Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2010

Tornado Warning 9, NWS Birmingham, AL

March 25, 2010Chilton County, Coosa County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Mar 25, 2010, 7:55 PM CDT for Chilton County, Coosa County, Alabama. It was in force for 35 min. 3 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
Mar 25, 2010, 7:55 PM CDT (00:55 UTC)
Expired
Mar 25, 2010, 8:30 PM CDT
In force
35 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Chilton County, AL, Coosa County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 44 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:57 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
Mar 25, 7:59 PM CDTTORNADO3 Wnw Clanton, ALEF-1 TORNADO. PATH LENGTH 2.76 MILES. PATH WIDTH 200 YARDS. 5 STRUCTURES DAMAGED. 1 STRUCTURE DESTROYED. 10 TO 20 TREES SNAPPED OR UPROOTED.
Mar 25, 8:05 PM CDTTSTM WND DMG1 Nw Clanton, ALWORKSHED IN FIELD OFF LITTLE JOHN ROAD DAMAGED WITH TIN AND INSOLATION SPREAD ACROSS THE FIELD. POSSIBLE TORNADO.
Mar 25, 8:05 PM CDTTORNADO 11 Nw Clanton, ALWORKSHED IN FIELD OFF LITTLE JOHN ROAD DAMAGED WITH TIN AND INSOLATION SPREAD ACROSS THE FIELD. EF-1 TORNADO

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 0.9 hours before the alert went out and 45 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, Birmingham, AL at 00:00Z on 2010-03-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 245 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, Birmingham, AL at 00:00Z on 2010-03-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 292 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
245 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-7 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
761 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
88 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
292 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
249 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.4
Supercell composite
1.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

196 
WFUS54 KBMX 260055
TORBMX
ALC021-037-260130-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0009.100326T0055Z-100326T0130Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
755 PM CDT THU MAR 25 2010

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL CHILTON COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF CLANTON...
  SOUTHWESTERN COOSA COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 830 PM CDT

* AT 755 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETECTED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR CHILTON COUNTY
  MOTOR SPORTS PARK...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  THORSBY BY 800 PM CDT...
  CLANTON AND GAP OF THE MOUNTAIN BY 810 PM CDT...
  6 MILES NORTH OF VERBENA BY 825 PM CDT...
  HIGGINS FERRY PARK AND DOLLAR BY 830 PM CDT...

THIS INCLUDES...
INTERSTATE 65 EXIT NUMBERS 205 THROUGH 212

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. 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 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT
THURSDAY EVENING FOR CENTRAL ALABAMA.

&&

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...
CALL 1-800-856-0758.

LAT...LON 3275 8684 3293 8684 3296 8638 3276 8637
      3275 8641 3274 8642
TIME...MOT...LOC 0055Z 268DEG 23KT 3284 8673

$$

12/SIRMON
1 follow-up statement
293 
WWUS54 KBMX 260104
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
804 PM CDT THU MAR 25 2010

ALC021-037-260130-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0009.000000T0000Z-100326T0130Z/
CHILTON AL-COOSA AL-
804 PM CDT THU MAR 25 2010

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 830 PM CDT FOR
SOUTHWESTERN COOSA AND EAST CENTRAL CHILTON COUNTIES...

AT 802 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONTINUED TO DETECT A
TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR LOMAX...OR NEAR CLANTON...
MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  GAP OF THE MOUNTAIN BY 810 PM CDT...
  COOPER BY 820 PM CDT...
  HIGGINS FERRY PARK...DOLLAR AND MITCHELL DAM BY 830 PM CDT...

THIS INCLUDES...
INTERSTATE 65 EXIT NUMBERS 205 THROUGH 212

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...CALL 1-800-856-0758.

LAT...LON 3278 8672 3290 8674 3296 8638 3295 8638
      3276 8637 3275 8639
TIME...MOT...LOC 0104Z 268DEG 23KT 3285 8666

$$

12/SIRMON

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 25, 7:01 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXShelby18 min
Mar 25, 8:28 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXCoosa11 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 2010Every tornado warning in 2010Tornadoes in 2010

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.