Alert archive / Virginia / Tornado Watches in 2009
Tornado Watch 279
The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at May 9, 2009, 1:07 AM EDT for 45 counties in Virginia. It was in force for 4 hr.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- May 9, 2009, 1:07 AM EDT (05:07 UTC)
- Expired
- May 9, 2009, 4:38 AM EDT
- In force
- 4 hr
- Issued by
- the Storm Prediction Center
- Largest hail expected
- 1 in
- Strongest gust expected
- 50 kt
All 45 counties
Amelia County, VA, Brunswick County, VA, Charles City County, VA, Chesterfield County, VA, City of Chesapeake, VA, City of Colonial Heights, VA, City of Emporia, VA, City of Franklin, VA, City of Hampton, VA, City of Hopewell, VA, City of Newport News, VA, City of Norfolk, VA, City of Petersburg, VA, City of Poquoson, VA, City of Portsmouth, VA, City of Richmond, VA, City of Suffolk, VA, City of Virginia Beach, VA, City of Williamsburg, VA, Cumberland County, VA, Dinwiddie County, VA, Gloucester County, VA, Greensville County, VA, Hanover County, VA, Henrico County, VA, Isle of Wight County, VA, James City County, VA, King and Queen County, VA, King William County, VA, Lancaster County, VA, Lunenburg County, VA, Mathews County, VA, Mecklenburg County, VA, Middlesex County, VA, New Kent County, VA, Northampton County, VA, Northumberland County, VA, Nottoway County, VA, Powhatan County, VA, Prince Edward County, VA, Prince George County, VA, Southampton County, VA, Surry County, VA, Sussex County, VA, York County, VA
The radar
The Norfolk radar (KAKQ), 57 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 05:10 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 SPC expected
The probabilities SPC published with the watch, for the watch area over its life.
- Two or more tornadoes
- 30%
- One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes
- 20%
- Ten or more severe wind reports
- 30%
- One or more gusts of 65 knots or more
- 5%
- Ten or more severe hail reports
- 30%
- One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more
- 5%
- Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports
- 70%
Warnings issued inside it
4 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 9, 1:44 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AKQ | Brunswick, Dinwiddie, Lunenburg, Nottoway, Sussex | 46 min |
| May 9, 2:14 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AKQ | Dinwiddie, Greensville, Prince George, Southampton, Surry, Sussex | 46 min |
| May 9, 3:11 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AKQ | City of Chesapeake, City of Hampton, City of Newport News, City of Norfolk, City of Portsmouth, City of Suffolk and 1 more | 19 min |
| May 9, 3:29 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AKQ | City of Chesapeake, City of Norfolk, City of Virginia Beach | 46 min |
Discussions around it
SPC mesoscale discussions over the same counties from four hours before the watch to its end.
SPC that day
Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 8:30 PM EDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke and 19 more | 90 min |
| May 8, 10:01 PM EDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Caswell, Rockingham, Stokes | 4 hr |
| May 8, 11:37 PM EDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Alleghany, Ashe, Forsyth, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry and 3 more | 53 min |
| May 9, 12:51 AM EDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Caswell, Edgecombe, Franklin, Gates, Granville, Halifax and 7 more | 84 min |
| May 9, 12:47 PM EDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Alamance, Alexander, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Caswell and 32 more | 118 min |
| May 9, 1:17 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Alamance, Alexander, Anson, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell and 36 more | 8 hr |
| May 9, 4:30 PM EDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Alamance, Cabarrus, Caswell, Catawba, Chatham, Davidson and 19 more | 90 min |
| May 9, 5:58 PM EDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bertie, Camden, Chatham, Chowan, Durham, Edgecombe and 20 more | 62 min |
| May 9, 6:25 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Carteret, Chowan, Craven and 31 more | 4 hr |
Nearby
Tornado Watches in Virginia, 2009Every tornado watch 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.