Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 1989

Flash Flood Warning 5, NWS Mobile, AL

June 16, 1989Elmore County, Montgomery County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this flash flood warning at Jun 16, 1989, 8:08 AM CDT for Elmore County, Montgomery County, Alabama. It was in force for 2 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 16, 1989, 8:08 AM CDT (13:08 UTC)
Expired
Jun 16, 1989, 10:15 AM CDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Whole counties

Counties Elmore County, AL, Montgomery 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 12:00Z, 1.1 hours before the alert went out and 110 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, Centreville/Bibb, AL at 12:00Z on 1989-06-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 91 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Centreville/Bibb, AL at 12:00Z on 1989-06-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 14 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
91 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-104 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
884 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
66 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
14 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
41 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 KMGM 161313
FFWMGM
ALC051-101-161515-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
808 AM CDT FRI JUN 16 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MONTGOMERY HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1015 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN SOUTH ALABAMA
          ...ELMORE...MONTGOMERY
 
MONTGOMERY WEATHER RADAR...SATELLITE INFORMATION...AND RAINFALL TOTALS
SHOW THAT HEAVY RAINS CONTINUE OVER MONTGOMERY AND ELMORE COUNTIES.
SINCE MIDNIGHT MONTGOMERYS DANNELLYS DANNELLY FIELD RECEIVED ABOUT
2.25 INCHES OF RAIN. IT IS STILL RAINING HEAVILY IN THE TWO COUNTY
AREA. STREAMS...DRAINAGE DITHES AND STREETS ARE FLOODED AND ADDITIONAL
HEAVY RAIN WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING.
 
 
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 bTRY 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, Jun 16, 4:30 AM CDT, 3 hours 38 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.
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 5:28 AM CDT, 2 hours 40 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
530 AM CDT FRI JUN 16 1989

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

AT 530 AM CDT...A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN STRETCHED FROM
JUST EAST OF BREWTON TO WEST OF PENSACOLA AND CONTINUED 50 MILES INTO
THE GULF. THE LINE WAS STATIONARY WHILE THE INDIVIDUAL THUNDERSTORMS
WERE MOVING NORTHDEAST ALONG THE LINE AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

OTHER SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER SOUTH
ALABAMA...THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND THE GULF EXTENDING 150 MILES
SEAWARD.
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 6:01 AM CDT, 2 hours 7 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
545 AM CDT FRI JUN 16 1989

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND GUSTY WINDS
WAS MOVING THROUGH THE WEST PART OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE.
THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM AROUND THE PENSACOLA NAVAL AIR
STATION NORTHEAST ACROSS MILTON AND MUNSON AND INTO ALABAMA NEAR
ANDALUSIA. THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED SOUTHWEST INTO THE GULF
TO 125 MILES OFFSHORE.
THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING SLOWLY EAST...WITH THE INDIVIDUAL
THUNDERSTORMS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

THE THUNDERSTORMS DROPPED A LITTLE OVER AN INCH OF RAIN AT THE
PENSACOLA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE AS THEY MOVED ACROSS
THE AREA DURING THE PAST TWO HOURS. WINDS GUSTED TO AROUND 35 MILES
AN HOUR AS THE STORMS MOVED INTO SOUTHERN ESCAMBIA COUNTY.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE SOME STREET AND POOR DRAINAGE AREA
FLOODING FOR THE NEXT HOUR. MOTORIST SHOULD DRIVE{ WITH EXTRA CAUTION
AND AVOID AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING.
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 6:28 AM CDT, 1 hour 40 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
630 AM CDT FRI JUN 16 1989

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

AT 630 AM CDT...A BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN
STRETCHED FROM MONTGOMERY SOUTHWEST THROUGH PENSACOLA CONTINUING INTO
THE GULF TO THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. THIS BAND WAS MOVING
VERY SLOWLY EAST SO SOME LOCAL FLOODING IN URBAN AREAS IS LIKELY.

A FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS WERE OVER THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND GULF NEAR
APALACHICOLA AND PANAMA CITY.

MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 7:06 AM CDT, 1 hour 2 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
705 AM CDT FRI JUN 16 1989

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE EXTREME SOUTHEAST
PORTION OF BALDWIN COUNTY UNTIL 915 AM...

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MONROE...CONCUH
AND ESCAMBIA COUNTIES OF ALABAMA UNTIL 1000 AM.

THE GULF SHORES POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTED A FEW MINUTES AGO THAT
NUMEROUS ROADS ARE FLOODED AND BECOMING IMPASSABLE.   MOTORISTS SHOULD
NOT DRIVE IN THE FLOOD AREA UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSDAY.

WEATHER SERVICE RADARS INDICATE THAT THE BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS HAS MOVED
VERY LITTLE DURING THE PAST TWO HOURS.   STRONG WIND...DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY RAINFALL ARE STILL MOVING INTO BALDWIN COUNTY FROM
THE GULF.

RESIDENTS OF THE WATCH AND WARNING AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR THE
POSSIBILITY OF FLOODING AND SEVERE WEATHER THIS MORNING.
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 7:30 AM CDT, 38 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
730 AM CDT FRI JUN 16 1989

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

AT 730 AM CDT...A BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN
STRETCHED FROM MONTGOMERY SOUTHWEST THROUGH THE WEST PART OF THE
FLORIDA PANHANDLE CONTINUING ANOTHER 125 MILES INTO THE GULF. THE BAND
IS STATIONARY ALLOWING FOR FLOODING IN URBAN AREAS.

A FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS WERE OVER THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND GULF FROM
WASHINGTON COUNTY SOUTH 150 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, 5:15 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningMOBBaldwin4 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.