Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 1990

Tornado Warning 12, NWS Mobile, AL

May 19, 1990Mobile County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this tornado warning at May 19, 1990, 2:26 PM CDT for Mobile County, Alabama. It was in force for 13 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
May 19, 1990, 2:26 PM CDT (19:26 UTC)
Expired
May 19, 1990, 2:39 PM CDT
In force
13 min
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Mobile 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
May 19, 2:35 PM CDTTornado F0Mobile, 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

Slidell Radar S, LA (KSIL), launched 12:00Z, 7.4 hours before the alert went out and 152 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, Slidell Radar S, LA at 12:00Z on 1990-05-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 913 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, Slidell Radar S, LA at 12:00Z on 1990-05-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 110 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
913 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-9 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
574 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
110 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
149 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMOB 191928
TORMOB
ALC097-191945-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO AND SPECIAL MARINE WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
226 PM CDT SAT MAY 19 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOBILE HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO AND SPECIAL MARINE WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  245 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA
 
   ...SOUTHERN MOBILE COUNTY
AT 223 PM THE BAYOU LA BATRE POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTED THAT A
WATERSPOUT WAS OBSERVED 5 MILES SOUTH OF CODEN IN PORTERSVILLE BAY. IT
WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH AT 15 MPH.
 
THE WATERSPOUT IS EXPECTED TO DISSIPATE QUICKLY IF IT COMES ASHORE.
HOWEVER...IT MAY PRODUCE SOME DAMAGE ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST.
 
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 LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVERG YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.

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.