Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 38, NWS Mobile, AL

April 19, 2009Clarke County, Washington County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this tornado warning at Apr 19, 2009, 2:36 PM CDT for Clarke County, Washington County, Alabama. It was in force for 39 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Apr 19, 2009, 2:36 PM CDT (19:36 UTC)
Expired
Apr 19, 2009, 3:15 PM CDT
In force
39 min
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Clarke County, AL, Washington County, AL

The radar

The Mobile radar (KMOB), 89 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:36 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.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Apr 19, 2:19 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Slidell Radar S, LA (KSIL), launched 12:00Z, 7.6 hours before the alert went out and 210 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, Slidell Radar S, LA at 12:00Z on 2009-04-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 387 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, Slidell Radar S, LA at 12:00Z on 2009-04-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 296 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
387 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-38 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
537 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
55 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
296 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
467 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.7
Supercell composite
4.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS54 KMOB 191936
TORMOB
ALC025-129-192015-
/O.NEW.KMOB.TO.W.0038.090419T1936Z-090419T2015Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
236 PM CDT SUN APR 19 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOBILE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTH CENTRAL CLARKE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...
  EAST CENTRAL WASHINGTON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 315 PM CDT

* AT 234 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR SEABOARD...OR
  ABOUT 9 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CHATOM...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

* THE  TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  CORTELUOU AND WAGARVILLE BY 305 PM CDT...
  PRESTWICK BY 315 PM CDT...

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 TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT SUNDAY EVENING FOR
SOUTHWESTERN ALABAMA AND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI.

LAT...LON 3160 8788 3138 8777 3130 8821 3139 8828
TIME...MOT...LOC 1936Z 241DEG 19KT 3135 8818

$$

PURDY
2 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS54 KMOB 191950
SVSMOB

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
250 PM CDT SUN APR 19 2009

ALC025-129-192015-
/O.CON.KMOB.TO.W.0038.000000T0000Z-090419T2015Z/
WASHINGTON AL-CLARKE AL-
250 PM CDT SUN APR 19 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 315 PM CDT FOR CENTRAL
CLARKE AND EAST CENTRAL WASHINGTON COUNTIES...

AT 249 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS
TORNADO WAS NEAR SUNFLOWER...OR ABOUT 11 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CHATOM...
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  SUNFLOWER BY 255 PM CDT...
  CORTELUOU AND WAGARVILLE BY 300 PM CDT...
  PRESTWICK BY 305 PM CDT...
  CARSON BY 310 PM CDT...
  JACKSON...7 MILES NORTHWEST OF CHOCTAW BLUFF AND 9 MILES SOUTHWEST
  OF WALKER SPRINGS BY 315 PM CDT...

DO NOT USE YOUR VEHICLE TO TRY TO OUTRUN AN APPROACHING TORNADO. ANY
SIZE OF VEHICLE CAN BE EASILY BE TOSSED AROUND BY TORNADIC WINDS. IF
YOU ARE CAUGHT IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...LEAVE THE VEHICLE AND SEEK
SHELTER IN A STRONG BUILDING. IF NO SAFE STRUCTURE IS AVAILABLE...
SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH OR LOW DEPRESSION AND COVER YOUR
HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS. DO NOT USE HIGHWAY OVERPASSES FOR SHELTER.
OVERPASSES DO NOT PROVIDE PROTECTION FROM TORNADIC WINDS.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT SUNDAY EVENING FOR
SOUTHWESTERN ALABAMA AND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI.

LAT...LON 3165 8779 3138 8777 3135 8810 3140 8812
TIME...MOT...LOC 1950Z 247DEG 23KT 3138 8807

$$

PURDY
000 
WWUS54 KMOB 192018
SVSMOB

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
318 PM CDT SUN APR 19 2009

ALC025-129-192028-
/O.EXP.KMOB.TO.W.0038.000000T0000Z-090419T2015Z/
WASHINGTON AL-CLARKE AL-
318 PM CDT SUN APR 19 2009

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CENTRAL CLARKE AND EAST CENTRAL WASHINGTON
COUNTIES WAS ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 315 PM CDT...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT SUNDAY EVENING FOR
SOUTHWESTERN ALABAMA AND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI.

LAT...LON 3165 8779 3138 8777 3135 8810 3140 8812
TIME...MOT...LOC 1950Z 247DEG 23KT 3138 8807

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 19, 1:38 PM CDTTornado WarningMOBWashington37 min
Apr 19, 4:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBMonroe48 min
Apr 19, 5:20 PM CDTTornado WarningMOBChoctaw, Clarke, Washington40 min
Apr 19, 5:39 PM CDTTornado WarningMOBClarke40 min
Apr 19, 6:04 PM CDTTornado WarningMOBClarke15 min
Apr 19, 6:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBClarke27 min
Apr 19, 6:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBButler41 min
Apr 19, 6:44 PM CDTTornado WarningMOBClarke, Monroe46 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.