Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990
Flash Flood Warning 11, NWS Birmingham, AL
NWS Birmingham, AL issued this flash flood warning at Feb 15, 1990, 5:17 PM CST for Jefferson County, Alabama. It was in force for 3 hr.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Feb 15, 1990, 5:17 PM CST (23:17 UTC)
- Expired
- Feb 15, 1990, 8:15 PM CST
- In force
- 3 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Birmingham, AL
- Area
- Whole counties
County Jefferson 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
Centreville/Bibb, AL (KCKL), launched 12:00Z, 11.3 hours before the alert went out and 78 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
- 8 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -132 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 608 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 47 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 257 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 402 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.2
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KBHM 152319 FFWBHM ALC073-160215- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 517 PM CST THU FEB 15 1990 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 815 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... IN NORTH ALABAMA ...JEFFERSON COUNTY RAIN...HEAVY AT TIMES HAS CONTINUED TO FALL ACROSS JEFFERSON COUNTY SINCE 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON. SOME INTERSECTIONS WERE ALREADY BEING REPOR FLOODED. IN ADDITION FLOODING WAS ALREADY OCCURRING ON ROCKY RIDGE ROAD NEAR PANORAMA TERRACE. WITH THUNDERSTORMS STILL MOVING TOWARDS THE STATE FROM THE WEST...ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL LIKELY CAUSE FLASH FLOODING. 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, Feb 15, 12:27 PM CST, 4 hours 50 minutes before
ALZ004-006-008-005-009-151930- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1225 PM CST THU FEB 15 1990 AT 1225 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM WESTERN WALKER COUNTY SOUTHWESTWARD ACROSS WESTERN TUSCALOOSA INTO GREENE COUNTY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD AFFECT THE CITIES OF JASPER...TUSCALOOSA AND EUTAW BY 1PM. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS... BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE HAIL. PERSONS ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA ARE ENCOURAGED TO MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL NEW OUTLETS AS THE WEATHER MAY CHANGE RAP(IDLY THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON HOURS.
Special weather statement, Feb 15, 12:55 PM CST, 4 hours 22 minutes before
ALZ004-006-008-005-009-152000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1256 PM CST THU FEB 15 1990 AT 1255 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM NORTHWESTERN TUSCALOOSA COUNTY SOUTHWESTWARD INTO SOUTHERN GREENE COUNTY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD AFFECT THE CITIES OF TUSCALOOSA...MELTON AND MOUNTSVILLE BY 200 PM. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS... BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE HAIL. PERSONS ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA ARE ENCOURAGED TO MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL NEW OUTLETS AS THE WEATHER MAY CHANGE RA[PIDLY THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON HOURS.
Special weather statement, Feb 15, 1:31 PM CST, 3 hours 46 minutes before
ALZ004-006-008-005-009-152030- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 130 PM CST THU FEB 15 1990 AT 125 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM JUST SOUTH OF TUSCALOOSA SOUTHWESTWARD INTO GREENE COUNTY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD AFFECT THE CITY OF GREENSBORO BY 2 PM. POLICE AND TROOPER REPORTS INDICATE THESE STORMS ARE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS. WITH THESE STORMS LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING...ESPECIALLY IN LOW LYING AREAS...MAY OCCUR. THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE HAIL. PERSONS ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA ARE ENCOURAGED TO MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL NEW OUTLETS AS THE WEATHER MAY CHANGE RAPIDLY THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON HOURS.
Special weather statement, Feb 15, 2:13 PM CST, 3 hours 4 minutes before
ALZ004-006-008-005-009-152130- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 213 PM CST THU FEB 15 1990 AT 213 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM JUST WEST OF OAK GROVE IN WESTERN JEFFERSON COUNTY SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE CITIES OF BROOKWOOD...GREENSBORO...TO DEMOPOLIS. THESE STORMS ARE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS. WITH THESE STORMS LOCALIZED FLOODING...ESPECIALLY IN LOW LYING AREAS...MAY OCCUR. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP IN SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI. NUMEROUS REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER AND POSSIBLE TORNDAOES IN MISSISSIPPI HAVE BEEN RECIEVED AT THE WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH WILL BE ISSUED LATER THIS AFTERNOON FOR MUCH OF NORTHERN HALF OF ALABAMA. RESIDENTS IN CENTRAL ALABAMA ARE ENCOURAGED TO MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL NEWS OUTLETS AS THE WEATHER MAY CHANGE RAPIDLY THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON HOURS.
Special weather statement, Feb 15, 4:21 PM CST, 56 minutes before
ALZ010-011-012-014-017-018-101600- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL 420 PM CST THU FEB 15 1990 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 38 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF CENTRAL ALABAMA AND PARTS OF SOUTH ALABAMA... WEATHER RADAR AT MONTGOMERY SHOWED NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER PARTS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA INTO EAST MISSISSIPPI. STRONGEST STORMS WERE IN A LINE FROM NEAR TUSCALOOSA SOUTHWESTWARD INTO MISSISSIPPI NEAR MERIDIAN. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 40 MPH. ELSWHERE LIGHT TO MODERATE SHOWERS WERE OCCURRING OVER SCATTERED AREAS OF SOUTH ALABAMA. THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER IS HIGH FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SO PERSONS IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH ALABAMA SHOULD KEEP ABREAST OF THE LATEST WEATHER BULLETINS FROM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES.
Special weather statement, Feb 15, 4:46 PM CST, 31 minutes before
ALZ010-011-012-014-017-018-160020- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL 420 PM CST THU FEB 15 1990 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 38 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF CENTRAL ALABAMA AND PARTS OF SOUTH ALABAMA... WEATHER RADAR AT MONTGOMERY SHOWED NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER PARTS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA INTO EAST MISSISSIPPI. STRONGEST STORMS WERE IN A LINE FROM NEAR TUSCALOOSA SOUTHWESTWARD INTO MISSISSIPPI NEAR MERIDIAN. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 40 MPH. ELSWHERE LIGHT TO MODERATE SHOWERS WERE OCCURRING OVER SCATTERED AREAS OF SOUTH ALABAMA. THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER IS HIGH FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SO PERSONS IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH ALABAMA SHOULD KEEP ABREAST OF THE LATEST WEATHER BULLETINS FROM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 15, 2:58 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Greene, Hale | 47 min |
| Feb 15, 3:07 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Greene | 38 min |
| Feb 15, 3:26 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Tuscaloosa | 64 min |
| Feb 15, 4:06 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Bibb, Tuscaloosa | 2 hr |
| Feb 15, 4:35 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Shelby | 115 min |
| Feb 15, 4:45 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Greene, Hale | 3 hr |
Nearby
Flash Flood Warnings in Alabama, 1990Every flash flood warning in 1990
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.