Alert archive / Florida / Flash Flood Warnings in 1989

Flash Flood Warning 7, NWS Tallahassee, FL

November 8, 1989Holmes County, Florida

NWS Tallahassee, FL issued this flash flood warning at Nov 8, 1989, 3:43 PM CST for Holmes County, Florida. It was in force for 4 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Nov 8, 1989, 3:43 PM CST (21:43 UTC)
Expired
Nov 8, 1989, 7:45 PM CST
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Tallahassee, FL
Area
Whole counties

County Holmes County, FL

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

Eglin AFB/Valpar, FL (KVPS), launched 12:00Z, 9.7 hours before the alert went out and 79 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, Eglin AFB/Valpar, FL at 12:00Z on 1989-11-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1293 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, Eglin AFB/Valpar, FL at 12:00Z on 1989-11-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 237 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
1293 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-5 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
629 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
54 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
237 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
278 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.2
Supercell composite
13.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KPNS 082142
FFWPNS
FLC059-090145-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
343 PM CST WED NOV 8 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PENSACOLA HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  745 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA
          ...HOLMES
 
TORENTIAL RAINS OF UP TO 13 INCHES HAS OCCURRED IN HOLMES COUNTY
FLORIDA SINCE 4 AM. NUMEROUS REPORTS OF WASHED OUT ROADS...CREEKS
AND DITCHES OVER FLOWING THEIR BANKS. MORE RAIN IS FORECAST FOR THE
HOLMES COUNTY AREA...UP TO 2 MORE INCHES COULD FALL BY 7 PM TONIGHT.
 
SOME ROADS THAT ARE REPORTED WASHED OUT ARE: HWY 163 NORTH OF COM-
MANDER'S EXIT IN NORTHWEST PART OF THE COUNTY. THE NEW ESTO-NOMA COUNTYROAD. C81A AND C10A IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY.
 
 
A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS
IMMINENT.  MOST FLASH FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES.  DO NOT
ATTEMPT TO CROSS BRIDGES...DIPS...OR LOW SPOTS IF WATER COVERS
THE ROADWAY.  NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...EVEN A SMALL
ONE...ON FOOT.  TO ESCAPE RISING WATER MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood 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, Nov 8, 1:35 PM CST, 2 hours 8 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE APALACHICOLA FL
235 PM EST WED NOV 8 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM EST FOR A LARGE
PART OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE...THIS INCLUDES GULF COUNTY BUT NOT
FRANKLIN COUNTY.

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF THE
FLORIDA PANHANDLE... THIS WATCH DOES NOT INCLUDE FRANKLIN OR GULF
COUNTIES.

AT 225 PM EST...WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY
RAIN WERE IN A LARGE AREA OF RAIN THAT COVERED MOST OF THE WEST
TWO THIRDS OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE...SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...AND
SOUTHWEST GEORGIA.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS IN THIS AREA WERE ALONG THE COAST FROM
NEAR PENSACOLA TO FORT WALTON BEACH.~..AT THE EAST END OF
CHOCTAWHATCHEE BAY...AND IN WEST JACKSON COUNTY NEAR GRACEVILLE.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Nov 8, 2:19 PM CST, 1 hour 24 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
320 PM EST WED NOV 8 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTH FLORIDA COUNTIES OF
CALHOUN..JACKSON..GADSDEN..LEON..LIBERTY AND WAKULLA INCLUDING THE
ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. ALSO THE SOUTHWEST GEORGIA COUNTIES OF
SEMINOLE..DECATUR AND GRADY UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING...

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR JACKSON AND CALHOUN COUNTIES
OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA...

AT 310 PM EST RADAR INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF MOSTLY LIGHT RAIN
COVERING MUCH OF SOUTHWEST GEORGIA AND SOUTHEAST ALABAMA AND THE
FLORIDA PANHANDLE. A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM DECATUR
COUNTY GEORGIA SOUTHWEST TO NEAR THE PANAMA CITY AREA. THIS AREA OF
RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 25 MPH.

PERSONS IN THE VICINITY OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS CAN EXPECT VERY HEAVY
RAINFALL..STRONG GUSTY WIND..FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY SOME
HAIL AS THEY MOVE THROUGH THE AREA.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA FOR FURTHER
STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Nov 8, 2:30 PM CST, 1 hour 13 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE APALACHICOLA FL
335 PM EST WED NOV 8 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM EST FOR A LARGE
PART OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE...THIS INCLUDES GULF COUNTY BUT NOT
FRANKLIN COUNTY.

