Tropical Tornadoes

Just a note about the Rainbow City tornado today.

There was no warning issued by the NWS, no TV coverage, no NOAA Weather Radio, no smart phone apps alarm, and no sirens. It just happened.

There was no warning simply because this is the nature of the beast. Tornadoes that come out of spiral bands rotating around a tropical storm or hurricane are…

*Low topped, and generally under the radar beam
*Weak, relatively speaking (EF-0)
*Short lived

There was simply not enough evidence on radar for any warning for the Rainbow City tornado today… if I was working the shift at the NWS I would have not issued a warning either. If you issued a warning based on the weak circulation signature in that shower, we would have had over 200 tornado warnings today. And, by the time you issue a warning, most likely the tornado has dissipated.

It is not a function of…

*Ignoring Etowah County or any part of East Alabama
*Being lazy and not paying attention
*Not trying to scare people after April 27

It is simply a limitation of the science. We aren’t as good as we, or others, might think in situations like this. Small tornadoes in a tropical shower (there is no thunder or lightning) often come with no warning.

Could we see more of these? It is possible we could see another small tornado or two tonight and tomorrow, but we stress this is absolutely nothing like April 27, or any significant outbreak during the spring or fall months. Not in the same universe.

We will keep a vigilant watch on the radar and reports for the next 48 hours as the remnant circulation of Lee moves through Alabama. I expect the NWS to issue a few tornado warnings, but just remember this is like finding a needle in a haystack.

The main threat will come from heavy rain and possible flooding; a flash flood watch remains in effect for much of Alabama.

Tags: tornado

Category: Alabama's Weather