Alert archive / Delaware / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2009

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 167, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

July 31, 2009Sussex County, Delaware

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 31, 2009, 4:36 PM EDT for Sussex County, Delaware. It was in force for 54 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
Jul 31, 2009, 4:36 PM EDT (20:36 UTC)
Expired
Jul 31, 2009, 5:30 PM EDT
In force
54 min
Issued by
NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Sussex County, DE

The radar

The Dover AFB radar (KDOX), 29 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:39 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 31, 4:55 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGFrankford, DETREE LIMBS REPORTED DOWN IN FRANKFORD.

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
Jul 31, 1:18 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Wallops Is Stn, VA (KWAL), launched 12:00Z, 8.6 hours before the alert went out and 75 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, Wallops Is Stn, VA at 12:00Z on 2009-07-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 969 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, Wallops Is Stn, VA at 12:00Z on 2009-07-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 53 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
969 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-11 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
484 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
53 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
101 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
2.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS51 KPHI 312036
SVRPHI
DEC005-312130-
/O.NEW.KPHI.SV.W.0167.090731T2036Z-090731T2130Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
436 PM EDT FRI JUL 31 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOUNT HOLLY NJ HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN SUSSEX COUNTY IN SOUTHERN DELAWARE...

* UNTIL 530 PM EDT

* AT 435 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND
  DESTRUCTIVE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 11
  MILES SOUTHWEST OF SYCAMORE...OR 8 MILES NORTH OF SALISBURY...AND
  MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  SYCAMORE AROUND 450 PM EDT...
  7 MILES NORTHWEST OF GUMBORO AROUND 455 PM EDT...
  6 MILES NORTHWEST OF DAGSBORO AROUND 510 PM EDT...
  9 MILES NORTHWEST OF MILLVILLE AROUND 520 PM EDT...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

DOPPLER RADAR HAS INDICATED SOME WEAK ROTATION WITHIN THIS STORM.
WHILE NOT IMMEDIATELY LIKELY...A TORNADO MAY STILL DEVELOP. IF A
TORNADO IS SPOTTED...ACT QUICKLY AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IN A
STURDY STRUCTURE...SUCH AS A BASEMENT OR SMALL INTERIOR ROOM.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT FRIDAY
EVENING FOR DELAWARE AND NORTHEASTERN MARYLAND AND NEW JERSEY AND
EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA.

&&

LAT...LON 3846 7570 3867 7571 3870 7510 3869 7506
      3860 7505 3860 7504 3860 7505 3859 7504
      3858 7505 3845 7505
TIME...MOT...LOC 2036Z 240DEG 31KT 3848 7561

$$

IOVINO
1 follow-up statement
000 
WWUS51 KPHI 312128
SVSPHI

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
528 PM EDT FRI JUL 31 2009

DEC005-312136-
/O.EXP.KPHI.SV.W.0167.000000T0000Z-090731T2130Z/
SUSSEX DE-
528 PM EDT FRI JUL 31 2009

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHERN SUSSEX COUNTY WILL
EXPIRE AT 530 PM EDT...

THE SQUALL LINE WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED EAST OF THE 
AREA AND IS NO LONGER A THREAT.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT FRIDAY
EVENING FOR DELAWARE AND NORTHEASTERN MARYLAND AND NEW JERSEY AND
EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA.

LAT...LON 3846 7570 3867 7571 3870 7510 3869 7506
      3860 7505 3860 7504 3860 7505 3859 7504
      3858 7505 3845 7505
TIME...MOT...LOC 2126Z 240DEG 31KT 3869 7514

$$

AMC

The office that day

Everything else NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 31, 4:03 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHINew Castle57 min
Jul 31, 4:08 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningPHINew Castle3 hr
Jul 31, 4:12 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIKent, New Castle, Sussex73 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Delaware, 2009Every severe thunderstorm warning 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.