Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 25, NWS Birmingham, AL

March 26, 2011Etowah County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Mar 26, 2011, 6:23 PM CDT for Etowah County, Alabama. It was in force for 35 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: Mar 26, 2011, 6:23 PM CDT (23:23 UTC)
Expired: Mar 26, 2011, 6:58 PM CDT
In force: 35 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Etowah County, AL

The radar

The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 99 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:25 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
Mar 26, 6:55 PM CDT	HAIL 1	Gadsden, AL	QUARTER SIZE HAIL IN GADSDEN AND HEAVY RAIN IN GADSDEN AND RAINBOW CITY.

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
Mar 26, 12:15 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 11.4 hours before the alert went out and 123 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: 54 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -256 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 809 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 54 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 147 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 185 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

455 
WFUS54 KBMX 262323
TORBMX
ALC055-270015-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0025.110326T2323Z-110327T0015Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
623 PM CDT SAT MAR 26 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL ETOWAH COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 715 PM CDT

* AT 621 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM
  WAS LOCATED NEAR WALNUT GROVE...OR 12 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BOAZ...AND
  MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  GADSDEN...HOKES BLUFF...ATTALLA...REECE CITY...NOCCALULA FALLS...
  GADSDEN MALL...ANDERSON...HOWELTON...RAMSEY AND ROCKLEDGE.

THIS INCLUDES...
INTERSTATE 59 EXIT NUMBERS 181 THROUGH 188...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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 3417 8585 3396 8584 3396 8585 3395 8588
      3400 8625 3413 8624
TIME...MOT...LOC 2323Z 268DEG 26KT 3405 8624

$$

61

2 follow-up statements

751 
WWUS54 KBMX 262337
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
637 PM CDT SAT MAR 26 2011

ALC055-270015-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0025.000000T0000Z-110327T0015Z/
ETOWAH AL-
637 PM CDT SAT MAR 26 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EASTERN ETOWAH COUNTY
UNTIL 715 PM CDT...

AT 635 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS DANGEROUS
STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR ATTALLA...OR NEAR GADSDEN...MOVING EAST AT 40
MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  GADSDEN...HOKES BLUFF...REECE CITY...NOCCALULA FALLS...GADSDEN
  MALL...ANDERSON...CRUDUP...GADSDEN WATER WORKS...GADSDEN STEAM
  PLANT AND WILSONIA.

THIS INCLUDES...
INTERSTATE 59 EXIT NUMBERS 183 THROUGH 188...

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 3396 8584 3395 8589 3403 8612 3412 8612
      3417 8585
TIME...MOT...LOC 2337Z 273DEG 34KT 3404 8606

$$

61

289 
WWUS54 KBMX 262358
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
658 PM CDT SAT MAR 26 2011

ALC055-270008-
/O.CAN.KBMX.TO.W.0025.000000T0000Z-110327T0015Z/
ETOWAH AL-
658 PM CDT SAT MAR 26 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EASTERN ETOWAH COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

THE TORNADO THREAT HAS DIMINISHED...THEREFORE THE TORNADO WARNING HAS
BEEN CANCELLED. HOWEVER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN 
EFFECT FOR THE AREA.

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

LAT...LON 3396 8584 3395 8589 3403 8612 3412 8612
      3417 8585
TIME...MOT...LOC 2358Z 273DEG 34KT 3401 8582

$$

61

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 26, 3:49 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Marion	41 min
Mar 26, 4:09 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Marion	51 min
Mar 26, 4:48 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Marion, Winston	117 min
Mar 26, 4:57 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Marion, Winston	48 min
Mar 26, 6:22 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Marshall	23 min
Mar 26, 7:43 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Marion	47 min
Mar 26, 12:38 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Marengo, Sumter	52 min
Mar 26, 1:05 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Perry	55 min
Mar 26, 1:25 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette, Walker	25 min
Mar 26, 1:36 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Dallas, Perry	39 min
Mar 26, 1:46 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chilton, Coosa	59 min
Mar 26, 2:32 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Clay, Coosa, Tallapoosa	58 min
Mar 26, 2:46 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Coosa, Tallapoosa	44 min
Mar 26, 2:49 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Autauga, Dallas, Elmore, Perry	41 min
Mar 26, 2:51 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	St. Clair	24 min
Mar 26, 2:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Etowah, St. Clair	31 min
Mar 26, 3:02 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chambers, Clay, Randolph, Tallapoosa	43 min
Mar 26, 3:07 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Chambers, Tallapoosa	53 min
Mar 26, 3:11 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Autauga, Elmore	49 min
Mar 26, 3:15 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Etowah	30 min
Mar 26, 3:32 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Barbour, Bullock, Lee, Macon, Russell	43 min
Mar 26, 3:36 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Shelby	39 min
Mar 26, 3:38 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cleburne	37 min
Mar 26, 3:40 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chambers	35 min
Mar 26, 3:53 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Elmore, Macon, Montgomery, Tallapoosa	45 min
Mar 26, 4:07 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Chilton, Shelby	38 min
Mar 26, 4:20 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Macon	40 min
Mar 26, 4:39 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Coosa, Shelby, Talladega	16 min
Mar 26, 4:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Barbour, Russell	39 min
Mar 26, 4:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bullock, Lee, Macon, Russell	51 min
Mar 26, 5:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Barbour	33 min
Mar 26, 5:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bullock, Macon, Russell	63 min
Mar 26, 5:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Etowah	51 min
Mar 26, 6:21 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Russell	24 min
Mar 26, 6:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lamar, Marion	61 min
Mar 26, 6:48 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Marion	25 min
Mar 26, 6:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Cherokee, Etowah	45 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.