Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 111, NWS Birmingham, AL

April 27, 2011Blount County, Jefferson County, Walker County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Apr 27, 2011, 4:55 PM CDT for Blount County, Jefferson County, Walker County, Alabama. It was in force for 65 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: Apr 27, 2011, 4:55 PM CDT (21:55 UTC)
Expired: Apr 27, 2011, 6:00 PM CDT
In force: 65 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon
Emergency: Tornado emergency

Counties Blount County, AL, Jefferson County, AL, Walker County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 86 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:56 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
Apr 27, 5:07 PM CDT	TORNADO	Dora, AL	TORNADO ON THE GROUND IN DORA.
Apr 27, 5:12 PM CDT	TORNADO	Smoke Rise, AL	TORNADO REPORTED ON THE GROUND NEAR EXIT 284 ON I-65 AT PHILADELPHIA ROAD.
Apr 27, 5:46 PM CDT	TORNADO	Blountsville, AL	* 1 INJ * MULTIPLE HOMES DESTROYED IN BLOUNTSVILLE. ONE INJURY CONFIRMED AT THIS TIME.

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
Apr 27, 1:42 PM CDT	Tornado Watch PDS	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 9.9 hours before the alert went out and 85 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: 587 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 60 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -359 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: -197 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

133 
WFUS54 KBMX 272155
TORBMX
ALC009-073-127-272300-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0111.110427T2155Z-110427T2300Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
455 PM CDT WED APR 27 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  BLOUNT COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  NORTH CENTRAL JEFFERSON COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  EAST CENTRAL WALKER COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 600 PM CDT

* AT 451 PM CDT...STORM SPOTTERS AND THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
  WERE TRACKING A LARGE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TORNADO NEAR CORDOVA.
  DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED THIS TORNADO MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.

  THIS IS A TORNADO EMERGENCY FOR EASTERN WALKER COUNTY.  TAKE COVER 
NOW!

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  DORA...SUMITON...CLEVELAND...BLOUNTSVILLE...ONEONTA...LYNNS PARK...
  ROCKY HOLLOW...SIPSEY...ARKADELPHIA AND KIMBERLY.

THIS INCLUDES...
INTERSTATE 65 EXIT NUMBERS 280 THROUGH 282...
US 78 EXIT NUMBERS 65 THROUGH 72...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TO REPEAT...A LARGE...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY
TORNADO IS ON THE GROUND. TO PROTECT YOUR LIFE...TAKE COVER NOW. FOR
YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING.

&&

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

LAT...LON 3390 8634 3388 8635 3382 8643 3371 8721
      3387 8730 3396 8711 3389 8708 3389 8700
      3387 8698 3387 8694 3392 8692 3396 8680
      3400 8674 3407 8669 3410 8669 3413 8660
      3423 8655
TIME...MOT...LOC 2154Z 243DEG 50KT 3377 8714

$$

61

3 follow-up statements

859 
WWUS54 KBMX 272210
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
510 PM CDT WED APR 27 2011

ALC073-272218-
/O.CAN.KBMX.TO.W.0111.000000T0000Z-110427T2300Z/
JEFFERSON AL-
510 PM CDT WED APR 27 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTH CENTRAL JEFFERSON COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS STAYED NORTH OF JEFFERSON 
COUNTY.  

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

LAT...LON 3397 8639 3383 8706 3389 8704 3389 8700
      3387 8698 3387 8694 3392 8692 3396 8680
      3400 8674 3407 8669 3410 8669 3413 8660
      3423 8655
TIME...MOT...LOC 2208Z 236DEG 55KT 3390 8695

$$

ALC009-127-272300-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0111.000000T0000Z-110427T2300Z/
WALKER AL-BLOUNT AL-
510 PM CDT WED APR 27 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN BLOUNT AND
EXTREME EAST CENTRAL WALKER COUNTIES UNTIL 600 PM CDT...

