Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 40, NWS Birmingham, AL

December 25, 2012Marengo County, Sumter County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Dec 25, 2012, 5:23 PM CST for Marengo County, Sumter County, Alabama. It was in force for 29 min. 4 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: Dec 25, 2012, 5:23 PM CST (23:23 UTC)
Expired: Dec 25, 2012, 5:52 PM CST
In force: 29 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Marengo County, AL, Sumter County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 125 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:22 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
Dec 25, 5:50 PM CST	TORNADO 1	2 Sse Demopolis, AL	THE EF1 TORNADO HAD WINDS UP TO 100 MPH...DAMAGED SEVERAL HOMES AND MOBILE HOMES...SNAPPED AND UPROOTED HUNDREDS OF TREES. THE TORNADO BEGAN 2 SSE DEMOPOLIS AND LIFTED 6 ENE OF DEMOPOLIS AND DID NOT CROSS INTO HALE COUNTY.
Dec 25, 5:50 PM CST	TORNADO	2 Sse Demopolis, AL	THE EF1 TORNADO HAD WINDS UP TO 100 MPH...DAMAGED SEVERAL HOMES AND MOBILE HOMES...SNAPPED AND UPROOTED HUNDREDS OF TREES. THE TORNADO BEGAN 2 SSE DEMOPOLIS AND LIFTED 6 ENE OF DEMOPOLIS AND DID NOT CROSS INTO HALE COUNTY.
Dec 25, 5:54 PM CST	TORNADO	2 Sse Demopolis, AL	THE EF1 TORNADO HAD WINDS UP TO 100 MPH...DAMAGED SEVERAL HOMES AND MOBILE HOMES...SNAPPED AND UPROOTED HUNDREDS OF TREES. THE TORNADO BEGAN 2 SSE DEMOPOLIS AND LIFTED 6 ENE OF DEMOPOLIS AND DID NOT CROSS INTO HALE COUNTY.
Dec 25, 5:57 PM CST	TSTM WND DMG	2 Wnw Gallion, AL	TREES DOWN AND PROPERTY DAMAGE NEAR GALLION.

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
Dec 25, 12:58 PM CST	Tornado Watch PDS	SPC	9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 11.4 hours before the alert went out and 125 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 1008 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 65 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 114 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.

910 
WFUS54 KBMX 252323
TORBMX
ALC091-119-260015-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0040.121225T2323Z-121226T0015Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
523 PM CST TUE DEC 25 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN MARENGO COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...
  SOUTHEASTERN SUMTER COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 615 PM CST

* AT 518 PM CST...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM
  WAS LOCATED NEAR INDIAN SPRINGS...OR 17 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CUBA...
  AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  DEMOPOLIS...JEFFERSON...WHITFIELD...US 80 AND AL 28...DEMOPOLIS
  MUNICIPAL AIRPORT...MCDOWELL...BELMONT AND DEMOPOLIS LOCK AND DAM.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TORNADOES ARE DIFFICULT TO SEE AND CONFIRM AT NIGHT. TAKE COVER NOW.

&&

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...
CALL 1-800-856-0758 OR TWEET YOUR REPORT USING HASHTAG ALWX

LAT...LON 3262 8791 3262 8786 3260 8784 3259 8786
      3261 8787 3259 8790 3253 8786 3255 8784
      3254 8782 3252 8782 3252 8775 3250 8773
      3248 8772 3230 8800 3231 8820
TIME...MOT...LOC 2323Z 226DEG 33KT 3231 8812

$$

61

2 follow-up statements

464 
WWUS54 KBMX 252332
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
532 PM CST TUE DEC 25 2012

ALC091-119-260015-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0040.000000T0000Z-121226T0015Z/
MARENGO AL-SUMTER AL-
532 PM CST TUE DEC 25 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEASTERN SUMTER AND
NORTHWESTERN MARENGO COUNTIES UNTIL 615 PM CST...

AT 527 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 5 MILES NORTH OF INDIAN SPRINGS...
OR 16 MILES WEST OF LINDEN...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  DEMOPOLIS...JEFFERSON...US 80 AND AL 28...DEMOPOLIS MUNICIPAL
  AIRPORT...MCDOWELL...BELMONT AND DEMOPOLIS LOCK AND DAM.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...A VEHICLE OR
OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT
YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...CALL 1-800-856-0758.

LAT...LON 3237 8814 3262 8791 3262 8786 3260 8784
      3259 8786 3261 8788 3260 8790 3253 8786
      3255 8784 3254 8782 3252 8782 3252 8775
      3248 8772 3230 8800 3231 8810
TIME...MOT...LOC 2332Z 226DEG 33KT 3236 8804

$$

61

766 
WWUS54 KBMX 252352
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
552 PM CST TUE DEC 25 2012

ALC091-119-260001-
/O.CAN.KBMX.TO.W.0040.000000T0000Z-121226T0015Z/
MARENGO AL-SUMTER AL-
552 PM CST TUE DEC 25 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN SUMTER AND NORTHWESTERN
MARENGO COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

THE TORNADO THREAT HAS DIMINISHED...THEREFORE THE TORNADO WARNING HAS
BEEN CANCELLED. HOWEVER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN 
EFFECT FOR EASTERN SUMTER AND NORTHERN MARENGO COUNTIES.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...CALL 1-800-856-0758.

LAT...LON 3237 8814 3262 8791 3262 8786 3260 8784
      3259 8786 3261 8788 3260 8790 3253 8786
      3255 8784 3254 8782 3252 8782 3252 8775
      3248 8772 3230 8800 3231 8810
TIME...MOT...LOC 2351Z 226DEG 33KT 3247 8788

$$

61

The office that day

Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Dec 25, 10:10 AM CST	Dense Fog Advisory	BMX	Autauga, Barbour, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun, Chambers and 24 more	110 min
Dec 25, 1:40 PM CST	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Tuscaloosa	50 min
Dec 25, 2:22 PM CST	Wind Advisory	BMX	Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun and 33 more	25 hr
Dec 25, 2:35 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jefferson, Tuscaloosa	40 min
Dec 25, 2:59 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Marengo	30 min
Dec 25, 4:13 PM CST	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Sumter	32 min
Dec 25, 4:33 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Pickens, Sumter	42 min
Dec 25, 5:04 PM CST	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Greene, Hale, Marengo, Pickens, Sumter, Tuscaloosa	3 hr
Dec 25, 5:08 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Tuscaloosa	67 min
Dec 25, 5:15 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Pickens	15 min
Dec 25, 5:47 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Marengo, Sumter	47 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 2012 Every tornado warning in 2012 Tornadoes in 2012

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.