Alert archive / Virginia / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Morristown, TN

February 11, 2009Russell County, Scott County, Wise County, Virginia

NWS Morristown, TN issued this tornado warning at Feb 11, 2009, 5:46 PM EST for Russell County, Scott County, Wise County, Virginia. It was in force for 44 min. 6 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: Feb 11, 2009, 5:46 PM EST (22:46 UTC)
Expired: Feb 11, 2009, 6:30 PM EST
In force: 44 min
Issued by: NWS Morristown, TN
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Russell County, VA, Scott County, VA, Wise County, VA

The radar

The Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 124 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:46 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
Feb 11, 5:47 PM EST	FUNNEL CLOUD	1 W Coeburn, VA	POSSIBLE FUNNEL CLOUD SIGHTED ALONG HIGHWAY 58. RELAYED BY STORM SPOTTER 8020.
Feb 11, 5:47 PM EST	TSTM WND DMG	1 W Coeburn, VA	PORCH BLOWN OFF OF A MOBILE HOME AND CARPORT DAMAGED ON HIGHWAY 58. RELAYED BY STORM SPOTTER 8020.
Feb 11, 5:49 PM EST	TSTM WND DMG	4 N Castlewood, VA	SEVERAL TREES DOWN ALONG HIGHWAY 63. REPORTED BY HAM RADIO OPERATOR.
Feb 11, 5:50 PM EST	TSTM WND DMG	Coeburn, VA	SEVERAL TREES DOWN.
Feb 11, 5:59 PM EST	TORNADO	5 Wsw Honaker, VA	EF0 TORNADO WITH A PATH LENGTH OF 4.2 MILES AND PATH WIDTH OF 200 YARDS. MAXIMUM WIND SPEED ESTIMATED AROUND 70 MPH. SEVERAL TREES WERE DOWNED AND ONE BARN HAD ITS ROOF DISLODGED.
Feb 11, 6:05 PM EST	TSTM WND DMG	1 Nw Lebanon, VA	NUMEROUS TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN COUNTYWIDE. REPORTED BY DISPATCH.

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
Feb 11, 1:59 PM EST	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 10.8 hours before the alert went out and 223 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: 890 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 61 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 208 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 258 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 
WFUS54 KMRX 112246
TORMRX
VAC167-169-195-112330-
/O.NEW.KMRX.TO.W.0002.090211T2246Z-090211T2330Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
546 PM EST WED FEB 11 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MORRISTOWN HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  RUSSELL COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF LEBANON...
  NORTHEAST SCOTT COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...
  EASTERN WISE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...

* UNTIL 630 PM EST

* AT 542 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 16 MILES WEST OF
  CLEVELAND...OR 9 MILES SOUTHEAST OF WISE...MOVING EAST AT 60 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  CLEVELAND AND LEBANON BY 600 PM EST...
  LEBANON BY 605 PM EST...

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.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT OR STORM
SHELTER. 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.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM EST WEDNESDAY EVENING
FOR CENTRAL TENNESSEE.

LAT...LON 3708 8185 3696 8178 3687 8194 3688 8198
      3683 8210 3682 8250 3700 8252 3702 8244
      3697 8235 3701 8228 3700 8224 3705 8217
      3706 8204 3713 8201 3715 8191
TIME...MOT...LOC 2246Z 266DEG 50KT 3692 8237

$$

DH

2 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS54 KMRX 112306
SVSMRX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
606 PM EST WED FEB 11 2009

VAC169-195-112312-
/O.CAN.KMRX.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-090211T2330Z/
SCOTT VA-WISE VA-
602 PM EST WED FEB 11 2009

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR WISE AND SCOTT COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

THE STORM HAS MOVED EAST OF WISE AND SCOTT COUNTIES...THEREFORE THE 
WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

LAT...LON 3715 8191 3696 8178 3688 8194 3688 8198
      3683 8211 3683 8223 3702 8221 3705 8217
      3706 8203 3713 8201
TIME...MOT...LOC 2302Z 266DEG 50KT 3693 8209

$$

VAC167-112330-
/O.CON.KMRX.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-090211T2330Z/
RUSSELL VA-
602 PM EST WED FEB 11 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 630 PM EST FOR RUSSELL
COUNTY...

AT 559 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE CIRCULATION 4 MILES NORTH OF CLEVELAND...MOVING EAST AT 55 
MPH.

THE CIRCULATION WILL BE NEAR...
  HONAKER BY 615 PM EST...PEOPLE IN HONAKER SHOULD BE TAKING COVER.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA.

LAT...LON 3715 8191 3696 8178 3688 8194 3688 8198
      3683 8211 3683 8223 3702 8221 3705 8217
      3706 8203 3713 8201
TIME...MOT...LOC 2302Z 266DEG 50KT 3693 8209

$$

GM

000 
WWUS54 KMRX 112326
SVSMRX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
626 PM EST WED FEB 11 2009

VAC167-112336-
/O.EXP.KMRX.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-090211T2330Z/
RUSSELL VA-
626 PM EST WED FEB 11 2009

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR RUSSELL COUNTY EXPIRES AT 630 PM EST...

THE STORMS THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAD MOVED OUT OF THE WARNED 
AREA. THEREFORE...THE WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

LAT...LON 3715 8191 3696 8178 3688 8194 3688 8198
      3683 8211 3683 8223 3702 8221 3705 8217
      3706 8203 3713 8201
TIME...MOT...LOC 2326Z 266DEG 50KT 3695 8167

$$

GM

The office that day

Everything else NWS Morristown, TN issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Feb 11, 4:31 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	Lee	59 min
Feb 11, 4:57 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	Scott, Wise, City of Norton	63 min
Feb 11, 5:26 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	City of Bristol	64 min
Feb 11, 5:35 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	Russell, Washington	55 min
Feb 11, 6:27 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	Washington	18 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Virginia, 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.