Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1989
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 39, NWS Birmingham, AL
NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 4, 1989, 5:02 AM CDT for Pickens County, Alabama. It was in force for 43 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Apr 4, 1989, 5:02 AM CDT (10:02 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 4, 1989, 5:45 AM CDT
- In force
- 43 min
- Issued by
- NWS Birmingham, AL
- Area
- Whole counties
County Pickens 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, 10.0 hours before the alert went out and 93 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
- 693 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -44 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1133 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 41 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 227 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 336 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.9
- Supercell composite
- 13.5
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KBHM 041002
SVRBHM
ALC107-041045-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
502 AM CDT TUE APR 4 1989
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 545 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN NORTH ALABAMA
...PICKENS
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS INDICATED BY RADAR WEST OF GORDO IN PICKENS
COUNTY AT 455 AM. THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS. HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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 4, 2:42 AM CDT, 2 hours 20 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 240 AM CDT TUE APR 4 1989 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA... A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES UNTIL 5 AM CDT FOR 24 NORTHWEST ALABAMA COUNTIES. AT 240 AM...VERY SRRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE INTO NORTHWEST ALABAMA FROM EASTERN MISSISSIPPI. THIS INCLUDES SOME STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN WESTERN MARION COUNTY...APPROACHING THE HAMILTON AREA. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING INTO LAMAR COUNTY SOON AFTER 3 AM CDT. THEY WERE MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE POSSIBLE STRONG WINDS... HAIL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...ALONG WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN. A WARNING MAY BE NEEDED FOR SOME NORTHWEST XALABAMA COUNTIES SOON.
Special weather statement, Apr 4, 2:45 AM CDT, 2 hours 17 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 240 AM CDT TUE APR 4 1989 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA... A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES UNTIL 5 AM CDT FOR 14 NORTHWEST ALABAMA COUNTIES. AT 240 AM...VERY SRRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE INTO NORTHWEST ALABAMA FROM EASTERN MISSISSIPPI. THIS INCLUDES SOME STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN WESTERN MARION COUNTY...APPROACHING THE HAMILTON AREA. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING INTO LAMAR COUNTY SOON AFTER 3 AM CDT. THEY WERE MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE POSSIBLE STRONG WINDS... HAIL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...ALONG WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN. A WARNING MAYb BE NEEDED FOR SOME NORTHWEST ALABAMA COUNTIES SOON.
Local storm report, Apr 4, 3:43 AM CDT, 1 hour 19 minutes before
STORM REPORTS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 343 AM CDT TUE APR 4 1989 ...ALABAMA STATE TROOPERS REPORT TREES DOWN AT HAMILTON IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA'S MARION COUNTY. THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVED THROUGH THE HAMILTON AREA AROUND 315 TO 320 AM CDT. THE HOME OF AN ALABAMA STATE TROOPER WAS ALSO DAMAGED. THE TROOPERS PATROL CAR WAS THE VICTIM OF A FALLING TREE. STATE TROOPERS REPORT POWER OUT IN THE HAMILTON AREA... " HAMPERING EFFORTS TO CHECK ON DAMAGE.
Local storm report, Apr 4, 4:30 AM CDT, 32 minutes before
STORM REPORTS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 430 AM CDT TUE APR 4 1989 ...THE BIRMINGHAM AMATEUR RADIO CLUB REPORTS NUMEROUS TREES DOWN ON ALABAMA HIGHWAY 14 WEST OF HAMILTON. ALSO AT THE INTERESECTION OF STATE ROUTE 17 AND COUNTY ROAD 1...NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN. HIGHWAY 1 WAS BLOCKED. THIS HAPPENED ABOUT 315 AM. ...ALABAMA STATE TROOPERS REPORT AT LEAST TWO MOBILE HOMES DESTROYED IN THE SOUTH PART OF HALEYVILLE...IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF WINSTON COUNTY. TIME UNKNOWN. ...THE CULLMAN COUNTY EMA OFFICE REPORTED AROUND 420 AM... LOUD ROARING SOUNDS BETWEEN CULLMAN AND LOGAN AND ALSO AT ADDISION IN EASTERN WINSTON COUNTY. ...THEg PUBLIC REPORTS CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE NORTH OF HAMILTON.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 3:01 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Lamar, Marion | 59 min |
| Apr 4, 4:14 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Limestone | 30 min |
| Apr 4, 4:14 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Madison, Morgan | 50 min |
| Apr 4, 4:41 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker | 64 min |
| Apr 4, 4:41 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Blount | 64 min |
| Apr 4, 5:04 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Marshall | 46 min |
| Apr 4, 7:54 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Fayette, Pickens, Tuscaloosa | 66 min |
| Apr 4, 10:00 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cullman | 60 min |
| Apr 4, 10:07 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Blount, Cullman | 68 min |
| Apr 4, 10:11 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Lamar, Pickens | 64 min |
| Apr 4, 10:21 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Marshall | 69 min |
| Apr 4, 10:21 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Morgan | 59 min |
| Apr 4, 10:30 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Etowah | 60 min |
| Apr 4, 10:36 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Fayette | 54 min |
| Apr 4, 10:59 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Marshall | 46 min |
| Apr 4, 11:21 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Pickens | 69 min |
| Apr 4, 11:35 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | DeKalb | 55 min |
| Apr 4, 11:38 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Tuscaloosa | 67 min |
| Apr 4, 11:56 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jefferson | 64 min |
| Apr 4, 12:06 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Blount | 69 min |
| Apr 4, 12:14 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Bibb, Hale | 61 min |
| Apr 4, 12:26 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | St. Clair, Shelby | 64 min |
| Apr 4, 12:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Etowah | 65 min |
| Apr 4, 12:49 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Shelby | 41 min |
| Apr 4, 1:01 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Calhoun, Cherokee, Etowah | 59 min |
| Apr 4, 1:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Hale, Marengo | 60 min |
| Apr 4, 1:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Clay, Cleburne | 60 min |
| Apr 4, 1:32 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Hale, Marengo | 43 min |
| Apr 4, 1:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Randolph | 60 min |
| Apr 4, 1:59 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Chilton | 31 min |
| Apr 4, 2:42 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Marengo | 63 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 1989Every severe thunderstorm 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.