Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1989

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 22, NWS Mobile, AL

March 21, 1989Mobile County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 21, 1989, 1:45 PM CST for Mobile County, Alabama. It was in force for 45 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
Mar 21, 1989, 1:45 PM CST (19:45 UTC)
Expired
Mar 21, 1989, 2:30 PM CST
In force
45 min
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Mobile 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
Mar 21, 2:20 PM CSTHail 1Mobile, 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

Slidell Radar S, LA (KSIL), launched 12:00Z, 7.8 hours before the alert went out and 152 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 12:00Z on 1989-03-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1473 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, Slidell Radar S, LA at 12:00Z on 1989-03-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 67 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
1473 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-29 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
696 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
67 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
93 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
2.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMOB 211948
SVRMOB
ALC097-212030-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
145 PM CST TUE MAR 21 1989

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOBILE HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  230 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...

IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA
          ...MOBILE

AT 145 PM CST THE MOBILE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 1 MILE
NORTH OF THE MOBILE AIRPORT. THE STORM WAS MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST 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

Local storm report, Mar 21, 10:30 AM CST, 3 hours 15 minutes before
ATTN SELS
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
1030 AM CST TUE MAR 21 1989

TIME      COUNTY/STATE        EVENT
445 AM    MOBILE/AL           DIME SIZE HAIL REPORTED BY GROCERY
              T                CONTACT NEAR SEMMES.
Special weather statement, Mar 21, 10:42 AM CST, 3 hours 3 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
1040 AM CST TUE MAR 21 1989

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED OVER THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND
SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...

A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE FROM JUST NORTH OF PENSACOLA TO
CRESTVIEW. ALSO A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS VICINITY OF MOBILE.
BOATERS AND RECREATIONIST SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THESE STORMS MAY EVENT-
UALLY MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE COAST.

THE HEAVIER STORMS WILL PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...
DEADLY LIGHTNING STRIKES...BRIEF TORENTIAL RAIN AND SMALL HAIL.

AT 1035 AM CST...RADAR ALSO SHOWED SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDER-
STORMS OVER EXTREME SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...SOUTHWEST ALABAMA` AND
THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AROUND 35 MPH.
Local storm report, Mar 21, 11:16 AM CST, 2 hours 29 minutes before
ATTN SELS
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
1115 AM CST TUE MAR 21 1989

TIME      COUNTY/STATE        EVENT
1054 AM   MOBILE/AL           3/4 INCH HAIL REPORTED BY PUBLIC AT HALLS
                              MILL CREEK IN TILLMAN'S CORNER. REPORT
                              TAKEN BY THE FAA FSS.
Special weather statement, Mar 21, 11:36 AM CST, 2 hours 9 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
1140 AM CST TUE MAR 21 1989

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED OVER THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND
SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...

AT 1135 AM CST...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE FROM VICINITY OF
MOBILE TO MILTON FLORIDA. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED STRONG THUNDER-
STORMS WERE OVER THE CENTRAL FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO TALLAHASSEE.

THE HEAVIER STORMS WILL PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS... DEADLY LIGHTNING
STRIKES...SMALL HAIL...TORENTIAL RAIN WITH SOME LOCAL FLOODING OF
STREETS AND LOW AREAS.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AROUND 35 MPH.
Special weather statement, Mar 21, 11:39 AM CST, 2 hours 6 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
1130 AM CST TUE MAR 21 1989

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING ISSUED AT 1045 AM CST FOR MOBILE
COUNTY HAS EXPIRED. THE THUNDERSTORMS OVER MOBILE COUNTY HAVE WEAKENED.

AT 1130 AM CST MOBILE RADAR INDICATED A 60 MILE WIDE BAND OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAIN FROM NEAR CRESTVIEW FLORIDA TO NEW ORLEANS
LOUISIANA. THE STORM WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 35 MPH.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED  OVER MOBILE AND BALDWIN
COUNTIES IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA.
Special weather statement, Mar 21, 1:27 PM CST, 18 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
130 PM CST TUE MAR 21 1989

AT 115 PM CST THE MOBILE RADAR IDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH
VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER WILMER ALABAMA. THE 9STORM IS MOVING TO THE EAST
AT 20 MPH. BLINDING RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL AND DEADLY
LIGHTNING WILL ACCOMPANY THIS STORM AS IT MOVES THROUGH MOBILE
COUNTY.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 20, 6:36 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBDallas69 min
Mar 20, 7:34 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBCoosa56 min
Mar 20, 7:34 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBAutauga56 min
Mar 20, 8:16 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBMontgomery59 min
Mar 20, 9:18 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBCovington57 min
Mar 21, 4:20 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBMobile40 min
Mar 21, 5:11 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBElmore64 min
Mar 21, 6:35 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBBarbour, Pike55 min
Mar 21, 7:37 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBBarbour68 min
Mar 21, 8:04 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBHenry, Houston56 min
Mar 21, 8:24 AM CSTTornado WarningMOBDale42 min
Mar 21, 9:15 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBHouston50 min
Mar 21, 10:48 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBMobile42 min

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.