Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 1991

Tornado Warning 16, NWS Birmingham, AL

April 29, 1991DeKalb County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Apr 29, 1991, 8:53 AM CDT for DeKalb County, Alabama. It was in force for 67 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: Apr 29, 1991, 8:53 AM CDT (13:53 UTC)
Expired: Apr 29, 1991, 10:00 AM CDT
In force: 67 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Whole counties

County DeKalb County, AL

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Apr 29, 9:15 AM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind 0	Dekalb, 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

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 12:00Z, 1.9 hours before the alert went out and 199 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 1048 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 57 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -126 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 123 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 KHSV 291354
TORHSV
ALC049-291500-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
853 AM CDT MON APR 29 1991
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1000 AM CDT
 
 
IN NORTH ALABAMA
 
   ...DEKALB COUNTY
 
HUNTSVILLE RADAR AT 852 THIS MORNING INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM POSSIBLY
CANTAINING A TORNADO NEAR GROVE OAK MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN
HOUR. THIS STORM WILL PASS NEAR RAINSVILLE DURING THE NEXT 30 MINUTES.
 
 
 
 
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 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, Apr 29, 3:08 AM CDT, 5 hours 45 minutes before

ALZ004>009-011-291000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
305 AM CDT MON APR 29 1991

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CDT FOR PORTIONS OF
NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...

AT 3 AM RADAR INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF LIGHT RAIN AND A FEW
THUNDERSHOWERS FROM MUSCLE SHOALS ALABAMA SOUTHWEST TO JACKSON
MISSISSIPPI.  THE RAIN WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AROUND 45 MPH AND WILL
MAINLY AFFECT THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF ALABAMA FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL
HOURS.

THUNDERSTORMS WERE INCREASING OVER WEST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI AND MOVING
RAPIDLY NORTHEASTWARD.  FOR THIS REASON...THE TORNADAO WATCH WAS ISSUED
TO INCLUDE NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA.  HOWEVER THESE STORMS ARE
NOT EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO ALABAMA UNTIL LATER THIS MORNING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER UPDATES AND STATEMENTS
FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

Special weather statement, Apr 29, 5:13 AM CDT, 3 hours 40 minutes before

ALZ004>009-011-291200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
512 AM CDT MON APR 29 1991

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CDT FOR PORTIONS OF
NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...

AT 5 AM RADAR INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF LIGHT RAIN AND SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS FROM MUSCLE SHOALS ALABAMA SOUTHWEST TO JACKSON
MISSISSIPPI.  THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE MOVING INTO LAMAR AND MARION
COUNTIES.  RADAR DETECTED THAT THESE STORMS WERE LIKELY PRODUCING
SOME SMALL HAIL.

STRONG GUSTY WINDS CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED WITH THE STORMS AS THEY MOVE
NORTHEAST AROUND 45 MPH.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER UPDATES AND STATEMENTS
FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.H

Special weather statement, Apr 29, 6:20 AM CDT, 2 hours 33 minutes before

ALZ004>009-011-291300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
620 AM CDT MON APR 29 1991

...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CDT FOR PORTIONS OF
NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT TODAY FOR PORTIONS OF
NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...

AT 6 AM RADAR INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF RAIN AND SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS FROM MUSCLE SHOALS ALABAMA SOUTHWEST TO JACKSON
MISSISSIPPI.  THE STRONGEST STORMS HAD FORMED A LINE FROM MUSCLE SHOALS
SOUTH TO FAYETTE.  THIS LINE WAS MOVING RAPIDLY EASTWARD THROUGH
FRANKLIN...MARION AND FAYETTE COUNTIES AND WILL SOON BE AFFECTING SUCH
TOWNS AS HALEYVILLE...DOUBLE SPRINGS AND JASPER.

STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH
THESE STORMS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER UPDATES AND STATEMENTS
FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

Local storm report, Apr 29, 8:35 AM CDT, 18 minutes before

STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
800 AM CDT MON APR 29 1991

800 AM CDT   ROOF REPORTED BLOWN OFF A BUILDING OFF INTERSTATE 65
             AND ROBERT JEMISON ROAD NEAR SKI LODGE APARTMENTS.
             OTHER ROOF DAMAGE REPORTED IN SAME AREA OF BIRMINGHAM.
             IN HOMEWOOD...TREES REPORTED SNAPPED NEAR HOMEWOOD HIGH
             SCHOOL.  UNKNOWN TYPE DAMAGE WAS REPORTED IN WEST HOMEWOOD
             PART OFF WEST OXMOOR ROAD.  TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN AT
             NUMEROUS OTHER LOCATIONS AROUND 800-810 AM CDT...AREAS
             SUCH AS CENTER POINT...WARRIOR RIVER ROAD AREA...
             SPRINGVILLE ROAD...AND IN PLEASANT GROVE.
             ALL DAMAGE OCCURRED IN JEFFERSON COUNTY IN OR NEAR THE
             CITY OF BIRMINGHAM.

             SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IN EFFECT FOR JEFFERSON COUNTY
             FROM 730 AM CDT TO 815 AM CDT.

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 29, 7:15 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Limestone, Madison	60 min
Apr 29, 7:15 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Limestone	33 min
Apr 29, 7:30 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jefferson	45 min
Apr 29, 7:50 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Marengo	40 min
Apr 29, 7:58 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Hale	32 min
Apr 29, 8:16 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Shelby	44 min
Apr 29, 8:19 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Perry	35 min
Apr 29, 8:25 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	St. Clair	29 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 1991 Every tornado warning in 1991 Tornadoes 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.