Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 44, NWS Birmingham, AL

March 16, 1990Calhoun County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this flash flood warning at Mar 16, 1990, 6:28 AM CST for Calhoun County, Alabama. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 16, 1990, 6:28 AM CST (12:28 UTC)
Expired
Mar 16, 1990, 9:30 AM CST
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Calhoun 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, 0.5 hours before the alert went out and 160 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 12:00Z on 1990-03-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Centreville/Bibb, AL at 12:00Z on 1990-03-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 110 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
599 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
83 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
110 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
52 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 161230
FFWBHM
ALC015-161530-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
628 AM CST FRI MAR 16 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 930 AM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTH ALABAMA
 
   ...CALHOUN COUNTY
 
SOME FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED OVER PARTS OF CALHOUN COUNTY THIS
MORNING. OVER 4 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN AT A FEW LOCATIONS IN THIS
AREA OVERNIGHT AND MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN CONTINUES. THIS ADDITIONAL
RAIN WILL LIKELY CAUSE MORE WIDESPREAD AND SERIOUS FLASH FLOODING
DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.
 
 
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, Mar 16, 12:47 AM CST, 5 hours 41 minutes before
ALZ010-011-012-014-017-018-160900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
1245 AM CST FRI MAR 16 1990

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR SECTIONS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA
TO INCLUDE CITIES SUCH AS AUBURN...ALEXANDER CITY...MONTGOMERY...
SELMA AND CAMDEN FOR FRIDAY...

AT 1240 AM CST...RADAR AT MONTGOMERY SHOWED A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS
WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN THAT EXTENDED FROM SYLACAUGA TO THE WESTERN EDGE
OF MITCHELL LAKE TO 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SELMA. THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY
PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY
DOWNPOURS WHICH WILL INCREASE THE THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING. MOVEMENT
WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT AROUND 30 MILES AN HOUR.
0
PERSONS IN CENTRAL ALABAMA SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE WEATHER
SITUATION AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE QUICK ACTIONS IF FLASH FLOODING
BEGINS OR A WARNING IS ISSUED.
Special weather statement, Mar 16, 1:23 AM CST, 5 hours 5 minutes before
ALZ010-011-012-014-017-018-160900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
120 AM CST FRI MAR 16 1990

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR SECTIONS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA
TO INCLUDE CITIES SUCH AS AUBURN...ALEXANDER CITY...MONTGOMERY...
SELMA AND CAMDEN FOR FRIDAY...

LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN CONTINUES OVER MOST OF SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA.
AT 115 AM CST...RADAR ALSO INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY
HEAVY RAIN THAT EXTENDED FROM NORTH CENTRAL LOWNDES COUNTY NORTH INTO
AUTAUGA COUNTY...ON INTO THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF COOSA AND THE
NORTHWEST CORNER OF ELMORE COUNTY. THE STORMS WILL BE EFFECTING THE
CITIES OF MONTGOEMRY...PRATTVILLE...MILLBROOK AND WETUMPKA THE NEXT
HOUR. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING...POSSILBLY SOME SMALL HAIL...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS WHICH WILL
INCREASE THE THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING. MOVEMENT IS TO THE NORTHEAST AT
AROUND 30 MILES AN HOUWR.

PERSONS IN SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE
WEATHER SITUATION AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE QUICK ACTION IF FLASH
FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED.
Special weather statement, Mar 16, 3:05 AM CST, 3 hours 23 minutes before
ALZ010-011-012-014-017-018-160900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
310 AM CST FRI MAR 16 1990

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR SECTIONS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA
TO INCLUDE CITIES SUCH AS AUBURN...ALEXANDER CITY...MONTGOMERY...
SELMA AND CAMDEN FOR FRIDAY...

LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN CONTINUES OVER MOST OF SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA.
AT 300 AM CST...RADAR INDICATED A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY
HEAVY RAIN IN LOWNDES...MONTGOMERY AND SOUTHERN ELMORE COUNTIES. THESE
STORMS ARE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS. AT DANNELLY FIELD
IN MONTGOMERY...OVER AN INCH OF RAIN HAS FALLEN IN LESS THAN AN HOUR
BRINGING THE TOTAL TO OVER FOUR INCHES SINCE THE RAIN STARTED ON
THURSDAY. THE STORMS HAVE SLOWED THEIR EASTWARD MOVEMENT AND MORE
LARGE AMOUNTS OF RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO FALL OVER SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA.

PERSONS IN SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE
WEATHER SITUATION AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE QUICK ACTION IF FLASH
FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 16, 3:19 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXTalladega4 hr
Mar 16, 3:19 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXChilton4 hr
Mar 16, 7:06 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXTalladega3 hr
Mar 16, 9:04 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXCleburne116 min
Mar 16, 11:02 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXCleburne118 min
Mar 16, 1:10 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXGreene, Hale, Marengo, Tuscaloosa105 min
Mar 16, 1:10 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXPickens105 min
Mar 16, 1:21 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXCalhoun, Cherokee, Etowah, St. Clair5 hr
Mar 16, 1:21 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXClay, Cleburne, Randolph5 hr
Mar 16, 1:21 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXTalladega5 hr
Mar 16, 1:24 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXBibb, Jefferson, Shelby116 min
Mar 16, 1:24 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXPerry116 min
Mar 16, 1:24 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXBlount, Cullman116 min
Mar 16, 3:04 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXDeKalb, Marshall, Morgan3 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.