Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 1988
Tornado Warning 1, NWS Mobile, AL
NWS Mobile, AL issued this tornado warning at Apr 18, 1988, 7:25 PM CDT for Houston County, Alabama. It was in force for 50 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Apr 18, 1988, 7:25 PM CDT (00:25 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 18, 1988, 8:15 PM CDT
- In force
- 50 min
- Issued by
- NWS Mobile, AL
- Area
- Whole counties
County Houston 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
Apalachicola Mun, FL (KAQQ), launched 00:00Z, 0.4 hours before the alert went out and 161 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
- 1054 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -35 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 581 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 70 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 183 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 258 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.3
- Supercell composite
- 7.1
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KMGM 190026
TORMGM
ALC069-190115-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
725 PM CDT MON APR 18 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MONTGOMERY HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 815 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN SOUTH ALABAMA
...HOUSTON
AT 625 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO NEAR MADRID MOVING TO THE EAST
AT 45 MPH.
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY. AVOID WINDOWS.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, Apr 18, 4:23 PM CDT, 3 hours 2 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL 425 PM CDT MON APR 18 1988 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM FOR ALL COUNTIES IN SOUTHERN ALABAMA... ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 430 PM IN MOBILE COUNTY AND 445 PM IN BALDWIN COUNTY... A LARGE THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX WAS MOVING THROUGH THE MOBILE AREA AT 425 THIS EVENING. NUMEROUS REPORTS OF GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL WERE RECEIVED. THE HEAVIEST ACTIVITY IS NEARLY OVER FOR MOBILE AND THE ACTIVITY WILL BE SHIFTING TO BALDWIN COUNTY. ONE REPORT OF GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL HAS ALREADY BEEN REPORTED AT THE CAUSEWAY AND 1-10 IN BALWIN COUNTY. LIGHT RAIN CONTINUES TO FALL OVER SO;UTHERN MISSISSIPPI AND IS HEADED TOWARDS SOUTH ALABAMA SO MORE RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED.
Local storm report, Apr 18, 5:32 PM CDT, 1 hour 53 minutes before
ATTN SELS
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
530 PM CDT MON APRIL 18 1988
HAIL REPORTS FROM THIS AFTERNOON...
TIME COUNTY/STATE
300 PM HANCOCK/MS DIME SIZE AT THE KILN NORTH OF BAY ST LOUIS
308 PM HARRISON/MS MARBLE SIZE AT SAUSIER AND NORTH OF BILOXI
REPORTED BY HARRISON S.O.
310 PM JACKSON/MS MARBLE AND GOLF BALL SIZE REPORTED AT OCEAN
SPRINGS BY WLOX RADIO.
312 PM HARRISON/MS NEW ORLEANS WEATHER REPORTED MARBLE SIZE NORTH
OF BILOXI.
315 PM HARRISON/MS HAMS REPORTED 1/2 INCH HAIL NORTH OF GULFPORT.
330 PM GEORGE/MS DIME SIZE REPORTED BY LUCEDALE S.O.
340 PM JACKSON/MS GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL REPORTED IN PASCAGOULA BY
PASCAGOULA P.D.
351 PM MOBILE/AL GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL REPORTED AT STATE TROOPERSSpecial weather statement, Apr 18, 5:36 PM CDT, 1 hour 49 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL 535 PM CDT MON APR 18 1988 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING RAPIDLY ACROSS NORTHWEST FLORIDA... AT 535 PM CDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS WERE OVER THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND SOUTHWEST ALABAMA. THE MAIN CONCENTRATION WAS OVER NORTHWERN ESCAMBIA AND SANTA ROSA COUNTIES...AND IN SOUTH HOLMES AND WEST WASHINGTON COUNTIES. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE PERIODS OF VERY HEAVY RAINS...STRONG WINDS AROUND 45 MILES AN HOUR...AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. PERSONS SHOULD TAKE ANY NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS FOR THESE CONDITIONS AS THE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE THROUGH THE AREA.
Special weather statement, Apr 18, 5:40 PM CDT, 1 hour 45 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL 540 PM CDT MON APR 18 1988 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM FOR ALL COUNTIES IN SOUTHERN ALABAMA...AND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI. A LARGE AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN IS MOVING THROUGH SOUTHWEST ALABAMA. AT 530 PM THE HEAVIEST RAIN AND STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED IN MONROE COUNTY OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA NEAR PETERMAN...AND IN MOBILE COUNTY NEAR SATSUMA. THE STORMS ARE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI HAVE DECREASED IN STRENGTH DURING THE PAST HOUR.
Local storm report, Apr 18, 5:42 PM CDT, 1 hour 43 minutes before
ATTN SELS
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
540 PM CDT MON APRIL 18 1988
HAIL REPORTS FROM THIS AFTERNOON...
TIME COUNTY/STATE
300 PM HANCOCK/MS DIME SIZE AT THE KILN NORTH OF BAY ST LOUIS
308 PM HARRISON/MS MARBLE SIZE AT SAUCIER AND NORTH OF BILOXI
REPORTED BY HARRISON S.O.
310 PM JACKSON/MS MARBLE AND GOLF BALL SIZE REPORTED AT OCEAN
SPRINGS BY WLOX RADIO.
312 PM HARRISON/MS NEW ORLEANS WEATHER REPORTED MARBLE SIZE NORTH
OF BILOXI.
315 PM HARRISON/MS HAMS REPORTED 1/2 INCH HAIL NORTH OF GULFPORT.
330 PM GEORGE/MS DIME SIZE REPORTED BY LUCEDALE S.O.
340 PM JACKSON/MS GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL REPORTED IN PASCAGOULA BY
PASCAGOULA P.D.
351 PM MOBILE/AL GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL REPORTED AT STATE TROOPERS
OFFICE IN MOBILE
351 PM MOBILE/AL 1 INCH HAIL REPORTED IN CENTRAL MOBILE
REPORTED BY NWS EMPLOYEE
355 PM MOBILE/AL 3/4 INCH HAIL REORTED AT I-65 AND I-10
IN MOBILE
400 PM MOBILE/AL NICKLE SIZED HAIL REPORTED IN CENTRAL MOBILE
BY NWS EMPLOYEE
400 PM MOBILE/AL NUMEROUS OTHER REPORTS OF MARBLE AND BIGGER
HAIL REPORTED IN MOBILE
417 PM BALDWIN/AL GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL REPORTED AT I-10 AND
THE CAUSEWAY BY STATE TROOPERS.Special weather statement, Apr 18, 6:44 PM CDT, 41 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL 635 PM CDT MON APR 18 1988 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER THE INTERIOR SECTIONS OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA... AT 630 PM CDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS WERE OVER NORTHERN OKALOOSA...NORTHERN WALTON...AND OVER HOLMES COUNTIES OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINS WERE OVER ESCAMBIA AND SANTA ROSA COUNTIES. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE PERIODS OF VERY HEAVY RAINS...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AROUND 45 MILES AN HOUR...AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND SOME BRIEF FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. PERSONS SHOULD TAKE ANY NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS FOR THESE CONDITIONS AS THE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE THROUGH THE AREA.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Mobile, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 18, 9:34 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MOB | Washington | 41 min |
| Apr 18, 10:09 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MOB | Autauga, Montgomery | 51 min |
| Apr 18, 10:39 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MOB | Elmore | 36 min |
| Apr 18, 11:21 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MOB | Lee | 54 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.