Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 1989

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Mobile, AL

March 15, 1989Elmore County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this tornado warning at Mar 15, 1989, 9:59 PM CST for Elmore County, Alabama. It was in force for 61 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 15, 1989, 9:59 PM CST (03:59 UTC)
Expired
Mar 15, 1989, 11:00 PM CST
In force
61 min
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Elmore 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 15, 10:25 PM CSTThunderstorm Wind 0Elmore, 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

Centreville/Bibb, AL (KCKL), launched 00:00Z, 4.0 hours before the alert went out and 104 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, Centreville/Bibb, AL at 00:00Z on 1989-03-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 286 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, Centreville/Bibb, AL at 00:00Z on 1989-03-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 66 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
286 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-33 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1686 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
43 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
66 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
138 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMGM 160402
TORMGM
ALC051-160500-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
959 PM CST WED MAR 15 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MONTGOMERY HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1100 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTH ALABAMA
          ...ELMORE
 
AT 1000 PM CST MONTGOMERY WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO
IN EAST AUTAUGA COUNTY OVER PRATTVILLE MOVING INTO WESTERN ELMORE
COUNTY. THIS STORM HAS PRODUCED HAIL AND WIND DAMAGE. THE STORM WAS
MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.
 
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 AVAILVABLE...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.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 15, 8:32 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBDallas58 min
Mar 15, 8:53 PM CSTTornado WarningMOBAutauga, Dallas67 min
Mar 15, 10:14 PM CSTTornado WarningMOBMontgomery46 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.