Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 69, NWS Birmingham, AL

December 22, 1990Marion County, Winston County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this flash flood warning at Dec 22, 1990, 6:39 AM CST for Marion County, Winston County, Alabama. It was in force for 2 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Dec 22, 1990, 6:39 AM CST (12:39 UTC)
Expired
Dec 22, 1990, 8:45 AM CST
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

Counties Marion County, AL, Winston 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, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 144 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 1990-12-22Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 142 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 12:00Z on 1990-12-22The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 199 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
142 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-14 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
559 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
45 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
199 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
201 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KBHM 221241
FFWBHM
ALC075-093-133-221445-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
639 AM CST SAT DEC 22 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  845 AM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTH ALABAMA
 
   ...LAMAR COUNTY...MARION COUNTY...WINSTON COUNTY
 
HEAVY RAINS HAVE FALLEN IN THESE COUNTIES DURING THE LAST SEVERAL HOURAND MODERATE RAIN CONTINUES. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 3 TO 4 INCHES IN THIS
AREA HAVE BEEN REPORTED AND CAUSED FLOODING OF SOME ROADS.
SECONDARY ROADS AND SOME CULVERTS HAVE BEEN REPORTED WASHED OUT IN THE
HALEYVILLE AREA OF WINSTON COUNTY.
 
THE RAIN WILL CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL MORE HOURS AND WILL ONLY AGGRAVATE 
FLASH FLOODING THERE.  THIS WARNING EXTENDS THE EARLIER FLASH FLOOD
WARNING THAT WAS ISSUED EARLIER.
 
 
DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY.  THE WATER DEPTTH 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, Dec 22, 2:13 AM CST, 4 hours 26 minutes before
ALZ001>009-011-220930-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED TIME IN FIRST PARAGRAPH...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
210 AM CST SAT DEC 22 1990

   ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...
 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR LAMAR...MARION...WINSTON...
           FAYETTE...AND WALKER COUNTIES FOR REMAINDER TONIGHT...

     AT 210 AM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA.  THE
AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE AFFECTING MARION...LAMAR...
WINSTON...AND CULLMAN COUNTIES.  OTHER AREAS OF LIGHT RAIN WERE
INDICATED IN JEFFERSON AND WALKER COUNTIES.

     THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED IN NORTHERN LAMAR...
AND MARION COUNTIES.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS CONTAIN HEAVY RAIN WITH THE
POSSIBILITY OF SMALL HAIL AND STRONG GUST WIND.

     RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

     THE THUNDERSTORMS IN LAMAR AND MARION COUNTIES CONTAIN VERY
HEAVY RAIN.  REPORTS FROM EASTERN MISSISSIPPI INDICATE THAT SOME
FLOODING HAS OCCURRED WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS.

     MOTORISTS SHOULD PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO ROAD CONDITIONS
WHEN DRIVING INTO HEAVY RAIN.  THE HEAVY RAIN COULD PRODUCE
LOCALIZED FLOODING CREATING A HAZARDOUS SITUATION FOR
MOTORISTS...SO DRIVERS ARE URGED TO EXERCISE CAUTION WHEN DRIVING
INTO HEAVY RAIN.  FLASH FLOODING OF LOW LYING ROADWAYS IS ALWAYS
A POSSIBILITY IN HEAVY RAIN.

     THE IMMEDIATE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER TO MUCH OF CENTRAL
ALABAMA HAS DECREASED.  ONE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE IS MOVING
RAPIDLY NORTHEAST AS INDICATED BY THE MOVEMENT OF THE SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA.

     TODAY IS EXPECTED TO BE A RATHER ACTIVE WEATHER DAY FOR ALABAMA...
SO PEOPLE IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN ALABAMA ARE ENCOURAGED TO KEEP
UP WITH THE WEATHER DURING THE DAY.
Special weather statement, Dec 22, 2:56 AM CST, 3 hours 43 minutes before
ALZ001>009-011-221000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED TIME IN FIRST PARAGRAPH...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
255 AM CST SAT DEC 22 1990

   ...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR WINSTON...MARION...NORTHERN LAMAR
       COUNTIES UNTIL 630 AM CST...
 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR LAMAR...MARION...WINSTON...
           FAYETTE...AND WALKER COUNTIES FOR REMAINDER TONIGHT...

     AT 255 AM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA.  THE
AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE AFFECTING MARION...LAMAR...
AND WINSTON COUNTIES.  OTHER AREAS OF LIGHT RAIN WERE INDICATED IN
JEFFERSON...BLOUNT...AND PICKENS COUNTIES.

     THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS INDICATED IN SOUTHERN MARION COUNTY
AFFECTING THE COMMUNITIES OF GUIN...WINFIELD...AND BRILLANT.  THIS
THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY CONTAINED VERY HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WIND...
AND SMALL HAIL.

     RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

     MOTORISTS SHOULD PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO ROAD CONDITIONS
WHEN DRIVING INTO HEAVY RAIN.  THE HEAVY RAIN COULD PRODUCE LOCAL
FLOODING CREATING A HAZARDOUS SITUATION FOR MOTORISTS...SO DRIVERS
ARE URGED TO EXERCISE CAUTION WHEN DRIVING INTO AREAS OF HEAVY RAIN.
THE MARION COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT HAS REPORTED SOME ROADWAYS
FLOODED IN MARION COUNTY WITH AT LEAST ONE CULVERT WASHED OUT.
Special weather statement, Dec 22, 3:27 AM CST, 3 hours 12 minutes before
ALZ001>009-011-221030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
325 AM CST SAT DEC 22 1990

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR WINSTON...MARION...NORTHERN LAMAR
                     COUNTIES UNTIL 630 AM CST...
 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR LAMAR...MARION...WINSTON...
     FAYETTE...AND WALKER COUNTIES FOR REMAINDER OF TONIGHT...

     AT 325 AM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA.  THE
AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE AFFECTING MARION...LAMAR...
WINSTON...FAYETTE AND EXTREME WESTERN WALKER COUNTIES.  OTHER AREAS
OF LIGHT RAIN WERE SPOTTED ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL ALABAMA.

     THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED IN LAMAR AND MARION
COUNTIES BETWEEN SULLIGENT AND HAMILTON AN IN WINSTON COUNTY AROUND
DOUBLE SPRINGS.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS CONTAINED VERY HEAVY RAIN...
LIGHTNING...GUSTY WIND...AND SOME SMALL HAIL.

     RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

     HEAVY RAIN COULD PRODUCE LOCAL FLOODING CREATING A HAZARDOUS
SITUATION FOR MOTORISTS...SO DRIVERS ARE URGED TO EXERCISE EXTREME
CAUTION WHEN DRIVING INTO AREAS OF HEAVY RAIN.  SOME ROADWAYS HAVE
BEEN REPORTED FLOODED IN MARION COUNTY BY THE MARION COUNTY SHERIFFS
DEPARTMENT AND THE ALABAMA STATE TROOPERS OFFICE IN HAMILTON.

     THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER HAS DIMINISHED FOR THE TIME BEING
FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL ALABAMA...BUT MORE SEVERE WEATHER IS LIKELY TODAY.
ONE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVED ACROSS WESTERN AND NORTHERN ALABAMA
BUT ADDITIONAL UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHEAST
ACROSS ALABAMA TODAY AS A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE STATE FROM
THE NORTHWEST.  SO...PEOPLE IN ALABAMA ARE URGED TO KEEP UP WITH THE
WEATHER DURING THE DAY AS SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAIN ARE EXPECTED
TO AFFECT THE STATE TODAY.
Special weather statement, Dec 22, 4:05 AM CST, 2 hours 34 minutes before
ALZ001>009-011-221130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
405 AM CST SAT DEC 22 1990

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR WINSTON...MARION...NORTHERN LAMAR
                     COUNTIES UNTIL 630 AM CST...
 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR LAMAR...MARION...WINSTON...
     FAYETTE...AND WALKER COUNTIES FOR REMAINDER OF TONIGHT...

     AT 405 AM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING MARION...WINSTON...WALKER...FAYETTE...
NORTHERN LAMAR AND NORTHWEST CULLMAN COUNTIES.  RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS
WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AROUND 35 MILES AN HOUR.

     STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WIND...
LIGHTNING...AND SMALL HAIL WERE INDICATED IN MARION AND WINSTON
COUNTIES.

     ADDITIONAL REPORTS FROM THE MARION COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE
INDICATES THAT THE FLOODING SITUATION HAS GOTTEN WORSE IN MARION
COUNTY WITH A NUMBER OF ROADS CLOSED DUE TO WATER ACROSS THE
ROADWAYS.

     DRIVERS ARE URGED TO EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN DRIVING
INTO AREAS OF HEAVY RAIN.  IF WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY...DON'T
VENTURE INTO THE FLOODED AREA WHERE WATER IS AT AN UNKNOWN DEPTH...
FIND ALTERNATIVE ROUTES OR DELAY TRAVEL.

     ADDITIONAL SEVERE WEATHER IS LIKELY TODAY FOR MUCH OF ALABAMA.
ADDITIONAL UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHEAST
ACROSS ALABAMA TODAY AS A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE STATE FROM
THE NORTHWEST.  SO...PEOPLE IN ALABAMA ARE URGED TO KEEP UP WITH THE
WEATHER DURING THE DAY AS SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAIN ARE EXPECTED
TO AFFECT THE STATE TODAY.
Special weather statement, Dec 22, 5:06 AM CST, 1 hour 33 minutes before
ALZ001>009-011-221230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
505 AM CST SAT DEC 22 1990

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR WINSTON...MARION...NORTHERN LAMAR
                     COUNTIES IN EFFECT UNTIL 630 AM CST...
 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF NORTHERN ALABAMA TODAY...

