Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1989
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 59, NWS Mobile, AL
NWS Mobile, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 19, 1989, 12:11 AM CDT for Mobile County, Alabama. It was in force for 49 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
- May 19, 1989, 12:11 AM CDT (05:11 UTC)
- Expired
- May 19, 1989, 1:00 AM CDT
- In force
- 49 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 19, 12:30 AM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Mobile, 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 00:00Z, 5.2 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 2170 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -4 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 650 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 48 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 255 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 369 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 3.5
- Supercell composite
- 19.6
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KMOB 190512
SVRMOB
ALC097-190600-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
1211 AM CDT FRI MAY 19 1989
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOBILE HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 100 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA
...NORTHERN MOBILE
AT 1210 AM CDT MOBILE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR BIG
CREEK LAKE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH TOWARDS
SEMMES...CHICKASAW...SARALAND...AND SATSUMA.
WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A
STRONG BUILDING. DO NOT STAND BY WINDOWS. DON'T USE TELEPHONES
OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNLESS IN AN EMERGE\NCY UNTIL THE STORM
HAS PASSED. MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT DRIVE INTO LOW WATER CROSSINGS.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, May 18, 7:16 PM CDT, 4 hours 55 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL 720 PM CDT THU MAY 18 1989 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL COUNTIES IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA AND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI UNTIL 10PM CDT.. ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR PEARL-RIVER COUNTY EXPIRED AT 715PM... WEATHER SERVICE RADARS AT 715 PM SHOWED A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME STRONG...FROM JUST WEST OF HATTIESBURG IN FORREST COUNTY TO NEAR POPLARVILLE IN PEARL-RIVER COUNTY MISSISSIPPI. THE THUNDERSTORM THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING FOR PEARL-RIVER COUNTY TURNED NORTH INTO MARION COUNTY. MOST OF THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TO THE NORTH-NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH WHILE THE AREA IS SLOWLY DRIFTING SOUTHEAST. IN ADDI#TION TO POSSIBLE SEVERE WEATHER...THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS CONTAINS SOME SUBSTANTIAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS. HEAVY RAINFALL MAY CAUSE FLOODING OF STREETS AND ROADS AND MOTORISTS SHOULD USE CAUTION.
Special weather statement, May 18, 8:50 PM CDT, 3 hours 21 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL 850 PM CDT THU MAY 18 1989 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL COUNTIES IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA AND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI UNTIL 10PM CDT.. ...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL MOVING INTO SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI... THE MOBILE RADAR AT 840 PM INDICATED THAT THE BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS HAD WEAKENED DURING THE PAST HOUR. THE AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS AND RAIN CONTINUED TO SLOWLY DRIFT EAST WITH THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. IT APPEARS THAT PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI WILL RECEIVE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF RAINFALL TONIGHT. DATA FROM RADAR AND SATELLITE INDICATE THAT MORE THAN ONE INCH OF RAIN HAS FALLEN IN LAMAR AND FORREST COUNTIES OF MISSISSIPPI DURING THE PAST TWO HOURS WITH MUCH LARGER AMOUNTS TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. MOISTURE FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO IS FLOWING NORTHWARD ACROSS LOUSIANA AND FEEDING THE STORM SYSTEM. RESIDENTS OF SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI AND SOUTHWEST ALABAMA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER UNTIL 10 PM. RESIDENTS IN LAMAR...FORREST...PEARL-RIVER AND HANCOCK COUNTIES OF SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI SHOULD EXPECT SOME HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS BEFORE DAYBREAK FRIDAY. STREAMS WILL RISE TO NEAR BANKFULL AND ROADS AND STREETS WILL FLOOD IN SOME AREAS. IF THE HEAVY RAINFALL PERSISTS...FLOOD WARNINGS MAY BE REQUIRED.
Special weather statement, May 18, 10:04 PM CDT, 2 hours 7 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL 1005 PM CDT THU MAY 18 1989 ...THE TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI AND SOUTHWEST ALABAMA HAS EXPIRED... ...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL CONTINUES OVER SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI... MOBILE RADAR AT 1000 PM INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF RAIN WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS FROM SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA EXTENDING NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI AND WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA. THE ENTIRE AREA MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH WHILE THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL WILL OCCURR ACROSS LAMAR...FORREST...PEARL RIVER... PERRY AND HANCOCK COUNTIES OF SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI DURING THE NEXT TWO HOURS. SATELLITE DATA ESTIMATED THAT LAMAR COUNTY RECIEVED NEARLY 3 INCHES OF RAINFALL BETWEEN 7 AND 9 PM. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OF 1 TO 2 INCHES IS LIKELY ACROSS LAMAR AND FORREST COUNTIES BEFORE MIDNIGHT. RESIDENTS IN THESE COUNTIES SHOULD BE ON THE WATCH FOR FLOODED STREETS AND RAPIDLY RISING CREEKS AND RIVERS FOR THE REMAINDER OF TONIGHT.
Special weather statement, May 18, 11:10 PM CDT, 1 hour 1 minute before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL 1110 PM CDT THU MAY 18 1989 ...LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS REDEVELOPING ACROSS SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI... MOBILE RADAR AT 1105 PM INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL FROM MCLAIN TO GULFPORT MISSISIPPI. A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS ALSO INDICATED JUST NORTH OF PASCAGOULA MISSISSIPPI. THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH AND SHOULD REACH THE ALABAMA- MISSISSIPPI STATE LINE AROUND MIDNIGHT. THE STORMS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE INTENSE RAINFALL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS... DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL AS THEY MOVE ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI AND INTO SOUTHWEST ALABAMA.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Mobile, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 19, 2:33 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MOB | Baldwin | 12 min |
| May 19, 3:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MOB | Washington | 47 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.