Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Data from January 3, 2015 Tornadoes

Pertinent Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Data
from the January 3, 2015 Tornadoes
January 3, 2015 Event Overview NWS Birmingham GIS Data Page

The National Weather Service in Birmingham is offering GIS data from storm surveys following severe weather events that unfold across central Alabama. These data offer survey information from tornado tracks that are found by damage assessment teams in the field. The links below contain information for all tornadoes that have been surveyed across central Alabama. Most information was produced and extracted from the National Weather Service Damage Assessment Toolkit, which has been developed by National Weather Service Meteorologists to modernize storm survey information into a geospatial format for the general public and GIS analysts. The information can be passed along to decision makers and the emergency management community after storm surveys have been completed.

ESRI Shapefiles:

All Survey Shapefiles - Zipped folder contains line path, survey point, and select estimated damage swath shapefiles of all tornado tracks in the Birmingham County Warning Area. Attribute information includes: Tornado Name, EF-Scale, Peak Wind, Start Time, Beginning and Ending Latitudes and Longitudes, End Time, and maximum width in yards. Shapefile projections are in Universal Transverse Mercator Zone 16N.

Attention GIS Analysts Using ArcGIS: Please view the metadata within ArcCatalog to view a complete description of shapefile information.

Google Earth KMZ Files:

Tornado Survey Information KMZ - Google Earth KMZ contains all the detailed storm survey information gathered for the 5 tornadoes in the Birmingham County Warning Area. In select locations, damage photographs taken by assessment teams can also be viewed. Be advised that this information is still deemed as experimental. The information was extracted from the National Weather Service Damage Assessment Toolkit.

5 weak tornadoes have been confirmed from January 3, 2015 in the Birmingham County Warning Area.

Interactive Map - Tornado Paths and Survey Points:

The map below presents an interactive view of tornado paths and survey locations collected by damage assessment teams in the field. Many of these same points can be downloaded using the links for the Paths and Survey Point Shapefiles above. To see information from the survey points, zoom in to the specific point of interest and click on the point. A pop-up box will appear with specific survey information. Damage photographs, if they are available, can be viewed by clicking on "Damage Photograph" at the top of the pop-up box, and opened in a separate tab.To zoom in and out, use your mouse wheel or use the plus and minus buttons in the top left corner of the map. Once again, these data are experimental and preliminary.

January 3, 2015 Central Alabama Tornadoes

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