Alert archive / Florida / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 28, NWS Mobile, AL

March 31, 2009Escambia County, Florida

NWS Mobile, AL issued this tornado warning at Mar 31, 2009, 5:39 PM CDT for Escambia County, Florida. It was in force for 20 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: Mar 31, 2009, 5:39 PM CDT (22:39 UTC)
Expired: Mar 31, 2009, 5:59 PM CDT
In force: 20 min
Issued by: NWS Mobile, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Escambia County, FL

The radar

The Mobile radar (KMOB), 97 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:39 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
Mar 31, 5:46 PM CDT	FUNNEL CLOUD	1 W Ensley, FL	LARGE FUNNEL CLOUD VERY CLOSE TO GROUND MOVED OVER I-10 JUST WEST OF ENSLEY AND CONTINUED NE AT 26 MPH TOWARD PACE.

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
Mar 31, 1:05 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Slidell Radar S, LA (KSIL), launched 12:00Z, 10.7 hours before the alert went out and 238 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: 377 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -94 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 522 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 54 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 287 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 408 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 4.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS54 KMOB 312239
TORMOB
FLC033-312330-
/O.NEW.KMOB.TO.W.0028.090331T2239Z-090331T2330Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
539 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOBILE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL ESCAMBIA COUNTY IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA...

* UNTIL 630 PM CDT

* AT 533 PM CDT...A METEOROLOGIST NEAR BEULAH FLORIDA REPORTED A 
FUNNEL CLOUD NEAR BEULAH...NEAR THE LANDFILL...AND WAS MOVING EAST 
AT 40 MPH.

* THE  TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  RURAL EASTERN ESCAMBIA COUNTY AT 550 PM CDT

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING...PREFERABLY IN AN INTERIOR HALLWAY OR A ROOM SUCH AS
A CLOSET OR BATHROOM. IF POSSIBLE...GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR OTHER
PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY
AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS
STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE DAMAGING HAIL OR DAMAGING
STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

IF YOU ARE IN MOBILE HOME...EVACUATE IT AND GET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF A NEARBY STURDY BUILDING OR IN AN UNDERGROUND STORM SHELTER. IF NO
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER IS AVAILABLE AND A TORNADO IS FAST APPROACHING...
SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH OR LOW DEPRESSION AND COVER YOUR
HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT
TUESDAY EVENING FOR SOUTHWESTERN ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA AND
SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI.

LAT...LON 3055 8738 3060 8724 3059 8723 3056 8721
      3057 8717 3054 8717 3052 8714 3050 8714
      3048 8736
TIME...MOT...LOC 2238Z 252DEG 34KT 3053 8730

$$

2 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS54 KMOB 312252
SVSMOB

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
552 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2009

FLC033-312330-
/O.CON.KMOB.TO.W.0028.000000T0000Z-090331T2330Z/
ESCAMBIA FL-
550 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 630 PM CDT FOR EAST
CENTRAL ESCAMBIA COUNTY...

AT 548 PM CDT...NWS DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO OVER 
EAST CENTRAL ESCAMBIA COUNTY...OR ABOUT 9 MILES NORTH OF 
PENSACOLA...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

BETWEEN 539 AND 543 PM CDT...SEVERAL PHONE CALLS WERE RECEIVED BY 
THE NWS OFFICE IN METEOROLOGIST WITH PUBLIC REPORTS OF A FUNNEL 
CLOUD.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING...PREFERABLY IN AN INTERIOR HALLWAY OR A ROOM SUCH AS
A CLOSET OR BATHROOM. IF POSSIBLE...GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR OTHER
PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY
AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS
STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE DAMAGING HAIL OR DAMAGING
STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

IF YOU ARE IN MOBILE HOME...EVACUATE IT AND GET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF A NEARBY STURDY BUILDING OR IN AN UNDERGROUND STORM SHELTER. IF NO
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER IS AVAILABLE AND A TORNADO IS FAST APPROACHING...
SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH OR LOW DEPRESSION AND COVER YOUR
HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT
TUESDAY EVENING FOR SOUTHWESTERN ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA AND
SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI.

LAT...LON 3055 8725 3057 8723 3056 8721 3057 8717
      3053 8717 3051 8723
TIME...MOT...LOC 2250Z 252DEG 27KT 3056 8720

$$

000 
WWUS54 KMOB 312259
SVSMOB

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
559 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2009

FLC033-312308-
/O.CAN.KMOB.TO.W.0028.000000T0000Z-090331T2330Z/
ESCAMBIA FL-
558 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2009

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL ESCAMBIA COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

NO FUTHER REPORTS OF FUNNEL CLOUDS...TORNADOES OR DAMAGE HAVE BEEN 
RECEIVED SINCE THE INITIAL PUBLIC SITING OF A FUNNEL CLOUD NEAR 
BEULAH.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT
TUESDAY EVENING FOR SOUTHWESTERN ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA AND
SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI.

LAT...LON 3055 8725 3057 8723 3056 8721 3057 8717
      3053 8717 3051 8723
TIME...MOT...LOC 2258Z 252DEG 27KT 3058 8713

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Mobile, AL issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 31, 1:25 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	MOB	Escambia	65 min
Mar 31, 2:03 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MOB	Escambia, Santa Rosa	42 min
Mar 31, 2:13 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MOB	Escambia, Santa Rosa	47 min
Mar 31, 2:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MOB	Santa Rosa	37 min
Mar 31, 2:56 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	MOB	Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa	6 hr
Mar 31, 3:02 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	MOB	Okaloosa, Santa Rosa	31 min
Mar 31, 3:15 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MOB	Okaloosa, Santa Rosa	45 min
Mar 31, 3:31 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	MOB	Okaloosa	13 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.