Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1989

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 2, NWS Mobile, AL

February 21, 1989Houston County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Feb 21, 1989, 5:07 AM CST for Houston County, Alabama. It was in force for 38 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Feb 21, 1989, 5:07 AM CST (11:07 UTC)
Expired
Feb 21, 1989, 5:45 AM CST
In force
38 min
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Houston County, AL

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Feb 21, 5:20 AM CSTThunderstorm Wind 0Houston, AL

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Apalachicola Mun, FL (KAQQ), launched 00:00Z, 11.1 hours before the alert went out and 161 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 00:00Z on 1989-02-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 127 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 00:00Z on 1989-02-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 142 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
127 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-118 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
778 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
54 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
142 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
150 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 211110
SVRMGM
ALC069-211145-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
507 AM CST TUE FEB 21 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MONTGOMERY HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  545 AM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTH ALABAMA
          ...HOUSTON
 
AT 510 AM RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
DOTHAN MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
 
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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, Feb 21, 12:46 AM CST, 4 hours 21 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
1235 AM CST TUE FEB 21 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM CST AND INCLUDES THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA. ESCAMBIA...SANTA ROSA...
OKALOOSA...WALTON...BAY...WASHINGTON AND HOLMES...

AT 1230 AM CST...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY
WINDS WERE BETWEEN DOTHAN ALABAMA AND CRESTVIEW FLORIDA. SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS HAD INCREASED RAPIDLY IN COVERAGE DURING THE PAST HOUR
OVER SOUTHWEST ALABAMA AND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI. SCATTERED SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER THE COASTAL WATERS BETWEEN FT WALTON BEACH
FLORIDA AND BILOXI MISSISSIPPI OUT TO 75 MILES. MOVEME5NT WAS RAPIDLY
TO THE NORTHEAST.

ELSEWHERE...A SOLID LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS OVER SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI
AND SOUTHWEST ALABAMA. MOVEMENT WAS RAPIDLY SOUTHEAST.
Special weather statement, Feb 21, 1:19 AM CST, 3 hours 48 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
118 AM CST TUE FEB 21 1989

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 9 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 AM FOR ALL SOUTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI AND SOUTHWEST ALABAMA.

AT 100 AM MOBILE RADAR INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS
COVERING MUCH OF SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI AND SOUTHWEST ALABAMA.  THE
THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 50 MILES AN HOUR.  40 MPH
STRAIGHT LINE WINDS WERE REPORTED FRlOM THE STATE DOCKS AT MOBILE AND
39 MPH WINDS OCCURRED AT MOBILE AIRPORT DURING THE PAST HOUR.

REMEMBER TORNADOES SOMETIMES DEVELOPE WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING.
Special weather statement, Feb 21, 1:39 AM CST, 3 hours 28 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
135 AM CST TUE FEB 21 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM CST AND INCLUDES THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA. ESCAMBIA...SANTA ROSA...
OKALOOSA...WALTON...BAY...WASHINGTON AND HOLMES...

AT 130 AM CST...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY
WINDS WERE BETWEEN MOBILE AND EVERGREEN ALABAMA. NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...SOUTH ALABAMA AND
EXTREME NORTHWEST FLORIDA. SCATTERED THUNDERSHOWERS WERE OVER THE
COASTAL WATERS OF MISSISSIPPI AND EXTREME NORTHWEST FLORIDA.

MOVEMENTS WERE NORTHEAST AROUND 30 MPH.
Special weather statement, Feb 21, 2:44 AM CST, 2 hours 23 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
235 AM CST TUE FEB 21 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM CST AND INCLUDES THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA. ESCAMBIA...SANTA ROSA...
OKALOOSA...WALTON...BAY...WASHINGTON AND HOLMES...

AT 230 AM CST...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND
STRONG GUSTY WINDS WAS OVER SOUTH ALABAMA...EXTREME NORTHWEST FLORIDA
AND TH)E COASTAL WATERS OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA EXTENDING TO THE CHANDELEUR
ISLANDS LOUISIANA. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER NORTH-
WEST FLORIDA AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS.

MOVEMENTS WERE NORTHEAST AROUND 30 MPH.
Special weather statement, Feb 21, 3:43 AM CST, 1 hour 24 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
335 AM CST TUE FEB 21 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM CST AND INCLUDES THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA. ESCAMBIA...SANTA ROSA...
OKALOOSA...WALTON...BAY...WASHINGTON AND HOLMES...

AT 330 AM CST...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND
STRONG GUSTY WINDS WAS OVER SOUTH ALABAMA...EXTREME NORTHWEST FLORIDA
AND THE COASTAL WATERS OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA EXTENDING TO THE MOUTH OF
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LINE HAD REACHED
ANDALUSIA ALABAMA TO 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF PENSACOLA TO GULF SHORES
ALABAMA.

MOVEMENTS WERE NORTHEAST AROUND 40 MPH.
z
Special weather statement, Feb 21, 4:45 AM CST, 22 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
435 AM CST TUE FEB 21 1989

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM CST AND INCLUDES
ALL OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS...

AT 430 AM CST...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND
STRONG GUSTY WINDS WAS OVER SOUTH ALABAMA... NORTHWEST FLORIDA AND THE
ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS...SOUTHWEST ALABAMA AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS.
THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LINE HAD REACHED ENTERPRISE ALABAMA...CRESTVIEW
FLORIDA...PENSACOLA AND ORANGE BEACH ALABAMA.

MOVEMENTS WERE NORTHEAST AROUND 40 MPH.

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 1989Every severe thunderstorm 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.