREVER FLORIDA ECO RANCH.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Cape Canaveral, FL (KXMR), launched 12:00Z, 10.2 hours before the alert went out and 91 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: 361 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -1 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 476 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 229 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 424 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.5
Supercell composite: 3.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS52 KMLB 182212
TORMLB
FLC097-182300-
/O.NEW.KMLB.TO.W.0029.091218T2212Z-091218T2300Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
512 PM EST FRI DEC 18 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MELBOURNE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  OSCEOLA COUNTY IN FLORIDA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...LAKE MARIAN...LAKE KISSIMMEE...
  KENANSVILLE...HOLOPAW...

* UNTIL 600 PM EST.

* AT 511 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 6 MILES SOUTH OF
  LAKE KISSIMMEE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. OTHER CELLS NEAR LAKE 
  KISSIMMEE WERE ALSO INDICATING ROTATION. 

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  FOREVER FLORIDA AND DEER PARK.

THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO AT ANY TIME. PEOPLE IN
THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD ACT NOW IN ORDER TO PROTECT THEMSELVES.
DO NOT WAIT FOR THE TORNADO TO DEVELOP BEFORE ACTING...YOU MAY NOT
SEE OR HEAR ITS APPROACH. DO NOT GET CAUGHT OFF GUARD

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A STRONG BUILDING ON
THE LOWEST FLOOR...IN AN INTERIOR ROOM SUCH AS A BATHROOM OR CLOSET.
KEEP AWAY FROM WINDOWS. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF
STURDY FURNITURE. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY.

EVACUATE MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES FOR MORE SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO
SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW
SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

TORNADOES AT NIGHT ARE DIFFICULT TO SEE. WATCH FOR THE POPPING OF
ELECTRIC LINES AND TRANSFORMERS OR LISTEN FOR THE SOUND OF LOUD
RUMBLING AS THAT OF AN APPROACHING FREIGHT TRAIN. TORNADOES ARE OFTEN
ASSOCIATED WITH STORMS WHICH ALSO PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND EXCESSIVE
LIGHTNING.

&&

LAT...LON 2833 8088 2795 8087 2768 8115 2768 8116
      2772 8116 2773 8118 2777 8118 2782 8122
      2784 8124 2784 8127 2787 8131 2790 8132
      2796 8137
TIME...MOT...LOC 2211Z 220DEG 31KT 2783 8124

$$


KELLY

2 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS52 KMLB 182221
SVSMLB

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
521 PM EST FRI DEC 18 2009

FLC097-182300-
/O.CON.KMLB.TO.W.0029.000000T0000Z-091218T2300Z/
OSCEOLA-
521 PM EST FRI DEC 18 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM EST FOR OSCEOLA
COUNTY...

AT 519 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 7 MILES EAST OF LAKE
KISSIMMEE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO 
KENANSVILLE...FOREVER FLORIDA...HOLOPAW AND DEER PARK.

OTHER CELLS IN THE VICINITY EXHIBITING CIRCULATION INCLUDE JUST WEST 
OF LAKE MARION IN OSCEOLA COUNTY AND ANOTHER CELL SEVERAL MILES 
SOUTH OF LAKE MARION IN OSCEOLA COUNTY.

LAT...LON 2833 8088 2795 8087 2768 8115 2768 8116
      2772 8116 2773 8118 2777 8118 2782 8122
      2784 8124 2784 8127 2787 8131 2790 8132
      2796 8137
TIME...MOT...LOC 2220Z 220DEG 31KT 2796 8116

$$

SEDLOCK

000 
WWUS52 KMLB 182300
SVSMLB

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
600 PM EST FRI DEC 18 2009

FLC097-182310-
/O.EXP.KMLB.TO.W.0029.000000T0000Z-091218T2300Z/
OSCEOLA-
600 PM EST FRI DEC 18 2009

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR OSCEOLA COUNTY HAS EXPIRED...

THE SEVERE STORM AND TORNADO THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAD WEAKENED
AND NO LONGER APPEARED CAPABLE OF PRODUCING TORNADOES OR OTHER SEVERE
WEATHER...THUS THE WARNING HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE. HOWEVER...
HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES WILL CONTINUE TO BE
POSSIBLE.

LAT...LON 2833 8088 2795 8087 2768 8115 2768 8116
      2772 8116 2773 8118 2777 8118 2782 8122
      2784 8124 2784 8127 2787 8131 2790 8132
      2796 8137
TIME...MOT...LOC 2221Z 220DEG 31KT 2797 8115

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Melbourne, FL issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Dec 17, 8:31 PM EST	Areal Flood Warning	MLB	Saint Lucie	104 min
Dec 18, 4:28 AM EST	Tornado Warning	MLB	Brevard, Indian River	33 min
Dec 18, 4:32 AM EST	Gale Warning	MLB		23 hr
Dec 18, 4:32 AM EST	Small Craft Advisory	MLB		71 hr
Dec 18, 4:35 AM EST	Lake Wind Advisory	MLB	Lake, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Volusia	13 hr
Dec 18, 5:00 AM EST	Special Marine Warning	MLB		2 hr
Dec 18, 5:37 AM EST	Tornado Warning	MLB	Brevard	24 min
Dec 18, 6:58 AM EST	Special Marine Warning	MLB		2 hr
Dec 18, 7:47 AM EST	Special Marine Warning	MLB		118 min
Dec 18, 8:56 AM EST	Special Marine Warning	MLB		2 hr
Dec 18, 9:41 AM EST	Special Marine Warning	MLB		2 hr
Dec 18, 6:11 PM EST	Special Marine Warning	MLB		79 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Florida, 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.