Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 1988
Tornado Warning 9, NWS Mobile, AL
NWS Mobile, AL issued this tornado warning at Sep 16, 1988, 8:07 AM CDT for Baldwin County, Alabama. It was in force for 38 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Sep 16, 1988, 8:07 AM CDT (13:07 UTC)
- Expired
- Sep 16, 1988, 8:45 AM CDT
- In force
- 38 min
- Issued by
- NWS Mobile, AL
- Area
- Whole counties
County Baldwin 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
Slidell Radar S, LA (KSIL), launched 12:00Z, 1.1 hours before the alert went out and 192 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
- 171 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -19 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 528 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 15 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 91 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 135 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 KMOB 161309
TORMOB
ALC003-161345-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
807 AM CDT FRI SEP 16 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOBILE HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 845 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA
...SOUTHERN BALDWIN
AT 804 AM CDT A BALDWIN COUNTY DEPUTY SHERIFF REPORTED A TORNADO ON
THE GROUND NEAR ELBERTA ALABAMA IN SOUTHERN BALDWIN COUNTY. THE
TORNADO WAS MOVING TO THE WEST.
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, 2:37 AM CDT, 5 hours 30 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL 235 AM CDT FRI SEP 16 1988 A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS OVER THE COASTAL WATERS OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE COUNTIES OF OKALOOSA AND WALTON. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING ONSHORE AT FORT WALTON BEACH AND DESTIN. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND VERY STRONG GUSTY WINDS AS THEY MOVE ASHORE. ELSEWHERE...WIDESPREAD LIGHT RAIN AND SHOWERS WITH WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WAS OVER SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...SOUTH ALABAMA...THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL FLORIDA PANHANDLE...AND THE GULF ADJACENT TO THESE AREAS UP TO 150 MILES OR MORE OFFSHORE. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHWEST AT 25 MPH.
Special weather statement, Sep 16, 3:23 AM CDT, 4 hours 44 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL 320 AM CDT FRI SEP 16 1988 ...BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ONSHORE ALONG THE ALABAMA COAST... AT 315 AM CDT MOBILE RADAR INDICATED AN EAST-WEST BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE ALABAMA COASTLINE MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TO PRODUCE PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL AND STRONGY GUSTY AS THEY MOVE ONSHORE AND THROUGH MOBILE AND BALDWIN COUNTIES. WATERSPOUTS ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE COASTAL WATERS AND ALONG THE BEACHES. WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE COAST WITH 20 TO 30 MPH GUSTS OVER THE INLAND AREAS AS THE STORMS MOVE THROUGH THE AREA.
Special weather statement, Sep 16, 3:30 AM CDT, 4 hours 37 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL 320 AM CDT FRI SEP 16 1988 ...BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ONSHORE ALONG THE ALABAMA COAST... AT 315 AM CDT MOBILE RADAR INDICATED AN EAST-WEST BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE ALABAMA COASTLINE MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TO PRODUCE PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL AND STRONGY GUSTY WINDS AS THEY MOVE ONSHORE AND THROUGH MOBILE AND BALDWIN COUNTIES. WATERSPOUTS ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE COASTAL WATERS AND ALONG THE BEACHES. WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE COAST WITH 20 TO 30 MPH GUSTS OVER THE INLAND AREAS AS THE STORMS MOVE THROUGH THE AREA.
Special weather statement, Sep 16, 3:36 AM CDT, 4 hours 31 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL 335 AM CDT FRI SEP 16 1988 A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS OVER THE COASTAL WATERS OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE COUNTIES OF OKALOOSA AND WALTON. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING ONSHORE AT DESTIN. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND VERY STRONG GUSTY WINDS AS THEY MOVE ASHORE. ELSEWHERE...WIDESPREAD LIGHT RAIN AND SHOWERS WITH WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WAS OVER SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...SOUTH ALABAMA...THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL FLORIDA PANHANDLE...AND THE GULF ADJACENT TO THESE AREAS UP TO 150 MILES OR MORE OFFSHORE. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHWEST AT 25 MPH.
Special weather statement, Sep 16, 5:52 AM CDT, 2 hours 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL 550 AM CDT FRI SEP 16 1988 ...BANDS OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INLAND ALONG THE ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI COASTS... EVEN THOUGH HURRICANE GILBERT IS CHURNING AWAY FAR FROM THE CENTRAL GULF COAST...THE EFFECTS FROM GILBERT ARE BEING FELT HERE AT HOME. AT 530 AM CDT MOBILE RADAR INDICATED BANDS OF RAIN AND THUNDERSHOWERS OVER THE COASTAL SECTIONS OF MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA MOVING NORTHWEST AT 25 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS ALONG THE COAST HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED BETWEEN 1 AND 3 INCHES OF RAINFALL DURING THE NIGHT. BECAUSE THE RAIN BANDS ARE UP TO 100 MILES IN LENGTH SOME LOCATIONS COULD RECEIVE HEAVY AMOUNTS OF RAIN THIS MORNING. IN ADDITION TIDES ARE RUNNING TWO TO FOUR FEET ABOVE NORMAL THUS ENHANCING THE POSSIBILITY OF LOCALIZED FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS NEAR THE COASTLINE . HANCOCK COUNTY IN MISSISSIPPI HAS ALREADY REPORTED SOME MINOR ROAD FLOODING NEAR THE COAST. > MOTORIST SHOULD BE ALERT TO SLICK ROADS AND POOR DRIVING CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
Special weather statement, Sep 16, 5:54 AM CDT, 2 hours 13 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL 550 AM CDT FRI SEP 16 1988 ...BANDS OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INLAND ALONG THE ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI COASTS... EVEN THOUGH HURRICANE GILBERT IS CHURNING AWAY FAR FROM THE CENTRAL GULF COAST...THE EFFECTS FROM GILBERT ARE BEING FELT HERE AT HOME. AT 545 AM CDT MOBILE RADAR INDICATED BANDS OF RAIN AND THUNDERSHOWERS OVER THE COASTAL SECTIONS OF MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA MOVING NORTHWEST AT 25 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS ALONG THE COAST HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED BETWEEN 1 AND 3 INCHES OF RAINFALL DURING THE NIGHT. BECAUSE THE RAIN BANDS ARE UP TO 100 MILES IN LENGTH SOME LOCATIONS COULD RECEIVE HEAVY AMOUNTS OF RAIN THIS MORNING. IN ADDITION TIDES ARE RUNNING TWO TO FOUR FEET ABOVE NORMAL THUS ENHANCING THE POSSIBILITY OF LOCALIZED FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS NEAR THE COASTLINE . HANCOCK COUNTY IN MISSISSIPPI HAS ALREADY REPORTED SOME MINOR ROAD FLOODING NEAR THE COAST. > MOTORIST SHOULD BE ALERT TO SLICK ROADS AND POOR DRIVING CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Mobile, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Sep 16, 3:56 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MOB | Tallapoosa | 49 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.