Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 1989
Flash Flood Warning 8, NWS Birmingham, AL
NWS Birmingham, AL issued this flash flood warning at Jun 19, 1989, 4:19 PM CDT for Jefferson County, Shelby County, Alabama. It was in force for 56 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Jun 19, 1989, 4:19 PM CDT (21:19 UTC)
- Expired
- Jun 19, 1989, 5:15 PM CDT
- In force
- 56 min
- Issued by
- NWS Birmingham, AL
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Jefferson County, AL, Shelby 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 12:00Z, 9.3 hours before the alert went out and 69 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
- 1433 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -8 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 642 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 23 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 24 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 26 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.1
- Supercell composite
- 0.5
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KBHM 192121
FFWBHM
ALC073-117-192215-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SMALL STREAM AND URBAN FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
419 PM CDT MON JUN 19 1989
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A
SMALL STREAM AND URBAN FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 515 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN NORTH ALABAMA
...JEFFERSON...SHELBY
AT 418 PM CDT A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING TORRENTIAL RAIN WAS MOVING
ACROSS THE BIRMINGHAM METROPOLITAN AREA. FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW
LYING AREAS IS OCCURRING.
MOST DEATHS IN FLASH FLOODING OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT
ATTEMPT TO CROSS BRIDGES...DIPS...OR LOW SPOTS IF WATER COVERS
THE ROADWAY. NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...EVEN A
SMALL ONE...ON FOOT.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, Jun 19, 11:06 AM CDT, 5 hours 13 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL 1100 AM CDT MON JUN 19 1989 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA TODAY... ...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR COOSA ELMORE AND TALLAPOOSA COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 11 AM CDT... REPORTS FROM COUNTY OFFICIALS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT INDICATE THE FOLLOWING ROADS HAVE BEEN CLOSED OR HAVE WATER ON THEM... TALLAPOOSA COUNTY...STATE ROAD 50 EAST OF THE BRIDGE HAS ONE FOOT OF WATER OVER ROAD AND THE ROAD HAS BEEN CLOSED. MANY COUNTY ROADS HAVE WATER AND WASHOUTS...PARTICULARY THE DIRT ROADS. COOSA COUNTY...SEVERAL COUNTY ROADS CLOSED IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY. ELMORE COUNTY...ALABAMA 170 ABOVE WETUMPKA CLOSED. ALABAMA 14 SOUTHEAST OF WETUMPKA CLOSED. COUNTY ROAD 8 BRIDGE IS SHAKY TOWARD TALLASSEE. WILLIS SPRINGS ROAD CLOSED. TWO WOODEN BRIDGES OFF HIGHWAY 170 WASHED AWAY. ONE PIPE BRIDGE OFF 170 GONE. PETTIT
Local storm report, Jun 19, 1:29 PM CDT, 2 hours 50 minutes before
STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL 120 PM CDT MON JUN 19 1989 HOUSTON COUNTY...105PM CDT...TREES DOWN AND POWER LINES DOWN AT COTTONWOOD SOUTH OF DOTHAN. REPORT FROM HOUSTON COUNTY EMA. WARNINGS OUT NONE. 120PM...AT WEBB IN HOUSTON COUNTY...TREES DOWN AND POWER LINES DOWN. NEAR COTTONWOOD WITH SECOND STORM OVER AREA TREES AND POWER LINE DOWN. REPORT FROM HOUSTON COUNTY EMA. WARNING IN EFFECT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM...111-215PM CDT.n PETTIT
Special weather statement, Jun 19, 2:20 PM CDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 219 PM CDT MON JUN 19 1989 THUNDERSTORMS HAVE INCREASED IN INTENSITY ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL ALABAMA THIS AFTERNOON. AT 219 PM CDT WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT CENTREVILLE INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND POSSIBLY SOME HAIL IN MARENGO COUNTY NEAR LINDEN. THIS STORM WAS MOVINMG EAST SOUTHEAST. OTHER STORMS WERE DEVELOPING TO THE NORTH AND WEST OF BIRMINGHAM. PERSONS IN NORTH AND CENTRAL ALABAM NEED TO BE ALERT FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS AS STORMS WILL BE INCREASING IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY AS WE GET INTO THE HEAT OF THE DAY. REMEMBER...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF EAST AND SOUTH ALABAMA THIS AFTERNOON. SOME CITIES INCLUDED IN THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH ARE GADSDEN...ANNISTON...CENTREVILLE...MONTGOMERY AND DOTHAN.
