Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2014

Tornado Warning 9, NWS Huntsville, AL

April 28, 2014Limestone County, Madison County, Alabama

NWS Huntsville, AL issued this tornado warning at Apr 28, 2014, 5:15 PM CDT for Limestone County, Madison County, Alabama. It was in force for 30 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: Apr 28, 2014, 5:15 PM CDT (22:15 UTC)
Expired: Apr 28, 2014, 5:45 PM CDT
In force: 30 min
Issued by: NWS Huntsville, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon
Emergency: Tornado emergency

Counties Limestone County, AL, Madison County, AL

The radar

The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 60 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:15 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
Apr 28, 5:15 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	2 W Athens, AL	6 FOOT WIDE OAK TREE BLOWN OVER AND POWER LINES DOWN.
Apr 28, 5:25 PM CDT	HAIL 2.75	Athens, AL	BASEBALL SIZED HAIL WAS REPORTED.
Apr 28, 5:25 PM CDT	HAIL 2.75	Athens, AL	BASEBALL SIZED HAIL WAS REPORTED.
Apr 28, 5:28 PM CDT	HAIL 1	2 Nnw Athens, AL	PENNY TO QUARTER SIZED HAIL WAS REPORTED AT AIRPORT ROAD.
Apr 28, 5:34 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	Hazel Green, AL	TREES AND POWERLINES REPORTED DOWN ALONG WITH STRUCTURAL DAMAGE.
Apr 28, 5:50 PM CDT	TORNADO 1	4 Wnw Hazel Green, AL	EF-1 WITH ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS OF 105 MPH. PATH LENGTH OF 8.9 MILES. MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH OF 100 YARDS.
Apr 28, 5:50 PM CDT	TORNADO 1	4 Wnw Hazel Green, AL	EF-1 WITH ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS OF 105 MPH. PATH LENGTH OF 9.4 MILES. MAXIMUM PATH WID OF 100 YARDS.

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
Apr 28, 12:39 PM CDT	Tornado Watch PDS	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 12:00Z, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 141 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: 267 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -224 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 707 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 573 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 616 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 14.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

134 
WFUS54 KHUN 282215
TORHUN
ALC083-089-282245-
/O.NEW.KHUN.TO.W.0009.140428T2215Z-140428T2245Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
515 PM CDT MON APR 28 2014

...TORNADO EMERGENCY FOR EAST LIMESTONE AND NORTHWEST MADISON 
COUNTY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN MADISON COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  NORTHEASTERN LIMESTONE COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 545 PM CDT
    
* AT 513 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR AND STORM SPOTTERS WERE TRACKING A 
  LARGE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TORNADO NEAR ATHENS. DOPPLER RADAR 
  SHOWED THIS TORNADO MOVING EAST-NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

  THIS IS A TORNADO EMERGENCY FOR EAST LIMESTONE AND NORTHWEST      
  MADISON COUNTY. THIS INCLUDES ATHENS...BETHEL...HARVEST AND TONEY. 
  TAKE COVER NOW. 

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  NORTHERN HUNTSVILLE...ATHENS...MERIDIANVILLE...MOORES MILL...HAZEL
  GREEN...HARVEST...TONEY AND FISK.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TORNADO WITH COMPLETE DEVASTATION
LIKELY. YOU COULD BE KILLED IF NOT UNDERGROUND OR IN A TORNADO
SHELTER. DO NOT DELAY...SEEK SHELTER NOW! IF NO UNDERGROUND SHELTER
IS AVAILABLE SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM OF THE LOWEST LEVEL OF
A STRUCTURE...OR IF TIME ALLOWS...CONSIDER MOVING TO AN UNDERGROUND
SHELTER ELSEWHERE. MOBILE HOMES AND OUTBUILDINGS WILL OFFER NO
SHELTER FROM THIS TORNADO.

&&

LAT...LON 3482 8653 3476 8706 3484 8707 3499 8668
      3499 8658
TIME...MOT...LOC 2213Z 256DEG 42KT 3483 8694 

$$

DJN.83

1 follow-up statement

724 
WWUS54 KHUN 282238
SVSHUN

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
538 PM CDT MON APR 28 2014

ALC083-282246-
/O.CAN.KHUN.TO.W.0009.000000T0000Z-140428T2245Z/
LIMESTONE AL-

538 PM CDT MON APR 28 2014

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN LIMESTONE COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...
    
THE TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING FOR NORTHEAST 
LIMESTONE COUNTY HAS MOVED OUT OF THE AREA. THEREFORE THE WARNING 
HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

LAT...LON 3482 8653 3479 8679 3494 8678 3499 8668
      3499 8658
TIME...MOT...LOC 2236Z 249DEG 30KT 3488 8676 

$$

ALC089-282245-
/O.CON.KHUN.TO.W.0009.000000T0000Z-140428T2245Z/
MADISON AL-
538 PM CDT MON APR 28 2014

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 545 PM CDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN MADISON COUNTY...
    
AT 536 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED 
NEAR HARVEST...OR 11 MILES WEST OF MERIDIANVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 35 
MPH.

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING A LARGE TORNADO WITH 
SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE BETWEEN CLEMENTS AND ATHENS. 

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
NORTHERN HUNTSVILLE...MERIDIANVILLE...MOORES MILL...HAZEL GREEN...
HARVEST...TONEY AND FISK.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 3482 8653 3479 8679 3494 8678 3499 8668
      3499 8658
TIME...MOT...LOC 2236Z 249DEG 30KT 3488 8676 

$$

DJN.83

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 28, 2:47 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HUN	Franklin	58 min
Apr 28, 3:09 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	HUN	Colbert, Franklin	51 min
Apr 28, 3:41 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Colbert, Franklin	34 min
Apr 28, 3:50 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	HUN	Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale	6 hr
Apr 28, 3:56 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	HUN	Colbert, Franklin	34 min
Apr 28, 4:29 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	HUN	Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone	6 hr
Apr 28, 4:35 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	HUN	Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone	25 min
Apr 28, 4:56 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Emergency	HUN	Limestone	34 min
Apr 28, 5:32 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	HUN	Limestone, Madison, Morgan	3 hr
Apr 28, 5:36 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	HUN	Franklin	39 min
Apr 28, 5:41 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	HUN	Limestone	34 min
Apr 28, 5:45 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	HUN	Madison	30 min
Apr 28, 5:50 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	HUN	Lawrence	25 min
Apr 28, 6:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Madison	33 min
Apr 28, 6:40 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	HUN	Madison	35 min
Apr 28, 6:50 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Limestone, Madison	25 min
Apr 28, 6:52 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Lawrence	23 min
Apr 28, 6:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Madison	34 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 2014 Every tornado warning in 2014 Tornadoes in 2014

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.