Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 1988
Tornado Warning 35, NWS Birmingham, AL
NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Nov 27, 1988, 12:11 AM CST for Cleburne County, Alabama. It was in force for 34 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Nov 27, 1988, 12:11 AM CST (06:11 UTC)
- Expired
- Nov 27, 1988, 12:45 AM CST
- In force
- 34 min
- Issued by
- NWS Birmingham, AL
- Area
- Whole counties
County Cleburne 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
Centreville/Bibb, AL (KCKL), launched 00:00Z, 6.2 hours before the alert went out and 178 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
- 395 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -11 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 789 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 71 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 437 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 526 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.1
- Supercell composite
- 5.4
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KBHM 270611
TORBHM
ALC029-270645-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1211 AM CST SUN NOV 27 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1245 AM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN NORTH ALABAMA
...CLEBURNE
AT 1205 PM CST...THE POLICE HAVE REPORTED A TORNADO LOCATED ALONG THE
CLEBURNE/CALHOUN COUNTY LINE JUST OFF I-20. STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE
NORTHEAST AROUND 40 MPH.
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION. ACT QUICKLY. IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF
AVAILABLE. OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR POSSOIBLE. AVOID WINDOWS. ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES
FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.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
Special weather statement, Nov 26, 8:26 PM CST, 3 hours 45 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 824 PM CST SAT NOV 26 1988 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL AND WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA... AT 824 PM CST VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED BY RADAR NEAR DEMOPOLIS AND MOVING ALONG THE MARENGO/CLARKE COUNTY LINE. THESE STORMS ARE LIKELY PRODUCING DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...TORRENTIAL RAIN AND WINDS GUSTING TO AROUND 50 MPH. THE STORM NEAR DEMOPOLIS WILL BE MOVING INTO HALE COUNTY BEFORE 9 PM. OTHER STORMS PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY RAIN WERE LOCATED IN TUSCALOOSA AND WESTERN JEFFERSON COUNTIES. DUE TO THE HEAVY RAIN ACCOMPANYING THE STORMS...FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW LYING AREAS CAN BE EXPECTED. A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES FOR SECTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL ALABAMA UNTIL 11 PM. THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
Special weather statement, Nov 26, 9:02 PM CST, 3 hours 9 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 900 PM CST SAT NOV 26 1988 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA... AT 900 PM CST VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED BY RADAR NEAR GREENSBORO IN HALE COUNTY AND MOVING ALONG THE MARENGO/CLARKE COUNTY LINE SOUTHWEST OF DIXON MILLS. THESE STORMS ARE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...WIND GUSTING TO AROUND 45 MPH AND OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING. SOME HAIL MAY ALSO OCCUR WITH THESE STORMS. OTHER STORMS PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY RAIN WERE LOCATED IN TUSCALOOSA... BIBB AND WESTERN JEFFERSON COUNTIES. DUE TO THE HEAVY RAIN ACCOMPANYING THE STORMS...FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW LYING AREAS MAY OCCUR\. THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES FOR SECTIONS OF NORTH AND WEST ALABAMA UNTIL 11 PM CST.
Special weather statement, Nov 26, 9:33 PM CST, 2 hours 38 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 930 PM CST SAT NOV 26 1988 ...TORNADO WATCH CANCELED FOR ALL BUT A FEW COUNTIES IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA... AT 930 PM CST...TORNADO WATCH 511 HAS BEEN CANCELED FOR ALL OF ALABAMA EXCEPT THE FOLLOWING 4 COUNTIES IN THE SOUTHWEST... CHOCTAW CLARKE MARENGO WASHINGTON THUNDERSTORMS WERE STILL OCCURRING IN A BAND FROM CULLMAN AND GADSDEN EXTENDING TO THE SOUTHWEST THROUGH CENTREVILLE AND INTO THE SOUTHWESTERN COUNTIES. THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL ...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING WHILE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
Special weather statement, Nov 26, 10:01 PM CST, 2 hours 10 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1000 PM CST SAT NOV 26 1988 ...TORNADO WATCH CANCELLED FOR ALL OF ALABAMA... AT 1000 PM CST...TORNADO WATCH 511 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR ALL OF ALABAMA. AT 1000 PM CST THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE LOCATED JUST SOUTHWEST OF THE BIRMINGHAM METRO AREA. DUE TO THE HEAVY RAIN... SOME FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW LYING AREAS MAY OCCUR. MOTORISTS NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE HYDROPLANING CONDITIONS ON TH WET RAODWAYS. ELSEWHERE IN ALABAMA THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED BY RADAR MOVING INTO SHELBY AND CHILTON COUNTIES. YOU CAN EXPECT TORRENTIAL RAIN...OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTING TO 50 MPH.
Special weather statement, Nov 26, 11:25 PM CST, 46 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1125 PM CST SAT NOV 26 1988 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA... AT 1125 PM CST...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM AROUND THE CITY OF GADSDEN...TO JUST WEST OF ANNISTON...TO JUST WEST OF MONTGOMERY. ESPECIALLY STRONG STORMS WERE LOCATED IN SOUTHERN TALLADEGA COUNTY NEAR SYLACAUGA. THESE STORMS WERE PRODUCING BLINDING RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WINDS ...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND POSSIBLY SOME HAIL. THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AROUND 40 MPH. DUE TO THE EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS...PERSONS IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA SHOULD BE ESPECIALLY AWARE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF FLOODING OF S TREETS AND LOW LYING AREAS.
Special weather statement, Nov 26, 11:42 PM CST, 29 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL 1140 PM CST SAT NOV 26 1988 RADAR SHOWED A RAPIDLY DEVELOPING LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL ALABAMA AT 1135 PM. THE LINE EXTENDED FROM JUST WEST OF LAKE MARTIN TO PRATTVILLE...AND SOUTHWEST TO PINE APPLE. THE MOST INTENSE STORMS WERE NEAR PRATTVILLE...JUST WEST AND NORTH OF WETUMPKA...AND JUST NORTH OF PINE APPLE. THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT AROUND 30 MPH AND WIL"L BE PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND BLINDING RAIN. DEVAUGHN
The office that day
Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 26, 6:11 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Cullman, Walker | 64 min |
| Nov 26, 6:32 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Morgan | 28 min |
| Nov 26, 7:09 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Tuscaloosa | 51 min |
| Nov 26, 10:02 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jefferson, Shelby | 43 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 1988Every tornado warning in 1988Tornadoes in 1988
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.