Alert archive / Virginia / Tornado Warnings in 2023

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Charleston, WV

May 16, 2023Buchanan County, Virginia; McDowell County, West Virginia

NWS Charleston, WV issued this tornado warning at May 16, 2023, 5:44 PM EDT for Buchanan County, Virginia; McDowell County, West Virginia. It was in force for 31 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: May 16, 2023, 5:44 PM EDT (21:44 UTC)
Expired: May 16, 2023, 6:15 PM EDT
In force: 31 min
Issued by: NWS Charleston, WV
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.0 in

Counties Buchanan County, VA, McDowell County, WV

The radar

The Charleston,WV radar (KRLX), 112 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:45 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
May 16, 6:05 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Bradshaw, WV	TREE DOWN BLOCKING MOST OF THE ROAD.

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
May 16, 12:30 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 12:00Z, 9.7 hours before the alert went out and 205 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: 588 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 190 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 208 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

575 
WFUS51 KRLX 162144
TORRLX
VAC027-WVC047-162215-
/O.NEW.KRLX.TO.W.0002.230516T2144Z-230516T2215Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Charleston WV
544 PM EDT Tue May 16 2023

The National Weather Service in Charleston West Virginia has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Central Buchanan County in southwestern Virginia...
  Southwestern McDowell County in southern West Virginia...

* Until 615 PM EDT.
    
* At 544 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Paw Paw, or 9 miles north of Grundy, moving east
  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.

* This dangerous storm will be near...
  War around 615 PM EDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include
Hurley, Avondale, Jolo and Bradshaw.

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 3724 8172 3723 8174 3738 8209 3744 8207
      3741 8165 3723 8171
TIME...MOT...LOC 2144Z 287DEG 38KT 3740 8203 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN

$$

25

2 follow-up statements

044 
WWUS51 KRLX 162201
SVSRLX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Charleston WV
601 PM EDT Tue May 16 2023

VAC027-162210-
/O.CAN.KRLX.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-230516T2215Z/
Buchanan VA-
601 PM EDT Tue May 16 2023

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CENTRAL BUCHANAN COUNTY IS CANCELLED...
    
The tornadic thunderstorm which prompted the warning has moved out 
of the warned area. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.

LAT...LON 3736 8190 3739 8188 3739 8166 3726 8170
TIME...MOT...LOC 2200Z 281DEG 32KT 3737 8184 

$$

WVC047-162215-
/O.CON.KRLX.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-230516T2215Z/
McDowell WV-
601 PM EDT Tue May 16 2023

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM EDT FOR
SOUTHWESTERN MCDOWELL COUNTY...
    
At 600 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located 10 miles northwest of War, or 15 miles west of Welch,
moving east at 35 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.

This dangerous storm will be near...
  War around 620 PM EDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include
Bradshaw and Jolo.

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 3736 8190 3739 8188 3739 8166 3726 8170
TIME...MOT...LOC 2200Z 281DEG 32KT 3737 8184 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN

$$

25

062 
WWUS51 KRLX 162211
SVSRLX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Charleston WV
611 PM EDT Tue May 16 2023

WVC047-162221-
/O.EXP.KRLX.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-230516T2215Z/
McDowell WV-
611 PM EDT Tue May 16 2023

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN MCDOWELL COUNTY WILL EXPIRE
AT 615 PM EDT...
                
The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado.
Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire.  However gusty
winds are still possible with this thunderstorm.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 800 PM EDT for
southern West Virginia.

LAT...LON 3736 8190 3739 8188 3739 8166 3726 8170
TIME...MOT...LOC 2211Z 291DEG 31KT 3733 8175 

$$

25

The office that day

Everything else NWS Charleston, WV issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 16, 2:06 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RLX	Dickenson	24 min
May 16, 2:50 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RLX	Buchanan	25 min
May 16, 5:03 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	RLX	Dickenson	27 min
May 16, 5:17 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	RLX	Buchanan	58 min
May 16, 5:22 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Destructive damage threat	RLX	Buchanan, Dickenson	38 min
May 16, 5:52 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Destructive damage threat	RLX	Buchanan	38 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Virginia, 2023 Tornado Warnings in West Virginia, 2023 Every tornado warning in 2023 Tornadoes in 2023

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.