Alert archive / Florida / Tornado Warnings in 2018

Tornado Warning 5, NWS Melbourne, FL

March 20, 2018Okeechobee County, Florida

NWS Melbourne, FL issued this tornado warning at Mar 20, 2018, 5:25 PM EDT for Okeechobee County, Florida. It was in force for 35 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: Mar 20, 2018, 5:25 PM EDT (21:25 UTC)
Expired: Mar 20, 2018, 6:00 PM EDT
In force: 35 min
Issued by: NWS Melbourne, FL
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 1.25 in

County Okeechobee County, FL

The radar

The Melbourne radar (KMLB), 80 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:29 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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Mar 20, 10:24 AM EDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Cape Canaveral, FL (KXMR), launched 12:00Z, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 122 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: 860 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -124 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 864 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 45 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 155 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 213 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.2
Supercell composite: 1.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

146 
WFUS52 KMLB 202125
TORMLB
FLC093-202200-
/O.NEW.KMLB.TO.W.0005.180320T2125Z-180320T2200Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Melbourne FL
525 PM EDT TUE MAR 20 2018

The National Weather Service in Melbourne has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northern Okeechobee County in east central Florida...

* Until 600 PM EDT
    
* At 524 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a 
  tornado was located near the Avon Park Air Force Range and Sebring 
  Regional Airport, moving east at 45 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado and half dollar size hail. 

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation. 

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. 
           Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree 
           damage is likely. 

* Locations impacted include...Kissimmee Prarie Preserve. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile
home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and
protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 2744 8115 2746 8117 2748 8118 2749 8120
      2751 8120 2753 8121 2754 8120 2755 8121
      2756 8118 2760 8114 2765 8114 2764 8078
      2741 8078
TIME...MOT...LOC 2124Z 271DEG 32KT 2754 8133 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...1.25IN

$$

Ulrich

2 follow-up statements

438 
WWUS52 KMLB 202144
SVSMLB

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Melbourne FL
544 PM EDT TUE MAR 20 2018

FLC093-202200-
/O.CON.KMLB.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-180320T2200Z/
Okeechobee FL-
544 PM EDT TUE MAR 20 2018

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM EDT FOR NORTHERN
OKEECHOBEE COUNTY...
    
At 544 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Kissimmee Prarie Preserve, or 11 miles northwest of
Basinger, moving east at 40 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado and half dollar size hail. 

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation. 

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
         shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage 
         to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree damage is 
         likely. 

Locations impacted include...
Fort Drum and Kissimmee Prarie Preserve. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile
home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and
protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 2744 8115 2746 8117 2748 8118 2749 8120
      2751 8120 2753 8121 2754 8120 2755 8121
      2756 8118 2760 8114 2761 8114 2762 8103
      2764 8078 2741 8078
TIME...MOT...LOC 2144Z 271DEG 32KT 2754 8112 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...1.25IN

$$

Ulrich

809 
WWUS52 KMLB 202158
SVSMLB

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Melbourne FL
558 PM EDT TUE MAR 20 2018

FLC093-202207-
/O.EXP.KMLB.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-180320T2200Z/
Okeechobee FL-
558 PM EDT TUE MAR 20 2018

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHERN OKEECHOBEE COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT
600 PM EDT...
        
The tornado warning for Okeechobee County will expire at 600 PM 
EDT...however, a severe thunderstorm warning continues until 630 PM 
for the potential of damaging wind gusts to 60 mph and hail up to 
half dollar coins. 

A tornado watch remains in effect until 700 PM EDT for east central
Florida.

LAT...LON 2744 8115 2746 8117 2748 8118 2749 8120
      2751 8120 2753 8121 2754 8120 2755 8121
      2756 8118 2760 8114 2761 8114 2762 8103
      2764 8078 2741 8078
TIME...MOT...LOC 2157Z 271DEG 32KT 2754 8100 

$$

Ulrich

The office that day

Everything else NWS Melbourne, FL issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 20, 3:13 AM EDT	Lake Wind Advisory	MLB	Lake, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Volusia	17 hr
Mar 20, 3:17 AM EDT	Gale Warning	MLB		31 hr
Mar 20, 9:19 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	MLB	Volusia	56 min
Mar 20, 9:30 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MLB	Volusia	45 min
Mar 20, 9:39 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	MLB	Volusia	51 min
Mar 20, 10:31 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MLB	Volusia	29 min
Mar 20, 10:33 AM EDT	Special Marine Warning	MLB		42 min
Mar 20, 1:39 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MLB	Lake	36 min
Mar 20, 1:57 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	MLB	Lake, Orange	33 min
Mar 20, 2:17 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	MLB	Lake, Orange, Seminole, Volusia	58 min
Mar 20, 2:24 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MLB	Lake	36 min
Mar 20, 2:26 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	MLB	Orange, Seminole	34 min
Mar 20, 2:32 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	MLB	Lake	18 min
Mar 20, 2:48 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MLB	Orange, Seminole	27 min
Mar 20, 3:03 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MLB	Orange	27 min
Mar 20, 3:09 PM EDT	Special Marine Warning	MLB		111 min
Mar 20, 3:18 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MLB	Orange	27 min
Mar 20, 3:20 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	MLB	Lake, Orange, Seminole, Volusia	55 min
Mar 20, 3:42 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MLB	Brevard	48 min
Mar 20, 4:14 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	MLB	Volusia	61 min
Mar 20, 4:50 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	MLB	Lake, Orange	55 min
Mar 20, 5:05 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	MLB	Indian River, Okeechobee, Osceola, Saint Lucie	85 min
Mar 20, 5:20 PM EDT	Special Marine Warning	MLB		115 min
Mar 20, 5:26 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	MLB	Volusia	49 min
Mar 20, 5:32 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MLB	Volusia	28 min
Mar 20, 5:38 PM EDT	Special Marine Warning	MLB		2 hr
Mar 20, 5:56 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MLB	Indian River, Okeechobee, Saint Lucie	34 min
Mar 20, 6:00 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	MLB	Orange, Seminole	60 min
Mar 20, 6:35 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	MLB	Saint Lucie	25 min
Mar 20, 7:25 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	MLB	Saint Lucie	20 min
Mar 20, 7:50 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	MLB	Martin	25 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Florida, 2018 Every tornado warning in 2018 Tornadoes in 2018

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.