Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990
Flash Flood Warning 41, NWS Birmingham, AL
NWS Birmingham, AL issued this flash flood warning at Feb 16, 1990, 8:54 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, 8:54 AM CST (14:54 UTC)
- Expired
- Feb 16, 1990, 1:00 PM 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 12:00Z, 2.9 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 26 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -6 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 710 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 91 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 9 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 78 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- -0.1
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KHSV 161458 FFWHSV ALC049-071-095-161900- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 854 AM CST FRI FEB 16 1990 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 100 PM CST FOR THE FOLLOWING NORTH ALABAMA COUNTIES... IN NORTH ALABAMA ...DEKALB COUNTY...JACKSON COUNTY...MARSHALL COUNTY RADAR AT 845 THIS MORNING INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN OVER THE WARNED AREA AND CONTINUED FLOODING IN JACKSON...MARSHALL ...AND DE KALB COUNTIES IS LIKELY THIS MORNING. NUMEROUS ROADS IN JACKSON COUNTY HAVE BEEN COVERED WITH WATER DURING THE MORNING AND REPORTS OF FLOODED ROADWAYS IN DE KALB COUNTY HAVE BEEN RECEIVED AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN REPORTS OF MUDSLIDES IN SOME AREAS. ...THE TORNADO WATCH FOR MARSHALL AND DE KALB COUNTIES HAS BEEN CANCELLED... MOST DEATHS IN FLASH FLOOD<ING 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.
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, 5:19 AM CST, 3 hours 35 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
Special weather statement, Feb 16, 6:24 AM CST, 2 hours 30 minutes before
ALZ010-011-012-014-017-018-160910- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL 623 AM CST FRI FEB 16 1990 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 44 IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF CENTRAL ALABAMA UNTIL 10 AM CST... AT 620 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 THUNDERSTORM WAS WEST OF MARION JUNCTION MOVING ABOUT 40 MILES AN HOUR TOWARD THE WEST. THIS THUNDERSTORM IS PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS..TORRENTIAL RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. PERSONS IN MARION JUNCTION AND SELMA SHOULD EXERCIZE CAUTION. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DO NOT USE ELECTICAL APPLIANCES DURING A THUNDERSTORM. SNELL
Special weather statement, Feb 16, 6:27 AM CST, 2 hours 27 minutes before
ALZ010-011-012-014-017-018-160910- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT--CORRECTED FOR STORM MOVEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL 623 AM CST FRI FEB 16 1990 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 44 IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF CENTRAL ALABAMA UNTIL 10 AM CST... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF SOUTH ALABAMA... AT 620 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 THUNDERSTORM WAS WEST OF MARION JUNCTION MOVING ABOUT 40 MILES AN HOUR TOWARD THE WEST. THIS THUNDERSTORM IS PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS..TORRENTIAL RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. PERSONS IN MARION JUNCTION AND SELMA SHOULD EXERCIZE CAUTION. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DO NOT USE ELECTICAL APPLIANCES DURING A THUNDERSTORM. SNELL
Special weather statement, Feb 16, 6:29 AM CST, 2 hours 25 minutes before
ALZ010-011-012-014-017-018-160910- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT--CORRECTED FOR STORM MOVEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL 623 AM CST FRI FEB 16 1990 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 44 IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF CENTRAL ALABAMA UNTIL 10 AM CST... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF SOUTH ALABAMA... AT 620 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 THUNDERSTORM WAS WEST OF MARION JUNCTION MOVING ABOUT 40 MILES AN HOUR TOWARD THE EAST. THIS THUNDERSTORM IS PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS..TORRENTIAL RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. PERSONS IN MARION JUNCTION AND SELMA SHOULD EXERCIZE CAUTION. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DO NOT USE ELECTICAL APPLIANCES DURING A THUNDERSTORM. SNELL
Local storm report, Feb 16, 8:07 AM CST, 47 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
805 AM CST FRI FEB 16 1990
7:05 AM ... APPARENT TORNADO TOUCHDOWN IN SE CORNER OF CHILTON COUNTY
IN THE SMALL COMMUNITIES OF ENTERPRISE AND COOPER. SEVERAL
MOBILE HOMES DESTROYED IN THE COOPER COMMUNITY AND FIRE
DEPT. BUILDING IN ENTERPRISE COMMUNITY WAS DESTROYED. THIS
LOCATION IS ABOUT 10S OF CLANTON.Local storm report, Feb 16, 8:22 AM CST, 32 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
