Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 176, NWS Mobile, AL

August 30, 1990Dale County, Henry County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 30, 1990, 4:06 PM CDT for Dale County, Henry County, Alabama. It was in force for 69 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 30, 1990, 4:06 PM CDT (21:06 UTC)
Expired
Aug 30, 1990, 5:15 PM CDT
In force
69 min
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Whole counties

Counties Dale County, AL, Henry 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 30, 4:20 PM CDTHail 0.75Dale, 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

Apalachicola Mun, FL (KAQQ), launched 12:00Z, 9.1 hours before the alert went out and 198 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, Apalachicola Mun, FL at 12:00Z on 1990-08-30Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3312 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, Apalachicola Mun, FL at 12:00Z on 1990-08-30The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 27 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
3312 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-29 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
790 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
13 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
27 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
24 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 KMGM 302110
SVRMGM
ALC045-067-302215-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
406 PM CDT THU AUG 30 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MONTGOMERY HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  515 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN SOUTH ALABAMA
 
   ...EASTERN DALE COUNTY...HENRY COUNTY
 
AT 408 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IN THE NORTHEAST
CORNER OF DALE COUNTY MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 MPH.
 
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 30, 1:38 PM CDT, 2 hours 28 minutes before
FLZ001>004-282125-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
130 PM CDT THU AUG 30 1990

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA
UNTIL 8 PM CDT.

AT 130 PM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS HAD DEVELOPED IN LINES AND CLUSTERS
ACROSS NORTHWEST FLORIDA AND SOUTHWEST ALABAMA.

ONE QUARTER INCH HAIL WAS REPORTED IN THE FT. WALTON BEACH VICINITY AT
112 PM CDT AND WIND GUSTS TO AROUND 40 MPH.

VUERY HEAVY RAINFALL..GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND HAIL IS
POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS.

STAY TUNED FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS.
Local storm report, Aug 30, 2:10 PM CDT, 1 hour 56 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
205 PM CDT THU AUG 30 1990

TIME     CO/STATE       EVENT
145 PM  WASHINGTON/AL   GROVE HILL STATE AND EOC DIRECTOR REPORTED
                        TREES{ AND POWER LINES DOWN IN MILLRY...ALSO
                        ROOFS OFF SEVERAL BUILDINGS.
Local storm report, Aug 30, 2:34 PM CDT, 1 hour 32 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
230 PM CDT THU AUG 30 1990

TIME     CO/STATE       EVENT
220 PM  ESCAMBIA/AL     STATE NURSERY IN POARCH WITH WIND EQUIPMENT
                        REPORTED SEVERAL GUSTS TO 40 MPH. ALSO...
                        NICKLE TO QUARTER SIZED HAIL. A GROCERY
                        CONTACT IN HUXFORD REPORTED DIME TO NICKLE
                        SIZED HAIL JUST SOUTHWEST OF HUXFORD.
Special weather statement, Aug 30, 2:35 PM CDT, 1 hour 31 minutes before
FLZ001>004-302030-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
230 PM CDT THU AUG 30 1990

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA
UNTIL 8 PM CDT.

AT 225 PM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED IN A 25 MILE WIDE AREA
FROM THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI. THE STORMS WERE
OCCURRING FROM THE LAUREL...HATTIESBURG AREAS OF MISSISSIPPI...EAST AND
SOUTHEAST ACROSS NORTHWEST FLORIDA TO NORTHERN BAY COUNTY.

SEVERAL OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS INDICATED FREQUENT LIGHTNING...HAIL...
GUSTY WINDS...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.

THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE PRESENTLY LOCATED IN BAY COUNTY NORTHWEST OF
PANAMA CITY...AND IN ESCAMBIA COUNTY OF ALABAMA.

MOVEMENTS WERE SOUTHEAST 20 TO 25 MPH.
Special weather statement, Aug 30, 3:19 PM CDT, 47 minutes before
ALZ016-302115-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
319 PM CDT THU AUG 30 1990

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM... ...A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 330 PM FOR GREENE
COUNTY...

AT 305 PM...WIND GUSTS FROM 40 TO 50 MPH WERE OCCURRING IN THE MOBILE
METRO AREA. THESE WINDS ARE CALLED GUST FRONTS OR OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES
AND ARE THE RESULT OF STRONG DOWNDRAFTS FROM NEARBY THUNDERSTORMS.

ALTHOUGH THEY ARE DANGEROUS...THEY ARE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH TORNADOS.

PEOPLE IN THE MOBILE AREA SHOULD REMAIN IN THEIR HOMES OR SHELTERED
AREAS UNTIL THE WINDS SUBSIDE.

AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING SOUTH THROUGH SOUTHERN ALABAMA.
THESE STORMS HAVE PRODUCED HAIL IN COUNTIES NORTH OF MOBILE IN THE
PAST SEVERAL HOURS AND WILL BE MOVING INTO THE MOBILE AREA IN THE NEXT
HOUR.

PEOPLE SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON UNTIL THE
WWATCH EXPIRES.
Special weather statement, Aug 30, 3:37 PM CDT, 29 minutes before
FLZ001>004-302030-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
330 PM CDT THU AUG 30 1990

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA
UNTIL 8 PM CDT.

AT 325 PM CDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE NUMEROUS IN A BAND...25 MILES
WIDE...ACROSS THE GULF COAST.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN CLUSTERS AND SHORT LINES FROM SOUTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI...EASTWARD OVER ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA TO DE FUNIAK
SPRINGS IN WALTON COUNTY.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE A HISTORY OF SMALL HAIL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING
...GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN.

THE THUNDERSTORM BAND WAS MOVING SOUTHWARD TOWARD THE COASTLINE.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 30, 12:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBGeneva, Houston66 min
Aug 30, 12:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBClarke56 min
Aug 30, 1:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBWashington61 min
Aug 30, 2:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBEscambia45 min
Aug 30, 3:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBMobile48 min
Aug 30, 4:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBBaldwin40 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.