Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 1989

Flash Flood Warning 7, NWS Mobile, AL

June 16, 1989Geneva County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this flash flood warning at Jun 16, 1989, 9:43 AM CDT for Geneva County, Alabama. It was in force for 2 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 16, 1989, 9:43 AM CDT (14:43 UTC)
Expired
Jun 16, 1989, 11:45 AM CDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Geneva 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

Apalachicola Mun, FL (KAQQ), launched 12:00Z, 2.7 hours before the alert went out and 172 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, Apalachicola Mun, FL at 12:00Z on 1989-06-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 97 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Apalachicola Mun, FL at 12:00Z on 1989-06-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 82 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
97 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-103 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1078 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
26 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
82 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
120 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMGM 161447
FFWMGM
ALC061-161645-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
943 AM CDT FRI JUN 16 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MONTGOMERY HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1145 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTH ALABAMA
          ...GENEVA
 
WEATHER RADAR....SATELLITE DATA...RAINFALL REPORTS AND OTHER
INFORMATION INDICATE THAT FLASH FLOODING IN GENEVA COUNTY IS OCCURRING
AT THE PRESENT TIME. REPORTS FROM THE AREA SHOW THAT SOME BRIDGES
HAVE BEEN WASHED OUT AND MANY ROADS ARE FLOODED. ADDITIONAL HEAVY
RAIN WILL OCCUR AS THUNDERSTORMS MOVE OUT OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA  INTO
GENEVA COUNTY.
 
 
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, Jun 16, 6:01 AM CDT, 3 hours 42 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, 3 hours 15 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, 2 hours 37 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, 2 hours 13 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.
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 8:39 AM CDT, 1 hour 4 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
840 AM CDT FRI JUN 16 1989

FOLLOWING ARE SOME RAINFALL REPORTS FOR THE PAST 24 HOURS FROM THE
FLORIDA STATE DIVISION OF FORESTRY LOCATED IN MUNSON ENDING AT 8AM...

AVALON BEACH     3.10
MUNSON           3.50
ALLENTOWN        6.40
PACE             3.50
CRESTVIEW        3.40
MOLINO           3.80
LAUREL HILL      2.00 (N. OKALOOSA CO.)
OAK GROVE        2.50 (N. ESCAMBIA CO.)

24 HOUR TOTALS AROUND THE AREA ENDING AT 700 AM...

PENSACOLA (AIRPORT)   3.69
PENSACOLA (NAS)       3.22
MILTON (NAVY)         4.14
EGLIN AFB             2.36
CRESTVIEW (AIRPORT)   2.73
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 8:50 AM CDT, 53 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
835 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 FOR NORTHWEST FLORIDA PANHANDLE TODAY...

AT 830 AM CDT...A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS AND GUSTY
WINDS EXTENDED FROM SOUTHEAST GENEVA COUNTY ALABAMA SOUTH ACROSS WALTON
COUNTY AND INTO THE GULF TO 100 MILES SOUTH OF FORT WALTON.
THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS SPREADING SLOWLY EAST.
ELSEWHERE...LARGE PATCHES OF RAIN MIXED WITH SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS
WERE OVER THE WEST PART OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE...SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST
ALABAMA...AND INTO THE ADJOINING GULF TO 125 MILES OFFSHORE.

THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABALE OF PRODUCING PERIODS OF VERY HEAVY RAINS
CAUSING FLOODING OF STREETS AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS...GUSTY WINDS
AROUND 40 MILES AN HOUR...POSSIBLE SMALL HAIL...AND FOR MARINE INTEREST
THE ADDITIONAL ROUGH SEAS.
PERSONS SHOULD TAKE ANY NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS FOR THESE CONDITIONS.

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, 8:08 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningMOBElmore, Montgomery2 hr
Jun 16, 9:20 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningMOBBaldwin115 min
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.