Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 1990
Tornado Warning 15, NWS Birmingham, AL
NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Feb 9, 1990, 11:02 PM CST for Walker County, Alabama. It was in force for 28 min. 2 reports 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
- Feb 9, 1990, 11:02 PM CST (05:02 UTC)
- Expired
- Feb 9, 1990, 11:30 PM CST
- In force
- 28 min
- Issued by
- NWS Birmingham, AL
- Area
- Whole counties
County Walker 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 9, 11:20 PM CST | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Walker, AL | |
| Feb 9, 11:40 PM CST | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Walker, 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, 5.0 hours before the alert went out and 101 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
- 897 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -14 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 603 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 50 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 282 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 340 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.5
- Supercell composite
- 7.7
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KBHM 100503 TORBHM ALC127-100530- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1102 PM CST FRI FEB 9 1990 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1130 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... IN NORTH ALABAMA ...WALKER COUNTY AT 1102 PM CST A TORNADO WAS INDICATED BY RADAR NEAR THE CARBONHILL AND ELDRIDGE IN NORTHWEST WALKER COUNTY. THIS STORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWESQT FLOOR. USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS... OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY. AVOID WINDOWS.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado 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 9, 7:16 PM CST, 3 hours 46 minutes before
ALZ010-100300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL 715 PM CST FRI FEB 9 1990 AT 710 PM CST WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A FAST MOVING THUNDERSTORM 20 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF MONTGOMERY MOVING NORTHEAST AT NEARLY 50 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM SHOULD STAY WEST OF MONTGOMERY BUT MOVE OVER PRATTVILLE BEFORE 8 PM AND NEAR WETUMPKA THIRTY MINUTES LATER. HEAVY RAIN...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLE HAIL MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM.
Special weather statement, Feb 9, 8:41 PM CST, 2 hours 21 minutes before
ALZ004-005-006-008-009-100400- SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 840 PM CST FRI FEB 9 1990 THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED IN NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI WERE MOVING INTO WESTERN ALABAMA. AT 838 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED IN NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI MOVING RAPIDLY TO THE NORTHEAST. THE STORMS WILL MOVE INTO MARION...LAMAR...FAYETTE AND WINSTON COUNTIES IN THE NEXT 30 TO 60 MINUTES. THESE THUNDERSTORMS CONTAIN HEAVY RAIN...LIGHTNING...AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS. PERSONS IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA NEED TO BE READY TO SEEK SHELTER IF WEATHER CONDITIONS TURNS THREATENING.
Special weather statement, Feb 9, 8:42 PM CST, 2 hours 20 minutes before
ALZ004-005-006-008-009-100400- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 840 PM CST FRI FEB 9 1990 THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED IN NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI WERE MOVING INTO WESTERN ALABAMA. AT 838 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED IN NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI MOVING RAPIDLY TO THE NORTHEAST. THE STORMS WILL MOVE INTO MARION...LAMAR...FAYETTE AND WINSTON COUNTIES IN THE NEXT 30 TO 60 MINUTES. THESE THUNDERSTORMS CONTAIN HEAVY RAIN...LIGHTNING...AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS. PERSONS IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA NEED TO BE READY TO SEEK SHELTER IF WEATHER CONDITIONS TURNS THREATENING.
Special weather statement, Feb 9, 10:48 PM CST, 14 minutes before
ALZ010-100600- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL 1055 PM CST FRI FEB 9 1990 ...TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4AM CST FOR COOSA AND TALLAPOOSA COUNTIES... ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 11PM UNTIL 6AM FOR PARTS OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA... AT 10 55PM CST WEATHER RADAR AT MONTGOMERY SHOWED SCATTERED LIGHT TO MODERATE SHOWERS OVER PARTS OF EAST CENTRAL THROUGH SOUTH ALABAMA. STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER NORTH ALABAMA SOUTHWESTWARD INTO MISSISSIPPI. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDER STORMS WERE MOVING RAPIDLY TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 50 MPH. THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER OVER ALABAMA FOR TONIGHT IS HIGH AND PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREAS AS WELL A>S OTHER PARTS OF ALABAMA SHOULD REMAIN ON THE ALERT. PETTIT
The office that day
Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 9, 8:29 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Lauderdale | 61 min |
| Feb 9, 8:45 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Lamar | 30 min |
| Feb 9, 8:56 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Fayette | 34 min |
| Feb 9, 9:23 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Lamar | 37 min |
| Feb 9, 9:30 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Fayette | 30 min |
| Feb 9, 9:43 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Walker | 47 min |
| Feb 9, 10:08 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Limestone | 27 min |
| Feb 9, 10:22 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Madison | 68 min |
| Feb 9, 10:53 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Jackson, Madison | 37 min |
| Feb 9, 11:16 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Colbert, Lauderdale | 4 hr |
| Feb 9, 11:28 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Cullman, Winston | 47 min |
| Feb 9, 11:35 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Walker | 40 min |
| Feb 9, 11:35 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Lamar | 40 min |
| Feb 10, 12:53 AM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Walker | 22 min |
| Feb 10, 12:53 AM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Jefferson | 37 min |
| Feb 10, 1:06 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Pickens | 69 min |
| Feb 10, 1:22 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Greene | 68 min |
| Feb 10, 1:30 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Colbert, Franklin, Lawrence | 5 hr |
| Feb 10, 1:30 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Limestone, Madison, Marshall, Morgan | 5 hr |
| Feb 10, 1:30 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Lauderdale | 5 hr |
| Feb 10, 1:30 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | DeKalb, Jackson | 5 hr |
| Feb 10, 1:33 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Tuscaloosa | 57 min |
| Feb 10, 1:53 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Hale | 67 min |
| Feb 10, 2:00 AM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Greene, Hale | 35 min |
| Feb 10, 2:06 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Marengo | 29 min |
| Feb 10, 2:19 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jefferson | 56 min |
| Feb 10, 2:20 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Bibb | 55 min |
| Feb 10, 2:32 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Shelby | 58 min |
| Feb 10, 2:39 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Chilton | 51 min |
| Feb 10, 2:40 AM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Jefferson, Shelby | 30 min |
| Feb 10, 2:50 AM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | St. Clair | 55 min |
| Feb 10, 2:54 AM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Talladega | 66 min |
| Feb 10, 3:11 AM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Clay | 64 min |
| Feb 10, 3:11 AM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Calhoun | 64 min |
| Feb 10, 3:33 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cleburne, Randolph | 37 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 1990Every tornado warning in 1990Tornadoes 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.