Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 1988
Tornado Warning 14, NWS Mobile, AL
NWS Mobile, AL issued this tornado warning at Sep 16, 1988, 3:56 PM CDT for Tallapoosa County, Alabama. It was in force for 49 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
- Sep 16, 1988, 3:56 PM CDT (20:56 UTC)
- Expired
- Sep 16, 1988, 4:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 49 min
- Issued by
- NWS Mobile, AL
- Area
- Whole counties
County Tallapoosa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 16, 4:10 PM CDT | Tornado F0 | Tallapoosa, 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 12:00Z, 8.9 hours before the alert went out and 131 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
- 326 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -12 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 545 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 18 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 69 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 92 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KMGM 162058
TORMGM
ALC123-162145-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
356 PM CDT FRI SEP 16 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MONTGOMERY HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 445 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN SOUTH ALABAMA
...TALLAPOOSA
CITIZENS HAVE REPORTED TORNADOES ON THE GROUND NEAR LAKE MARTIN.
SEVERAL CITIZENS REPORTS OF FUNNEL CLOUDS IN TALLAPOOSA COUNTY HAVE
BEEN RECEIVED. REPORTS OF TREES ACROSS HOUSES HAVE ALSO BEEN NOTED.
THE TORNADOES ARE MOVING NORTH OR NORTHWEST AT ABOUT 20
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, Sep 16, 11:02 AM CDT, 4 hours 54 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL 1100 AM CDT FRI SEP 16 1988 FOLLOWING IS A SPECIAL STATEMENT FOR THE BLACKWATER RIVER WHICH RUNS THROUGH SANTA ROSA COUNTY... THESE REPORTS WERE REPORTED BY THE SANTA ROSA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE... WATER WAS 12 TO 15 INCHES DEEP ON THE DIRT ROAD GOING TO NAVY BOATDOCK. WATER WAS OVER THE BOATRAMP AT CARPENTERS PARK...1/2 MILE NORTH OF MILTON ON HWY 191. AT GARCON POINT...3 TO 5 INCHES OF WATER IN MARY KITCHENS ROAD. AT OBIE WILLIS ROAD...THE RIVER WAS UP TO 10 TO 12 INCHES OF THE BOTTOM OF THE BRIDGE. BASED UPON RAINFALL AMOUNTS RECEIVED THIS MORNING...THE BLACKWATER RIVER IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN AT OR SLIGHTLY# ABOVE BANKFULL FOR THE NEXT 2 TO 3 DAYS. ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT COULD CAUSE THE RIVER TO RISE EVEN HIGHER. ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS NEEDED.
Local storm report, Sep 16, 11:14 AM CDT, 4 hours 42 minutes before
ATTN SELS STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL 1115 AM CDT FRI SEP 16 1988 THE BALDWIN COUNTY EOC COULD FIND NO DAMAGE ASSOCIATED WITH THE POSSIBLE TORNADO REPORTED EARLIER THIS MOR6NING IN BALDWIN COUNTY. APPARANTLY IT WAS A BAD REPORT.
Special weather statement, Sep 16, 12:47 PM CDT, 3 hours 9 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL 1240 PM CDT FRI SEP 16 1988 AT 1230PM CDT...RAIN WAS WIDESPREAD OVER LAND AND HAD CONTINUED TO LESSEN IN COVERAGE OVER THE GULF. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...A FEW INDICATING HEAVY RAIN...WERE SCATTERED UP TO 50 MILES INLAND FROM MISSISSIPPI TO PANAMA CITY FLORIDA. MOVEMENTS WERE NORTHWESTERLY AROUND 35 MILES AN HOUR. DURING THE MORNING...HEAVY RAINS OVER THE WESTERN PANHANDLE HAVE CAUSED STREET AND LOW AREA FLOODING. WATER RETENTION POOLS HAVE BEEN REPORTED FULL. ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINS OVER THE AREA COULD EASILY CAUSE THE FLOODING TO WORSEN. HOWEVER...RADAR PRESENTLY INDICATES A POSSIBLE DECREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF RAIN MOVING IN FROM THE GULF. PERSONS LIVING IN LOW AREAS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR RISING WATERS AND BE PREPARED TO PROTECT MOVEABLE PROPERTY. BASED UPON RAINFALL AMOUNTS RECEIVED THIS MORNING...THE BLACKWATER RIVER IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN AT OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE BANKFULL FOR THE NEXT 2 TO 3 DAYS. ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT COULD CAUSE THE RIVER TO RISE EVEN HIGHER. ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS NEEDED.
Special weather statement, Sep 16, 12:51 PM CDT, 3 hours 5 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL 1240 PM CDT FRI SEP 16 1988 AT 1230PM CDT...RAIN WAS WIDESPREAD OVER LAND AND HAD CONTINUED TO LESSEN IN COVERAGE OVER THE GULF. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...A FEW INDICATING HEAVY RAIN...WERE SCATTERED UP TO 50 MILES INLAND FROM MISSISSIPPI TO PANAMA CITY FLORIDA. MOVEMENTS WERE NORTHWESTERLY AROUND 35 MILES AN HOUR. DURING THE MORNING...HEAVY RAINS OVER THE WESTERN PANHANDLE HAVE CAUSED STREET AND LOW AREA FLOODING. WATER RETENTION POOLS HAVE BEEN REPORTED FULL. ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINS OVER THE AREA COULD EASILY CAUSE THE FLOODING TO WORSEN. HOWEVER...RADAR PRESENTLY INDICATES A POSSIBLE DECREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF RAIN MOVING IN FROM THE GULF. PERSONS LIVING IN LOW AREAS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR RISING WATERS AND BE PREPARED TO PROTECT MOVEABLE PROPERTY. 2 TO 3 DAYS. ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT COULD CAUSE THE RIVER TO RISE EVEN HIGHER. ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS NEEDED.
Special weather statement, Sep 16, 12:53 PM CDT, 3 hours 3 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL 1240 PM CDT FRI SEP 16 1988 AT 1230PM CDT...RAIN WAS WIDESPREAD OVER LAND AND HAD CONTINUED TO LESSEN IN COVERAGE OVER THE GULF. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...A FEW INDICATING HEAVY RAIN...WERE SCATTERED UP TO 50 MILES INLAND FROM MISSISSIPPI TO PANAMA CITY FLORIDA. MOVEMENTS WERE NORTHWESTERLY AROUND 35 MILES AN HOUR. DURING THE MORNING...HEAVY RAINS OVER THE WESTERN PANHANDLE HAVE CAUSED STREET AND LOW AREA FLOODING. WATER RETENTION POOLS HAVE BEEN REPORTED FULL. ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINS OVER THE AREA COULD EASILY CAUSE THE FLOODING TO WORSEN. HOWEVER...RADAR PRESENTLY INDICATES A POSSIBLE DECREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF RAIN MOVING IN FROM THE GULF. PERSONS LIVING IN LOW AREAS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR RISING WATERS AND BE PREPARED TO PROTECT MOVEABLE PROPERTY.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Mobile, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 16, 8:07 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | MOB | Baldwin | 38 min |
| Sep 16, 1:10 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MOB | Dale | 35 min |
| Sep 16, 1:50 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MOB | Dale | 40 min |
| Sep 16, 2:10 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MOB | Coffee, Pike | 35 min |
| Sep 16, 2:37 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MOB | Macon | 38 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.