Alert archive / Tennessee / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 137, NWS Memphis, TN

May 13, 20114 counties in Tennessee

NWS Memphis, TN issued this tornado warning at May 13, 2011, 4:26 PM CDT for 4 counties in Tennessee. It was in force for 34 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: May 13, 2011, 4:26 PM CDT (21:26 UTC)
Expired: May 13, 2011, 5:00 PM CDT
In force: 34 min
Issued by: NWS Memphis, TN
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Carroll County, TN, Crockett County, TN, Gibson County, TN, Madison County, TN

The radar

The Memphis radar (KNQA), 117 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:29 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
May 13, 4:36 PM CDT	HAIL 0.88	Medina, TN

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
May 13, 12:31 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 12:00Z, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 158 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: 1232 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -20 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 494 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 105 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 154 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.5
Supercell composite: 3.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

596 
WFUS54 KMEG 132126
TORMEG
TNC017-033-053-113-132200-
/O.NEW.KMEG.TO.W.0137.110513T2126Z-110513T2200Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
426 PM CDT FRI MAY 13 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN CARROLL COUNTY IN NORTHWEST TENNESSEE...
  EAST CENTRAL CROCKETT COUNTY IN NORTHWEST TENNESSEE...
  SOUTHEASTERN GIBSON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST TENNESSEE...
  NORTH CENTRAL MADISON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE...

* UNTIL 500 PM CDT

* AT 426 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR HUMBOLDT...MOVING EAST
  AT 35 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO HUMBOLDT
  AND MILAN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

.THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A STORM SHELTER. IF NO
STORM SHELTER 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.

&&

LAT...LON 3582 8858 3571 8894 3588 8902 3600 8857
TIME...MOT...LOC 2126Z 248DEG 29KT 3582 8888

$$


JAB/TLSJR

2 follow-up statements

973 
WWUS54 KMEG 132144
SVSMEG

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
444 PM CDT FRI MAY 13 2011

TNC033-113-132154-
/O.CAN.KMEG.TO.W.0137.000000T0000Z-110513T2200Z/
CROCKETT TN-MADISON TN-
444 PM CDT FRI MAY 13 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTH CENTRAL MADISON AND EAST CENTRAL
CROCKETT COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

AT 444 PM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT THE 
THUNDERSTORMS WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAVE MOVED OUT OF THE AREA 
AND NO LONGER POSE AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO LIFE OR PROPERTY. 
THEREFORE...THE TORNADO WARNING IS CANCELLED.

LAT...LON 3582 8858 3580 8868 3580 8885 3592 8887
      3600 8857
TIME...MOT...LOC 2144Z 248DEG 29KT 3587 8871

$$

TNC017-053-132200-
/O.CON.KMEG.TO.W.0137.000000T0000Z-110513T2200Z/
CARROLL TN-GIBSON TN-
444 PM CDT FRI MAY 13 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM CDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN GIBSON AND SOUTHWESTERN CARROLL COUNTIES...

AT 444 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR SITKA...OR NEAR
MILAN...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO GIBSON...
MCLEMORESVILLE...MEDINA...MILAN...LEDBETTER...NEW ENTERPRISE...GOAT
CITY...WEST...SITKA...HICKORY FLAT...LAVINIA AND WHITTHORNE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A STORM SHELTER. IF NO
STORM SHELTER 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.

&&

LAT...LON 3582 8858 3580 8868 3580 8885 3592 8887
      3600 8857
TIME...MOT...LOC 2144Z 248DEG 29KT 3587 8871

$$


JAB/TLSJR

287 
WWUS54 KMEG 132155
SVSMEG

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
455 PM CDT FRI MAY 13 2011

TNC017-053-132205-
/O.EXP.KMEG.TO.W.0137.000000T0000Z-110513T2200Z/
CARROLL TN-GIBSON TN-
455 PM CDT FRI MAY 13 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN GIBSON AND SOUTHWESTERN
CARROLL COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 500 PM CDT...

AT 455 PM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT THE
THUNDERSTORMS WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAVE MOVED OUT OF THE AREA
AND WEAKENED. THEREFORE...THE TORNADO WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO
EXPIRE.

LAT...LON 3582 8858 3580 8868 3580 8885 3592 8887
      3600 8857
TIME...MOT...LOC 2155Z 248DEG 29KT 3590 8861

$$


JAB/TLSJR

The office that day

Everything else NWS Memphis, TN issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 13, 2:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Tipton	52 min
May 13, 2:33 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Lauderdale, Shelby, Tipton	57 min
May 13, 2:46 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Gibson, Obion, Weakley	44 min
May 13, 3:13 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Crockett, Haywood, Lauderdale, Tipton	62 min
May 13, 3:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Lauderdale, Shelby, Tipton	36 min
May 13, 3:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Carroll, Crockett, Gibson, Haywood, Madison	64 min
May 13, 4:11 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Crockett, Fayette, Hardeman, Haywood, Madison, Shelby and 1 more	64 min
May 13, 4:33 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Carroll, Henderson, Madison	57 min
May 13, 4:35 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Chester, Fayette, Hardeman, Madison	40 min
May 13, 4:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Carroll, Henry, Weakley	53 min
May 13, 5:21 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Carroll, Chester, Decatur, Henderson	37 min
May 13, 6:34 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	MEG	Hardin	41 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Tennessee, 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.