Special weather statement, Jun 19, 2:30 PM CDT, 1 hour 49 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL 220 PM CDT MON JUN 19 1989 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR EAST CENTRAL AND MUCH OF SOUTH ALABAMA FOR THIS AFTERNOON... WEATHER RADAR AT MONTGOMERY SHOWED SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS....SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER WILCOX...NORTHERN BUTLER...AND SOUTH MONTGOMERY COUNTIES AT 220PM CDT. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER BARBOUR...DALE...HENRY AND HOUSTON COUNTIES. A LONE THUNDERSTORM WAS OVER SOUTHERN CRENSHAW COUNTY. THE STORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 20 MPH. NEW STORMS ARE DEVELOPING OVER WEST ALABAMA. PATCHES OF RAIN AND SCATTERED SHOWERS COVERED THE REST OF SOUTH ALABAMA. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY SURFACE WINDS AND POSSIBLE SMALL HAIL MAY OCCUR NEAR THE HEAVIER STORMS. LOW LAND AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING CONTINUES OVER MANY COUNTIES OF EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTH ALABAMA. PETTIT
Special weather statement, Jun 19, 3:11 PM CDT, 1 hour 8 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 308 PM CDT MON JUN 19 1989 THUNDERSTORMS WERE CONTINUING TO DEVELOP ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA THIS AFTERNOON. AT 305 PM CDT WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT CENTREVILLE INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM NORTHWEST BLOUNT COUNTY INTO CENTRAL JEFFERSON COUNTY. SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN WAS REPORTED AS THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVED THROUGH CULLMAN COUNTY. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER SOUTHERN PERRY AND MARENGO COUNTIES. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 15 TO 20 MPH. PERSONS IN NORTH AND CENTRAL ALABAM NEED TO BE ALERT FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS AS STORMS WILL BE INCREASING IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY AS WE GET INTO THE HEAT OF THE DAY. REMEMBER...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF EAST AND SOUTH ALABAMA THIS AFTERNOON. SOME CITIES INCLUDED IN THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH ARE GADSDEN...ANNISTON...CENTREVILLE...MONTGOMERY AND DOTHAN.
Special weather statement, Jun 19, 3:35 PM CDT, 44 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 333 PM CDT MON JUN 19 1989 STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS WESTERN ALABAMA. AT 333 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND WIND GUSTS AROUND 50 MPH MOVING ACROSS SOUTHERN MARENGO COUNTY. THIS STORM WAS LIKELY AFFECTING SWEETWATER AND WILL BE NEAR DIXON MILLS BEFORE 4 PM CCT. DUE TO THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME...PERSONS NEED TO BE ALERT FOR LOCALIZED STREET AND LOW LYING FLOODING. MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS AREAS WHERE WATER OF UNKNOWN DEPTH COVERS THE ROAD. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING BETWEEN BIRMINGHAM AND HUNTSVILLE. ALL STORM<S WERE MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. OTHER STORMS WILL LIKELY DEVELOP AS WE ARE NOW GETTING MAXIMUM HEATING AND THE AIR OVER US IS VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 18, 7:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Calhoun, Cleburne | 50 min |
| Jun 18, 8:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Marion | 60 min |
| Jun 18, 8:49 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jefferson, Shelby | 56 min |
| Jun 18, 8:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Lawrence | 55 min |
| Jun 18, 9:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Perry | 47 min |
| Jun 19, 1:30 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Morgan | 60 min |
| Jun 19, 4:45 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Bibb | 2 hr |
Nearby
Flash Flood Warnings in Alabama, 1989Every flash flood warning in 1989
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.