Alert archive / Mississippi / Tornado Warnings in 2015

Tornado Warning 19, NWS Memphis, TN

December 23, 2015Benton County, Marshall County, Tippah County, Mississippi

NWS Memphis, TN issued this tornado warning at Dec 23, 2015, 4:32 PM CST for Benton County, Marshall County, Tippah County, Mississippi. It was in force for 43 min. 4 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
Dec 23, 2015, 4:32 PM CST (22:32 UTC)
Expired
Dec 23, 2015, 5:15 PM CST
In force
43 min
Issued by
NWS Memphis, TN
Area
Storm-based polygon
Emergency
Tornado emergency
Tornado
Observed
Damage threat
Catastrophic
Hail
2.0 in

Counties Benton County, MS, Marshall County, MS, Tippah County, MS

The radar

The Memphis radar (KNQA), 83 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:33 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
Dec 23, 4:48 PM CSTTORNADO1 N Ashland, MSMULTIPLE INJURIES REPORTED JUST NORTH OF ASHLAND. A COMMAND POST HAS BEEN SETUP AT THE FIRE STATION. POWER IS OUT THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
Dec 23, 4:48 PM CSTTORNADOAshland, MS*** 2 FATAL ***
Dec 23, 4:48 PM CSTTORNADOHolly Springs, MSMULTIPLE TREES AND HOMES DAMAGED NEAR TCHULOHOMA AND HWY 5. HIGHWAY 5 IS NOW CLOSED.
Dec 23, 5:07 PM CSTTORNADOWalnut, MSWEDGE TORNADO ON THE GROUND ON HIGHWAY 72 JUST EAST OF WALNUT MISSISSIPPI.

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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Dec 23, 11:57 AM CSTTornado Watch PDSSPC9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Little Rock, AR (KBYH), launched 12:00Z, 10.5 hours before the alert went out and 68 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, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 2015-12-23Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 343 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, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 2015-12-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 331 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
343 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-24 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
568 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
58 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
331 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
353 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
0.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

668 
WFUS54 KMEG 232232
TORMEG
MSC009-093-139-232315-
/O.NEW.KMEG.TO.W.0019.151223T2232Z-151223T2315Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
432 PM CST WED DEC 23 2015

...TORNADO EMERGENCY FOR NORTHERN BENTON COUNTY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  BENTON COUNTY IN NORTHEASTERN MISSISSIPPI...
  NORTHEASTERN MARSHALL COUNTY IN NORTHWESTERN MISSISSIPPI...
  NORTHWESTERN TIPPAH COUNTY IN NORTHEASTERN MISSISSIPPI...

* UNTIL 515 PM CST
    
* AT 431 PM CST...A CONFIRMED LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE TORNADO WAS
  OBSERVED OVER HOLLY SPRINGS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.

  THIS IS A TORNADO EMERGENCY FOR NORTHERN BENTON COUNTY. TAKE COVER
NOW. THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. 

  HAZARD...DEADLY TORNADO. 

  SOURCE...RADAR CONFIRMED TORNADO. 

  IMPACT...YOU ARE IN A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. FLYING DEBRIS 
           MAY BE DEADLY TO THOSE CAUGHT WITHOUT SHELTER. MOBILE 
           HOMES WILL BE DESTROYED. CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO 
           HOMES...BUSINESSES AND VEHICLES IS LIKELY AND COMPLETE 
           DESTRUCTION IS POSSIBLE. 

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  LAMAR AND SNOW LAKE SHORES AROUND 440 PM CST.
  CANAAN AROUND 450 PM CST.

OTHER LOCATIONS IMPACTED BY THIS TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM INCLUDE
WALNUT...CHALYBEATE...TIPLERSVILLE...WAITES...BROWNFIELD...
HUDSONVILLE...NEW CANAAN...BRODY...GILTON AND HIGDON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TO REPEAT...A LARGE...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS...AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY
TORNADO IS ON THE GROUND. TO PROTECT YOUR LIFE...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.

A LARGE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TORNADO IS ON THE GROUND. TAKE
IMMEDIATE TORNADO PRECAUTIONS. THIS IS AN EMERGENCY SITUATION.

&&

LAT...LON 3466 8944 3478 8952 3500 8920 3499 8882
      3489 8882
TIME...MOT...LOC 2231Z 234DEG 52KT 3478 8939 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
TORNADO DAMAGE THREAT...CATASTROPHIC
HAIL...2.00IN

$$
1 follow-up statement
980 
WWUS54 KMEG 232248
SVSMEG

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
448 PM CST WED DEC 23 2015

MSC093-232257-
/O.CAN.KMEG.TO.W.0019.000000T0000Z-151223T2315Z/
MARSHALL MS-
448 PM CST WED DEC 23 2015

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

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CST FOR NORTHEASTERN
MISSISSIPPI.

