Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 1989
Tornado Warning 52, NWS Birmingham, AL
NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Nov 15, 1989, 5:05 PM CST for Calhoun County, Alabama. It was in force for 25 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
- Nov 15, 1989, 5:05 PM CST (23:05 UTC)
- Expired
- Nov 15, 1989, 5:30 PM CST
- In force
- 25 min
- Issued by
- NWS Birmingham, AL
- Area
- Whole counties
County Calhoun 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 15, 5:15 PM CST | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Calhoun, 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, 11.1 hours before the alert went out and 160 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
- 1103 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -32 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 565 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 34 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 126 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 119 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 2.4
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KBHM 152306 RRA TORBHM ALC015-152330- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 505 PM CST WED NOV 15 1989 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 530 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... IN NORTH ALABAMA ...CALHOUN COUNTY AT 502 PM RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO MOVING INTO EXTREME NORTHERN CALHOUN COUNTY. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED BUILDING. AS A LAST RESORT...SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH OR LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.
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, Nov 15, 1:32 PM CST, 3 hours 33 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL 125 PM CST WED NOV 15 1989 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING... AT 120 PM CST MONTGOMERY WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM WITH HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL OVER THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF COOSA COUNTY AND ANOTHER ONE NEAR JEMISON ALABAMA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT NEARLY 40 MPH. ALONG WITH THE HEAVY RAINS AND POSSIBLE HAIL THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE STRONGf GUSTY SURFACE WINDS. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO AND DEVELOPING OVER SOUTHWEST ALABAMA.
Local storm report, Nov 15, 2:34 PM CST, 2 hours 31 minutes before
STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 232 PM CST WED NOV 15 1989 ...AT 215PM CST...TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN NEAR THE CLAY/TALLADEGA COUNTY LINE AT THE BULL GAP COMMUNITY ...AT 225 PM CST...GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL FELL AT HAMILTON IN MARION COUNTY. ...A APPROXMATELY 200 PM CST...A CONFIRMED TORNADO TOUCHDOWN IN THE MELLOW VALLEY COMMUNITY IN CLAY COUNTY WITH PEOPLE TRAPPED IN A COLLAPSED HOUSE.
Local storm report, Nov 15, 3:28 PM CST, 1 hour 37 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
229 PM CST WED NOV 15 1989
...UPDATED REPORT ON THE TORNADO TOUCHDOWN IN CLAY COUNTY...
...CORRECTION ON TIME...OCCURRED AT 130 PM CST...TOUCHDOWN 7IN THE
MELLOW VALLEY COMMUNITY. PEOPLE WERE REPORTED TRAPPED IN A
COLLAPSED HOUSE WITH SEVERAL INJURIES. IT IS NOT KNOWN OF THE
EXTENT OF INJURIES OR THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE INJURED.Local storm report, Nov 15, 4:04 PM CST, 1 hour 1 minute before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
355 PM CST WED NOV 15 1989
1527 REPORT OF TORNADO CROSSING COOSA RIVER TOWARD TITUS ALABAMA
ALSO HAIL SIZE NOT DETERMINED...BY LOCAL TV STATION.
{
1535 REPORT OF HAIL MARBLE TO NICKEL SIZE AND FUNNEL CLOUD VCNTY
OF SLAPOUT...HAIL COVERED GROUND...BY PUBLIC/DPS/LOCAL TV.
1535 REPORT OF TREES DOWN AND HAIL NEAR CLOUD IN ELMORE COUNTY
ALABAMA...BY DPSLocal storm report, Nov 15, 4:55 PM CST, 10 minutes before
STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 450 PM CST WED NOV 15 1989 ...AT 255 PM CST...FUNNEL CLOUD REPORTED BY BEAR CREEK PD AT BEAR CREEK IN MARION COUNTY. ...AT 255 PM CST...FUNNEL CLOUD REPORTED AT WOODLAND HIGH SCHOOL IN RANDOLPH COUNTY. ...AT 421 PM CST...GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL AND FUNNEL CLOUD REPORTED IN SOUTHERN RANDOLPH COUNTY. ...AT 430 PM CST...40-50 MPH WINDS REPORTED AT ALICEVILLE IN PICKENS COUNTY. ...AT 440 PM CST...FUNNEL CLOUND AT BACON LEVEL COMMUNITY IN SOUTHEASTERN RANDOLPH COUNTY. ...AT 440 PM CST...TREES DOWN ON HWY 43 5 NORTH HAMILTON. ...AT 440 PM CST...TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN IN WINSTON COUNTY 5 NORTH HALEYVILLE. ...AT 442 PM CST...GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL AND STREET FLOODING IN THE ROANOKE AREA OF RANDOLPH COUNTY.
Local storm report, Nov 15, 5:00 PM CST, 5 minutes before
STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 450 PM CST WED NOV 15 1989 ...AT 440 PM CST...AT MCALLA IN JEFFERSON COUNTY...DOWNED TELEPHONE POLES. ...AT 443 PM CST...TORNADO TOUCHDOWN AT EITHER ROANOKE OR ROCK MILLS ...AT LEAST 2 MOBILE HOMES OVERTURNED AND GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL FELL. ...AT 455 PM CST...GUST NEAR 60 MPH AT WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM. ...AT 455 PM CST...DIME SIZE HAIL AT LAKESHORE DRIVE IN HOMEWOOD.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 15, 1:11 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Marion | 49 min |
| Nov 15, 1:48 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Lamar, Marion | 42 min |
| Nov 15, 1:53 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Clay, Randolph | 52 min |
| Nov 15, 2:09 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Lamar, Marion | 51 min |
| Nov 15, 3:39 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Randolph | 36 min |
| Nov 15, 3:40 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Lawrence, Morgan | 65 min |
| Nov 15, 3:44 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Lamar, Marion | 46 min |
| Nov 15, 3:44 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Winston | 46 min |
| Nov 15, 3:51 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Marengo | 34 min |
| Nov 15, 3:54 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Lawrence, Limestone, Morgan | 66 min |
| Nov 15, 4:13 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Limestone, Madison, Morgan | 62 min |
| Nov 15, 4:13 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Randolph | 47 min |
| Nov 15, 4:16 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Bibb | 44 min |
| Nov 15, 4:23 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jefferson, Shelby | 52 min |
| Nov 15, 4:32 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cullman, Walker, Winston | 43 min |
| Nov 15, 4:35 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Pickens, Tuscaloosa | 40 min |
| Nov 15, 4:39 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Madison | 39 min |
| Nov 15, 4:47 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | St. Clair, Talladega | 43 min |
| Nov 15, 4:47 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Chilton | 43 min |
| Nov 15, 5:00 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Cherokee, Etowah | 45 min |
| Nov 15, 5:02 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Jackson, Madison, Marshall | 58 min |
| Nov 15, 5:14 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Shelby | 46 min |
| Nov 15, 5:18 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Tuscaloosa | 27 min |
| Nov 15, 5:26 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jefferson | 49 min |
| Nov 15, 5:45 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cherokee | 45 min |
| Nov 15, 5:59 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Blount | 46 min |
| Nov 15, 5:59 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Shelby | 46 min |
| Nov 15, 5:59 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | DeKalb, Marshall | 61 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.