Alert archive / Virginia / Tornado Warnings in 2011
Tornado Warning 15, NWS Blacksburg, VA
NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this tornado warning at Apr 16, 2011, 1:43 PM EDT for 4 counties in Virginia. It was in force for 32 min. 5 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, 2:15 PM EDT
- In force
- 32 min
- Issued by
- NWS Blacksburg, VA
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
Counties Amherst County, VA, City of Buena Vista, VA, City of Lexington, VA, Rockbridge County, VA
The radar
The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 118 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 | TSTM WND DMG | Lexington, VA | NUMEROUS TREES DOWN COUNTY WIDE. |
| Apr 16, 2:00 PM EDT | HAIL 1.75 | Fairfield, VA | |
| Apr 16, 2:03 PM EDT | HAIL 1 | 5 Se Rockbridge Baths, VA | BETWEEN MILE MARKER 196 AND 195 SOUTHBOUND ON INTERSTATE 81 |
| Apr 16, 2:03 PM EDT | TORNADO | Wnw Vesuvius, VA | A NWS STORM SURVEY CONCLUDED THAT AN EF0 TORNADO WITH INTERMITTENT DAMAGE ALONG A 1.3 MILE PATH...AND MAXIMUM WIDTH OF 100 YARDS...OCCURED IN THE VESUVIUS COMMUNITY...TRACKING NORTH-NORTHEAST ALONG THE SOUTH RIVER AND ENDING NEAR THE AUGUSTA COUNTY BORDER. |
| Apr 16, 2:05 PM EDT | TSTM WND GST 68 | 3 Nw Vesuvius, VA | MEASURED IN RAPHINE. ALSO HAD PEA SIZED HAIL. |
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 | SPC | 11 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 12:00Z, 5.7 hours before the alert went out and 65 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.
- 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
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
705
WFUS51 KRNK 161743 RRA
TORRNK
VAC009-163-530-678-161815-
/O.NEW.KRNK.TO.W.0015.110416T1743Z-110416T1815Z/
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...
ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA
CITY OF BUENA VISTA IN WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA
CITY OF LEXINGTON IN WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA
WESTERN AMHERST COUNTY IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA
* UNTIL 215 PM EDT.
* AT 140 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR GLASGOW...
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
BUENA VISTA CITY...
CORNWALL...
FAIRFIELD...
VESUVIUS...
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
QUARTER SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.
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 3793 7920 3789 7915 3785 7914 3782 7916
3781 7913 3759 7938 3761 7940 3760 7943
3762 7944 3760 7946 3769 7962 3802 7936
TIME...MOT...LOC 1743Z 219DEG 53KT 3771 7940
$$
PEM2 follow-up statements
475
WWUS51 KRNK 161802
SVSRNK
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
202 PM EDT SAT APR 16 2011
VAC009-163-530-678-161815-
/O.CON.KRNK.TO.W.0015.000000T0000Z-110416T1815Z/
ROCKBRIDGE VA-CITY OF BUENA VISTA VA-CITY OF LEXINGTON VA-AMHERST VA-
202 PM EDT SAT APR 16 2011
...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 215 PM EDT FOR THE CITY
OF BUENA VISTA...THE CITY OF LEXINGTON... NORTHWESTERN AMHERST AND
NORTHEASTERN ROCKBRIDGE COUNTIES...
AT 158 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
SHOW A STORM WITH STRONG ROTATION. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR
LEXINGTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 65 MPH.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
FAIRFIELD...
VESUVIUS...
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GOLFBALL
SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. HEAVY RAIN MAY ALSO
PRODUCE FLASH FLOODING.
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT SATURDAY EVENING
FOR NORTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA.
&&
LAT...LON 3772 7933 3777 7949 3802 7936 3793 7920
3789 7915 3785 7914 3782 7916
TIME...MOT...LOC 1801Z 219DEG 55KT 3789 7926
$$
PEM940
WWUS51 KRNK 161820
SVSRNK
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
220 PM EDT SAT APR 16 2011
VAC009-163-530-678-161830-
/O.EXP.KRNK.TO.W.0015.000000T0000Z-110416T1815Z/
ROCKBRIDGE VA-CITY OF BUENA VISTA VA-CITY OF LEXINGTON VA-AMHERST VA-
220 PM EDT SAT APR 16 2011
...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR THE CITY OF BUENA VISTA...THE CITY OF
LEXINGTON...NORTHWESTERN AMHERST AND NORTHEASTERN ROCKBRIDGE COUNTIES
EXPIRED AT 215 PM EDT...
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...TV OR YOUR LOCAL NEW SOURCE FOR
THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION. REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER OR STORM
RELATED DAMAGE TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS AND ASK THEM TO
IMMEDIATELY RELAY THE REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN
BLACKSBURG.
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT SATURDAY EVENING
FOR NORTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA.
LAT...LON 3772 7933 3777 7949 3802 7936 3793 7920
3789 7915 3785 7914 3782 7916
TIME...MOT...LOC 1802Z 219DEG 55KT 3790 7925
$$
PEMThe 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, Bedford, Rockbridge | 47 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, 2011Every tornado warning in 2011Tornadoes 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.