Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 38, NWS Birmingham, AL

February 16, 1990St. Clair County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this flash flood warning at Feb 16, 1990, 5:29 AM CST for St. Clair County, Alabama. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Feb 16, 1990, 5:29 AM CST (11:29 UTC)
Expired
Feb 16, 1990, 8:30 AM CST
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

County St. Clair 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 00:00Z, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 122 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 1990-02-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 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 1990-02-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 143 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
1 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-65 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
598 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
55 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
143 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
239 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 KBHM 161130
FFWBHM
ALC007-073-117-115-105-161430-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
529 AM CST FRI FEB 16 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  830 AM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTH ALABAMA
 
   ...BIBB COUNTY...JEFFERSON COUNTY...SHELBY COUNTY...ST.CLAIR COUNTY
 
IN SOUTH ALABAMA
 
   ...PERRY COUNTY
 
AT 526 AM CST WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING
FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND TORRENTIAL RAIN MOVING ACROSS BIBB AND SHELBY
COUNTIES...SPREADING INTO JEFFERSON AND ST CLAIR COUNTIES..AND INTO
PERRY COUNTY FROM THE WEST. DUE TO PAST HEAVY RAINS...RUN-OFF FROM
THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE QUICK RISES IN ALREADY FLOODED CREEKS AND
STREAMS PLUS FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW LYING AREAS.
 
DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY.  THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO
CROSS SAFELY.  VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE
ABANDONED QUICKLY.  MOVE 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 16, 1:32 AM CST, 3 hours 57 minutes before
ALZ010-011-012-014-017-018-160800-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
130 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 125 AM CST MONTGOMERY RADAR SHOWED AN EXTENSIVE BAND OF RAIN AND
THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM 25 MILES SOUTH OF MERIDIAN TO RANDOLPH
COUNTY. VERY HEAVY RAINS WERE OBSERVED IN THUNDERSTORMS IN DALLAS
COUNTY ABOUT 8 MILES WEST SOUTH WEST OF SELMA ALABAMA. THIS THUNDERSTORM
IS MOVING NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 40 MILES AN HOUR AND HAS BEEN ACCOMPANIED
BY HEAVY RAINS AND GUSTY WINDS ACCORDING TO THE SELMA STATE TROOPERS
OFFICE.

RESIDENTS OF SELMA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR RAPID CHANGES IN WEATHER
CONDITIONS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER UPDATES.

SNELL
Special weather statement, Feb 16, 1:49 AM CST, 3 hours 40 minutes before
ALZ006-009-013-160839-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
148 AM CST FRI FEB 16 1990

AT 148 AM CST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT CENTREVILLE SHOWED
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM ALONG THE HALE/PERRY COUNTY LINE MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 45 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF
MARION AND CENTREVILLE. PERSONS IN HALE...PERRY...AND BIBB COUNTIES
SHOULD EXPECT GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND LOCALIZED
FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS BEFORE 230 AM CST.

PERSONS IN PERRY...HALE...AND BIBB COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR THE VERY
LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.
Special weather statement, Feb 16, 2:02 AM CST, 3 hours 27 minutes before
ALZ010-011-012-014-017-018-160910-

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

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 42 AND 43 IN EFFECT FOR  AUTAUGA...DALLAS...
WILCO
Special weather statement, Feb 16, 2:10 AM CST, 3 hours 19 minutes before
ALZALL-161215-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
207 AM CST FRI FEB 16 1990

...TORNADO WATCH AND FLASH FLOOD WATCH CANCELLED FOR LAUDERDALE...
COLBERT...FRANKLIN..AND LAWRENCE COUNTIES...

AT 205 AM CST THE THREAT FOR TORNADOES AND MORE HEAVY RAIN HAD ENDED
FOR EXTREME NORTHWEST ALABAMA...
Special weather statement, Feb 16, 3:47 AM CST, 1 hour 42 minutes before
ALZ010-011-012-014-017-018-160910-

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

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 44 IN EFFECT FOR  A LARGE PART OF CENTRAL
ALABAMA UNTIL 10 AM CST...

AT 335 AM CST MONTGOMERY RADAR CONTINUED TO SHOW THUNDERSTORMS WITH
VERY HEAVY RAIN MOVING NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 40 MILES AN HOUR.
THE MOST ACTIVE THUNDERSTORMS WERE OBSERVED TO BE IN SOUTHERN CHILTON
...AND COOSA COUNTIES. OTHER THUNDERSTOEMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WAS MOVING
INTO SOUTHWEST LOWNDES COUNTY.

NO DAMAGE HAS BEEN REPORTED SO FAR THIS EVENING IN SOUTH ALABAMA...
NEVERTHELESS THIS SITUATION MAY DETERIORATE RAPIDLY. LISTENERS
ARE ADVISED TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO.
Special weather statement, Feb 16, 5:19 AM CST, 10 minutes before
ALZ010-011-012-014-017-018-160910-

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

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 44 IN EFFECT FOR  A LARGE PART OF CENTRAL
ALABAMA UNTIL 10 AM CST...

AT 510 AM CST MONTGOMERY WEATHER RADAR SHOWED LARGE AREAS OF RAIN WITH
THUNDERSTORMS...MANY WITH HEAVY RAIN. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING
NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 40 MILES AN HOUR. THE MOST ACTIVE THUNDERSTORMS WERE
SOUTH OF LAKE MARTIN...JUST SOUTH OF PINE APPLE AND NEAR CHAPMAN AND
IN A BAND THAT WAS MOVING ACROSS WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA TOWARDS DALLAS
AND WILCOX COUNTIES. THIS LATTER LINE SHOULD ARRIVE BEFORE 6AM.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE HAD DAMAGING WINDS. RESIDENTS NEAR THESE AREAS
SHOULD PROTECT THEMSELVES AGAINST STRONG GUSTY WINDS...LETHAL LIGHTNING
AND TORRENTIAL RAINS.

SNELL

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, 12:32 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXDeKalb, Jackson, Marshall4 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, 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.