AT 505 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
CONFIRMED TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR ARKADELPHIA...OR 9
MILES NORTH OF SUMITON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 65 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  CLEVELAND...BLOUNTSVILLE...BLOUNT SPRINGS...HAYDEN...BANGOR...
  NECTAR...FAIRVIEW...ROSA...RICKWOOD CAVERNS AND SMOKE RISE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT TAKE SHELTER UNDER HIGHWAY OVERPASSES. AS A LAST
RESORT... EITHER PARK YOUR VEHICLE AND STAY PUT...OR ABANDON YOUR
VEHICLE AND LIE DOWN IN A LOW LYING AREA.

&&

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

LAT...LON 3397 8639 3383 8706 3389 8704 3389 8700
      3387 8698 3387 8694 3392 8692 3396 8680
      3400 8674 3407 8669 3410 8669 3413 8660
      3423 8655
TIME...MOT...LOC 2208Z 236DEG 55KT 3390 8695

$$

61

700 
WWUS54 KBMX 272219
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
519 PM CDT WED APR 27 2011

ALC127-272228-
/O.CAN.KBMX.TO.W.0111.000000T0000Z-110427T2300Z/
WALKER AL-
519 PM CDT WED APR 27 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EXTREME EAST CENTRAL WALKER COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT OF THE WARNED 
AREA.

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

LAT...LON 3397 8639 3387 8688 3393 8689 3396 8680
      3400 8674 3407 8669 3410 8669 3413 8660
      3423 8655
TIME...MOT...LOC 2218Z 244DEG 43KT 3394 8683

$$

ALC009-272300-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0111.000000T0000Z-110427T2300Z/
BLOUNT AL-
519 PM CDT WED APR 27 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN BLOUNT COUNTY
UNTIL 600 PM CDT...

AT 515 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
CONFIRMED TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR BLOUNT SPRINGS...OR
16 MILES NORTHEAST OF SUMITON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

AT 515 PM A TORNADO WAS REPORTED ON I-65 NEAR RICKWOOD CAVERNS STATE 
PARK. 

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  CLEVELAND...BLOUNTSVILLE...BLOUNT SPRINGS...HAYDEN...BANGOR...
  NECTAR...FAIRVIEW...ROSA...MOUNT OLIVE AND CHAMBLEES MILL.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT TAKE SHELTER UNDER HIGHWAY OVERPASSES. AS A LAST
RESORT... EITHER PARK YOUR VEHICLE AND STAY PUT...OR ABANDON YOUR
VEHICLE AND LIE DOWN IN A LOW LYING AREA.

&&

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

LAT...LON 3397 8639 3387 8688 3393 8689 3396 8680
      3400 8674 3407 8669 3410 8669 3413 8660
      3423 8655
TIME...MOT...LOC 2218Z 244DEG 43KT 3394 8683

$$

61

413 
WWUS54 KBMX 272231
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
531 PM CDT WED APR 27 2011

ALC009-272300-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0111.000000T0000Z-110427T2300Z/
BLOUNT AL-
531 PM CDT WED APR 27 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN BLOUNT COUNTY
UNTIL 600 PM CDT...

AT 528 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS DANGEROUS
STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR NECTAR...OR 7 MILES WEST OF CLEVELAND...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  CLEVELAND...BLOUNTSVILLE...ROSA...FOWLER SPRING AND HENDRIX.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT TAKE SHELTER UNDER HIGHWAY OVERPASSES. AS A LAST
RESORT... EITHER PARK YOUR VEHICLE AND STAY PUT...OR ABANDON YOUR
VEHICLE AND LIE DOWN IN A LOW LYING AREA.

