Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 1986
Tornado Warning 15, NWS Birmingham, AL
NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Mar 12, 1986, 7:40 PM CST for Cullman County, Alabama. It was in force for 50 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- Mar 12, 1986, 7:40 PM CST (01:40 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 12, 1986, 8:30 PM CST
- In force
- 50 min
- Issued by
- NWS Birmingham, AL
- Area
- Whole counties
County Cullman County, AL
The radar
The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 12, 8:20 PM CST | Tornado F2 | Cullman, AL |
NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.
The nearest sounding before it
Centreville/Bibb, AL (KCKL), launched 00:00Z, 1.7 hours before the alert went out and 140 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
- 107 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -51 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1390 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 83 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 279 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 358 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.1
- Supercell composite
- 0.9
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KBHM 130139 TORBHM ALC043-130230- BULLETIN-EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 740 PM CST WED MAR 12 1986 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 830 PM CST FOR PERSONS IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN NORTH-CENTRAL ALABAMA...CULLMAN RADAR AT 7:40 PM INDICATED A TORNADO IN SOUTHWEST CULLMAN COUNTY...MOVING NORTHEAST RAPIDLY AT 55 MPH. WIND DAMAGE HAS BEEN REPORTED BETWEEN COLD SPRINGS AND ARKADELPHIA. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
In the hours before
Local storm report, Mar 12, 3:18 PM CST, 4 hours 22 minutes before
STORM REPORTS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 3:15 PM CST WED MAR 12 1986 ...AT 3:15 PM CST THE PICKENS COUNTY SHERRIF'S OFFICE IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA REPORTS AT LEAST TWO PERSONS K]ILLED AND A NUMBER OF INJURIES FROM A TORNADO. THE TORNADO STRUCK BETWEEN PICKENSVILLE AND CARROLLTON AROUND 2:15 THIS AFTERNOON. AMBULANCES HAVE BEEN DISPATCHED. THERE IS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE IN THE AREA.
Local storm report, Mar 12, 3:49 PM CST, 3 hours 51 minutes before
STORM REPORTS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 3:45 PM CST WED MAR 12 1986 ...THE PICKENS COUNTY SHERRIF'S OFFICE AND ALABAMA STATE TROOPERS REPORT EXTENSIVE TORNADO DAMAGE IN PICKENS COUNTY OF WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA AROUND 2:15 TO 2:30 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON. REPORTS ARE STILL SKETCHY. THE WORST DAMAGE WAS BETWEEN CARROLLTON AND PICKENSVILLE. EARLY REPORTS INDICATE AT LEAST TWO PERSONS KILLED. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF INJURIES BUT THE EXACT NUMBER IS NOT KNOWN. POWER INTERRUPTIONS ARE HINDERING REPORTS. POWER IS OUT IN MOST OF KENNEDY...LOCATED IN LAMAR COUNTY. ...AT 3:34 PM...THE BIRMINGHAM AMATEUR RADIO CLUB REPORTED LARGE HAIL...GOLF BALL SIZE...3 MILES SOUTH OF GUIN IN MARION COUNTY. ...AT 3:45 PM...THE MARION COUNTY EMA OFFICE AT HAMILTON REPORTED A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ON STATE ROUTE 36 WEST OF BRILLIANT. TREES ARE DOWN AND THERE HAS BEEN PROPERTY DAMAGE. OFFICIALS ARE ENROUTE TO THE AREA.
Local storm report, Mar 12, 5:17 PM CST, 2 hours 23 minutes before
STORM REPORTS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 5:15 PM CST WED MAR 12 1986 ...AT 5:11 PM...THE CULLMAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD OVER NORTHWEST CULLMAN COUNTY NEAR HIGHW AY 157. WHEN A FUNNEL CLOUD REACHES THE GROUND IT IS A TORNADO. THIS ONE COULD TOUCH DOWN AT ANY TIME. THE AREA IS ALREADY UNDER A TORNADO WARNING. RESIDENTS SHOULD CONTINUE TO TAKE COVER.
Local storm report, Mar 12, 5:48 PM CST, 1 hour 52 minutes before
STORM REPORTS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 5:50 PM CST WED MAR 12 1986 ...AS OF 5:45 PM...REPORTS ARE STILL SKETCHY FROM THE TORNADO DAMAGE AREA IN WEST ALABAMA'S PICKENS COUNTY. TWO PERSONS ARE CONFIRMED DEAD WITH AN UNDETERMINED NUMBER OF INJURIES. DAMAGE IS EXTENSIVE IN THE AREA BETWEEN CARROLLTON AND PICKENSVILLE. MUCH OF THE DAMAGE IS ALONG PICKENS COUNTY HIGHWAY 86. THE TWO FATALITIES INCLUDED A FATHER AND DAUGHTER KILLED BY A FALLING CHIMNEY.
Local storm report, Mar 12, 7:26 PM CST, 14 minutes before
STORM REPORTS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 725 PM CST WED MAR 12 1986 ...AT 7:23 PM...THE CULLMAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE REPORTS MARBLE SIZE HAIL IN THE BATTLE GROUND COMMUNITY. THIS IS LOCATED IN EXTREME NORTHWEST CULLMAN COUNTY ALONG STATE ROUTE 157. EARLIER...LARGE HAIL...THREE-FOURTHS INCH IN DIAMETER WAS REPORTED NEAR THE CULLMAN/WINSTON COUNTY LINE SOUTH OF THE JONES CHAPEL COMMUNITY. THESE COMMUNITIES ARE IN NORTH-CENTRAL ALABAMA ABOUT 55 MILES NORTH OF BIRMINGHAM.
Local storm report, Mar 12, 7:35 PM CST, 5 minutes before
STORM REPORTS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 735 PM CST WED MAR 12 1986 ...AT 7:23 PM...THE CULLMAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE REPORTS MARBLE SIZE HAIL IN THE BATTLE GROUND COMMUNITY. THIS IS LOCATED IN EXTREME NORTHWEST CULLMAN COUNTY ALONG STATE ROUTE 157. EARLIER...LARGE HAIL...THREE-FOURTHS INCH IN DIAMETER WAS REPORTED NEAR THE CULLMAN/WINSTON COUNTY LINE SOUTH OF THE JONES CHAPEL COMMUNITY. ...AT 7:32 PM...THE CULLMAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE REPORTED WINDS ESTIMATED TO 65 MPH ALONG WITH HAIL IN THE WEST POINT COMMUNITY IN WEST CULLMAN COUNTY. THESE COMMUNITIES ARE IN NORTH-CENTRAL ALABAMA ABOUT 55 MILES NORTH OF BIRMINGHAM.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 12, 6:27 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Tuscaloosa, Walker | 63 min |
| Mar 12, 6:27 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Greene | 63 min |
| Mar 12, 6:55 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cullman | 65 min |
| Mar 12, 6:55 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jefferson | 65 min |
| Mar 12, 7:03 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Hale, Marengo | 57 min |
| Mar 12, 7:33 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Morgan | 57 min |
| Mar 12, 7:56 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Madison | 64 min |
| Mar 12, 7:57 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Blount | 63 min |
| Mar 12, 8:08 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Perry | 52 min |
| Mar 12, 8:51 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jackson, Marshall | 54 min |
| Mar 12, 9:11 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Greene, Tuscaloosa | 64 min |
| Mar 12, 9:27 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Pickens | 48 min |
| Mar 12, 9:52 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jefferson | 38 min |
| Mar 13, 12:45 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cullman | 45 min |
| Mar 13, 1:06 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Morgan | 24 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 1986Every tornado warning in 1986Tornadoes in 1986
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.