Alert archive / Delaware / Tornado Warnings in 2020

Tornado Warning 16, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

August 4, 2020Kent County, Delaware

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this tornado warning at Aug 4, 2020, 8:15 AM EDT for Kent County, Delaware. It was in force for 45 min. 2 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: Aug 4, 2020, 8:15 AM EDT (12:15 UTC)
Expired: Aug 4, 2020, 9:00 AM EDT
In force: 45 min
Issued by: NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.0 in

County Kent County, DE

The radar

The Dover AFB radar (KDOX), 29 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 12:15 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
Aug 4, 8:55 AM EDT	TORNADO	1 Se Highland Acres, DE	AN EF1 TORNADO WITH WINDS OF 105 MPH OCCURRED ON THE SOUTH AND WEST SIDE OF DOVER THEN TRACKED NORTHWARD ACROSS SOUTHERN NEW CASTLE COUNTY. NUMEROUS TREES WERE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED WITH SEVERAL HOMES AND BUSINESSES EXPERIENCING DAMAGE.
Aug 4, 8:58 AM EDT	TORNADO	1 W Dover, DE	PICTURE ON SOCIAL MEDIA SHOWS SNAPPED POWER POLES AND SEVERAL LIMBS DOWN ON ROUTE 8 AT BENNINGTON STREET IN DOVER. TDS CONFIRMS A TORNADO OCCURRED IN THIS AREA, AND THERE ARE REPORTS OF DAMAGE FARTHER NORTH AS WELL. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.

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
Aug 4, 2:26 AM EDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Wallops Is Stn, VA (KWAL), launched 12:00Z, 0.3 hours before the alert went out and 127 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: 472 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -6 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 648 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 52 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 254 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 273 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.8
Supercell composite: 2.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

479 
WFUS51 KPHI 041215
TORPHI
DEC001-041300-
/O.NEW.KPHI.TO.W.0016.200804T1215Z-200804T1300Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
815 AM EDT Tue Aug 4 2020

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly NJ has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Central Kent County in central Delaware...

* Until 900 AM EDT.
    
* At 815 AM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Harrington, or 16 miles northwest of Georgetown,
  moving north at 40 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...
  Dover, Smyrna, Harrington, Camden, Clayton, Cheswold, Woodside,
  Viola, Rising Sun-Lebanon, Rising Sun, Hazlettville, Dover Base
  Housing, Dover Speedway, Wyoming, Felton, Kenton, Leipsic,
  Farmington, Rodney Village and Kent Acres.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Protecting yourself from immediate threats to life and safety shall
take priority.  Whenever possible, as long as it does not cause
greater harm, all COVID-19 protective action guidance should be
followed.

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 3928 7569 3930 7543 3885 7553 3884 7555
      3883 7562
TIME...MOT...LOC 1215Z 181DEG 34KT 3887 7557 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...0.00IN

$$

SFJ

2 follow-up statements

760 
WWUS51 KPHI 041246
SVSPHI

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
846 AM EDT Tue Aug 4 2020

DEC001-041300-
/O.CON.KPHI.TO.W.0016.000000T0000Z-200804T1300Z/
Kent DE-
846 AM EDT Tue Aug 4 2020

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 AM EDT FOR CENTRAL
KENT COUNTY...
    
At 845 AM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Viola, or 11 miles south of Dover, and is nearly
stationary.

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...
Dover, Smyrna, Camden, Clayton, Cheswold, Woodside, Viola, Rising
Sun-Lebanon, Rising Sun, Hazlettville, Dover Base Housing, Dover
Speedway, Wyoming, Felton, Kenton, Leipsic, Rodney Village, Kent
Acres, Riverview and Highland Acres.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Protecting yourself from immediate threats to life and safety shall
take priority.  Whenever possible, as long as it does not cause
greater harm, all COVID-19 protective action guidance should be
followed.

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 3928 7569 3930 7543 3895 7551 3896 7564
TIME...MOT...LOC 1245Z 235DEG 4KT 3899 7554 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...0.00IN

$$

SFJ

911 
WWUS51 KPHI 041246 CCA
SVSPHI

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
846 AM EDT Tue Aug 4 2020

DEC001-041300-
/O.COR.KPHI.TO.W.0016.000000T0000Z-200804T1300Z/
Kent DE-
846 AM EDT Tue Aug 4 2020

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 AM EDT FOR CENTRAL
KENT COUNTY...
    
At 846 AM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Viola, or 10 miles south of Dover, moving north at
45 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...
Dover, Smyrna, Camden, Clayton, Cheswold, Woodside, Viola, Rising
Sun-Lebanon, Rising Sun, Hazlettville, Dover Base Housing, Dover
Speedway, Wyoming, Felton, Kenton, Leipsic, Rodney Village, Kent
Acres, Riverview and Highland Acres.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Protecting yourself from immediate threats to life and safety shall
take priority.  Whenever possible, as long as it does not cause
greater harm, all COVID-19 protective action guidance should be
followed.

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 3928 7569 3930 7543 3895 7551 3896 7564
TIME...MOT...LOC 1246Z 174DEG 39KT 3899 7554 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...0.00IN

$$

SFJ

The office that day

Everything else NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 4, 4:50 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	PHI	Sussex	25 min
Aug 4, 5:17 AM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	PHI	New Castle	4 hr
Aug 4, 7:28 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	PHI	New Castle	3 hr
Aug 4, 7:39 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	PHI	Sussex	36 min
Aug 4, 7:51 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	PHI	Sussex	24 min
Aug 4, 8:18 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	PHI	Sussex	27 min
Aug 4, 8:27 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	PHI	Kent	33 min
Aug 4, 8:56 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	PHI	Kent, New Castle	34 min
Aug 4, 8:58 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	PHI	Kent, New Castle, Sussex	3 hr
Aug 4, 9:06 AM EDT	River Flood Warning	PHI	New Castle	11 hr
Aug 4, 9:23 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	PHI	New Castle	4 hr
Aug 4, 9:23 AM EDT	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	PHI	New Castle	22 min
Aug 4, 10:02 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	PHI	New Castle	4 hr
Aug 4, 10:38 AM EDT	River Flood Warning	PHI	New Castle	14 hr
Aug 4, 12:27 PM EDT	River Flood Warning	PHI	New Castle	10 hr
Aug 4, 12:48 PM EDT	River Flood Warning	PHI	New Castle	24 hr
Aug 4, 1:59 PM EDT	Areal Flood Warning	PHI	New Castle	9 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Delaware, 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.