Alert archive / Florida / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Melbourne, FL

May 15, 2012Brevard County, Volusia County, Florida

NWS Melbourne, FL issued this tornado warning at May 15, 2012, 6:52 PM EDT for Brevard County, Volusia County, Florida. It was in force for 23 min. 3 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
May 15, 2012, 6:52 PM EDT (22:52 UTC)
Expired
May 15, 2012, 7:15 PM EDT
In force
23 min
Issued by
NWS Melbourne, FL
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Brevard County, FL, Volusia County, FL

The radar

The Melbourne radar (KMLB), 78 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:55 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
May 15, 7:02 PM EDTTSTM WND GST 502 Nnw Scottsmoor, FLSUSTAINED 50 MPH WIND WITH HIGHER GUST, WIND BLOWN DEBRIS. ALSO REPORTED DIME-SIZED HAIL.
May 15, 7:15 PM EDTTSTM WND GST 621 Sse Scottsmoor, FLUSAF 54 FT WIND TOWER NUMBER 819 MEASURED WIND GUST OF 54 KT/62 MPH
May 15, 7:20 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGScottsmoor, FLTORRENTIAL RAINFALL, DIME SIZED HAIL, WIND GUST FROM WNW ESTIMATED TO BE NEAR 70 MPH WAS OBSERVED FROM 7 TO 720 PM. MUCH DEBRIS ON THE GROUND AND TOPS OF SEVERAL LARGE CEDAR TREES IN MY YARD WERE BLOWN DOWN.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Cape Canaveral, FL (KXMR), launched 12:00Z, 10.9 hours before the alert went out and 47 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, Cape Canaveral, FL at 12:00Z on 2012-05-15Temperature 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°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Cape Canaveral, FL at 12:00Z on 2012-05-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -5 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1390 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-5 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-2 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.

035 
WFUS52 KMLB 152252
TORMLB
FLC009-127-152315-
/O.NEW.KMLB.TO.W.0003.120515T2252Z-120515T2315Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
652 PM EDT TUE MAY 15 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MELBOURNE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  EXTREME NORTHERN BREVARD COUNTY IN FLORIDA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF SCOTTSMOOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN VOLUSIA COUNTY IN FLORIDA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...OAK HILL...MAYTOWN...CREIGHTON...

* UNTIL 715 PM EDT.

* AT 650 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR MAYTOWN...
  MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  CREIGHTON...SCOTTSMOOR...SHILOH...OAK HILL

THE IMMEDIATE DANGER OF A TORNADO IS HIGH. PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THIS
DEVELOPING TORNADO ARE URGED TO QUICKLY PREPARE FOR ITS APPROACH.
THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION! ACT NOW AS SECONDS CAN SAVE LIVES!

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A STRONG BUILDING ON
THE LOWEST FLOOR...IN AN INTERIOR ROOM SUCH AS A BATHROOM OR CLOSET.
KEEP AWAY FROM WINDOWS. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF
STURDY FURNITURE. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY.
EVACUATE MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES FOR MORE SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER.

THE TORNADO WILL LIKELY BE WRAPPED IN HEAVY RAIN MAKING IT DIFFICULT
TO SEE. BE SMART AND REACT NOW!

IF YOU EXPERIENCE SEVERE WEATHER...PLEASE RELAY YOUR REPORT TO LOCAL
LAW ENFORCEMENT AND ASK THEM TO PASS IT ALONG TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE. OR YOU MAY CALL THE MELBOURNE WEATHER OFFICE DIRECTLY AT
THIS NUMBER 1 800 6 8 3 4 4 6 8. YOUR TIMELY REPORT COULD SAVE
SOMEONES LIFE!

&&

LAT...LON 2885 8076 2876 8071 2875 8074 2878 8074
      2881 8078 2885 8078 2885 8081 2875 8075
      2874 8079 2877 8084 2872 8083 2872 8084
      2884 8104 2896 8096
TIME...MOT...LOC 2250Z 306DEG 15KT 2883 8092

$$
1 follow-up statement
804 
WWUS52 KMLB 152306
SVSMLB

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
706 PM EDT TUE MAY 15 2012

FLC009-127-152315-
/O.CON.KMLB.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-120515T2315Z/
VOLUSIA-BREVARD-
706 PM EDT TUE MAY 15 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 715 PM EDT FOR EXTREME
NORTHERN BREVARD AND SOUTHEASTERN VOLUSIA COUNTIES...

AT 705 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR SCOTTSMOOR... 
MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO SHILOH

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A STRONG BUILDING ON
THE LOWEST FLOOR...IN AN INTERIOR ROOM SUCH AS A BATHROOM OR CLOSET.
KEEP AWAY FROM WINDOWS. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF
STURDY FURNITURE. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY.

EVACUATE MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES FOR MORE SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER.

&&

LAT...LON 2887 8096 2888 8081 2885 8076 2876 8071
      2875 8074 2878 8074 2881 8078 2885 8078
      2885 8081 2875 8075 2874 8079 2877 8084
      2872 8083 2872 8084 2881 8099
TIME...MOT...LOC 2306Z 306DEG 15KT 2879 8086

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Melbourne, FL issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 15, 3:04 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementMLBMartin41 min
May 15, 3:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMLBMartin35 min
May 15, 3:22 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementMLBBrevard38 min
May 15, 3:25 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningMLB65 min
May 15, 3:34 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementMLBOkeechobee41 min
May 15, 3:48 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryMLBBrevard39 min
May 15, 3:59 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementMLBBrevard31 min
May 15, 4:00 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementMLBIndian River45 min
May 15, 4:23 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementMLBVolusia37 min
May 15, 4:26 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningMLB2 hr
May 15, 4:53 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementMLBBrevard52 min
May 15, 5:01 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementMLBOkeechobee44 min
May 15, 5:43 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementMLBBrevard47 min
May 15, 6:08 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementMLBVolusia37 min
May 15, 6:24 PM EDTTornado WarningMLBVolusia36 min
May 15, 6:46 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementMLBOrange44 min
May 15, 6:56 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningMLB94 min
May 15, 7:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMLBBrevard37 min
May 15, 7:08 PM EDTTornado WarningMLBBrevard, Volusia37 min
May 15, 7:23 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementMLBSeminole37 min
May 15, 7:45 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementMLBBrevard45 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Florida, 2012Every tornado warning in 2012Tornadoes 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.