Alert archive / Mississippi / Flash Flood Warnings in 1989

Flash Flood Warning 17, NWS Mobile, AL

July 2, 1989Harrison County, Mississippi

NWS Mobile, AL issued this flash flood warning at Jul 2, 1989, 11:10 AM CDT for Harrison County, Mississippi. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 2, 1989, 11:10 AM CDT (16:10 UTC)
Expired
Jul 2, 1989, 2:15 PM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Harrison County, MS

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, 4.2 hours before the alert went out and 62 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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Slidell Radar S, LA at 12:00Z on 1989-07-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2348 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Slidell Radar S, LA at 12:00Z on 1989-07-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 55 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
2348 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
613 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
11 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
55 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
89 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KMOB 021611
FFWMOB
MSC047-021915-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
1110 AM CDT SUN JUL 2 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOBILE HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  215 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI
          ...HARRISON
 
HEAVY RAIN HAS FALLEN THIS MORNING IN HARRISON COUNTY MISSISSIPPI.
WLOX-TV IN BILOXI REPORTS NEAR 8 INCHES /7.94/ SINCE MIDNIGHT. THE
COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTS MANY ROADS FLOODED AND VEHICLES STRANDED.
 
ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING TO THE WEST AND SOUTHWEST WILL
CONTINUE THE THREAT.  THE ASTRONOMICAL HIGH TIDE OCCURRED ABOUT TWO
HOURS AGO AND THIS HAS RETARDED RUNOFF.
 
THE SHERIFFS OFFICE RECOMMENDS NO DRIVING IN HARRISON COUNTY UNLESS
ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.
 
CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE BY MID AFTERNOON AS THE TIDE FALLS AND THE
RAINFALL SHIFTS MORE INLAND.
 
 
A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS
IMMINENT.  MOST FLASH FLOOD DEATHS 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.  TO ESCAPE 'RISING WATER MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND.

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, Jul 2, 5:51 AM CDT, 5 hours 19 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
550 AM CDT SUN JUL 2 1989

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TODAY FOR WASHINGTON AND CLARK COUNTIES IN
   SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...

AT 545 AM CDT RADAR SHOWED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS MOVING INTO INTERIER
SOUTHWEST ALABAMA. THE MORE INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN THE COASTAL
WATERS OF MISSISSIPPI AND LOUISIANA MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT NEAR
25 MPH.

STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...GUSTY WINDS
AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. TRAVEL IN AREAS REVEIVING HEAVY RAINFALL WILL
BE HAZARDOUS.

BOATERS IN THE MISSISSIPPI COASTAL WATERS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR THESE
STORMS AND SEEK SAFE HARBOR IF THEY MOVE INTO YOUR AREA.
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 5:52 AM CDT, 5 hours 18 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
550 AM CDT SUN JUL 2 1989

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TODAY FOR WASHINGTON AND CLARK COUNTIES IN
   SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...

AT 545 AM CDT
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 8:01 AM CDT, 3 hours 9 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
800 AM CDT SUN JUL 2 1989

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TODAY FOR WASHINGTON AND CLARK COUNTIES IN
   SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...

AT 755 AM CDT RADAR SHOWED THE LEADING EDGE OF AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS
...SOME VERY STRONG...FROM NEAR MILERS FERRY ALABAMA TO MOBILE BAY AND
SOUTHWEST TO NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. THIS AREA EXTENDS
WEST THROUGH MUCH OF SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI INTO LOUISIANA. MOST OF THE
STRONGER STORMS WERE IN THE LEADING EDGE OF THE AREA WHICH WAS MOVING
TO THE EAST AT NEAR 15 MPH.

STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...GUSTY WINDS
AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. TRAVEL IN AREAS REVEIVING HEAVY RAINFALL WILL
BE HAZARDOUS.

BOATERS IN THE MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA COASTAL WATERS SHOULD SEEK SAFE
HARBOR UNTIL  THUNDERSTORMS MOVE THROUGH THE AREA.
Local storm report, Jul 2, 9:47 AM CDT, 1 hour 23 minutes before
ATTN SELS
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
945 AM CDT SUN JUL 2 1989

THE LONG BEACH MISSISSIPPI REPORTED THAT A WATERSPOUT MOVED ONSHORE
AND BRIEFLY BECAME A TORNADO AT WHITE HARBOeR ROAD AND US HIGHWAY 90
AT 940 AM.  NO DAMAGE REPORTED.

THE GULFPORT POLICE DEPARTMENT JUST REPORTED THAT LIGHTNING STRUCK
A CHURCH NEAR THE BEACH ON HIGHWAY 90 AND BLEW A HOLE IN THE ROOF.
Local storm report, Jul 2, 9:48 AM CDT, 1 hour 22 minutes before
ATTN SELS
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
945 AM CDT SUN JUL 2 1989

THE LONG BEACH MISSISSIPPI PD REPORTED THAT A WATERSPOUT MOVED ONSHORE
AND BRIEFLY BECAME A TORNADO AT WHIThE HARBOR ROAD AND US HIGHWAY 90
AT 940 AM.  NO DAMAGE REPORTED.

THE GULFPORT POLICE DEPARTMENT JUST REPORTED THAT LIGHTNING STRUCK
A CHURCH NEAR THE BEACH ON HIGHWAY 90 AND BLEW A HOLE IN THE ROOF.
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 10:29 AM CDT, 41 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
1030 AM CDT SUN JUL 2 1989

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TODAY FOR WASHINGTON AND CLARK COUNTIES IN
   SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...

AT 1020 AM CDT RADAR SHOWED A LARGE AREA OF RAIN WITH EMBEDDED
CLUSTERS AND A FEW SHORT LINES OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS COVERING MOST
OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA AND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL
WATERS.  THEY WERE MOVING TOWARD THE EAST NORTHEAST AT  20 MPH.

NO WARNINGS ARE CURRENTLY IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA BUT THEY COULD BE
ISSUED AT ANY TIME.

THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS...ESPECIALLY
ON THE MISSISSIPPI COAST.  THE HARRISON COUNTY CD OFFICE REPORTS THAT
SINCE 7 AM GULFPORT HAVE RECEIVED 3.94 INCHES AND BILOXI 5.22 INCHES
OF RAINFALL.  THE MAIN EFFECT HAS BEEN EXTENSIVE STREET FLOODING.  WITH
ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING TO THE WEST AND SOUTWEST...SOME
ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS MAY BE EXPECTED ALONG THE
MISSISSIPPI COAST.

ALTHOUGH NO FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED FROM WASHINGTON OR CLARKE
COUNTIES OF ALABAMA...MODERATE TO OCCASIONALLY HEAVY RAIN IS
CONTINUING TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA.

RESIDENTS OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA AND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI SHOULD
REMAIN ALERT FOR THE POSSIBLITY OF ADVERSE WEATHER FOR THE REMAINDER
OF TODAY.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Mobile, AL issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 2, 9:23 AM CDTTornado WarningMOBHarrison37 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Mississippi, 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.