Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 1989

Tornado Warning 24, NWS Mobile, AL

July 4, 1989Baldwin County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this tornado warning at Jul 4, 1989, 12:57 PM CDT for Baldwin County, Alabama. It was in force for 33 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 4, 1989, 12:57 PM CDT (17:57 UTC)
Expired
Jul 4, 1989, 1:30 PM CDT
In force
33 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, 6.0 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 1989-07-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1688 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°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 1989-07-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 53 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
1688 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-4 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
559 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
53 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
101 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMOB 041758
TORMOB
ALC003-041830-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
1257 PM CDT TUE JUL 4 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOBILE HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  130 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA
          ...SOUTHEASTERN BALDWIN
 
AT 1250 PM THE GULF SHORES POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD
NEAR THE GULF STATE PARK MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST. THE BALDWIN COUNTY
911 SYSTEM REPORTED THE FUNNEL CLOUD HAD BECOME A TORNADO AND WAS
STILL MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST.
 
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION.  ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROU}ND IF
AVAILABLE.  OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR POSSIBLE.  AVOID WINDOWS.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES
FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.

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, Jul 4, 9:33 AM CDT, 3 hours 24 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
930 AM CDT TUE JUL 4 1989

...RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS NORTHWEST FLORIDA...

AT 930 AM CDT...CLUSTERS OF THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG AND OFF THE COAST
FROM LOUISIANA EAST OF NEW ORLEANS EAST TO NEAR PANAMA CITY FLORIDA.
THESE STORMS EXTENDED INLAND SOME 50 TO 75 MILES INLAND. THEY WERE
MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AND NORTHEAST NEAR 15 MILES AN HOUR.

BRIEF PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS
...AND FOR BOATERS THE ROUGH SEAS...MAY ACCOMPANY THE PASSAGE OF THESE
STORMS. IF A THUNDERSTORM IS APPROACHING YOU...PERSONS OUTDOORS SHOULD
MOVE INDOORS AND SWIMMERS SHOULD GET OUT OF TUHE WATER. REMEMBER...
LIGHTNING IS THE BIGGEST WEATHER RELATED KILLER.
Local storm report, Jul 4, 9:54 AM CDT, 3 hours 3 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
945 AM CDT TUE JUL 4 1989

...DELAYED STORM REPORT...

A WATERSPOUT FLIPPED OVER A 30 FOOT PONTOON TYPE HOUSEBOAT. IN ESCAMBIA
BAY ON MONDAY JULY 3 1989 AROUND 11 AM.  ESCAMBIA BAY BORDERS SANTA
ROSA COUNTY OF FLORIDA. A TORNADO WARNING WAS IN EFFECT FROM 11 TILL
NOON FOR SOUTHERN SANTA ROSA COUNTY. A MAN WAS THROWN THROUGH THE BOAT
WINDSHIELD. WIFE AND CHILD ALSO SUFFERED CUTS AND BRUISErS AND ALL SWAM
TO SAFETY.
Special weather statement, Jul 4, 10:14 AM CDT, 2 hours 43 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
1015 AM CDT TUE JUL 4 1989

...THUNDERSHOWERS THREATEN JULY 4TH PICNICS ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI AND
   ALABAMA GULF COAST...

AT 1000 AM CDT A LARGE AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN COVERED
MOST OF THE ALABAMA MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL
PERSIST THROUGH MOST OF THE DAY...BUT WILL DEMINISH BY EARLY EVENING.

THOSE PEOPLE PLANING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES TODAY SHOULD BE READY TO TAKE
QUICK SHELTER FROM LIGHTNING AND HEAVY RAINS. REMEMBER LIGHTNING KILLS
MORE PEOPLE EACH YEAR THAN TORNADOS OR HURRICANES. IF YOU PLAN A BOATING
TRIP DO NOT VENTURE FAR FROM SAFE HARBOUR.

THIS IS THE 5TH RAINY 4TH OF JULY THIS DECADE IN MOBILE.
Special weather statement, Jul 4, 10:32 AM CDT, 2 hours 25 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
1030 AM CDT TUE JUL 4 1989

...RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER NORTHWEST FLORIDA...

AT 1030 AM CDT...CLUSTERS OF THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG AND OFF THE COAST
FROM MISSISSIPPI EAST TO THE APALACHICOLA RIVER IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA.
THESE STORMS EXTENDED INLAND SOME 50 TO 75 MILES INLAND. THEY WERE
MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AND NORTHEAST NEAR 15 MILES AN HOUR.

BRIEF PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS
...AND FOR BOATERS THE ROUGH SEAS...MAY ACCOMPANY THE PASSAGE OF THESE
STORMS. IF A THUNDERSTORM IS APPROACHING YOU...PERSONS OUTDOORS SHOULD
MOVE INDOORS AND SWIMMERS SHOULD GET OUT OF THE WATER. REMEMBER...
LIGHTNING IS THE BIGGEST WEATHER RELATED KILLER.
Special weather statement, Jul 4, 11:30 AM CDT, 1 hour 27 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
1130 AM CDT TUE JUL 4 1989

...RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE MOVING ACROSS NORTHWEST FLORIDA...

AT 1130 AM CDT...CLUSTERS OF THUNDERSTORMS COVERED THE SOUTHEAST
PORTIONS OF LOUISIANA AND MISSISSIPPI...SOUTH ALABAMA...NORTHWEST
FLORIDA...AND THE ADJACENT GULF OF MEXICO. THEY WERE MOVING BETWEEN
EAST AND NORTHEAST NEAR 15 MILES AN HOUR.

BRIEF PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS
...AND FOR BOATERS THE ROUGH SEAS...MAY ACCOMPANY THE PASSAGE OF THESE
STORMS. IF A THUNDERSTORM IS APPROACHING YOU...PERSONS OUTDOORS SHOULD
MOVE INDOORS AND SWIMMERS SHOULD GET OUT OF THE WATER. REMEMBER...
LIGHTNING IS THE BIGGEST WEATHER RELATED KILLER.
Special weather statement, Jul 4, 12:31 PM CDT, 26 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
1230 PM CDT TUE JUL 4 1989

AT 1215 PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN CONTINUED OVER SOUTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI AND SOUTHWEST ALABAMA. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE IN A 30
MILE WIDE BAND FROM NEAR CAMDEN ALABAMA SOUTH THROUGH MONROE...CLARKE
...AND BALDWIN COUNTIES INTO THE GULF.

THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND GUSTY
WINDS AS THEY MOVE EAST AT 20 MPH.  REMEMBER LIGHTNING KILLS MORE PEOPLE
EACH YEAR THAN TORNADOS OR HURRICANES.

SHOWER ACTIVITY OVER SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI HAD DIMINISHED SOME BUT
SCATTERED SHOWERS CONTINUED TO DEVELOPE SOUTH OF A WAYNESBORO
HATTTIEBURG LINE AND MOVE TO THE EASTO AT 20 MPH.

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.