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Tornado emergency

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Large tornadoes can cause catastrophic damage when striking populated areas.

A tornado emergency is issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) when a large, violent tornado is expected to impact a populated area. The term was first used during the May 3, 1999 tornado outbreak that spawned the Moore F5 tornado just south of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. A Tornado Emergency is simply enhanced wording added (at the discretion of the forecasters working the event, or according to policy of the local National Weather Service office) to a standard tornado warning, mainly a headline containing the phrase "Tornado Emergency for..." and specific information about areas in the path. Since information about the tornado and its exact path are often ascertained after the initial tornado warning is issued, this designation is usually added to the Severe Weather Statement (SWS) that is used to follow-up a tornado warning.

History

Between 530 p.m. and 630 p.m. on May 3, 1999, David Andra, the Science and Operations Officer at the National Weather Service Norman office watched as the most powerful tornado ever recorded by radar, with winds of 301 +/- 20 miles per hour, approached Oklahoma City. This led to the issuance of the first tornado emergency.[1]

"As the large tornado approached western sections of the OKC metro area, we asked ourselves more than once, 'Are we doing all we can do to provide the best warnings and information?'" It became apparent that unique and eye-catching phrases needed to be included in the products. "At one point we used the phrase 'Tornado Emergency' to paint the picture that a rare and deadly tornado was imminent in the metro area. We hoped that such dire phrases would prompt action from anyone that still had any questions about what was about to happen.[2]"

Example

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
657 PM CDT MON MAY 3 1999

...TORNADO EMERGENCY IN SOUTH OKLAHOMA CITY METRO AREA...

AT 657 PM CDT...A LARGE TORNADO WAS MOVING ALONG INTERSTATE 44 WEST OF
NEWCASTLE.  ON ITS PRESENT PATH...THIS LARGE DAMAGING TORNADO WILL
ENTER SOUTHWEST SECTIONS OF THE OKLAHOMA CITY METRO AREA BETWEEN 715 PM
AND 730 PM. PERSONS IN MOORE AND SOUTH OKLAHOMA CITY SHOULD TAKE
IMMEDIATE TORNADO PRECAUTIONS!

THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. IF YOU
ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE TORNADO...TAKE COVER
IMMEDIATELY.

DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THIS STORM MAY CONTAIN DESTRUCTIVE HAIL TO THE
SIZE OF BASEBALLS...OR LARGER.

Tornado emergencies issued

Since its first use in 1999, the Tornado Emergency text has been used in at least 70 bulletins, sometimes on multiple occasions on the same day. For instance, during the 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak, tornado emergencies were mentioned in twelve separate bulletins in Tennessee and Alabama.

1999

Main article: 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak

2000

Main article: Fort Worth Tornado

2002

Main article: Veterans Day Weekend Outbreak

2003

Main article: May 2003 tornado outbreak sequence

2006

Main article: April 2, 2006 Tornado Outbreak

2007

A doppler radar image of the Greensburg, Kansas tornado that prompted a tornado emergency
Main article: May 2007 Tornado Outbreak
Main article: Mid-October 2007 tornado outbreak

2008

Main article: January 2008 tornado outbreak sequence
Main article: 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak
Main article: Tornadoes of 2008 § February 16-17
Main article: 2008 Atlanta tornado outbreak
Main article: Tornadoes_of_2008 § April_3-4
Main article: Tornadoes of 2008 § April 8-11

See also

References

  1. ^ "TORNADO EMERGENCY IN SOUTH OKLAHOMA CITY METRO AREA". NWS - Norman, Oklahoma. May 3, 1999. Retrieved 2007-08-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ "The Southern Plains Cyclone". Spring 2007. 2 (2). National Weather Service. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
  3. ^ "[[National Weather Service]] warning". Retrieved 2008-02-19. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  4. ^ "[[National Weather Service]] warning decision making workshop powerpoint presentation". Retrieved 2008-02-19. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  5. ^ "[[Indiana]] tornadoes of [[September 20]], [[2002]]". Retrieved 2008-02-19. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  6. ^ Bamaweather.com
  7. ^ [1], pg 14
  8. ^ "[[May 6]], [[2003]] [[National Weather Service]] warning archive for [[Alabama]]". Retrieved 2008-02-19. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  9. ^ "[[May 7]], [[2003]] [[National Weather Service]] warning archive for [[Alabama]]". Retrieved 2008-02-19. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  10. ^ "Text Products Issued on [[May 8]], [[2003]]". National Weather Service, Norman. May 8, 2003. Retrieved 2008-02-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  11. ^ "Text Products Issued on [[May 9]], [[2003]]". National Weather Service, Norman. May 9, 2003. Retrieved 2008-02-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  12. ^ "[[March 12]], [[2006]] [[National Weather Service]] warning archive". Retrieved 2008-02-19. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  13. ^ "[[March 13]], [[2006]] [[National Weather Service]] warning archive". Retrieved 2008-02-19. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  14. ^ "[[April 3]], [[2006]] [[National Weather Service]] warning archive". Retrieved 2008-02-19. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  15. ^ "[[April 8]], [[2006]] [[National Weather Service]] warning archive". Retrieved 2008-02-19. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  16. ^ "[[May 5]], [[2007]] [[National Weather Service]] warning archive". Retrieved 2008-02-19. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  17. ^ Murray, Bill (May 5, 2007). "Tornado Emergency Great Bend, Kansas". National Weather Service, Wichita, Kansas. Retrieved 2008-02-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ "[[May 6]], [[2007]] [[National Weather Service]] warning archive". Retrieved 2008-02-19. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  19. ^ "[[October 19]], [[2007]] [[National Weather Service]] warning archive". Retrieved 2008-02-19. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  20. ^ "[[January 8]], [[2008]] [[National Weather Service]] warning archive". Retrieved 2008-02-19. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  21. ^ "[[February 5]], [[2008]] [[National Weather Service]] warning archive". Retrieved 2008-02-19. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  22. ^ "[[February 6]], [[2008]] [[National Weather Service]] warning archive". Retrieved 2008-02-19. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  23. ^ "[[February 6]], [[2008]] [[National Weather Service]] warning archive". Retrieved 2008-02-19. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  24. ^ "[[February 6]], [[2008]] [[National Weather Service]] warning archive". Retrieved 2008-02-19. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  25. ^ "[[February 6]], [[2008]] [[National Weather Service]] warning archive". Retrieved 2008-02-19. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  26. ^ "[[February 17]], [[2008]] [[National Weather Service]] warning archive". Retrieved 2008-02-19. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  27. ^ "[[March 15]], [[2008]] [[National Weather Service]] warning archive". Retrieved 2008-03-15. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  28. ^ "[[April 4]], [[2008]] [[National Weather Service]] warning archive". Retrieved 2008-04-04. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  29. ^ "Tornado Emergency for Stephens County and Breckenridge". Retrieved 2008-04-09.
  30. ^ "[[April 9]], [[2008]] [[National Weather Service]] warning archive". Retrieved 2008-04-09. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
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