Alert archive / Virginia / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 7, NWS Blacksburg, VA

April 8, 2011Floyd County, Patrick County, Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this tornado warning at Apr 8, 2011, 7:59 PM EDT for Floyd County, Patrick County, Virginia. It was in force for 31 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 8, 2011, 7:59 PM EDT (23:59 UTC)
Expired
Apr 8, 2011, 8:30 PM EDT
In force
31 min
Issued by
NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Floyd County, VA, Patrick County, VA

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 30 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:00 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Apr 8, 8:02 PM EDTHAIL 1Indian Valley, VA
Apr 8, 8:12 PM EDTHAIL 12 Ese Willis, VA
Apr 8, 8:15 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG2 S Willis, VABARN DAMAGED AND SEVERAL TREES DOWN.
Apr 8, 8:20 PM EDTTSTM WND GST 60Meadows Of Dan, VA
Apr 8, 8:20 PM EDTHAIL 1Meadows Of Dan, VA

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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Apr 8, 6:15 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 12.0 hours before the alert went out and 91 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 2011-04-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 2011-04-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 159 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
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
1553 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
72 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
159 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
315 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.

095 
WFUS51 KRNK 082359
TORRNK
VAC063-141-090030-
/O.NEW.KRNK.TO.W.0007.110408T2359Z-110409T0030Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
759 PM EDT FRI APR 8 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN PATRICK COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA
  SOUTHWESTERN FLOYD COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA

* UNTIL 830 PM EDT.

* AT 756 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR INDIAN
  VALLEY...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  INDIAN VALLEY...
  WILLIS...
  ROCKY KNOB RECREATION AREA...
  WOOLWINE...
  BUFFALO RIDGE...

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 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT
SATURDAY MORNING FOR NORTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHWEST
VIRGINIA AND SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA.

&&

LAT...LON 3662 8032 3681 8055 3690 8061 3694 8057
      3679 8013
TIME...MOT...LOC 0000Z 302DEG 36KT 3688 8052

$$

DS
2 follow-up statements
862 
WWUS51 KRNK 090010
SVSRNK

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
810 PM EDT FRI APR 8 2011

VAC063-141-090030-
/O.CON.KRNK.TO.W.0007.000000T0000Z-110409T0030Z/
PATRICK VA-FLOYD VA-
810 PM EDT FRI APR 8 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 830 PM EDT FOR
SOUTHWESTERN FLOYD AND NORTHERN PATRICK COUNTIES...

AT 805 PM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG ROTATION. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 
NEAR WILLIS...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  WILLIS...
  ROCKY KNOB SUMMIT...
  ROCKY KNOB RECREATION AREA...
  BUFFALO RIDGE...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
QUARTER SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT
SATURDAY MORNING FOR NORTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHWESTERN
VIRGINIA AND SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA.

&&

LAT...LON 3680 8054 3686 8058 3692 8051 3679 8013
      3662 8032
TIME...MOT...LOC 0010Z 302DEG 36KT 3683 8044

$$

DS
303 
WWUS51 KRNK 090019
SVSRNK

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
819 PM EDT FRI APR 8 2011

VAC063-141-090030-
/O.CON.KRNK.TO.W.0007.000000T0000Z-110409T0030Z/
PATRICK VA-FLOYD VA-
819 PM EDT FRI APR 8 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 830 PM EDT FOR SOUTHERN
FLOYD AND NORTHERN PATRICK COUNTIES...

AT 814 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR MABRY MILL...OR
NEAR WILLIS...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MABRY MILL...
  WOOLWINE...
  BUFFALO RIDGE...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED
BUILDING. AS A LAST RESORT...SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH OR LOW
SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT
SATURDAY MORNING FOR NORTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHWESTERN
VIRGINIA AND SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA.

&&

LAT...LON 3678 8050 3688 8038 3679 8013 3662 8032
TIME...MOT...LOC 0018Z 302DEG 36KT 3676 8040

$$

DS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 8, 5:53 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKGiles37 min
Apr 8, 6:26 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKCraig, Giles, Montgomery, Roanoke20 min
Apr 8, 6:29 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKBland, Giles, Pulaski61 min
Apr 8, 7:17 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKBland, Pulaski, Wythe28 min
Apr 8, 7:32 PM EDTTornado WarningRNKCarroll, Floyd, Pulaski28 min
Apr 8, 7:55 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKGrayson, Smyth24 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.