LAT...LON 3480 8922 3487 8927 3499 8918 3499 8882
      3489 8882
TIME...MOT...LOC 2247Z 236DEG 52KT 3488 8916 

$$

MSC009-139-232315-
/O.CON.KMEG.TO.W.0019.000000T0000Z-151223T2315Z/
BENTON MS-TIPPAH MS-
448 PM CST WED DEC 23 2015

...TORNADO EMERGENCY FOR NORTHERN BENTON COUNTY...

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 515 PM CST FOR
NORTHEASTERN BENTON AND NORTHWESTERN TIPPAH COUNTIES...
        
AT 447 PM CST...A CONFIRMED LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE TORNADO WAS LOCATED
NEAR CANAAN...OR 15 MILES NORTHWEST OF RIPLEY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT
60 MPH.

TORNADO EMERGENCY FOR NORTHERN BENTON COUNTY. TAKE COVER NOW. THIS
IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

HAZARD...DEADLY TORNADO. 

SOURCE...RADAR CONFIRMED TORNADO. 

IMPACT...YOU ARE IN A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. FLYING DEBRIS MAY 
         BE DEADLY TO THOSE CAUGHT WITHOUT SHELTER. MOBILE HOMES 
         WILL BE DESTROYED. CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO 
         HOMES...BUSINESSES AND VEHICLES IS LIKELY AND COMPLETE 
         DESTRUCTION IS POSSIBLE. 

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  CANAAN AROUND 450 PM CST.

OTHER LOCATIONS IMPACTED BY THIS TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM INCLUDE
WALNUT...TIPLERSVILLE...HAMILTON...CHALYBEATE...BROWNFIELD...
ASHLAND...NEW CANAAN AND BRODY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TO REPEAT...A LARGE...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS...AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY
TORNADO IS ON THE GROUND. TO PROTECT YOUR LIFE...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.

A LARGE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TORNADO IS ON THE GROUND. TAKE
IMMEDIATE TORNADO PRECAUTIONS. THIS IS AN EMERGENCY SITUATION.

&&

LAT...LON 3480 8922 3487 8927 3499 8918 3499 8882
      3489 8882
TIME...MOT...LOC 2247Z 236DEG 52KT 3488 8916 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
TORNADO DAMAGE THREAT...CATASTROPHIC
HAIL...2.00IN

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 23, 2:53 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGCoahoma36 min
Dec 23, 3:00 PM CSTTornado WarningMEGCoahoma23 min
Dec 23, 3:13 PM CSTTornado Warning Tornado observedConsiderable damage threatMEGCoahoma, Quitman47 min
Dec 23, 3:35 PM CSTTornado Warning Tornado observedConsiderable damage threatMEGPanola40 min
Dec 23, 3:41 PM CSTTornado WarningMEGCoahoma, Quitman, Tallahatchie49 min
Dec 23, 3:53 PM CSTTornado Warning EmergencyTornado observedConsiderable damage threatMEGLafayette, Marshall, Panola, Tate52 min
Dec 23, 4:12 PM CSTTornado Warning Tornado observedConsiderable damage threatMEGPanola, Tallahatchie48 min
Dec 23, 4:34 PM CSTTornado WarningMEGPanola, Tallahatchie, Yalobusha41 min
Dec 23, 4:45 PM CSTTornado WarningMEGLafayette, Marshall45 min
Dec 23, 4:56 PM CSTTornado Warning EmergencyTornado observedCatastrophic damage threatMEGAlcorn, Benton, Tippah49 min
Dec 23, 4:59 PM CSTTornado Warning Tornado observedConsiderable damage threatMEGLafayette, Yalobusha46 min
Dec 23, 5:19 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGBenton, Tippah, Union41 min
Dec 23, 5:20 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGQuitman, Tallahatchie40 min
Dec 23, 5:24 PM CSTTornado WarningMEGBenton, Tippah, Union51 min
Dec 23, 5:34 PM CSTTornado WarningMEGTippah, Union41 min
Dec 23, 5:50 PM CSTTornado WarningMEGAlcorn, Prentiss40 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Mississippi, 2015Every tornado warning in 2015Tornadoes in 2015

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.