Alert archive / Tennessee / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 8, NWS Morristown, TN

February 29, 2012Hawkins County, Sullivan County, Tennessee; Scott County, Virginia

NWS Morristown, TN issued this tornado warning at Feb 29, 2012, 11:50 PM EST for Hawkins County, Sullivan County, Tennessee; Scott County, Virginia. It was in force for 25 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
Feb 29, 2012, 11:50 PM EST (04:50 UTC)
Expired
Mar 1, 2012, 12:15 AM EST
In force
25 min
Issued by
NWS Morristown, TN
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Hawkins County, TN, Sullivan County, TN, Scott County, VA

The radar

The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 88 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:49 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
Mar 1, 12:00 AM ESTTSTM WND DMG1 W Gate City, VATREES AND POWER LINES DOWN.
Mar 1, 12:05 AM ESTTSTM WND DMG1 W Gate City, VAPOSSIBLE TORNADO DAMAGE IN GATE CITY. A FEW TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN. A SMALL STORAGE SHED WAS BLOWN INTO THE ROAD AT BENTON DR AND STARNES ST. A PORCH COLLAPSED THAT WAS ATTACHED TO THE BACK OF A MOBILE HOME ON DANIEL BOONE RD.
Mar 1, 12:05 AM ESTTSTM WND DMGGate City, VAPOSSIBLE TORNADO DAMAGE IN GATE CITY. A FEW TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN. A SMALL STORAGE SHED WAS DESTROYED AND A MOBILE HOME ROOF WAS BLOWN OFF.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 00:00Z, 4.8 hours before the alert went out and 254 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 00:00Z on 2012-03-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 62 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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 00:00Z on 2012-03-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 271 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
62 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-165 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
686 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
55 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
271 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
241 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.

345 
WFUS54 KMRX 010450
TORMRX
TNC073-163-VAC169-010530-
/O.NEW.KMRX.TO.W.0008.120301T0450Z-120301T0530Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
1150 PM EST WED FEB 29 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MORRISTOWN HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  EXTREME EASTERN HAWKINS COUNTY IN EAST TENNESSEE...
  WESTERN SULLIVAN COUNTY IN EAST TENNESSEE...
  SCOTT COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...

* UNTIL 1230 AM EST

* AT 1145 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 11 MILES
  SOUTHEAST OF PENNINGTON GAP...OR 14 MILES EAST OF JONESVILLE.
  DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED THIS TORNADO MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  GATE CITY...KINGSPORT...WEBER CITY...OKOLONA...CLINCHPORT AND MOUNT
  CARMEL.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

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.

&&

LAT...LON 3674 8247 3647 8254 3665 8292 3676 8279
TIME...MOT...LOC 0450Z 278DEG 35KT 3668 8280

$$

DGS
2 follow-up statements
512 
WWUS54 KMRX 010502
SVSMRX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
1202 AM EST THU MAR 1 2012

TNC073-163-VAC169-010530-
/O.CON.KMRX.TO.W.0008.000000T0000Z-120301T0530Z/
SULLIVAN TN-HAWKINS TN-SCOTT VA-
1202 AM EST THU MAR 1 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1230 AM EST FOR SCOTT...
EXTREME EASTERN HAWKINS AND WESTERN SULLIVAN COUNTIES...

AT 1159 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR CLINCHPORT...OR
NEAR GATE CITY...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  GATE CITY...KINGSPORT AND WEBER CITY.

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.

&&

LAT...LON 3674 8247 3647 8254 3665 8292 3676 8279
TIME...MOT...LOC 0502Z 281DEG 37KT 3664 8264

$$
DGS
416 
WWUS54 KMRX 010515
SVSMRX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
1215 AM EST THU MAR 1 2012

TNC073-163-VAC169-010525-
/O.CAN.KMRX.TO.W.0008.000000T0000Z-120301T0530Z/
SULLIVAN TN-HAWKINS TN-SCOTT VA-
1215 AM EST THU MAR 1 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SCOTT...EXTREME EASTERN HAWKINS AND
WESTERN SULLIVAN COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

THE STORMS THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAVE EXITED THE WARNED AREA.
THEREFORE...THE WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN SCOTT COUNTY...SOUTHWESTERN 
WASHINGTON COUNTY...SULLIVAN COUNTY...AND CITY OF BRISTOL REMAINS IN 
EFFECT.

LAT...LON 3674 8247 3647 8254 3665 8292 3676 8279
TIME...MOT...LOC 0515Z 281DEG 37KT 3661 8248

$$

DGSD

The office that day

Everything else NWS Morristown, TN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 29, 7:20 PM ESTTornado WarningMRXBlount, Loudon, Monroe, Sevier40 min
Feb 29, 7:58 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXBlount, Cocke, Sevier17 min
Feb 29, 10:46 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXCampbell, Scott29 min
Feb 29, 11:02 PM ESTTornado WarningMRXCampbell, Claiborne, Scott, Union43 min
Feb 29, 11:39 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXHawkins36 min
Mar 1, 12:12 AM ESTTornado WarningMRXSullivan33 min
Mar 1, 1:16 AM ESTAreal Flood AdvisoryMRXSullivan119 min
Mar 1, 2:44 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXCocke, Sevier31 min
Feb 29, 7:08 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXRussell30 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Tennessee, 2012Tornado Warnings in Virginia, 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.