Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 107, NWS Mobile, AL

May 12, 1990Escambia County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 12, 1990, 10:32 PM CDT for Escambia County, Alabama. It was in force for 28 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 12, 1990, 10:32 PM CDT (03:32 UTC)
Expired
May 12, 1990, 11:00 PM CDT
In force
28 min
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Escambia 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 00:00Z, 3.5 hours before the alert went out and 197 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 1990-05-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 83 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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 1990-05-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 235 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
83 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-220 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1545 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
58 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
235 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
289 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMOB 130334
SVRMOB
ALC053-130400-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
1032 PM CDT SAT MAY 12 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOBILE HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1100 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA
 
   ...SOUTHWESTERN ESCAMBIA COUNTY
 
AT 1031 PM A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS INDICATED BY RADAR 6 MILES WEST
OF ATMORE MOVING TOWARD THE EAST-SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
 
LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS ARE LIKELY WITH THIS
THUNDERSTORM.
 
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

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, May 12, 6:26 PM CDT, 4 hours 6 minutes before
ALZ013-015-016-130030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
624 PM CDT SAT MAY 12 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA
UNTIL 1100 PM...

AT 620 PM THE MOBILE RADAR SHOWED A BROKEN LINE OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS FROM CHOCTAW COUNTY ALABAMA WEST SOUTHWEST INTO SOUTHERN
MISSISSIPPI.  THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT 35 MPH.

RESIDENTS IN WASHINGTON AND CLARKE COUNTIES OF ALABAMA SHOULD BE ALERT
FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER WITHIN THE NEXT TWO HOURS.
Special weather statement, May 12, 8:40 PM CDT, 1 hour 52 minutes before
ALZ013-015-016-MSZ014-013-130245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
838 PM CDT SAT MAY 12 1990

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI UNTIL
200 AM...

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHWEST
ALABAMA UNTIL 1100 PM...

AT 835 PM THE MOBILE RADAR INDICATED A SOLID LINE OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS FROM GROVE HILL ALABAMA WEST-SOUTHWEST ACROSS STATE LINE
MISSISSIPPI TO WEST OF HATTIESBURG.  THE LINE WAS MOVING TOWARD THE
EAST-SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING...AND POSSIBLE HAIL.  RAINFALL RATES OF TWO INCHES IN AN
HOUR WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF STREETS AND ROADS AND SMALL STREAMS WILL
RISE RAPIDLY.  RESIDENTS LIVING NEAR STREAMS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT
FOR RISING WATER AND MOTORISTS SHOULD DRIVE WITH EXTREME CAUTION.

RESIDENTS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER
THIS EVENING.
Special weather statement, May 12, 9:51 PM CDT, 41 minutes before
ALZ013-015-016-MSZ014-013-130345-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
949 PM CDT SAT MAY 12 1990

...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI
UNTIL 200 AM SUNDAY...

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING
SOUTHWEST ALABAMA COUNTIES...MOBILE...BALDWIN...MONROE...CONECUH AND
ESCAMBIA...

AT 945 PM THE MOBILE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
FROM 8 MILES NORTH OF MONROEVILLE TO CITRONELL.  ANOTHER SHORT LINE OF
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED FROM BUCKATUNNA TO BROOKLYN IN
SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI.  THE STORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE
EAST-SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

IT APPEARS THAT THE STORMS NEAR CITRONELLE WILL PASS JUST TO THE NORTH
OF THE CITY OF MOBILE SHORTLY BEFORE MIDNIGHT.  HOWEVER THE STORMS
OVER SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI SHOULD MOVE INTO THE MOBILE AREA AFTER
MIDNIGHT.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE PRODUCING COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF RAINFALL.  AS
THEY MOVE THROUGH...RESIDENTS CAN EXPECT UP TO 2 INCHES OF RAINFALL
PER HOUR.  THAT WILL BE SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE FLOODING OF STREETS AND
ROADS AND STREAMS IN THE AREA WILL APPROACH BANKFULL.

IN ADDITION TO THE RAINFALL...THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE STRONG
GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE HAIL.

PEA-SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED IN CHATOM ALABAMA IN WASHINGTON COUNTY
SHORTLY AFTER 900 PM.

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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.