Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 3, NWS Birmingham, AL

February 9, 1990Colbert County, Lauderdale County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this flash flood warning at Feb 9, 1990, 11:16 PM CST for Colbert County, Lauderdale County, Alabama. It was in force for 4 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Feb 9, 1990, 11:16 PM CST (05:16 UTC)
Expired
Feb 10, 1990, 3:15 AM CST
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

Counties Colbert County, AL, Lauderdale 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, 5.3 hours before the alert went out and 180 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 1990-02-10Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 110 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 00:00Z on 1990-02-10The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 121 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
110 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-17 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
589 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
66 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
121 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
153 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 100517
FFWHSV
ALC033-077-100915-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1116 PM CST FRI FEB 9 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  315 AM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN NORTH ALABAMA
          ...COLBERT...LAUDERDALE
 
LAUDERDALE COUNTY EMA HAS REPORTED MANY COUNTY ROADS UNDER WATER WITH
ONE ROAD COVERED BY TWO FEET OF WATER. HEAVY RAINS MOVING THROUGH
LAUDERDALE COUNTY AND IN SOUTH CENTRAL TENNESSEE MAY CAUSE CONTINUED
FLOODING IN LAUDERDALE AND PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST COLBERT COUNTY OVER
THE NEXT FEW HOURS.
 
 
BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN ITe 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 9, 7:16 PM CST, 4 hours before
ALZ010-100300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
715 PM CST FRI FEB 9 1990

AT 710 PM CST WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A FAST MOVING THUNDERSTORM 20
MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF MONTGOMERY  MOVING NORTHEAST AT NEARLY
50 MPH.  THIS THUNDERSTORM SHOULD STAY WEST OF MONTGOMERY BUT
MOVE OVER PRATTVILLE BEFORE 8 PM AND NEAR WETUMPKA THIRTY MINUTES
LATER.

HEAVY RAIN...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLE
HAIL MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM.
Special weather statement, Feb 9, 8:41 PM CST, 2 hours 35 minutes before
ALZ004-005-006-008-009-100400-
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
840 PM CST FRI FEB 9 1990

THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED IN NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI WERE MOVING INTO
WESTERN ALABAMA.

AT 838 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS
LOCATED IN NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI MOVING RAPIDLY TO THE NORTHEAST.  THE
STORMS WILL MOVE INTO MARION...LAMAR...FAYETTE AND WINSTON COUNTIES IN
THE NEXT 30 TO 60 MINUTES.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS CONTAIN HEAVY RAIN...LIGHTNING...AND STRONG GUSTY
WINDS.  PERSONS IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA NEED TO BE READY TO SEEK SHELTER
IF WEATHER CONDITIONS TURNS THREATENING.
Special weather statement, Feb 9, 8:42 PM CST, 2 hours 34 minutes before
ALZ004-005-006-008-009-100400-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
840 PM CST FRI FEB 9 1990

THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED IN NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI WERE MOVING INTO
WESTERN ALABAMA.

AT 838 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS
LOCATED IN NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI MOVING RAPIDLY TO THE NORTHEAST.  THE
STORMS WILL MOVE INTO MARION...LAMAR...FAYETTE AND WINSTON COUNTIES IN
THE NEXT 30 TO 60 MINUTES.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS CONTAIN HEAVY RAIN...LIGHTNING...AND STRONG GUSTY
WINDS.  PERSONS IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA NEED TO BE READY TO SEEK SHELTER
IF WEATHER CONDITIONS TURNS THREATENING.
Special weather statement, Feb 9, 10:48 PM CST, 28 minutes before
ALZ010-100600-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
1055 PM CST FRI FEB 9 1990

...TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4AM CST FOR COOSA AND
TALLAPOOSA COUNTIES...

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 11PM UNTIL 6AM FOR PARTS OF
SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...
AT 10 55PM CST WEATHER RADAR AT MONTGOMERY SHOWED SCATTERED
LIGHT TO MODERATE SHOWERS OVER PARTS OF EAST CENTRAL THROUGH
SOUTH ALABAMA. STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER NORTH
ALABAMA SOUTHWESTWARD INTO MISSISSIPPI.  THE SHOWERS AND THUNDER
STORMS WERE MOVING RAPIDLY TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 50 MPH.

THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER OVER ALABAMA FOR TONIGHT IS HIGH
AND PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREAS AS WELL A>S OTHER PARTS OF ALABAMA
SHOULD REMAIN ON THE ALERT.
PETTIT

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 9, 8:29 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLauderdale61 min
Feb 9, 8:45 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXLamar30 min
Feb 9, 8:56 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXFayette34 min
Feb 9, 9:23 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXLamar37 min
Feb 9, 9:30 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXFayette30 min
Feb 9, 9:43 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXWalker47 min
Feb 9, 10:08 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXLimestone27 min
Feb 9, 10:22 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXMadison68 min
Feb 9, 10:53 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXJackson, Madison37 min
Feb 9, 11:02 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXWalker28 min
Feb 9, 11:28 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXCullman, Winston47 min
Feb 9, 11:35 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXWalker40 min
Feb 9, 11:35 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXLamar40 min
Feb 10, 12:53 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXWalker22 min
Feb 10, 12:53 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXJefferson37 min
Feb 10, 1:06 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXPickens69 min
Feb 10, 1:22 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXGreene68 min
Feb 10, 1:30 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXColbert, Franklin, Lawrence5 hr
Feb 10, 1:30 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXLimestone, Madison, Marshall, Morgan5 hr
Feb 10, 1:30 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXLauderdale5 hr
Feb 10, 1:30 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXDeKalb, Jackson5 hr
Feb 10, 1:33 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXTuscaloosa57 min
Feb 10, 1:53 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXHale67 min
Feb 10, 2:00 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXGreene, Hale35 min
Feb 10, 2:06 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMarengo29 min
Feb 10, 2:19 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJefferson56 min
Feb 10, 2:20 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBibb55 min
Feb 10, 2:32 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXShelby58 min
Feb 10, 2:39 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXChilton51 min
Feb 10, 2:40 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXJefferson, Shelby30 min
Feb 10, 2:50 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXSt. Clair55 min
Feb 10, 2:54 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXTalladega66 min
Feb 10, 3:11 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXClay64 min
Feb 10, 3:11 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXCalhoun64 min
Feb 10, 3:33 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCleburne, Randolph37 min

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.