Alert archive / Delaware / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

September 3, 2012Kent County, Delaware

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this tornado warning at Sep 3, 2012, 3:25 PM EDT for Kent County, Delaware. It was in force for 20 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 3, 2012, 3:25 PM EDT (19:25 UTC)
Expired
Sep 3, 2012, 3:45 PM EDT
In force
20 min
Issued by
NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Kent County, DE

The radar

The Dover AFB radar (KDOX), 43 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:28 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 nearest sounding before it

Wallops Is Stn, VA (KWAL), launched 12:00Z, 7.4 hours before the alert went out and 142 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, Wallops Is Stn, VA at 12:00Z on 2012-09-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1340 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, Wallops Is Stn, VA at 12:00Z on 2012-09-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 6 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
1340 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-5 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
627 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
12 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
6 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
85 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.

471 
WFUS51 KPHI 031925
TORPHI
DEC001-032000-
/O.NEW.KPHI.TO.W.0003.120903T1925Z-120903T2000Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
325 PM EDT MON SEP 3 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOUNT HOLLY NJ HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN KENT COUNTY IN CENTRAL DELAWARE...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF DOVER...

* UNTIL 400 PM EDT

* AT 320 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR CAMDEN...OR
  NEAR DOVER...MOVING NORTH AT 20 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  DOVER BY 330 PM EDT...
  DOVER SPEEDWAY BY 335 PM EDT...
  CHESWOLD BY 340 PM EDT...
  SMYRNA AND 6 MILES EAST OF CLAYTON BY 355 PM EDT...

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.

PLEASE REPORT HAIL OR STRONG WINDS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE...1-877-633-6772...WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.

&&

LAT...LON 3910 7565 3930 7564 3931 7559 3928 7541
      3927 7540 3921 7539 3905 7547
TIME...MOT...LOC 1925Z 191DEG 18KT 3913 7555

$$

HEAVENER
1 follow-up statement
410 
WWUS51 KPHI 031945
SVSPHI

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
345 PM EDT MON SEP 3 2012

DEC001-031953-
/O.CAN.KPHI.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-120903T2000Z/
KENT DE-
345 PM EDT MON SEP 3 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHERN KENT COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

THE STORM PRODUCING THE POSSIBLE TORNADO HAS WEAKENED CONSIDERABLY 
SINCE THE WARNING ISSUANCE. 

THE ONLY DAMAGE REPORT RECEIVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS 
IN THE SOUTHWEST PART OF CAMDEN DELAWARE.  

PLEASE REPORT HAIL OR STRONG WINDS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE...1-877-633-6772...WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.

LAT...LON 3910 7565 3930 7564 3931 7559 3928 7541
      3927 7540 3921 7539 3905 7547
TIME...MOT...LOC 1943Z 191DEG 18KT 3922 7553

$$

DRAG

The office that day

Everything else NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 3, 6:05 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPHINew Castle3 hr
Sep 3, 7:31 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningPHINew Castle2 hr
Sep 3, 8:23 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningPHINew Castle82 min
Sep 3, 1:42 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPHISussex93 min
Sep 3, 1:48 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPHIKent, New Castle3 hr
Sep 3, 1:53 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPHIKent, New Castle3 hr
Sep 3, 2:19 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPHISussex114 min
Sep 3, 2:39 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPHINew Castle66 min
Sep 3, 2:44 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPHINew Castle119 min
Sep 3, 3:00 PM EDTFlash Flood WatchPHINew Castle49 hr
Sep 3, 3:14 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningPHIKent, New Castle4 hr
Sep 3, 3:58 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPHINew Castle3 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Delaware, 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.