Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 1987

Flash Flood Warning 12, NWS Mobile, AL

August 14, 1987Mobile County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this flash flood warning at Aug 14, 1987, 9:00 AM CDT for Mobile County, Alabama. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 14, 1987, 9:00 AM CDT (14:00 UTC)
Expired
Aug 14, 1987, 12:00 PM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Mobile County, AL

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Boothville, LA (KBVE), launched 12:00Z, 2.0 hours before the alert went out and 190 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Boothville, LA at 12:00Z on 1987-08-14Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2780 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Boothville, LA at 12:00Z on 1987-08-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -38 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
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
2780 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-1 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
567 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
5 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-38 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-18 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KMOB 141359
FFWMOB
ALC097-141700-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
900 AM CDT FRI AUG 14 1987

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1200 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY OF

SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...EXTREME SOUTHERN MOBILE

AT 856 AM CDT RADAR CONTINUED TO SHOW A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING
VERY HEAVY RAINFALL FROM NEAR HATTIESBURG TO PASCAGOULA AND ACROSS
EXTREME SOUTHWEST MOBILE COUNTY AND DAUPHIN ISLAND.  OVER 14 INCHES OF
RAIN HAS FALLEN ON DAUPHIN ISLAND DURING THE LAST 48 HOURS...AND
ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINS DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS WILL PUT MANY ROADWAYS
AND LOW LYING AREAS UNDER WATER.

MOST FLASH FLOOD FATALITIES OCCUR WHEN PEOPLE DRIVE OR WALK INTO FLOOD
WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH...DONT BECOME A VICTIM OF THIS UNUSUAL WEATHER.

FLOODING OF STREETS AND ROADS WAS REPORTED IN THE COUNTY BY
THE SHERIFFS OFFICE JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION.  RESIDENTS SHOULD TAKE ACTION NOW.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 14, 3:37 AM CDT, 5 hours 23 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
335 AM CDT FRI AUG 14 1987

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWEST FLORIDA TONIGHT...
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG THE COAST OF THE WEST FLORIDA PAN-
HANDLE.

AT 330 AM CDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE OVER
THE COASTAL SECTIONS AND COASTAL WATERS FROM THE EAST SHORE OF MOBILE
BAY ACROSS THE PENSACOLA NAVAL AIR STATION TO WEST OF FORT WALTON.
THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS WERE FROM FOLEY AND GULF SHORES ALABAMA TO
AROUND THE PENSACOLA NAVAL AIR STATION AND THE IMMEDIATE COASTAL WATER.
OTHER THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN...WERE SCATTERED ALONG THE
COASTAL SECTIONS AND WATERS FROM PASCAGOULA TO APALACHICOLA.
THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.
THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE PERIODS OF VERY HEAVY RAIN
CAUSING FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW AREAS. PERSONS SHOULD BE ALERT
FOR RAPID RISING WATEQRS WHILE THE STORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND
MOVE THROUGH THE AREA.
Special weather statement, Aug 14, 5:05 AM CDT, 3 hours 55 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
435 AM CDT FRI AUG 14 1987

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWEST FLORIDA TODAY...
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG THE COAST OF THE WEST FLORIDA PAN-
HANDLE.

AT 430 AM CDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE OVER
THE COASTAL SECTIONS AND COASTAL WATERS FROM AROUND GULF SHORES ALABAMA
ACROSS THE PENSACOLA NAVAL AIR STATION TO NEAR NAVARRE...AND INTO THE
COASTAL WATERS 30 MILES.
THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS WERE FROM AROUND PERDIDO BAY TO GULF BREEZE
AND JUST OFFSHORE SOUTHWEST THROUGH SOUTHEAST OF THE NAVAL AIR STATION.
OTHER THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN...WERE SCATTERED ALONG THE
COASTAL SECTIONS AND WATERS FROM BAYOU LA BATRE TO PANAMA CITY.
THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.
THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE PERIODS OF VERY HEAVY RAIN
CAUSING FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW AREAS...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE
COAST HIGHWAYS OF ESCAMBIA AND SANTA ROSA.
Special weather statement, Aug 14, 5:47 AM CDT, 3 hours 13 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
535 AM CDT FRI AUG 14 1987

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWEST FLORIDA TODAY...
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG THE COAST OF THE WEST FLORIDA PAN-
HANDLE.

AT 530 AM CDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE OVER
THE COASTAL SECTIONS AND COASTAL WATERS FROM PASCAGOULA TO FREEPORT IN
WALTON COUNTY.
THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG THE COASTLINE AND COASTAL WATERS
TO 30 MILES OFFSHORE FROM FORT MORGAN ALABAMA TO 25 MILES EAST OF THE
PENSACOLA NAVAL AIR STATION.
THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR...AND SOME OF
THE HEAVIEST STORMS HAD MOVED FROM THE SHORE INTO THE COASTAL WATERS
DURING THE PAST HOUR.
THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE PERIODS OF VERY HEAVY RAIN
CAUSING FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW AREAS...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE
COASTAL HIGHWAYS AND COASTAL AREAS OF ESCAMBIA AND SANTA ROSA.
Special weather statement, Aug 14, 6:52 AM CDT, 2 hours 8 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
635 AM CDT FRI AUG 14 1987

AT 630 AM CDT...A LARGE CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY
HEAVY RAIN WAS JUST OFFSHORE FROM GULF SHORES ALABAMA TO JUST EAST OF
THE PENSACOLA NAVAL AIR STATION. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS
CENTERED 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE PENSACOLA NAVAL AIR STATION.
THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.
OTHER THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN...WERE MIXED WITH LARGE
PATCHES OF RAIN ALONG THE COAST AND INTO THE GULF TO 75 MILES FROM
AROUND PASCAGOULA MISSISSIPPI TO PANAMA CITY FLORIDA.
THE THUNDERSTORMS OVER MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA WERE MOVING SLOWLY EAST-
SOUTHEAST...WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS BETWEEN DESTIN AND PANAMA CITY
MOVING SLOWLY NORTHEAST.
THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING ONSHORE FROM FORT WALTON TO NEAR
APALACHICOLA DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS.
THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE PERIODS OF VERY HE3AVY RAIN
CAUSING FLOODING OF LOW AREAS...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE COASTAL SECTIONS.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Mobile, AL issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 13, 7:25 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningMOBConecuh, Escambia95 min
Aug 13, 8:55 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningMOBConecuh, Escambia65 min
Aug 14, 4:03 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningMOBBaldwin3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Alabama, 1987Every flash flood warning in 1987

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.