     AT 505 AM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING MARION...WINSTON...WALKER...FAYETTE...
LAMAR AND CULLMAN COUNTIES.  RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING
NORTHEAST AROUND 35 MILES AN HOUR.

     STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WIND...
LIGHTNING...AND SMALL HAIL WERE INDICATED IN MARION COUNTY AROUND
HAMILTON AND IN NORTHWEST CULLMAN COUNTY BETWEEN CULLMAN...JONES
CHAPEL...AND BAILEYTON.

     RAIN CONTINUES TO FALL ACROSS MARION AND WINSTON COUNTIES
WHERE FLOODING HAS BECOME SERIOUS.  AS MUCH AS 3 TO 4 INCHES OF
RAIN HAS FALLEN ACROSS THESE TWO COUNTIES IN THE LAST SIX HOURS
OR SO.  NUMEROUS ROADS ARE CLOSED ACCORDING TO REPORTS FROM THE
MARION COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT.

     MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN DRIVING
INTO AREAS OF HEAVY RAIN.  IF WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY...DON'T
EVENTURE INTO THE FLOODED AREA WHERE WATER IS AT AN UNKNOWN DEPTH...
FIND ALTERNATIVE ROUTES OR DELAY TRAVEL.
Special weather statement, Dec 22, 5:39 AM CST, 1 hour before
ALZ001>009-011-221300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
538 AM CST SAT DEC 22 1990

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR WINSTON...MARION...NORTHERN LAMAR
                     COUNTIES IN EFFECT UNTIL 630 AM CST...
 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF NORTHERN ALABAMA TODAY...

     AT 538 AM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING MARION...WINSTON...CULLMAN...LAMAR...
FAYETTE...AND WALKER COUNTIES.  RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING
NORTHEAST AROUND 35 MILES AN HOUR.

     STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WIND...
LIGHTNING...AND SMALL HAIL WERE INDICATED IN MARION COUNTY AROUND
HAMILTON.  ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN WAS INDICATED IN EASTERN MISSISSIPPI
AND SHOULD MOVE INTO LAMAR AND NORTHERN PICKENS COUNTY DURING THE NEXT
HOUR.

     FLOODING HAS BECOME SERIOUS IN WINSTON AND MARION COUNTIES
WHERE AS MUCH AS 3 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN IN THE LAST
SIX HOURS OR SO.  NUMEROUS ROADS ARE REPORTED CLOSED ACCORDING TO
THE MARION COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT.

     MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN DRIVING
INTO AREAS OF HEAVY RAIN.  IF WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY...DON'T
VENTURE INTO THE FLOODED AREA WHERE WATER IS AT AN UNKNOWN DEPTH...
FIND ALTERNATIVE ROUTES OR DELAY TRAVEL.

     SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN IN THE FORECAST FOR MUCH OF NORTHERN
AND CENTRAL ALABAMA TODAY AS A STRONG COLD FRONT PUSHES EASTWARD INzTO
A VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS OVER ALABAMA.  PEOPLE IN ALABAMA
ARE ENCOURAGED TO KEEP UP ON DEVELOPING WEATHER TODAY.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 21, 8:18 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMarion42 min
Dec 21, 8:23 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXColbert, Lauderdale4 hr
Dec 21, 8:33 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXColbert, Franklin57 min
Dec 21, 10:43 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXPickens32 min
Dec 21, 10:48 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLamar42 min
Dec 22, 2:24 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXColbert, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Morgan4 hr
Dec 22, 2:24 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXMadison4 hr
Dec 22, 2:34 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXLamar, Marion4 hr
Dec 22, 2:34 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXWinston4 hr
Dec 22, 6:30 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXLimestone, Madison, Morgan4 hr
Dec 22, 6:30 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXColbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence4 hr
Dec 22, 6:39 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXLamar2 hr
Dec 22, 6:58 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXPickens32 min
Dec 22, 10:18 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXCullman, Fayette, Walker117 min
Dec 22, 10:18 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXLamar, Pickens117 min
Dec 22, 10:30 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXJackson, Madison, Marshall4 hr
Dec 22, 10:30 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXColbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence4 hr
Dec 22, 10:30 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXLimestone, Morgan4 hr
Dec 22, 12:15 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXCullman, Walker3 hr
Dec 22, 12:15 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXFayette, Lamar, Pickens3 hr
Dec 22, 1:40 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXMarion, Winston80 min
Dec 22, 2:46 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXGreene29 min
Dec 22, 3:04 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXTuscaloosa56 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.