Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 1991

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Birmingham, AL

March 1, 1991Perry County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Mar 1, 1991, 1:02 PM CST for Perry County, Alabama. It was in force for 43 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 1, 1991, 1:02 PM CST (19:02 UTC)
Expired
Mar 1, 1991, 1:45 PM CST
In force
43 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Perry County, AL

The nearest sounding before it

Centreville/Bibb, AL (KCKL), launched 12:00Z, 7.0 hours before the alert went out and 30 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 12:00Z on 1991-03-01Temperature 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 12:00Z on 1991-03-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 228 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1376 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
45 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
228 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
276 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 011904
TORBHM
ALC105-011945-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
102 PM CST FRI MAR 1 1991
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  145 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTH ALABAMA
 
   ...PERRY COUNTY
 
AT 1 PM CST RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO IN SOUTHWEST PERRY COUNTY. THE
POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS MOVING TOWARD THE CITY OF MARION AT 45 MILES AN
HOUR.
 
 
 
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.N  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, Mar 1, 11:06 AM CST, 1 hour 56 minutes before
ALZ004>009-011-011800-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1106 AM CST FRI MAR 1 1991

...TORNADO WATCH FOR MUCH OF WEST AND SOUTH ALABAMA UNTIL 3 PM...

AT 1104...WEATHER
Special weather statement, Mar 1, 11:08 AM CST, 1 hour 54 minutes before
ALZ004>009-011-011800-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1106 AM CST FRI MAR 1 1991

...TORNADO WATCH FOR MUCH OF WEST AND SOUTH ALABAMA UNTIL 3 PM...

AT 1104 AM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF RAIN COVERING THE
WEST HALF OF THE STATE.  THE RAIN WAS MAINLY OF LIGHT AND MODERATE INTENSITY
HOWEVER ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WERE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN.  THE HEAVIEST
RAIN WAS IN TUCALOOSA...SUMTER...AND MARENGO COUNTIES.  THE RAIN WAS MOVING
NORTHEAST AROUND 40 MILES AND HOUR.  HALE...GREENE...AND WALKER COUNTIES WILL
RECEIVE HEAVY RAIN WITHIN THE HOUR.

A STORM SYSTEM CONTINUES TO GAIN STRENGTH AND MOVE CLOSER TO ALABAMA. SHOWERS
AND THUNDERST{ORMS WILL CONTINUE INTO TONIGHT AND SOME THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE-
COME SEVERE.
Special weather statement, Mar 1, 12:06 PM CST, 56 minutes before
ALZ010-011-012-014-017-011900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
1205 PM CST FRI MAR 1 1991

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 17 IN EFFECT UNTIL 330 PM CST FOR WEST
ALABAMA...
...RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO MONTGOMERY...

AT 1152 AM CST WEATHER RADAR AT MONTGOMERY SHOWED AN AREA OF RAIN
FROM WASHINGTON AND CLARKE COUNTIES TO JUST BEYOND BIRMINGHAM. WITHIN
THAT AREA OF RAIN WERE SOME THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN. THE
STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE BETWEEN DALLAS AND LOWNDES COUNTIES AND
WERE MOVING JUST EAST OF NORTH AT 45 MILES AN HOUR. THE AREA IS MOVING
EAST AT ABOUT 20 MILES AN HOUR AND RAIN HAS BEGUN IN MONTGOMERY.

THE TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MANY COUNTIES WEST OF
MONTGOMERY SO RESIDENTS WILL WANT TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR NOAA WEATHER
RADIO.

SNELL
Special weather statement, Mar 1, 12:21 PM CST, 41 minutes before
ALZ010-011-012-014-017-011900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
1205 PM CST FRI MAR 1 1991

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 17 IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM CST FOR WEST
ALABAMA...
...RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO MONTGOMERY...

AT 1152 AM CST WEATHER RADAR AT MONTGOMERY SHOWED AN AREA OF RAIN
FROM WASHINGTON AND CLARKE COUNTIES TO JUST BEYOND BIRMINGHAM. WITHIN
THAT AREA OF RAIN WERE SOME THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN. THE
STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE BETWEEN DALLAS AND LOWNDES COUNTIES AND
WERE MOVING JUST EAST OF NORTH AT 45 MILES AN HOUR. THE AREA IS MOVING
EAST AT ABOUT 20 MILES AN HOUR AND RAIN HAS BEGUN IN MONTGOMERY.

THE TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MANY COUNTIES WEST OF
MONTGOMERY SO RESIDENTS WILL WANT TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR NOAA WEATHER
RADIO.
SNELL
Special weather statement, Mar 1, 12:39 PM CST, 23 minutes before
ALZ004>009-011-011900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
140 PM CST FRI MAR 1 1991

...TORNADO WATCH FOR MUCH OF WEST AND SOUTH ALABAMA UNTIL 3 PM...

AT 138 PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF RAIN CONTAINING
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE PRODUCING MAINLY VERY
HEAVY RAIN. THE HEAVIEST RAIN WAS IN THE SOUTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL COUNTIES.
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS PRODUCING EXTREMELY HEAVY RAIN IN MARENGO COUNTY
AS WELL AS STRONG GUSTY WINDS. HEAVY RAIN WAS ALSO FALLING IN GREENE...HALE
...SUMTER...PICKENS COUNTIES.

A STORM SYSTEM CONTINUES TOWARD ALABAMA...AND RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL
CONTINUE INTO TONIGHT.  SOME THUN DERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE.
Special weather statement, Mar 1, 12:42 PM CST, 20 minutes before
ALZ004>009-011-011900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...TIME CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1240 PM CST FRI MAR 1 1991

...TORNADO WATCH FOR MUCH OF WEST AND SOUTH ALABAMA UNTIL 3 PM...

AT 1238 PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF RAIN CONTAINING
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE PRODUCING MAINLY VERY
HEAVY RAIN. THE HEAVIEST RAIN WAS IN THE SOUTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL COUNTIES.
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS PRODUCING EXTREMELY HEAVY RAIN IN MARENGO COUNTY
AS WELL AS STRONG GUSTY WINDS. HEAVY RAIN WAS ALSO FALLING IN GREENE...HALE
...SUMTER...PICKENS COUNTIES.

A STORM SYSTEM CONTINUES TOWARD ALABAMA...AND RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL
CONTINUE INTO% TONIGHT.  SOME THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE.

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 1991Every tornado warning in 1991Tornadoes in 1991

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.