Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 26, NWS Birmingham, AL

February 16, 1990DeKalb County, Jackson County, Marshall County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this flash flood warning at Feb 16, 1990, 12:32 AM CST for DeKalb County, Jackson County, Marshall County, Alabama. It was in force for 4 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Feb 16, 1990, 12:32 AM CST (06:32 UTC)
Expired
Feb 16, 1990, 4:30 AM CST
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

Counties DeKalb County, AL, Jackson County, AL, Marshall 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

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 00:00Z, 6.5 hours before the alert went out and 185 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 00:00Z on 1990-02-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 7 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 00:00Z on 1990-02-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 380 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
7 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-101 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
801 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
64 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
380 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
393 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KHSV 160633
FFWHSV
ALC049-071-095-161030-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1232 AM CST FRI FEB 16 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  430 AM CST
FOR THE FOLLOWING NORTH ALABAMA COUNTIES...
 
IN NORTH ALABAMA
 
   ...DEKALB COUNTY...JACKSON COUNTY...MARSHALL COUNTY
 
AT 12;30 PM CST... RAIN CONTINUED TO FALL OVER NORTHERN ALABAMA BUT
RAIN HAS BEEN HEAVIEST IN THE NORTHEAST. FORT PAYNE HAS HAD OVER FOUR
INCHES OF RAIN IN THE PAST 24 HOURS... AND FLOODING WAS REPORTED IN
FORT PAYNE AND IN COLLINSVILLE.
 
NORTHEAST ALABAMA HAS THE MOST CHANCE FOR MORE HEAVY RAIN AS A BAND
OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN IS MOVING INTO MARSHALL AND
JACKSON COUNTIES... MOVING TO THE EAST. THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR
AT LEAST ANOTHER 1 TO 3 INCHES IN SOME PARTS OF NORTHEAST ALABAMA
BY 4 AM.
 
 
 
BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE
THE DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS.  IF FLASH FLOODING IS
OBSERVED...ACT QUICKLY.  MOVE UP TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS.  DO
NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.

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, 8:06 PM CST, 4 hours 26 minutes before
ALZ010-011-012-014-017-018-160400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
800 PM CST THU FEB 15 1990

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 41 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CHAMBERS...LEE...
TALLAPOOSA...COOSA...ELMORE...AUTAUGA AND DALLAS COUNTIES OF SOUTH
ALABAMA UNTIL MIDNIGHT...

RADAR SHOWED RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTH AND WEST CENTRAL
ALABAMA AT 8PM. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE PRODUCING TORRENTIAL
RAIN...ESPECIALLY IN A BAND FROM BIRMINGHAM TO TUSCALOOSA
...AND SOUTHWESTWARD TO NEAR MERIDIAN MISSISSIPPI. A BAND OF SHOWERS
WAS OVER WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA FROM SELMA TO MILLERS FERRY.

NEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING OVER MISSISSIPPI AND SOUTHEAST
LOUISIANA...THEREFORE PER!SONS IN SOUTH ALABAMA SHOULD KEEP ABREAST
OF THE LATEST WEATHER BULLETINS. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE
OVER PARTS OF SOUTH AND CENTRAL ALABAMA LATER TONIGHT.
Special weather statement, Feb 15, 10:04 PM CST, 2 hours 28 minutes before
ALZ010-011-012-014-017-018-160600-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
1000 PM CST THU FEB 15 1990

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 42 IN EFFECT FOR  AUTAUGA...DALLAS AND WILCOX
COUNTIES OF SOUTH ALABAMA UNTIL 4 AM CST FRI...

RADAR SHOWED RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTH AND WEST CENTRAL
ALABAMA AT 950PM CST. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE PRODUCING
TORRENTIAL RAIN...ESPECIALLY IN A BAND FROM MERIDIAN TO TUSCALOOSA
AND OVER TO THE LEWIS SMITH RESERVOIR. MORE INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS...
SOME OF WHICH WERE SEVERE...EXTENDED FROM MERIDIAN MISSISSIPPI TO
BATON ROUGE LOUISIANA. THIS BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS IS MOVING EASTWARD
AND WILL EFFECT ALABAMA TOMORROW MORNING.

FOR THIS REASON RESIDENTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA SHOULD KEEP CURRENT
WITH THE LATEST WEATHER BULLETINS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
THROUGH LOCAL MEDIA  OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO.
SNELL
Special weather statement, Feb 16, 12:03 AM CST, 29 minutes before
ALZ010-011-012-014-017-018-160800-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
1200 AM CST FRI FEB 16 1990

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 42 IN EFFECT FOR  AUTAUGA...DALLAS AND WILCOX
COUNTIES OF SOUTH ALABAMA UNTIL 4 AM CST FRI...

