Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2020

Tornado Warning 27, NWS Birmingham, AL

April 12, 2020Etowah County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Apr 12, 2020, 5:59 PM CDT for Etowah County, Alabama. It was in force for 35 min. 8 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 12, 2020, 5:59 PM CDT (22:59 UTC)
Expired: Apr 12, 2020, 6:34 PM CDT
In force: 35 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.75 in

County Etowah County, AL

The radar

The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 97 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:59 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 12, 6:07 PM CDT	HAIL 1.75	1 Ne Walnut Grove, AL
Apr 12, 6:08 PM CDT	TORNADO	1 Nw Ramsey, AL	DOZENS OF TREES WERE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED, AS WELL AS MINOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO A FARM BUILDING AND A POWER SUBSTATION NORTH OF GRAY CREEK DRIVE. THE TORNADO DAMAGE PATH WAS 5.52 MILES LONG AND WAS 525 YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT. THE MAXIMUM WINDS WERE EST
Apr 12, 6:14 PM CDT	TORNADO	2 Ese Ridgeville, AL	MANY HOMES SUFFERED EXTENSIVE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE DUE TO FALLING AND SNAPPED TREES. NUMEROUS POWER POLES WERE ALSO SNAPPED ALONG ITS TRACK FROM ATTALLA INTO REECE CITY. THE TORNADO WIDENED AND STRENGTHENED AS IT MOVED INTO REECE CITY WITH A WIDE SWATH OF HARDWOO
Apr 12, 6:16 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	1 Ssw Reece City, AL	NUMEROUS TREES DOWN AND HEAVY OTHER DAMAGE. POSSIBLE TORNADO.
Apr 12, 6:16 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	1 Ssw Reece City, AL	NUMEROUS TREES DOWN. MANY OF THESE TREES LANDED ON STRUCTURES. POSSIBLE TORNADO.
Apr 12, 6:20 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	2 Wnw Sardis City, AL	TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN AND ADDITIONAL DAMAGE. POSSIBLE TORNADO.
Apr 12, 6:20 PM CDT	TORNADO	3 W Sardis City, AL	AN EF-1 TORNADO STARTED ALONG PLEASANT HILL ROAD AND HIGHWAY 205 IN FAR NORTHERN ETOWAH COUNTY, NORTH OF THE TOWN OF MOUNTAINBORO. TREES WERE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED, SOME OF WHICH FELL ON HOMES. THIS TORNADO THEN CROSSED INTO SOUTHERN MARSHALL COUNTY. THE NWS HU
Apr 12, 6:22 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	2 Ne Crudup, AL	SEVERAL TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN AND SOME STRUCTURAL DAMAGE.

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 12, 3:20 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 11.0 hours before the alert went out and 116 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 1885 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 61 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 336 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 578 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

066 
WFUS54 KBMX 122259
TORBMX
ALC055-122345-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0027.200412T2259Z-200412T2345Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
559 PM CDT Sun Apr 12 2020

The National Weather Service in Birmingham has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Etowah County in northeastern Alabama...

* Until 645 PM CDT.
    
* At 558 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Altoona, or 8 miles east of Oneonta, moving
  northeast at 65 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado.

  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...
  Gadsden, Rainbow City, Attalla, Sardis City, Steele, Altoona,
  Walnut Grove, Reece City, Tabor Road, Aurora, Gadsden Mall,
  Noccalula Falls, Gadsden Steam Plant, Howelton, Crudup,
  Mountainboro, Gadsden Municipal Airport, Gallant, Keener and
  Rockledge.

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 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 3411 8584 3413 8580 3412 8579 3410 8580
      3408 8579 3392 8616 3396 8617 3399 8620
      3399 8622 3397 8625 3399 8628 3394 8633
      3394 8637 3398 8634 3405 8633 3410 8630
      3418 8619 3419 8611 3420 8610 3420 8584
TIME...MOT...LOC 2258Z 236DEG 57KT 3396 8633 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...<.75IN

$$

87/GRANTHAM

3 follow-up statements

831 
WWUS54 KBMX 122315
SVSBMX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
615 PM CDT Sun Apr 12 2020

ALC055-122345-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0027.000000T0000Z-200412T2345Z/
Etowah AL-
615 PM CDT Sun Apr 12 2020

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 645 PM CDT FOR NORTHERN
ETOWAH COUNTY...
    
At 615 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Attalla, moving northeast at 55 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado.

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...
Gadsden, Rainbow City, Attalla, Sardis City, Reece City, Tabor Road,
Aurora, Gadsden Mall, Noccalula Falls, Gadsden Steam Plant, Big Wills
Creek, Howelton, Crudup, Mountainboro, Gadsden Municipal Airport,
Keener, Rockledge, Black Creek, Gadsden Water Works and Wilsonia.

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 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 3394 8610 3411 8629 3418 8619 3419 8611
      3420 8610 3420 8584 3411 8584 3413 8580
      3412 8579 3410 8580 3408 8579
TIME...MOT...LOC 2315Z 239DEG 49KT 3406 8608 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...<.75IN

$$

87/GRANTHAM

256 
WWUS54 KBMX 122328
SVSBMX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
628 PM CDT Sun Apr 12 2020

ALC055-122345-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0027.000000T0000Z-200412T2345Z/
Etowah AL-
628 PM CDT Sun Apr 12 2020

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 645 PM CDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN ETOWAH COUNTY...
    
At 628 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Tabor Road, or 11 miles west of Centre, moving
northeast at 65 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado.

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...
Reece City, Tabor Road, Wilsonia, Keener and Black Creek. 

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 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 3403 8590 3419 8611 3420 8610 3420 8584
      3411 8584 3413 8580 3412 8579 3410 8580
      3408 8579
TIME...MOT...LOC 2328Z 236DEG 57KT 3418 8587 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...<.75IN

$$

87/GRANTHAM

129 
WWUS54 KBMX 122334
SVSBMX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
634 PM CDT Sun Apr 12 2020

ALC055-122344-
/O.CAN.KBMX.TO.W.0027.000000T0000Z-200412T2345Z/
Etowah AL-
634 PM CDT Sun Apr 12 2020

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN ETOWAH COUNTY IS CANCELLED...
        
The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area.
Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 1000 PM CDT for northeastern
Alabama.

LAT...LON 3403 8590 3419 8611 3420 8610 3420 8584
      3411 8584 3413 8580 3412 8579 3410 8580
      3408 8579
TIME...MOT...LOC 2333Z 236DEG 57KT 3424 8576 

$$

87/GRANTHAM

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 12, 3:07 AM CDT	Flash Flood Watch	BMX	Blount, Cherokee, Etowah, Fayette, Lamar, Marion and 2 more	21 hr
Apr 12, 8:12 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Marengo, Sumter	16 days
Apr 12, 12:23 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Marion	37 min
Apr 12, 3:26 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Pickens	64 min
Apr 12, 3:33 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lamar, Marion	40 min
Apr 12, 4:10 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette, Tuscaloosa	50 min
Apr 12, 4:40 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Walker	49 min
Apr 12, 4:50 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jefferson	55 min
Apr 12, 5:07 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Jefferson	53 min
Apr 12, 5:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, St. Clair	46 min
Apr 12, 5:31 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Blount	44 min
Apr 12, 5:50 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Etowah	55 min
Apr 12, 6:13 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Blount, Jefferson, Walker	6 hr
Apr 12, 6:19 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Cherokee	56 min
Apr 12, 6:20 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Pickens, Tuscaloosa	6 hr
Apr 12, 6:41 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Blount	6 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 2020 Every tornado warning in 2020 Tornadoes in 2020

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.