Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 1989

Flash Flood Warning 8, NWS Mobile, AL

June 16, 1989Covington County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this flash flood warning at Jun 16, 1989, 10:13 AM CDT for Covington County, Alabama. It was in force for 2 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 16, 1989, 10:13 AM CDT (15:13 UTC)
Expired
Jun 16, 1989, 12:15 PM CDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Covington 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, 3.2 hours before the alert went out and 197 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 161517
FFWMGM
ALC039-161715-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
1013 AM CDT FRI JUN 16 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MONTGOMERY HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1215 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTH ALABAMA
          ...COVINGTON
 
RADAR INFORMATION...SATELLITE DATA...AND REPORTS FROM WEATHER SPOTTERS
AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS INDICATE THAT FLASH FLOODING IS
LIKELY IN COVINGTON COUNTY. WEATHER RADAR SHOWS THAT HEAVY RAIN
IS MOVING OVER COVINGTON COUNTY OUT OF FLORIDA. SOME FLOODING HAS
BEEN REPORTED BY  LOCAL OFFICIALS AND THE WATER PROBLEMS IN THE AREA
ARE BECOMING SERIOUS.
 
 
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...EVE?N 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, 7:06 AM CDT, 3 hours 7 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 43 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 34 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, 1 hour 23 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.
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 9:45 AM CDT, 28 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
935 AM CDT FRI JUN 16 1989

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

AT 930 AM CDT...A LARGE CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS
WAS ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COASTAL WATERS OF BAY COUNTY FLORIDA.
OTHER THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS...WERE SCATTERED FROM
NORTHWEST OF PANAMA CITY TO SOUTHEAST OF APALACHICOLA AND EXTENDED
INLAND ACROSS WASHINGTON AND HOLMES COUNTIES AND INTO SOUTHEAST ALABAMA
...AND EXTENDED INTO THE GULF TO 80 MILES OFFSHORE.
THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR...AND WILL
CONTINUE TO MOVE INTO BAY AND GULF COUNTIES DURING THE HOUR.

ELSEWHERE...LARGE PATCHES OF RAIN MIXED WITH SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS
OVER THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND ADJOINING GULF...AND EXTENDED INTO
SOUTH ALABAMA.
THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABALE OF PRODUCING PERIODS OF VERY HEAVY RAINS
CAUSING FLOODING OF STREETS AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS...GUSTY WINDS
AROUND 45 MILES AN HOUR...POSSIBLE SMALL HAIL...AND FOR MARINE
INTERESTS THE ADDITIONAL ROUGH SEAS.
PERSONS SHOULD TAKE ANY NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS FOR THESE CONDITIONS.
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 10:09 AM CDT, 4 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
1010 AM CDT FRI JUN 16 1989

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR SOUTHEAST BALDWIN COUNTY UNTIL 1115 AM...

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR MONROE...CONECUH...AND ESCAMBIA
COUNTIES OF ALABAMA HAS EXPIRED.

AT 1000 AM CDT RADAR SHOWED A BAND OF RAIN AND RAINSHOWERS EAST OF A
GREENVILLE TO PENSACOLA LINE. THE LINE WAS MOVING TO THE EAST AT
15 MPH.

RAIN HAS ENDED OVER SOUTHEAST BALDWIN- COUNTY AND ANY FLOODING SHOULD END
BY 1115 AM THIS MORNING.

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, 9:43 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningMOBGeneva2 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.