Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2021
Tornado Warning 42, NWS Birmingham, AL
NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Mar 17, 2021, 8:32 PM CDT for Autauga County, Chilton County, Elmore County, Alabama. It was in force for 19 min. 1 report 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
- Mar 17, 2021, 8:32 PM CDT (01:32 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 17, 2021, 8:51 PM CDT
- In force
- 19 min
- Issued by
- NWS Birmingham, AL
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Tornado
- Radar indicated
- Hail
- 1.25 in
Counties Autauga County, AL, Chilton County, AL, Elmore County, AL
The radar
The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 56 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:36 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 17, 8:35 PM CDT | TORNADO | 5 Ene Vida Junction, AL | NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS SURVEYED DAMAGE SOUTH OF WHITE CITY AND FOUND IT CONSISTENT WITH A TORNADO. THE TORNADO BRIEFLY TOUCHED DOWN ALONG COUNTY ROAD 43 JUST WEST OF COUNTY ROAD 21 WHERE A METAL OUTBUILDING WAS DESTROYED, A COUPLE SOFTWOOD TRE |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 17, 6:48 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 8 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 1.5 hours before the alert went out and 57 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 188 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -25 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 669 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 63 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 336 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 465 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.6
The text
As transmitted.
157
WFUS54 KBMX 180132
TORBMX
ALC001-021-051-180215-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0042.210318T0132Z-210318T0215Z/
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
832 PM CDT Wed Mar 17 2021
The National Weather Service in Birmingham has issued a
* Tornado Warning for...
Northeastern Autauga County in central Alabama...
Northwestern Elmore County in east central Alabama...
Southeastern Chilton County in central Alabama...
* Until 915 PM CDT.
* At 832 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Vida Junction, or 15 miles northwest of
Prattville, moving northeast at 30 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...
Marbury, Vida Junction, Welona, Higgins Ferry Park, Verbena, Titus,
Mitchell Lake, Mitchell Dam, Cooper and New Prospect.
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 3260 8672 3288 8648 3286 8645 3283 8646
3282 8646 3279 8642 3276 8639 3275 8634
3277 8634 3277 8632 3275 8632 3275 8625
3252 8665
TIME...MOT...LOC 0132Z 226DEG 28KT 3261 8665
TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...1.25IN
$$
17/KLAWS2 follow-up statements
489
WWUS54 KBMX 180150
SVSBMX
Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
850 PM CDT Wed Mar 17 2021
ALC051-180200-
/O.CAN.KBMX.TO.W.0042.000000T0000Z-210318T0215Z/
Elmore AL-
850 PM CDT Wed Mar 17 2021
...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN ELMORE COUNTY IS CANCELLED...
The tornadic thunderstorm which prompted the warning has moved out
of the warned area. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.
A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 300 AM CDT for central and
east central Alabama.
LAT...LON 3270 8656 3285 8646 3286 8645 3283 8646
3282 8646 3279 8642 3275 8638 3275 8641
3270 8641 3265 8650
TIME...MOT...LOC 0150Z 229DEG 35KT 3271 8650
$$
ALC001-021-180215-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0042.000000T0000Z-210318T0215Z/
Autauga AL-Chilton AL-
850 PM CDT Wed Mar 17 2021
...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 915 PM CDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN AUTAUGA AND SOUTHEASTERN CHILTON COUNTIES...
At 850 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Marbury, or 11 miles southeast of Clanton, moving
northeast 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...
Marbury, Higgins Ferry Park, Verbena, Mitchell Lake and Mitchell Dam.
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 3270 8656 3285 8646 3286 8645 3283 8646
3282 8646 3279 8642 3275 8638 3275 8641
3270 8641 3265 8650
TIME...MOT...LOC 0150Z 229DEG 35KT 3271 8650
TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...1.25IN
$$
17/KLAWS467
WWUS54 KBMX 180151
SVSBMX
Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
851 PM CDT Wed Mar 17 2021
ALC001-021-180201-
/O.CAN.KBMX.TO.W.0042.000000T0000Z-210318T0215Z/
Autauga AL-Chilton AL-
851 PM CDT Wed Mar 17 2021
...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN AUTAUGA AND SOUTHEASTERN
CHILTON COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...
The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado.
Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.
A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 300 AM CDT for central and
east central Alabama.
LAT...LON 3270 8656 3285 8646 3286 8645 3283 8646
3282 8646 3279 8642 3275 8638 3275 8641
3270 8641 3265 8650
TIME...MOT...LOC 0150Z 226DEG 28KT 3272 8649
$$
17/KLAWSThe office that day
Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 17, 7:18 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Autauga, Dallas | 17 min |
| Mar 17, 7:47 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Fayette, Lamar, Marion | 58 min |
| Mar 17, 8:01 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Greene, Pickens, Sumter | 22 min |
| Mar 17, 8:15 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Autauga | 39 min |
| Mar 17, 9:06 PM CDT | River Flood Warning | BMX | Greene, Hale, Marengo, Tuscaloosa | 33 hr |
| Mar 17, 9:14 PM CDT | River Flood Warning | BMX | Sumter | 37 hr |
| Mar 17, 9:18 PM CDT | River Flood Warning | BMX | Greene, Hale, Marengo, Sumter | 72 hr |
| Mar 17, 9:48 PM CDT | Areal Flood Advisory | BMX | Blount | 3 hr |
| Mar 17, 9:51 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Autauga, Chilton, Coosa, Elmore, Lowndes, Montgomery | 69 min |
| Mar 17, 10:06 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | St. Clair, Shelby, Talladega | 69 min |
| Mar 17, 10:22 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Calhoun, Cherokee, Etowah, St. Clair | 68 min |
| Mar 17, 10:26 PM CDT | Areal Flood Advisory | BMX | Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Etowah, St. Clair, Talladega | 3 hr |
| Mar 17, 10:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Bullock, Lee, Macon, Tallapoosa | 75 min |
| Mar 17, 10:43 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Coosa | 6 min |
| Mar 17, 11:34 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Lee, Russell | 41 min |
| Mar 18, 2:46 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Russell | 44 min |
| Mar 18, 3:06 AM CDT | Wind Advisory | BMX | Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun and 33 more | 16 hr |
| Mar 18, 8:31 AM CDT | Areal Flood Warning | BMX | Cherokee | 55 hr |
| Mar 18, 9:50 AM CDT | River Flood Warning | BMX | Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker | 36 hr |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 2021Every tornado warning in 2021Tornadoes in 2021
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.