Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 147, NWS Birmingham, AL

August 20, 1990Marengo County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 20, 1990, 7:06 PM CDT for Marengo County, Alabama. It was in force for 54 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Aug 20, 1990, 7:06 PM CDT (00:06 UTC)
Expired
Aug 20, 1990, 8:00 PM CDT
In force
54 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Marengo County, AL

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Aug 20, 7:20 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 0Marengo, AL

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Centreville/Bibb, AL (KCKL), launched 00:00Z, 0.1 hours before the alert went out and 91 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 1990-08-21Temperature 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 00:00Z on 1990-08-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 20 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
NaN m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
20 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
31 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 210008
SVRBHM
ALC091-210100-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
706 PM CDT MON AUG 20 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  800 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTH ALABAMA
 
   ...MARENGO COUNTY
 
AT 705 PM A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED IN EXTREME SOUTHERN HALE
COUNTY AND WAS MOVING SOUTH NEAR 10 MILES AN HOUR. THIS THUNDERSTORM
WAS MOVING INTO NORTHERN MARENGO COUNTY...AND SHOULD CONTINUE TO MOVE
SOUTH THROUGH MARENGO COUNTY DURING THE NEXT HOUR.
 
WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A
STRONG BUILDING.  DO NOT STAND BY WINDOWS.  DON'T USE TELEPHONES
OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY UNTIL THE STORM
HAS PASSED.  MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT DRIVE INTO LOW WATER CROSSINGS.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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, Aug 20, 1:31 PM CDT, 5 hours 35 minutes before
ALZ004>009-011-201930-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
130 PM CDT MON AUG 20 1990

SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE FIRING UP QUICKLY ACROSS CENTRAL
ALABAMA THIS AFTERNOON.

AT 125 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT CENTREVILLE INDICATED A BROKEN LINE
OF SHOWERS AND STORMS WHICH EXTENDED FROM NEAR COLLINSVILLE IN DE KALB
COUNTY WESTWARD INTO NORTHERN CULLMAN...WINSTON AND MARION COUNTIES.
ANOTHER STRONG STORM WAS IN CLAY COUNTY ABOUT 10 MILES EAST OF ASHLAND.

MOVEMENT OF THE STORMS WERE SLOW AND ERRATIC AND BECAUSE OF THIS...VERY
HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE POSSIBLE RESULTING IN LARGE AMOUNTS OF RAIN IN A
SHORT TIME.  IN ADDITION TO THE HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND
FREQUENT LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.

PERSONS SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING SHOULD THREATENING WEATHER
APPROACH.  CONTINUE TO LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL TV OR RADIO
FOR LATER WEATHER UPDATES AND STATEMENTS.
Special weather statement, Aug 20, 2:04 PM CDT, 5 hours 2 minutes before
ALZ004>009-011-202000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
202 PM CDT MON AUG 20 1990

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING IN NORTHERN ALABAMA THIS AFTERNOON.

AT 200 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT CENTREVILLE SHOWED NUMEROUS SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE NORTH HALF OF ALABAMA.  SOME OF THE STORMS
WERE QUITE STRONG.  ONE OF THE STORMS...IN CULLMAN COUNTY...PRODUCED
MARBLE SIZED HAIL...VERY STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS AROUND
140 PM.

LIGHT TO MODERATE SHOWERS WERE WIDELY SCATTERED OVER CENTRAL ALABAMA.
WITH HOT AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES...A FEW THESE SHOWERS MAY BUILD INTO
THUNDERSTORMS WITHIN A VERY SHORT TIME.  ALABAMIANS NEED TO KEEP THIS
IN MIND THIS AFTERNOON AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO SAFE SHELTER IF
THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOU.

CONTINUE TO LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA FOR LATER
WEATHER UPDATES AND STATEMENTS.
Special weather statement, Aug 20, 3:12 PM CDT, 3 hours 54 minutes before
ALZ010-011-012-014-017-018-202300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
315 PM CDT MON AUG 20 1990

IF YOU THINK IT HAS BEEN HOT THE LAST SEVEN DAYS...YOU ARE RIGHT...
LISTED BELOW ARE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES AT MONTGOMERY FOR THE LAST
SEVEN DAYS AND THE LAST TIME 100 DEGREE MAXIMUMS OCCURRED FOR SEVEN
CONSECUTIVE DAYS...
1990 AUGUST 14TH 101       1954 AUGUST 11TH 101
            15TH 101                   12TH 102
            16TH 102                   13TH 101
            17TH 100                   14TH 103
            18TH 101                   15TH 101
            19TH 101                   16TH 102
            20TH 100 3PM               17TH 100

AUGUST 195_4 SHOWED 14 DAYS OF 100 OR ABOVE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES.
SO FAR THIS AUGUST HAS PRODUCED 8 DAYS. SEVERAL OTHER PERIODS SINCE
1872 SAW 6 CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITH MAXIMUMS OF 100 OR ABOVE.
Special weather statement, Aug 20, 3:33 PM CDT, 3 hours 33 minutes before
ALZ010-011-012-014-017-018-202230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
330 PM CDT MON AUG 20 1990

AT 320 PM CDT WEATHER RADAR AT MONTGOMERY SHOWED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
MOVING INTO HENRY AND HOUSTON COUNTIES ALABAMA FROM GEORGIA. THE
THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN A SHORT LINE BETWEEN FORT GAINES GEORGIA AND
AND MARIANA FLORIDA. MOVEMENT WAS WEST SOUTHWEST AT 15 MPH.

OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED OVER EAST ALABAMA FROM WADLEY
ACROSS LAKE MARTIN TO NEAR WETUMPKA ALABAMA...AND OVER BARBOUR COUNTY
...AND OVER GENEVA COUNTIES ALABAMA.

DUE TO THE HIGH TEMPERATURES ALL THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE THE
CAPABILITY TO DEVELOP RAPIDLY.  GUSTY SURFACE WINDS...DANGEROUS
|LIGHTNING...HAIL...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS MAY OCCUR WITH ANY OF THESE
THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY LITTLE ADVANCE WARNING.
Special weather statement, Aug 20, 5:20 PM CDT, 1 hour 46 minutes before
ALZ014-017-018-210015-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
515 PM CDT MON AUG 20 1990

AT 510 PM RADAR SHOWED SEVERAL CLUSTERS OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER
SOUTH ALABAMA.

THE MOST INTENSE STORMS WERE BETWEEN DOTHAN AND ENTERPRISE AND MOVING
WEST AT 10 MPH. OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER SOUTHERN CHILTON
COUNTY AND MOVING SOUTHWEST. THESE STORMS WILL BE MOVING INTO NORTHERN
DALLAS COUNTY BY 530 PM. A FEW STRONG STORMS WERE BETWEEN LOUISVILLE
AND TROY.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS...EXTREMELY
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...TORRENTIAL RAIN...AND POSSIBLY SOME HAIL UNTIL
AROUND SUNSET.

PLEASE REMAIN ALERT AND READY TO GO TO A SAFE [SHELTER IF ONE OF THE
STORMS APPROACHES.

DEVAUGHN

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 21, 2:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLimestone, Madison, Morgan65 min
Aug 21, 4:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXSt. Clair49 min
Aug 21, 5:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXShelby55 min
Aug 21, 5:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXClay45 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 1990Every severe thunderstorm 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.