Alert archive / Virginia / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 14, NWS Blacksburg, VA

April 16, 2011Amherst County, Bedford County, Rockbridge County, Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this tornado warning at Apr 16, 2011, 1:43 PM EDT for Amherst County, Bedford County, Rockbridge County, Virginia. It was in force for 47 min. 2 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 16, 2011, 1:43 PM EDT (17:43 UTC)
Expired: Apr 16, 2011, 2:30 PM EDT
In force: 47 min
Issued by: NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Amherst County, VA, Bedford County, VA, Rockbridge County, VA

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 103 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:44 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 16, 1:50 PM EDT	NON-TSTM WND DMG	5 Sw Bedford City, VA	SEVERAL TREES DOWN ALONG DICKERSON MILL ROAD.
Apr 16, 2:00 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Bedford City, VA	TREES DOWN ACROSS THE COUNTY.

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 16, 12:02 PM EDT	Tornado Watch PDS	SPC	11 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 12:00Z, 5.7 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-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: 1 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 480 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 76 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 747 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 975 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

694 
WFUS51 KRNK 161743
TORRNK
VAC009-019-163-515-161830-
/O.NEW.KRNK.TO.W.0014.110416T1743Z-110416T1830Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
143 PM EDT SAT APR 16 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA
  CITY OF BEDFORD IN SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA
  BEDFORD COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA
  AMHERST COUNTY IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA

* UNTIL 230 PM EDT.

* AT 139 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR
  CHAMBLISSBURG...OR NEAR STEWARTSVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 65 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  THAXTON...
  SEDALIA...
  BIG ISLAND...
  PLEASANT VIEW...
  FORKS OF BUFFALO...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR...IT MEANS
THAT STRONG ROTATION HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A TORNADO MAY
ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND...OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY. IF YOU
ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM...MOVE INDOORS AND TO THE
LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF DRIVING...DO
NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS.

WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DO SO...PLEASE RELAY YOUR SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS
TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING TOLL FREE AT...1...8 6
6...2 1 5...4 3 2 4.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT SATURDAY EVENING
FOR NORTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA.

&&

LAT...LON 3786 7914 3782 7916 3777 7906 3772 7906
      3770 7899 3766 7896 3718 7964 3729 7980
      3746 7961 3746 7958 3750 7956 3749 7954
      3752 7951 3754 7951
TIME...MOT...LOC 1744Z 222DEG 56KT 3733 7964

$$

RCS

1 follow-up statement

905 
WWUS51 KRNK 161818
SVSRNK

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
218 PM EDT SAT APR 16 2011

VAC009-019-163-515-161830-
/O.CON.KRNK.TO.W.0014.000000T0000Z-110416T1830Z/
ROCKBRIDGE VA-CITY OF BEDFORD VA-BEDFORD VA-AMHERST VA-
218 PM EDT SAT APR 16 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 230 PM EDT FOR THE CITY
OF BEDFORD... AMHERST...NORTHEASTERN BEDFORD AND SOUTHEASTERN
ROCKBRIDGE COUNTIES...

AT 212 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH ROTATION.  THIS STORM WAS 
LOCATED JUST NORTHEAST OF BEDFORD...AND WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 65 
MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  BIG ISLAND...
  PLEASANT VIEW...

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.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT SATURDAY EVENING
FOR NORTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA.

&&

LAT...LON 3782 7916 3777 7906 3772 7906 3770 7899
      3766 7896 3726 7954 3749 7954 3752 7951
      3754 7951 3785 7915
TIME...MOT...LOC 1816Z 222DEG 56KT 3770 7922

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Blacksburg, VA issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 16, 9:35 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RNK	Carroll, Floyd, Grayson, Patrick, City of Galax	5 hr
Apr 16, 9:58 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Grayson, Wythe	32 min
Apr 16, 11:27 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Alleghany, Bath, Botetourt, Carroll, Craig, Floyd and 8 more	63 min
Apr 16, 12:10 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Carroll, Floyd, Franklin, Montgomery, Roanoke, City of Roanoke and 1 more	65 min
Apr 16, 12:16 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Alleghany, Bath, Botetourt, Craig, Montgomery, Roanoke and 1 more	59 min
Apr 16, 12:24 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RNK	Alleghany, Botetourt, Craig, Montgomery, Roanoke, City of Covington and 2 more	4 hr
Apr 16, 1:04 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RNK	Bedford, Floyd, Franklin, Patrick, Roanoke	3 hr
Apr 16, 1:06 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Alleghany, Bath, Bedford, Botetourt, Rockbridge, City of Buena Vista and 1 more	54 min
Apr 16, 1:26 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RNK	Amherst, Bedford, Botetourt, Campbell, Rockbridge, City of Buena Vista and 2 more	6 hr
Apr 16, 1:43 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Amherst, Rockbridge, City of Buena Vista, City of Lexington	32 min
Apr 16, 1:51 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Charlotte, Halifax, Pittsylvania, City of Danville	69 min
Apr 16, 1:57 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Halifax, Pittsylvania	48 min
Apr 16, 2:22 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	RNK	Halifax, Pittsylvania, City of Danville	3 hr
Apr 16, 2:23 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Bath	37 min
Apr 16, 2:25 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Amherst, Bedford, Campbell, City of Lynchburg	35 min
Apr 16, 2:34 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Appomattox, Buckingham, Campbell, Charlotte, Halifax, Pittsylvania	71 min
Apr 16, 2:45 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Charlotte, Halifax	45 min
Apr 16, 2:56 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Charlotte, Halifax	37 min
Apr 16, 3:04 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Amherst, Appomattox, Buckingham	26 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Virginia, 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.