Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 1989

Flash Flood Warning 4, NWS Mobile, AL

June 16, 1989Baldwin County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this flash flood warning at Jun 16, 1989, 5:15 AM CDT for Baldwin County, Alabama. It was in force for 4 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 16, 1989, 5:15 AM CDT (10:15 UTC)
Expired
Jun 16, 1989, 9:15 AM CDT
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Baldwin 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

Slidell Radar S, LA (KSIL), launched 00:00Z, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 192 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 00:00Z on 1989-06-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Slidell Radar S, LA at 00:00Z on 1989-06-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -24 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1285 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-24 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
57 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 161015
FFWMOB
ALC003-161415-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
515 AM CDT FRI JUN 16 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOBILE HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  915 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA
          ...SOUTHEASTERN BALDWIN
 
A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN PORTION OF
BALDWIN COUNTY ALABAMA...SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM SEMINOLE TO FOLEY...
UNTIL 915 AM CDT.
 
 AT 505 AM THE GULF SHORES POLICE DEPARTMET REPORTED EXTENSIVE STREET
FLOODING IN AND AROUND THAT CITY.  STREETS AND ROADS THAT DON'T
NORMALLY FLOOD ARE NOW UNDER WATER.  HIGHWAY 182 TOWARD ORANGE BEACH
IS ALSO M
OSTLY UNDER WATER.
 
THE HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE FOR A COUPLE MORE HOURS IN THIS AREA
AND WATER IS LIKELY TO RISE INTO SOME HOMES AND BUSINESSES.
 
 
 
 
MOST DEATHS IN FLASH FLOODING OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES.  DO NOT
AT9TEMPT 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 16, 1:28 AM CDT, 3 hours 47 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
130 AM CDT FRI JUN 16 1989

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT...

AT 130 AM CDT...A LARGE PATCH OF LIGHT RAIN MIXED WITH A SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS SPREAD FROM MONTGOMERY SOUTH ACROSS SOUTH ALABAMA...THE
FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND CONTINUED INTO THE GULF 150 MILES SOUTH OF THE
COAST.

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER NORTHWEST FLORIDA AND
SOUTHEAST ALABAMA FROM PANAMA CITY NORTH TO DOTHAN.

MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 2:28 AM CDT, 2 hours 47 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
230 AM CDT FRI JUN 16 1989

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT...

AT 230 AM CDT...PATCHES OF RAIN...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SPREAD
OVER SOUTH ALABAMA...THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND CONTINUED INTO THE GULF
150 MILES SOUTH OF PENSACOLA. THE HEAVIER RAIN WAS OVER THE GULF JUST
SOUTH OF PENSACOLA...OVER CENTRAL BALDWIN COUNTY ALABAMA AND OVER THE
GULF 25 TO 50 MILES SOUTHOWEST OF PANAMA CITY.

MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 3:30 AM CDT, 1 hour 45 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
330 AM CDT FRI JUN 16 1989

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND
ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS UNTIL 1000 AM CDT...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT...

AT 330 AM CDT...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN...WERE
OVER THE EXTREME WEST PART OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE FROM NORTH SANTA
ROSA COUNTY SOUTHWEST THROUGH PENSACOLA AND CONTINUED ANOTHER 100 MILES
SOUTHWEST INTO THE GULF.

ANOTHER LARGE PATCH OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS OVER PANAMA CITY AND THE
ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS EXTENDING SEAWARD 40 MILES.

MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 3:52 AM CDT, 1 hour 23 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
350 AM CDT FRI JUN 16 1989

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND
ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS UNTIL 1000 AM CDT...

AT 330 AM CDT...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN...WERE
OVER THE EXTREME WEST PART OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE FROM NORTH SANTA
ROSA COUNTY SOUTHWEST THROUGH PENSACOLA AND CONTINUED ANOTHER 100 MILES
SOUTHWEST INTO THE GULF.

ANOTHER LARGE PATCH OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS OVER PANAMA CITY AND THE
ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS EXTENDING SEAWARD 40 MILES.

MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 4:00 AM CDT, 1 hour 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
400 AM CDT FRI JUN 16 1989

 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ALABAMA COUNTIES
OF ESCAMBIA...MONROE AND CONECUH UNTIL 1000 AM...

THE MOBILE RADAR AT 355 AM SHOWED A BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
FROM NORTHERN CONECUH COUNTY SOUTHWESTWARD ACROSS CENTRAL ESCAMBIA
COUNTY AND THEN ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN BALDWIN COUNTY AND ON INTO THE
GULF OF MEXICO.  THE BAND WAS MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT 15 MPH WHILE
THE INDIVIDUAL THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST ALONG IT AT 30 MPH.
STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS...MOSTLY MODERATE...WERE MOVING ACROSS THE
SOUTHEASTERN THIRD OF BALDWIN COUNTY.

THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL CONTINUE IN ESCAMBIA...MONROE AND
CONECUH COUNTIES OF ALABAMA UNTIL 1000 AM.  IN ADDITION...SOME BRIEF
HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ACCOMPANY THE THUNDERSTORMS.
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 4:30 AM CDT, 45 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
430 AM CDT FRI JUN 16 1989

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND
ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS UNTIL 1000 AM CDT...

AT 430 AM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WERE OVER SOUTHWEST
ESCAMBIA COUNTY FLORIDA AND SOUTHEAST BALDWIN COUNTY ALABAMA. THIS
WAS PART OF A LARGE BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WHICH STRETCHED
FROM NEAR MONTGOMERY SOUTHWEST TO THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

OTHER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER THE REST OF THE FLORIDA
PANHANDLE...SOUTH ALABAMA AND THE GULF EXTENDING 125 MILES SEAWARD.

MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 16, 8:08 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningMOBElmore, Montgomery2 hr
Jun 16, 9:20 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningMOBBaldwin115 min
Jun 16, 9:43 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningMOBGeneva2 hr
Jun 16, 10:13 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningMOBCovington2 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.