&&

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

LAT...LON 3397 8639 3396 8671 3400 8674 3407 8669
      3410 8669 3413 8660 3423 8655
TIME...MOT...LOC 2231Z 238DEG 51KT 3403 8665

$$
61

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 27, 3:37 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Lamar, Pickens	38 min
Apr 27, 3:45 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lamar, Marion	45 min
Apr 27, 3:59 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Lamar, Pickens, Sumter	46 min
Apr 27, 4:13 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Pickens	32 min
Apr 27, 4:14 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Greene, Pickens, Sumter	31 min
Apr 27, 4:19 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lamar, Marion	41 min
Apr 27, 4:26 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Marion	34 min
Apr 27, 4:28 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Marengo, Sumter	47 min
Apr 27, 4:33 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette, Pickens, Tuscaloosa	27 min
Apr 27, 4:40 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Greene, Hale, Lamar, Pickens, Tuscaloosa	50 min
Apr 27, 4:44 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Pickens, Tuscaloosa	31 min
Apr 27, 5:07 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette, Walker	38 min
Apr 27, 5:11 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Blount, Fayette, Hale, Jefferson, Shelby and 2 more	49 min
Apr 27, 5:14 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker	31 min
Apr 27, 5:29 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Bibb, Jefferson, Shelby, Tuscaloosa	31 min
Apr 27, 5:44 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Chilton, Dallas, Perry, Shelby	46 min
Apr 27, 5:52 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Chilton, Etowah, Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby and 1 more	53 min
Apr 27, 6:02 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Autauga, Chilton, Dallas	43 min
Apr 27, 6:21 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa and 3 more	39 min
Apr 27, 6:49 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Etowah, Randolph and 1 more	56 min
Apr 27, 8:05 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lamar, Marion	25 min
Apr 27, 8:20 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Marion	25 min
Apr 27, 10:04 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lamar, Marion	41 min
Apr 27, 10:42 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Lamar, Marion, Winston	48 min
Apr 27, 10:51 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Marion	54 min
Apr 27, 12:08 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Marion, Winston	112 min
Apr 27, 2:09 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Walker, Winston	31 min
Apr 27, 2:17 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Marion, Winston	118 min
Apr 27, 2:51 PM CDT	River Flood Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Marengo, Sumter	19 hr
Apr 27, 2:51 PM CDT	River Flood Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Marengo, Sumter	6 hr
Apr 27, 2:59 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Lamar, Marion	46 min
Apr 27, 3:15 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Emergency	BMX	Pickens, Tuscaloosa	60 min
Apr 27, 3:21 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Lamar, Marion	54 min
Apr 27, 3:38 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Emergency	BMX	Greene, Hale, Pickens, Sumter, Tuscaloosa	67 min
Apr 27, 3:56 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Marion	34 min
Apr 27, 3:57 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Marion, Winston	3 hr
Apr 27, 4:00 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Emergency	BMX	Fayette, Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Walker	60 min
Apr 27, 4:31 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Pickens, Tuscaloosa	20 min
Apr 27, 4:44 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Marion	61 min
Apr 27, 4:47 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Emergency	BMX	Greene, Pickens, Tuscaloosa	58 min
Apr 27, 4:50 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Sumter	55 min
Apr 27, 5:22 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette, Lamar	68 min
Apr 27, 5:28 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Marion, Winston	30 min
Apr 27, 5:31 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Emergency	BMX	Jefferson, Shelby, Tuscaloosa	59 min
Apr 27, 5:38 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Emergency	BMX	Bibb, Greene, Hale, Perry, Tuscaloosa	67 min
Apr 27, 5:39 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Blount	21 min
Apr 27, 6:06 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Greene, Marengo, Sumter	16 min
Apr 27, 6:14 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette, Marion, Walker, Winston	61 min
Apr 27, 6:17 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Jefferson	118 min
Apr 27, 6:18 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Blount, Jefferson, St. Clair	57 min
Apr 27, 6:20 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Bibb, Chilton, Greene, Hale, Perry	55 min
Apr 27, 6:33 PM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	BMX	Marion, Winston	3 hr
Apr 27, 6:35 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Marion, Walker, Winston	40 min
Apr 27, 6:39 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Blount, Jefferson, St. Clair	3 hr
Apr 27, 6:39 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Emergency	BMX	Bibb, Chilton, Shelby, Talladega	66 min
Apr 27, 6:49 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Emergency	BMX	Blount, Calhoun, Etowah, St. Clair	56 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 2011 Every tornado warning in 2011 Tornadoes in 2011

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.