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF THE
FLORIDA PANHANDLE... THIS WATCH DOES NOT INCLUDE FRANKLIN OR GULF
COUNTIES.

AT 325 PM EST...WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY
RAIN WERE IN A WIDESPREAD AREA OF RAIN THAT COVERED MOST OF THE
FLORIDA PANHANDLE...SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...AND SOUTHWEST GEROGIA.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS IN THIS AREA WERE BETWEEN PENSACOLA
AND FORT WALTON BEACH.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Nov 8, 3:10 PM CST, 33 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
410 PM EST WED NOV 8 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTH FLORIDA COUNTIES OF
CALHOUN..JACKSON..GADSDEN..LEON..LIBERTY AND WAKULLA INCLUDING THE
ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. ALSO THE SOUTHWEST GEORGIA COUNTIES OF
SEMINOLE..DECATUR AND GRADY UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING...

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR JACKSON AND CALHOUN COUNTIES
OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA...

AT 405 PM EST RADAR INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF MOSTLY LIGHT RAIN WITH
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS COVERING MUCH OF SOUTHWEST GEORGIA AND
SOUTHEAST ALABAMA AND THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE. THE STRONGEST
THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM WESTERN GRADY COUNTY IN GEORGIA TO NEAR
PANAMA CITY FLORIDA AND ALSO TO NEAR FORT WALTON BEACH. THIS AREA OF
RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 25 MPH.

PERSONS IN THE VICINITY OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS CAN EXPECT VERY HEAVY
RAINFALL..STRONG GUSTY WIND..FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY SOME
HAIL AS THEY MOVE THROUGH THE AREA.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA FOR FURTHER
STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Nov 8, 3:32 PM CST, 11 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE APALACHICOLA FL
435 PM EST WED NOV 8 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM EST FOR A LARGE
PART OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE...THIS INCLUDES GULF COUNTY BUT NOT
FRANKLIN COUNTY.

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF THE
FLORIDA PANHANDLE... THIS WATCH DOES NOT INCLUDE FRANKLIN OR GULF
COUNTIES.

AT 426 PM EST...WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY
RAIN WERE IN A WIDESPREAD AREA OF RAIN THAT COVERED MOST OF THE
FLORIDA PANHANDLE...SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...AND SOUTHWEST GEROGIA.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS IN THIS AREA WERE BETWEEN FORT WALTON
BEACH TO JUST WEST OF BLOUNTSTOWN.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Nov 8, 3:33 PM CST, 10 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
430 PM EST WED NOV 8 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTH FLORIDA COUNTIES OF
CALHOUN..JACKSON..GADSDEN..LEON..LIBERTY AND WAKULLA INCLUDING THE
ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. ALSO THE SOUTHWEST GEORGIA COUNTIES OF
SEMINOLE..DECATUR AND GRADY UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING...

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR JACKSON AND CALHOUN COUNTIES
OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA..AND ALSO FOR SEMINOLE..DECATUR AND GRADY
COUNTIES OF SOUTHWEST GEORGIA...

HEAVY RAINS OF MORE THAN 7 INCHES HAVE OCCURRED TODAY OVER PARTS OF
SOUTHEAST ALABAMA AND MORE THAN 3 INCHES IN THE COLUMBUS GEORGIA
AREA.

AT 425 PM EST RADAR INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF MOSTLY LIGHT RAIN WITH
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS COVERING MUCH OF SOUTHWEST GEORGIA AND
SOUTHEAST ALABAMA AND THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE. THE STRONGEST
THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM WESTERN GRADY COUNTY IN GEORGIA TO NEAR
PANAMA CITY FLORIDA AND ALSO TO NEAR FORT WALTON BEACH. THIS AREA OF
RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 25 MPH.

PERSONS IN THE VICINITY OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS CAN EXPECT VERY HEAVY
RAINFALL..STRONG GUSTY WIND..FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY SOME
HAIL AS THEY MOVE THROUGH THE AREA.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA FOR FURTHER
STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Florida, 1989Every flash flood 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.