Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 1989

Tornado Warning 14, NWS Mobile, AL

June 8, 1989Baldwin County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this tornado warning at Jun 8, 1989, 11:09 AM CDT for Baldwin County, Alabama. It was in force for 36 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 8, 1989, 11:09 AM CDT (16:09 UTC)
Expired
Jun 8, 1989, 11:45 AM CDT
In force
36 min
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Baldwin 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

Slidell Radar S, LA (KSIL), launched 12:00Z, 4.2 hours before the alert went out and 192 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 1989-06-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2984 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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 1989-06-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 217 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
2984 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
522 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
217 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
324 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
4.9
Supercell composite
26.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMOB 081610
TORMOB
ALC003-081645-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
1109 AM CDT THU JUN 8 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOBILE HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1145 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA
          ...SOUTHERN BALDWIN
 
AT 1106 AM THE MOBILE RADAR INDICATED WATERSPOUTS JUST OFFSHORE THE
CENTRAL FORT MORGAN PENINSULA. THEY WERE MOVING TOWARD THE
EAST NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH AND WILL MOVE ONSHORE NEAR THE LITTLE LAGOON
WEST OF GULF SHORES.
 
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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 8, 5:27 AM CDT, 5 hours 42 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
525 AM CDT THU JUN 8 1989

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CDT FOR THE
SOUTH PORTIONS OF ESCAMBIA AND SANTA ROSA COUNTIES OF FLORIDA...

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM CDT THIS THURSDAY MORNING
FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH ALABAMA...NORTHWEST FLORIDA...AND THE ADJACENT
COASTAL WATERS. THE WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN NORTHWEST
FLORIDA. ESCAMBIA...SANTA ROSA...OKALOOSA...WALTON...BAY...WASHINGTON
...AND HOLMES...

AT 530 AM CDT...A SOLID LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHED FROM NORTH
ESCAMBIA COUNTY OF FLORIDA SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST TO GULF SHORES ALABAMA.
THIS LINE WAS MOVING RAPIDLY EAST. THE LINE WAS PART OF AN EXTENSIVE
RAIN AREA THAT COVERED MOST OF THE NORTH CENTRAL GULF COAST AND THE
ADJACENT GULF OF MEXICO. THE RAIN AREA WAS SPREADING NORTHEAST AND EAST
OVER THE REMAINDER OF SOUTH ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA.
Special weather statement, Jun 8, 7:30 AM CDT, 3 hours 39 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
730 AM CDT THU JUN 8 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM CDT THIS FOR PORTIONS OF
SOUTH ALABAMA...NORTHWEST FLORIDA...AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS.
THE WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA.
ESCAMBIA...SANTA ROSA...OKALOOSA...WALTON...BAY...WASHINGTON...AND
HOLMES.

AT 730 SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE PART OF AN EXTENSIVE RAIN SYSTEM
WHICH BLANKETED MUCH OF THE NORTH CENTRAL GULF COAST STATES AND THE
ADJACENT GULF OF MEXICO. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND FREQUENT
LIGHTNING.
 COVERED MUCH OF THE NORTH CENTRAL GULF STATES AND ADJACENT WATERS.
THE AREA WAS SPREADING NORTHEAST AND EAST ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF
SOUTH ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA.
Special weather statement, Jun 8, 7:35 AM CDT, 3 hours 34 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
730 AM CDT THU JUN 8 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM CDT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH
ALABAMA...NORTHWEST FLORIDA...AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. THE
WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA. ESCAMBIA...
SANTA ROSA...OKALOOSA...WALTON...BAY...WASHINGTON...AND HOLMES.

AT 730 AM CDT...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE PART OF AN EXTENSIVE RAIN
AREA WHICH BLANKETED MUCH OF THE NORTH CENTRAL GULF COAST STATES AND
THE ADJACENT GULF OF MEXICO. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND FREQUENT
LIGHTNING.
Special weather statement, Jun 8, 8:52 AM CDT, 2 hours 17 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
840 AM CDT THU JUN 8 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 PM CDT FOR BALDWIN AND MOBILE
COUTIES ALABAMA AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS.

AT 830 AM CDT...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE PART OF AN EXTENSIVE RAIN
AREA WHICH COVERS MUCH OF EXTREME SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...SOUTH ALABAMA
...THE WEST 2/3 OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND ADJACENT COSATAL WATERS.

SOME OF THE HEAVIER STORMS WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WITH SOME
STREET FLOODING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING.
Special weather statement, Jun 8, 9:15 AM CDT, 1 hour 54 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND MARINE STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
915 AM CDT THU JUN 8 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI AND
   SOUTHWEST ALABAMA AND THE MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA COASTAL
   WATERS UNTIL 2 PM CDT...

AT 910 PM THE MOBILE RADAR INDICATED NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS COVERING ALL OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA.  THUNDERSTORMS
WERE MORE SCATTERED OVER SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI.  ALL THE STORMS
WERE MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

FURTHER TO THE WEST...OVER LOUISIANA AND SOUTH MISSISSIPPI...A VERY
INTENSE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM JUST EAST OF MCCOMB MISSISSIPPI
TO THE COAST EAST OF LAKE CHARLES WAS MOVING TOWARD TH;E EAST.
SEVERAL TORNADOES HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THIS LINE.

RESIDENTS OF SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI AND SOUTHWEST ALABAMA SHOULD
REMAIN ALERT FOR THE POSSIBLITY OF SEVERE WEATHER TODAY.
Local storm report, Jun 8, 10:56 AM CDT, 13 minutes before
ATTN SELS
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
1055 AM CDT THU JUN 8 1989

TIME      CO/STATE         EVENT
951AM     BALDWIN/AL       TORNADO REPORTED AT BEAR POINT IN ORANGE
                           BEACH WITH PROPERTY DAMAGE.  REPORTED BY
                           GULF SHORES PD.

955AM     BALDWIN/AL       TORNADO REPORTED AT LILLIAN.  MOBILE HOME
                           UNROOFED...OTHER PROPERTY DAMAGE.
                           UNCONFIRMED REPORT OF INJURIES.  BALDWIN
                           EMA IS ENROUTE TO THE SCENE.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 7, 8:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBHouston66 min
Jun 8, 9:46 AM CDTTornado WarningMOBBaldwin29 min
Jun 8, 10:17 AM CDTTornado WarningMOBBaldwin28 min
Jun 8, 10:41 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBMobile49 min
Jun 8, 1:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBMobile49 min
Jun 8, 1:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBBaldwin47 min
Jun 8, 2:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBEscambia44 min
Jun 8, 2:30 PM CDTTornado WarningMOBBaldwin45 min
Jun 8, 3:41 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningMOBMobile4 hr
Jun 8, 4:48 PM CDTTornado WarningMOBBaldwin27 min
Jun 8, 6:45 PM CDTTornado WarningMOBBaldwin45 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 1989Every tornado warning in 1989Tornadoes 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.