Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 1989
Tornado Warning 40, NWS Birmingham, AL
NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Jun 14, 1989, 3:07 PM CDT for Jefferson County, Shelby County, Alabama. It was in force for 58 min. 3 reports 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
- Jun 14, 1989, 3:07 PM CDT (20:07 UTC)
- Expired
- Jun 14, 1989, 4:05 PM CDT
- In force
- 58 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.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 14, 3:10 PM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Jefferson, AL | |
| Jun 14, 3:10 PM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Shelby, AL | |
| Jun 14, 4:00 PM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Jefferson, 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, 8.1 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
- 1521 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -11 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 610 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 29 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 8 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 31 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.1
- Supercell composite
- 0.9
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KBHM 142009
TORBHM
ALC073-117-142115-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
307 PM CDT WED JUN 14 1989
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 415 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN NORTH ALABAMA
...JEFFERSON...SHELBY
AT 305 PM CDT TWIN FUNNELS WERE REPORTED NEAR BESSEMER MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION. ACT QUICKLY. IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF
AVAILABLE. OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR POSSIBLE. AVOID WINDOWS. ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES
FOR A REINFORCxED BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.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, Jun 14, 12:37 PM CDT, 2 hours 30 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1235 PM CDT WED JUN 14 1989
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTH AND WEST ALABAMA...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT
FOR NORTHWEST ALABAMA...
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM CDT FOR THE
NORTHERN TWO THIRDS OF ALABAMA...
AT 1235 PM CDT STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING THROUGH WEST AND NORTH
ALABAMA. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED OVER WALKER...FAYETTE...
CULLMAN...WINSTON...PICKENS...AND TUSCALOOSA COUNTIES AND WERE MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...
FREQUENT LIGHTNING...HEAVY RAIN...AND POSSIBLY HAIL. PERSONS IN NORTH
AND WEST ALABAMA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER
CONDITIONS AND BE READY TO SEEK SHELTER SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER DEVELOP
OR A WARNING IS ISSUED.
IN ADDITION...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT FOR THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF ALABAMA.
MORE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING OVER A WIDE AREA OF ALABAMA. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO
OR TO COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR THE VERY LATEST W6EATHER
INFORMATION.Special weather statement, Jun 14, 12:45 PM CDT, 2 hours 22 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL 1240 PM CDT WED JUN 14 1989 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 6PM... AT 1235 PM RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER SOUTH ALABAMA. THE LINE EXTENDED FROM NEAR MERIDIAN MISSISSIPPI TO THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF WILCOX COUNTY...AND EASTWARD TO NEW BROCKTON IN COFFEE COUNTY. THE LINE WAS DRIFTING NORTHEAST AT AROUND 15 MPH. SOME OF THE STORMS WERE PRODUYCING TORRENTIAL RAIN...ESPECIALLY OVER SOUTHWEST WILCOX COUNTY AND JUST SOUTH OF PINEAPPLE. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO BE PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS... DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND SOME SMALL HAIL. DEVAUGHN
Local storm report, Jun 14, 1:23 PM CDT, 1 hour 44 minutes before
STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 125 PM CDT WED JUN 14 1989 ...115 PM CDT CULLMAN COUNTY EMA REORTS TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN SOUTH OF BERLIN
Local storm report, Jun 14, 2:11 PM CDT, 56 minutes before
STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL 210 PM CDT WED JUN 14 1989 DELAYED STORM REPORT FOR STORMS OF JUNE 12TH 1989 LEE COUNTY... 8PM CDT...TREES DOWN JUST SOUTH OF CHEWCLA STATE PARK. POWE R LINES KNOCKED DOWN. REPORT FROM DIXIE ELECTRIC CO-0P. WARNINGS IN EFFECT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 710PM CDT UNTIL 8 15PM CDT. PETTIT
Special weather statement, Jun 14, 2:19 PM CDT, 48 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
220 PM CDT WED JUN 14 1989
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWEST ALABAMA FOR THIS
AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM CDT FOR THE
NORTHERN TWO THIRDS OF ALABAMA...
AT 220 PM CDT STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTH AND WEST ALABAMA.
THE STRONGEST STORMS IN NORTH ALABAMA WERE LOCATED IN ETOWAH AND SAINT
CLAIR COUNTIES. OVER WEST ALABAMA THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE MOVING THROUGH
GREENE...HALE...PICKENS...TUSCALOOSA...PERRY...AND BIBB COUNTIES.
THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT
LIGHTNING...HEAVY RAIN...AND POSSIBLY HAIL. PERSONS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT
TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE READY TO SEEK SHELTER
SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER DEVELOP OR A WARNING IS ISSUED.
MORE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING OVER A WIDE- AREA OF ALABAMA. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO
OR TO COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR THE VERY LATEST WEATHER
INFORMATION.Special weather statement, Jun 14, 2:53 PM CDT, 14 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
252 PM CDT WED JUN 14 1989
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH CANCELLED FOR NORTHWEST ALABAMA...
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM CDT FOR THE
NORTHERN TWO THIRDS OF ALABAMA...
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CANCELLED FOR LAUDERDALE...COLBERT...
...FRANKLIN...LAWRENCE...LIMESTONE...MADISON...MORGAN...MARION...
...WINSTON...LAMAR...AND FAYETTE COUNTIES.
AT 252 PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHWEST ALABAMA HAD DIMINISHED IN
COVERAGE AND INTENSITY. AS A RESULT THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AND
FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR NORTHWEST ALABAMA.
HOWEVER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN SOUTH OF A LINE FROM FT PAYNE TO
GADSDEN...BIRMINGHAM...AND TUSCALOOSA. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH AND WILL PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAIN...
FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND POSSIBLY HAIL. PERSONS SOUTH OF THIS LINE
SHOULD STILL REMAIN ALbERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE
READY TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER DEVELOP OR A
WARNING IS ISSUED. STAY INFORMED OF CURRENT WEATHER CONDITIONS.The office that day
Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 14, 2:27 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Colbert, Franklin | 63 min |
| Jun 14, 2:27 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Colbert, Franklin | 63 min |
| Jun 14, 12:07 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Morgan | 38 min |
| Jun 14, 12:26 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Limestone, Madison, Morgan | 64 min |
| Jun 14, 1:04 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jackson, Marshall | 56 min |
| Jun 14, 3:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jefferson, Shelby | 60 min |
| Jun 14, 3:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Walker | 60 min |
| Jun 14, 3:23 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | St. Clair | 67 min |
| Jun 14, 3:26 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Talladega | 64 min |
| Jun 14, 3:42 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Blount | 63 min |
| Jun 14, 3:51 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Calhoun, Clay, Cleburne | 69 min |
| Jun 14, 3:51 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Etowah | 69 min |
| Jun 14, 4:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Randolph | 58 min |
| Jun 14, 4:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cullman | 58 min |
| Jun 14, 4:17 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cherokee | 58 min |
| Jun 14, 4:27 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Marshall, Morgan | 38 min |
| Jun 14, 6:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Greene, Pickens | 46 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 1989Every tornado warning in 1989Tornadoes 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.