Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2020

Tornado Warning 30, NWS Birmingham, AL

April 12, 2020Sumter County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Apr 12, 2020, 7:14 PM CDT for Sumter County, Alabama. It was in force for 26 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: Apr 12, 2020, 7:14 PM CDT (00:14 UTC)
Expired: Apr 12, 2020, 7:40 PM CDT
In force: 26 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.75 in

County Sumter County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 125 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:17 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
Apr 12, 3:20 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	8 hr
Apr 12, 4:38 PM CDT	Tornado Watch PDS	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 0.2 hours before the alert went out and 136 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: 533 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -55 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 847 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 63 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 401 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 509 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.4
Supercell composite: 8.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

004 
WFUS54 KBMX 130014
TORBMX
ALC119-130100-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0030.200413T0014Z-200413T0100Z/

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

The National Weather Service in Birmingham has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northwestern Sumter County in west central Alabama...

* Until 800 PM CDT.
    
* At 714 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Tamola, or 7 miles north of Lauderdale, moving
  northeast at 60 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...
  Livingston, Gainesville, Epes, Emelle, Boyd, Geiger, Payneville and
  Sumterville.

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 3285 8836 3291 8819 3288 8818 3286 8816
      3283 8818 3282 8815 3283 8814 3280 8810
      3281 8807 3279 8806 3277 8808 3278 8810
      3277 8811 3274 8810 3272 8808 3271 8809
      3270 8812 3268 8810 3255 8839
TIME...MOT...LOC 0014Z 236DEG 52KT 3263 8853 

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

$$

89^GSatterwhite

3 follow-up statements

175 
WWUS54 KBMX 130024
SVSBMX

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

ALC119-130100-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0030.000000T0000Z-200413T0100Z/
Sumter AL-
724 PM CDT Sun Apr 12 2020

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN SUMTER COUNTY...
    
At 724 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Porterville, or 14 miles north of Lauderdale, 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...
Gainesville, Emelle, Geiger and Sumterville. 

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 3285 8836 3291 8819 3288 8818 3286 8816
      3283 8818 3282 8815 3283 8814 3280 8810
      3281 8807 3279 8806 3277 8808 3278 8810
      3277 8811 3274 8810 3263 8838
TIME...MOT...LOC 0024Z 237DEG 48KT 3272 8843 

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

$$

89^GSatterwhite

474 
WWUS54 KBMX 130034
SVSBMX

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

ALC119-130100-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0030.000000T0000Z-200413T0100Z/
Sumter AL-
734 PM CDT Sun Apr 12 2020

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN SUMTER COUNTY...
    
At 734 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Emelle, or 16 miles northwest of Livingston, moving
northeast at 50 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...
Gainesville and Geiger. 

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 3281 8808 3280 8808 3274 8837 3285 8836
      3291 8819 3288 8818 3286 8816 3283 8818
      3282 8815 3283 8814 3281 8811
TIME...MOT...LOC 0034Z 237DEG 45KT 3280 8833 

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

$$

89^GSatterwhite

423 
WWUS54 KBMX 130040
SVSBMX

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

ALC119-130050-
/O.CAN.KBMX.TO.W.0030.000000T0000Z-200413T0100Z/
Sumter AL-
740 PM CDT Sun Apr 12 2020

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN SUMTER COUNTY IS CANCELLED...
                
The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado.
Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until midnight CDT for west central
Alabama.

LAT...LON 3281 8808 3280 8808 3274 8837 3285 8836
      3291 8819 3288 8818 3286 8816 3283 8818
      3282 8815 3283 8814 3281 8811
TIME...MOT...LOC 0038Z 236DEG 52KT 3285 8824 

$$

89^GSatterwhite

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 12, 7:10 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Greene	22 min
Apr 12, 7:16 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Cherokee, Etowah, St. Clair	6 hr
Apr 12, 8:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Walker	55 min
Apr 12, 8:14 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Marion, Walker, Winston	5 hr
Apr 12, 8:15 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Walker, Winston	15 min
Apr 12, 8:25 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Tuscaloosa	38 min
Apr 12, 8:29 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Fayette, Greene, Jefferson, Pickens, Sumter, Tuscaloosa and 1 more	5 hr
Apr 12, 8:32 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Jefferson, Tuscaloosa	21 min
Apr 12, 8:36 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Jefferson	54 min
Apr 12, 8:36 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	BMX	Jefferson, Tuscaloosa	17 min
Apr 12, 8:49 PM CDT	River Flood Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Marengo, Sumter	5 days
Apr 12, 8:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jefferson	39 min
Apr 12, 8:52 PM CDT	River Flood Warning	BMX	Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker	66 hr
Apr 12, 8:58 PM CDT	River Flood Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Marengo, Tuscaloosa	52 hr
Apr 12, 8:58 PM CDT	River Flood Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Marengo, Sumter, Tuscaloosa	61 hr
Apr 12, 9:12 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Blount	20 min
Apr 12, 9:19 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Etowah, Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby	71 min
Apr 12, 9:33 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Marengo	27 min
Apr 12, 10:02 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Dallas	27 min
Apr 12, 10:22 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Etowah, St. Clair	4 hr
Apr 12, 10:24 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Cherokee	36 min
Apr 12, 10:37 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lowndes, Montgomery	53 min
Apr 12, 10:47 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Etowah	58 min
Apr 12, 10:53 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Autauga, Elmore	43 min
Apr 12, 10:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chilton, Clay, Coosa, Shelby, Talladega, Tallapoosa	43 min
Apr 12, 11:01 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Greene, Hale, Pickens, Sumter	3 hr
Apr 12, 11:15 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bullock, Macon, Montgomery, Tallapoosa	60 min
Apr 12, 11:16 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Marion	74 min
Apr 12, 11:24 PM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	BMX	Fayette, Tuscaloosa, Walker	6 hr
Apr 12, 11:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lee, Russell	75 min
Apr 13, 12:08 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Barbour, Bullock, Pike	82 min
Apr 13, 12:11 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Pike	64 min
Apr 13, 12:13 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Lowndes, Montgomery	3 hr
Apr 13, 12:18 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chambers	16 min
Apr 13, 12:43 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Barbour, Bullock	53 min
Apr 13, 1:04 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Barbour, Bullock, Pike, Russell	3 hr
Apr 13, 1:29 AM CDT	High Wind Warning	BMX	Autauga, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Clay and 10 more	3 hr
Apr 13, 1:29 AM CDT	Wind Advisory	BMX	Autauga, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Clay and 10 more	7 hr
Apr 13, 2:25 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	BMX	Bibb, Jefferson, Shelby	18 hr
Apr 13, 4:08 AM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	BMX	Cherokee	12 hr
Apr 13, 7:43 AM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	BMX	Cherokee	3 days

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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.