Alert archive / Tennessee / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 13, NWS Nashville, TN

February 29, 2012DeKalb County, Putnam County, White County, Tennessee

NWS Nashville, TN issued this tornado warning at Feb 29, 2012, 3:46 PM CST for DeKalb County, Putnam County, White County, Tennessee. It was in force for 29 min. 7 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, 3:46 PM CST (21:46 UTC)
Expired: Feb 29, 2012, 4:15 PM CST
In force: 29 min
Issued by: NWS Nashville, TN
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties DeKalb County, TN, Putnam County, TN, White County, TN

The radar

The Nashville radar (KOHX), 115 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:47 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
Feb 29, 3:47 PM CST	TORNADO 1	1 Nnw Smithville, TN	* 1 FATAL * EF1 TORNADO WITH MAX WINDS AROUND 90 MPH. 13.7 MILE DAMAGE PATH AND 200 YD MAX PATH WIDTH. BEGAN ON NORTH SIDE OF SMITHVILLE THEN TRACKED RAPIDLY EASTWARD ACROSS CENTER HILL LAKE BEFORE ENDING IN WESTERN WHITE COUNTY. ONE HOME ON STILTS LOCATED
Feb 29, 3:49 PM CST	TSTM WND GST 67	Smithville, TN
Feb 29, 3:50 PM CST	TSTM WND DMG	3 N Smithville, TN	STRUCTURAL DAMAGE ON ARROWHEAD DRIVE. TREES DOWN ON DOGWOOD CIRCLE AND HIGHLAND DRIVE. POSSIBLE TORNADO.
Feb 29, 3:54 PM CST	TSTM WND DMG	8 Ne Smithville, TN	ROOF DAMAGE WITH NUMEROUS TREES DOWN ALONG HOLIDAY HAVEN RD. REPORT OF A PERSON TRAPPED IN A HOME. POSSIBLE TORNADO.
Feb 29, 4:02 PM CST	TORNADO 0	7 Nnw Sparta, TN	EF0 TORNADO WITH MAX WINDS OF 85 MPH. 1.8 MILE DAMAGE PATH AND 50 YD MAX PATH WIDTH. BEGAN SOUTHWEST OF LINVILLE RD AND TRACKED RAPIDLY EASTWARD ACROSS HIGHWAY 111 BEFORE ENDING EAST OF WALNUT GROVE RD. A HOME AND BARN SUFFERED ROOF DAMAGE ON LINVILLE RD. SCAT
Feb 29, 4:10 PM CST	TSTM WND DMG	8 N Sparta, TN	BARN DESTROYED ALONG LINVILLE RD.
Feb 29, 4:13 PM CST	FUNNEL CLOUD	8 N Sparta, TN	FUNNEL CLOUD REPORTED NORTH OF SPARTA.

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
Feb 29, 11:31 AM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 12:00Z, 9.8 hours before the alert went out and 114 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: 580 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -25 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 510 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 61 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 365 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 485 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.9
Supercell composite: 8.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

860 
WFUS54 KOHX 292146
TOROHX
TNC041-141-185-292215-
/O.NEW.KOHX.TO.W.0013.120229T2146Z-120229T2215Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
346 PM CST WED FEB 29 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NASHVILLE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  EASTERN DE KALB COUNTY IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE...
  SOUTH CENTRAL PUTNAM COUNTY IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE...
  WHITE COUNTY IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE...

* UNTIL 415 PM CST

* AT 345 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS
  STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR SMITHVILLE...AND MOVING EAST AT 60 MPH.

* THIS DANGEROUS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  SPARTA AROUND 405 PM CST.

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.

&&

LAT...LON 3582 8523 3580 8526 3578 8525 3577 8525
      3578 8527 3582 8527 3579 8537 3582 8545
      3581 8549 3588 8591 3606 8592 3609 8524
      3596 8527 3591 8523
TIME...MOT...LOC 2146Z 269DEG 53KT 3597 8579

$$

SHAMBURGER

1 follow-up statement

075 
WWUS54 KOHX 292206
SVSOHX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
406 PM CST WED FEB 29 2012

TNC041-141-292215-
/O.CAN.KOHX.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-120229T2215Z/
PUTNAM TN-DE KALB TN-
406 PM CST WED FEB 29 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EASTERN DE KALB AND SOUTH CENTRAL PUTNAM
COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT OF THE WARNED 
AREA.

LAT...LON 3598 8527 3597 8566 3600 8564 3602 8564
      3605 8560 3604 8559 3605 8558 3608 8554
      3608 8549 3603 8532 3600 8531
TIME...MOT...LOC 2205Z 259DEG 55KT 3604 8546

$$

TNC185-292215-
/O.CON.KOHX.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-120229T2215Z/
WHITE TN-
406 PM CST WED FEB 29 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN WHITE COUNTY
UNTIL 415 PM CST...

AT 401 PM CST...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A TORNADO.  THIS
TORNADO WAS LOCATED 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF SPARTA...MOVING EAST AT 65
MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL AFFECT MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF NORTHERN WHITE COUNTY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS TORNADO PRODUCED DAMAGE NORTH OF SMITHVILLE IN DE KALB COUNTY.

TO REPEAT...A TORNADO IS ON THE GROUND. 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.

&&

LAT...LON 3598 8527 3597 8566 3600 8564 3602 8564
      3605 8560 3604 8559 3605 8558 3608 8554
      3608 8549 3603 8532 3600 8531
TIME...MOT...LOC 2205Z 259DEG 55KT 3604 8546

$$

SHAMBURGER

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Feb 29, 10:35 AM CST	Special Weather Statement	OHX	Stewart	55 min
Feb 29, 11:26 AM CST	Tornado Warning	OHX	Houston, Montgomery, Stewart	34 min
Feb 29, 2:40 PM CST	Special Weather Statement	OHX	Pickett	35 min
Feb 29, 3:04 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OHX	Jackson, Overton, Putnam, Smith	26 min
Feb 29, 3:30 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OHX	Cumberland, Fentress, Jackson, Overton, Pickett, Putnam	45 min
Feb 29, 3:33 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OHX	Cannon, DeKalb, Putnam, Smith, White, Wilson	27 min
Feb 29, 3:38 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OHX	Cannon, DeKalb, Putnam, Rutherford, Smith, White and 1 more	37 min
Feb 29, 4:09 PM CST	Tornado Warning	OHX	Cumberland, Fentress, Overton, Putnam, White	36 min
Feb 29, 5:14 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OHX	Grundy	16 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Tennessee, 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.