Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 1991

Flash Flood Warning 2, NWS Mobile, AL

March 2, 1991Geneva County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this flash flood warning at Mar 2, 1991, 11:18 PM CST for Geneva County, Alabama. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 2, 1991, 11:18 PM CST (05:18 UTC)
Expired
Mar 3, 1991, 2:15 AM CST
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Geneva County, AL

The nearest sounding before it

Apalachicola Mun, FL (KAQQ), launched 00:00Z, 5.3 hours before the alert went out and 172 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 00:00Z on 1991-03-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1156 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 00:00Z on 1991-03-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 52 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
1156 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-38 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
536 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
66 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
52 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
159 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
4.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMGM 030520
FFWMGM
ALC061-030815-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
1118 PM CST SAT MAR 2 1991
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MONTGOMERY HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  215 AM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN SOUTH ALABAMA
 
   ...GENEVA COUNTY
 
AT 11PM CST NUMERIOUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSHOWERS WAS MOVING OVER A
GENEVA COUNTY CAUSING STREAMS AND DITCHES TO FILL WITH WATER. WATER
HAS BEEN REPORTED OVER COUNTY ROAD 49 IN EAST GENEVA COUNTY. OTHER
ROADS ARE SUBJECT TO HAVE WATER ON THEM.
 
 
MOST DEATHS IN FLASH FLOODING OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES.  DO NOT
ATTEMPT TO CROSS BRIDGES...DIPS...OR LOW SPOTS IF WATER COVERS
THE ROADWAY.  NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...EVEN A
SMALL ONE...ON FOOT.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood 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 2, 8:33 PM CST, 2 hours 45 minutes before
FLZ001>004-030330-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
840 PM CST SAT MAR 2 1991

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM CDT FOR ESCAMBIA...SANTA ROSA
...AND OKALOOSA COUNTIES...
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR NORTHWEST FLORIDA...

AT 830 PM CST...SEVERAL LARGE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING OVER THE COAST
BETWEEN MOBILE ALABAMA AND FT WALTON BEACH FLORIDA. CLUSTERS OF
THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN THE COASTAL WATERS OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA FROM
MOBILE TO APALACHICOLA FLORIDA.

THE LARGER STORMS HAD BECOME FEWER IN NUMBER FOR NOW...BUT
THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NIGHT.

FLOODING WILL OCCUR AS THE STRONGER STORMS MOVE INLAND. RAINFALL COULD
TOATAL AN ADDITIONAL 3 TO 5 INCHES THIS EVENING THROUGH TONIGHT.

LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AS CONDITIONS WARRANT.
Special weather statement, Mar 2, 9:31 PM CST, 1 hour 47 minutes before
FLZ001>004-030430-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
935 PM CST SAT MAR 2 1991

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM CDT FOR ESCAMBIA...SANTA ROSA
...AND OKALOOSA COUNTIES...
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR NORTHWEST FLORIDA...

AT 930 PM CST...RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INLAND FROM THE GULF
FROM THE MISSISSIPPI COAST TO APALACHICOLA FLORIDA. SEVERAL OF THE
THUNDERSTORMS WERE PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL ALONG THE COAST OF
NORTHWEST FLORIDA. FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW AREAS IS OCCURRING OVER
THE COASTAL SECTIONS OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE. ADDITIONAL FLOODING IS
LIKELY AS THE HEAVY RAINS MOVE FARTHER INLAND DURING THE EVENING.

MORE HEAVY RAIN IS INDICATED IN THUNDERSTORMS CLUSTERED IN THE COASTAL
WATERS OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA...AND THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD LAND
AROUND 40 MPH.

ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED AS NEEDED.
Special weather statement, Mar 2, 10:05 PM CST, 1 hour 13 minutes before
ALZ016-MSZ014-013-030500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
1005 PM CST SAT MAR 2 1991

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 25 IS IN EFFECT FOR MOBILE AND BALDWIN COUNTIES
OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA AND ALL COUNTIES OF SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI UNTIL
11 PM...

MOBILE RADAR AT 1000 PM CST SHOWED THE LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS WITH
EMBEDDED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ENDING ACROSS SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI BUT
STILL COVERED MOST OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA.  THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE IN
WESTCENTRAL MOBILE AND NORTH BALDWIN COUNTIES OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA.  THE
STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

THE STORMS WERE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS... DANGEROUS LIGHTNING
... AND SMALL SIZE HAIL AS THEY TRACK &NORTHEAST ACROSS SOUTHWEST ALABAMA
FOR THE NEXT TWO HOURS.
Special weather statement, Mar 2, 10:05 PM CST, 1 hour 13 minutes before
ALZ016-MSZ014-013-030500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
1005 PM CST SAT MAR 2 1991

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 25 IS IN EFFECT FOR MOBILE AND BALDWIN COUNTIES
OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 25 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...

MOBILE RADAR AT 1000 PM CST SHOWED THE LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS WITH
EMBEDDED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ENDING ACROSS SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI BUT
STILL COVERED MOST OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA.  THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE IN
WESTCENTRAL MOBILE AND NORTH BALDWIN COUNTIES OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA.  THE
STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

THE STORMS WERE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS... DANGEROUS LIGHTNING
... AND SMA/LL SIZE HAIL AS THEY TRACK NORTHEAST ACROSS SOUTHWEST ALABAMA
FOR THE NEXT TWO HOURS.
Special weather statement, Mar 2, 10:34 PM CST, 44 minutes before
FLZ001>004-0305430-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
1035 PM CST SAT MAR 2 1991

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM CDT FOR ESCAMBIA...SANTA ROSA
...AND OKALOOSA COUNTIES...
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR NORTHWEST FLORIDA...

AT 1030 PM CST...RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INLAND FROM THE GULF
OVER NORTHWEST FLORIDA AND INTO ALABAMA. SEVERAL OF THE THUNDERSTORMS
INDICATED HEAVY RAIN IN OKALOOSA COUNTY FLORIDA AND BALDWIN COUNTY OF
ALABAMA.

NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WERE CLUSTERED IN THE GULF WITH SEVERAL NEARING
PANAMA CITY FLORIDA AND THE BAY COUNTY COAST.

FLOODING REMAINS A PROBLEM WITH THE STORMS AS THEY MOVE NOgRTHEAST NEAR
40 MPH.
Special weather statement, Mar 2, 11:00 PM CST, 18 minutes before
ALZ016-MSZ014-013-030530-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
1100 PM CST SAT MAR 2 1991

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 25 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...

MOBILE RADAR AT 1055 PM CST SHOWED PATCHES OF RAIN AND ISOLATED
THUNDERSTORMS DECREASING OVER SOUTHWEST ALABAMA.  THE AREAL COVERAGE
WAS DECREASING RAPIDLY FROM THE WEST.

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Alabama, 1991Every flash flood warning 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.