Alert archive / Hawaii / Tornado Warnings in 2020

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Honolulu, HI

March 17, 2020Kauai County, Hawaii

NWS Honolulu, HI issued this tornado warning at Mar 17, 2020, 5:49 AM HST for Kauai County, Hawaii. 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: Mar 17, 2020, 5:49 AM HST (15:49 UTC)
Expired: Mar 17, 2020, 6:15 AM HST
In force: 26 min
Issued by: NWS Honolulu, HI
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.75 in

County Kauai County, HI

The radar

The South Kauai radar (PHKI), 10 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 15:50 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
Jan 10, 3:44 AM HST	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	67 days
Jan 10, 11:30 AM HST	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	68 days

The nearest sounding before it

Lihue, (PHLI), launched 12:00Z, 3.8 hours before the alert went out and 25 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: 264 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -5 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 649 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 49 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 156 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

813 
WFHW50 PHFO 171549
TORHFO
HIC007-171615-
/O.NEW.PHFO.TO.W.0002.200317T1549Z-200317T1615Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Honolulu HI
549 AM HST Tue Mar 17 2020

The National Weather Service in Honolulu has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  The island of Kauai in Kauai County

* Until 615 AM HST.
    
* At 548 AM HST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Kaumakani, moving north at 20 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

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

* Locations impacted include...
  Lawai, Hanapepe, Kalaheo, and Eleele.

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 or in
a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect
yourself from flying debris.

Heavy rainfall may hide this tornado. Do not wait to see or hear the
tornado. TAKE COVER NOW!

&&

LAT...LON 2208 15943 2189 15950 2188 15953 2191 15960
      2189 15961 2196 15967 2196 15969 2197 15972
      2213 15971
TIME...MOT...LOC 1548Z 190DEG 17KT 2188 15962 

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

$$

Birchard

2 follow-up statements

506 
WWHW50 PHFO 171555
SVSHFO

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Honolulu HI
555 AM HST Tue Mar 17 2020

HIC007-171615-
/O.CON.PHFO.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-200317T1615Z/
Kauai in Kauai HI-
555 AM HST Tue Mar 17 2020

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 AM HST FOR KAUAI IN
KAUAI COUNTY...
    
At 555 AM HST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado 
just moved ashore between Port Allen and Kauamakani, moving north at 
20 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

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

Locations impacted include...
Hanapepe, Kaumakani and Eleele.

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 or in
a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect
yourself from flying debris.

Heavy rainfall may hide this tornado. Do not wait to see or hear the
tornado. TAKE COVER NOW!

&&

LAT...LON 2208 15943 2189 15950 2188 15953 2191 15960
      2189 15961 2196 15967 2196 15969 2197 15972
      2213 15971
TIME...MOT...LOC 1555Z 190DEG 17KT 2191 15961 

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

$$

Birchard

170 
WWHW50 PHFO 171611
SVSHFO

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Honolulu HI
611 AM HST Tue Mar 17 2020

HIC007-171620-
/O.EXP.PHFO.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-200317T1615Z/
Kauai in Kauai HI-
611 AM HST Tue Mar 17 2020

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR KAUAI IN KAUAI COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT 615
AM HST...
                
The storm which prompted the warning has weakened, and no longer 
appears capable of producing a tornado. Therefore, the warning will 
be allowed to expire. However gusty winds of 40 to 50 mph are still 
possible with this thunderstorm.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 900 AM HST for 
Kauai County.

LAT...LON 2208 15943 2189 15950 2188 15953 2191 15960
      2189 15961 2196 15967 2196 15969 2197 15972
      2213 15971
TIME...MOT...LOC 1610Z 190DEG 17KT 2197 15960 

$$
R Ballard

The office that day

Everything else NWS Honolulu, HI issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 16, 2:54 PM HST	Areal Flood Advisory	HFO	Honolulu	3 hr
Mar 16, 6:43 PM HST	Special Marine Warning	HFO		2 hr
Mar 16, 8:09 PM HST	Special Weather Statement	HFO	Kauai	51 min
Mar 16, 8:30 PM HST	Areal Flood Advisory	HFO	Kauai	3 hr
Mar 16, 8:36 PM HST	Special Marine Warning	HFO		114 min
Mar 16, 9:08 PM HST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HFO	Kauai	42 min
Mar 16, 9:44 PM HST	Flash Flood Warning	HFO	Kauai	18 hr
Mar 16, 10:26 PM HST	Special Marine Warning	HFO		2 hr
Mar 17, 12:23 AM HST	Special Marine Warning	HFO		2 hr
Mar 17, 1:22 AM HST	Tornado Warning	HFO	Kauai	23 min
Mar 17, 2:23 AM HST	Special Marine Warning	HFO		2 hr
Mar 17, 2:30 AM HST	Areal Flood Advisory	HFO	Kauai	6 hr
Mar 17, 4:23 AM HST	Special Marine Warning	HFO		2 hr
Mar 17, 5:14 AM HST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HFO	Kauai	46 min
Mar 17, 6:29 AM HST	Special Marine Warning	HFO		2 hr
Mar 17, 8:29 AM HST	Special Marine Warning	HFO		2 hr
Mar 17, 8:59 AM HST	Areal Flood Advisory	HFO	Honolulu	3 hr
Mar 17, 10:08 AM HST	Flash Flood Warning	HFO	Honolulu	3 hr
Mar 17, 10:20 AM HST	Special Weather Statement	HFO	Honolulu	25 min
Mar 17, 10:34 AM HST	Special Marine Warning	HFO		116 min
Mar 17, 11:12 AM HST	Special Weather Statement	HFO		33 min
Mar 17, 11:51 AM HST	Special Weather Statement	HFO		24 min
Mar 17, 11:55 AM HST	Special Marine Warning	HFO		110 min
Mar 17, 1:33 PM HST	Areal Flood Advisory	HFO	Kalawao	112 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Hawaii, 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.