Alert archive / Virginia / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 70, NWS Blacksburg, VA

September 5, 20116 counties in Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this tornado warning at Sep 5, 2011, 7:40 PM EDT for 6 counties in Virginia. It was in force for 35 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: Sep 5, 2011, 7:40 PM EDT (23:40 UTC)
Expired: Sep 5, 2011, 8:15 PM EDT
In force: 35 min
Issued by: NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Bland County, VA, City of Radford, VA, Giles County, VA, Montgomery County, VA, Pulaski County, VA, Wythe County, VA

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 42 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:43 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.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Sep 5, 6:29 PM EDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	10 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 12:00Z, 11.7 hours before the alert went out and 107 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: 144 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -10 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 588 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 44 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 108 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.

712 
WFUS51 KRNK 052340
TORRNK
VAC021-071-121-155-197-750-060015-
/O.NEW.KRNK.TO.W.0070.110905T2340Z-110906T0015Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
740 PM EDT MON SEP 5 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  PULASKI COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA
  NORTHEASTERN WYTHE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA
  CITY OF RADFORD IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA
  SOUTHERN GILES COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA
  EASTERN BLAND COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA
  WESTERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA

* UNTIL 815 PM EDT.

* AT 738 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR GUNTON
  PARK...OR NEAR PULASKI...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

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.

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.

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 400 AM EDT TUESDAY MORNING
FOR NORTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA.

&&

LAT...LON 3736 8059 3709 8044 3691 8089 3714 8102
TIME...MOT...LOC 2340Z 235DEG 40KT 3704 8085

$$

AMS

2 follow-up statements

875 
WWUS51 KRNK 052351
SVSRNK

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
751 PM EDT MON SEP 5 2011

VAC021-197-060001-
/O.CAN.KRNK.TO.W.0070.000000T0000Z-110906T0015Z/
WYTHE VA-BLAND VA-
751 PM EDT MON SEP 5 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN WYTHE AND EASTERN BLAND
COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 AM EDT TUESDAY MORNING
FOR NORTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA.

&&

LAT...LON 3736 8059 3709 8044 3701 8080 3714 8087
      3715 8085 3717 8088 3719 8087 3718 8089
      3720 8090
TIME...MOT...LOC 2351Z 235DEG 40KT 3710 8073

$$

VAC071-121-155-750-060015-
/O.CON.KRNK.TO.W.0070.000000T0000Z-110906T0015Z/
PULASKI VA-CITY OF RADFORD VA-GILES VA-MONTGOMERY VA-
751 PM EDT MON SEP 5 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 815 PM EDT FOR THE CITY
OF RADFORD... NORTHERN PULASKI...SOUTHERN GILES AND WESTERN
MONTGOMERY COUNTIES...

AT 748 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR PULASKI...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
STURDY SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE NEAREST
DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 AM EDT TUESDAY MORNING
FOR NORTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA.

&&

LAT...LON 3736 8059 3709 8044 3701 8080 3714 8087
      3715 8085 3717 8088 3719 8087 3718 8089
      3720 8090
TIME...MOT...LOC 2351Z 235DEG 40KT 3710 8073

$$

AMS

373 
WWUS51 KRNK 052359
SVSRNK

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
759 PM EDT MON SEP 5 2011

VAC071-121-155-750-060015-
/O.CON.KRNK.TO.W.0070.000000T0000Z-110906T0015Z/
PULASKI VA-CITY OF RADFORD VA-GILES VA-MONTGOMERY VA-
759 PM EDT MON SEP 5 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 815 PM EDT FOR THE CITY
OF RADFORD... NORTHEASTERN PULASKI...CENTRAL GILES AND WESTERN
MONTGOMERY COUNTIES...

AT 757 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR DUBLIN...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

HEAVY RAINFALL MAY OBSCURE THIS TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW! IF YOU WAIT
TO SEE OR HEAR IT COMING...IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 AM EDT TUESDAY MORNING
FOR NORTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA.

&&

LAT...LON 3704 8068 3721 8078 3736 8059 3712 8046
TIME...MOT...LOC 0000Z 235DEG 38KT 3715 8064

$$

AMS

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Sep 4, 9:30 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Bath	30 min
Sep 5, 4:48 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Henry, Pittsylvania	27 min
Sep 5, 5:31 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Carroll, Grayson, City of Galax	29 min
Sep 5, 6:31 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Botetourt, Carroll, Craig, Floyd, Montgomery, Roanoke and 2 more	59 min
Sep 5, 6:34 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Bedford, Campbell, Charlotte, Franklin, Halifax, Pittsylvania	56 min
Sep 5, 6:42 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Halifax	33 min
Sep 5, 6:54 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Carroll, Floyd, Patrick	36 min
Sep 5, 7:14 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Bland, Pulaski, Wythe	31 min
Sep 5, 7:16 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Charlotte, Halifax	29 min
Sep 5, 7:25 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Botetourt	35 min
Sep 5, 7:57 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	RNK	Roanoke, City of Roanoke, City of Salem	3 hr

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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.