AT 1150 PM CST WEATHER RADAR AT MONTGOMRY SHOWED AN EXTENSIVE AND WIDE
BAND OF RAIN FROM WAYNESBORO MISSISSIPPI TO ALTOONA IN ETOWAH COUNTY.
AND FROM REFORM IN PICKENS COUNTY TO MAPLESVILLE IN CHILTON COUNTY.
THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 45 MILES AN HOUR...
THE BAND OF PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING SLOWLY EASTWARD.

SOME OF THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE JUST WEST OF DALLAS COUNTY.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING  AND SOME MAiY PENETRATE INTO THE
EXTREME WEST PART OF THE COUNTY. RESIDENTS THERE CAN EXPECT STRONG GUSTY
WINDS...TORRENTIAL RAINS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL.

PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR LATER BULLETINS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. SNELL
Special weather statement, Feb 16, 12:06 AM CST, 26 minutes before
ALZ010-011-012-014-017-018-160800-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
1200 AM CST FRI FEB 16 1990

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 42 AND 43 IN EFFECT FOR  AUTAUGA...DALLAS...
WILCOX AND COOSA COUNTIES OF SOUTH ALABAMA UNTIL 4 AM CST FRI...

AT 1150 PM CST WEATHER RADAR AT MONTGOMRY SHOWED AN EXTENSIVE AND WIDE
BAND OF RAIN FROM WAYNESBORO MISSISSIPPI TO ALTOONA IN ETOWAH COUNTY.
AND FROM REFORM IN PICKENS COUNTY TO MAPLESVILLE IN CHILTON COUNTY.
THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 45 MILES AN HOUR...
THE BAND OF PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING SLOWLY EASTWARD.

SOME OF THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE JUST WEST OF DALLAS COUNTY.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING  AND SOME MAY PENETRATE INTO THE
EXTREME WEST PART OF THE COUNTY. RESIDENTS THERE CAN EXPECT STRONG GUSTY
WINDS...TORRENTIAL RAINS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL.

PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR LATER BULLETINS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. mSNELL

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 15, 6:14 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXTuscaloosa3 hr
Feb 15, 6:14 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXShelby3 hr
Feb 15, 6:21 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXDeKalb, Jackson, Marshall6 hr
Feb 15, 6:22 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBibb, Perry58 min
Feb 15, 7:03 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXTalladega42 min
Feb 15, 7:15 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXWinston30 min
Feb 15, 7:50 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXCalhoun, St. Clair3 hr
Feb 15, 8:25 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXLauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan4 hr
Feb 15, 8:25 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXMarshall4 hr
Feb 15, 8:42 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXColbert, Lauderdale63 min
Feb 15, 8:55 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXTalladega5 hr
Feb 15, 8:55 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXHale5 hr
Feb 15, 9:02 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXGreene, Tuscaloosa3 hr
Feb 15, 9:02 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXWalker3 hr
Feb 15, 9:34 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXTuscaloosa41 min
Feb 15, 9:40 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXJefferson3 hr
Feb 15, 10:43 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXBibb, St. Clair, Shelby3 hr
Feb 15, 11:46 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCalhoun, Etowah29 min
Feb 16, 12:04 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXEtowah3 hr
Feb 16, 12:04 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXWalker3 hr
Feb 16, 12:35 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXBlount, Cullman4 hr
Feb 16, 1:50 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXBibb, Perry, Shelby4 hr
Feb 16, 1:50 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXSt. Clair4 hr
Feb 16, 2:48 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXClay, Cleburne, Randolph4 hr
Feb 16, 2:48 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXChilton4 hr
Feb 16, 2:48 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXCalhoun, Etowah, Talladega4 hr
Feb 16, 2:48 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXWalker4 hr
Feb 16, 3:07 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXCherokee4 hr
Feb 16, 4:22 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXGreene, Hale, Tuscaloosa4 hr
Feb 16, 5:06 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXDeKalb, Jackson, Marshall4 hr
Feb 16, 5:29 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXBibb, Jefferson, Perry, Shelby3 hr
Feb 16, 5:29 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXSt. Clair3 hr
Feb 16, 6:36 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXCalhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Etowah, Talladega3 hr
Feb 16, 6:36 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXClay, Randolph3 hr
Feb 16, 7:03 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXHale42 min
Feb 16, 8:13 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXRandolph47 min
Feb 16, 8:54 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXDeKalb, Jackson, Marshall4 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.