820AM CST FRI FEB 16 1990
DALLAS...7AM CST...3 HOUSES DAMAGED...POWER LINES DOWN HIGHWAY
22 AND COUNTY ROAD 861 NEAR PLATERSVILLE...REPORT FROM EMA.
8 05AM CST...DAMAGE TO CARS AND TREES DOWN ON 294 NORTH OF
SELMA...REPORT FROM DPS
COOSA...7 50AM CST...4 MILES NORTH OF ROCKFORD...TREES DOWN...REPORT
FROM SKYWARN HAM RADIO OPERATOR.
3 05 AM CST...GOODWATER...1 MOBILE HOME DESTROYED...2 BUSINESS
WITH DAMAGE AND 2 HOUSES DAMAGED FROM POSSIBLE TORNADO...COUPLE
OF MINOR INJURIES...REPORT FROM ALEX CITY DPS.
PETTITThe office that day
Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 15, 6:14 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Tuscaloosa | 3 hr |
| Feb 15, 6:14 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Shelby | 3 hr |
| Feb 15, 6:21 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | DeKalb, Jackson, Marshall | 6 hr |
| Feb 15, 6:22 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Bibb, Perry | 58 min |
| Feb 15, 7:03 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Talladega | 42 min |
| Feb 15, 7:15 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Winston | 30 min |
| Feb 15, 7:50 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Calhoun, St. Clair | 3 hr |
| Feb 15, 8:25 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan | 4 hr |
| Feb 15, 8:25 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Marshall | 4 hr |
| Feb 15, 8:42 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Colbert, Lauderdale | 63 min |
| Feb 15, 8:55 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Talladega | 5 hr |
| Feb 15, 8:55 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Hale | 5 hr |
| Feb 15, 9:02 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Greene, Tuscaloosa | 3 hr |
| Feb 15, 9:02 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Walker | 3 hr |
| Feb 15, 9:34 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Tuscaloosa | 41 min |
| Feb 15, 9:40 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Jefferson | 3 hr |
| Feb 15, 10:43 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Bibb, St. Clair, Shelby | 3 hr |
| Feb 15, 11:46 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Calhoun, Etowah | 29 min |
| Feb 16, 12:04 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Etowah | 3 hr |
| Feb 16, 12:04 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Walker | 3 hr |
| Feb 16, 12:32 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | DeKalb, Jackson, Marshall | 4 hr |
| Feb 16, 12:35 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Blount, Cullman | 4 hr |
| Feb 16, 1:50 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Bibb, Perry, Shelby | 4 hr |
| Feb 16, 1:50 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | St. Clair | 4 hr |
| Feb 16, 2:48 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Clay, Cleburne, Randolph | 4 hr |
| Feb 16, 2:48 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Chilton | 4 hr |
| Feb 16, 2:48 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Calhoun, Etowah, Talladega | 4 hr |
| Feb 16, 2:48 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Walker | 4 hr |
| Feb 16, 3:07 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Cherokee | 4 hr |
| Feb 16, 4:22 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Greene, Hale, Tuscaloosa | 4 hr |
| Feb 16, 5:06 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | DeKalb, Jackson, Marshall | 4 hr |
| Feb 16, 5:29 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Bibb, Jefferson, Perry, Shelby | 3 hr |
| Feb 16, 5:29 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | St. Clair | 3 hr |
| Feb 16, 6:36 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Etowah, Talladega | 3 hr |
| Feb 16, 6:36 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Clay, Randolph | 3 hr |
| Feb 16, 7:03 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Hale | 42 min |
| Feb 16, 8:13 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Randolph | 47 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.