Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 1992

Tornado Warning 16, NWS Birmingham, AL

November 22, 1992Walker County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Nov 22, 1992, 5:09 AM CST for Walker County, Alabama. It was in force for 36 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
Nov 22, 1992, 5:09 AM CST (11:09 UTC)
Expired
Nov 22, 1992, 5:45 AM CST
In force
36 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Walker County, AL

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Nov 22, 5:18 AM CSTTornado F1Walker, 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

Centreville/Bibb, AL (KCKL), launched 00:00Z, 11.2 hours before the alert went out and 101 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 00:00Z on 1992-11-22Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 813 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, Centreville/Bibb, AL at 00:00Z on 1992-11-22The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 239 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
813 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-16 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
561 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
239 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
270 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
4.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KBHM 221110
TORBHM
ALC127-221145-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
509 AM CST SUN NOV 22 1992
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  545 AM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTH ALABAMA
 
   ...WALKER COUNTY
 
REPORTS FROM ALABAMA POWER INDICATE THE FAILURE OF A MAJOR POWER LINE IN
THE SOUTHERN PART OF WALKER COUNTY. FAILURES OF THIS TYPE ARE USUALLY
ATTRIBUTED TO TORNADIC ACTIVITY. THE THUNDERSTORM WHICH HAS PRODUCED
THIS DAMAGE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL
AFFECT THE CORDOVA AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 30 MINUTES.
 
DO NOT USE YOUR CAR TO TRY TO OUTRUN A TORNADO.  CARS ARE EASILY
TOSSED AROUND BY TORNADO WINDS.  IF YOU ARE CAUGHT IN THE PATH OF
A TORNADO...LEAVE THE CAR AND GO TO A STRONG BUILDING.  IF NO
STRUCTURE IS NEARBY...SEEK SHELTER IN A DITCH OR LOW SPOT.
 
 
 
&

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, Nov 22, 2:06 AM CST, 3 hours 3 minutes before
ALZ004>009-011-220900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
205 AM CST SUN NOV 22 1992

    ...TORNADO WATCH FOR LARGE PART OF ALABAMA UNTIL 9 AM...

AT 2 AM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT CENTREVILLE SHOWED A LARGE AREA OF
LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN NOW ENTERING WEST ALABAMA.  WITHIN THE LIGHT
TO MODERATE RAIN WERE TWO SEVERE, POSSIBLY TORNADIC, THUNDERSTORMS
IN EAST MISSISSIPPI MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 35 TO 40 MPH.

AT 2 AM, ONE OF THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED 25 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF ALICEVILLE (SOUTHERN PICKENS COUNTY).  THE OTHER THUNDERSTORM WAS
LOCATED ABOUT 20 MILES WEST OF MERIDIAN MISSISSIPPI.  THESE
THUNDERSTORMS HAVE HAD A HISTORY OF DAMAGING WINDS AND POSSIBLE TORNADIC
ACTIVITY AS THEY MOVED THROUGH MISSISSIPPI EARLIER TONIGHT.

PERSONS IN WEST ALABAMA NEED TO KEEP UP-TO-DATE ON THE LATEST WEATHER
INFORMATION BY LISTENING TO LOCAL RADIO, TELEVISION OR NOAA WEATHER
RADIO FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS.  BE READY TO MOVE QUICKLY TO SAFE SHELTER
IF THE WEATHER TURNS THREATENING.

PERSONS IN CENTRAL AND EAST ALABAMA WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS A LITTLE LATER THIS MORNING...AROUND 4 TO 5 AM FOR THE
TUSCALOOSA-BIRMINGHAM METROPOLTHAIN AREA AND BY SUNRISE FOR THE
ANNISTON-GADSDEN AREA.
Special weather statement, Nov 22, 3:00 AM CST, 2 hours 9 minutes before
ALZ004>009-221000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
300 AM CST SUN NOV 22 1992

    ...TORNADO WATCH FOR LARGE PART OF ALABAMA UNTIL 9 AM...

AT 3 AM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT CENTREVILLE SHOWED A STRONG THUNDER-
STORM ENTERING SOUTHERN PICKENS COUNTY JUST SOUTHWEST OF ALICEVILLE
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR.  THIS THUNDERSTORM
PRODUCED DAMAGING WINDS IN EASTERN MISSISSIPPI BUT HAS WEAKENED DURING
THE LAST 30 MINUTES.  HOWEVER, IT IS STILL A SIGNIFICANT THREAT AS
IT CAN RE-INTENSFY QUICKLY TO SEVERE LEVELS.  PERSONS IN SOUTHERN
PICKENS AND WESTERN TUSCALOOSA COUNTIES ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS
THUNDERSTORM UNTIL 4 O'CLOCK.

ANOTHER, MORE INTENSE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR THE ALABAMA/
MISSISSIPPI BORDER 10 TO 15 MILES WEST OF GAINESVILLE IN NORTHERN
SUMTER COUNTY MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR.
.
PERSONS IN WESTERN ALABAMA NEED TO KEEP UP-TO-DATE ON THE LATEST WEATHER
INFORMATION BY LISTENING TO LOCAL RADIO, TELEVISION OR NOAA WEATHER
RADIO FOR THE NEXT 2-3 HOURS.  BE READY TO MOVE QUICKLY TO SAFE SHELTER
IF THE WEATHER TURNS THREATENING.

PERSONS IN CENTRAL AND EAST ALABAMA WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS LINE OF
THUNDERSTrORMS A LITTLE LATER THIS MORNING...AROUND 4 TO 5 AM FOR THE
TUSCALOOSA-BIRMINGHAM METROPOLTAIN AREA AND BY SUNRISE FOR THE
ANNISTON-GADSDEN AREA.
Special weather statement, Nov 22, 3:15 AM CST, 1 hour 54 minutes before
ALZ010-011-014-017-221015-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
313 AM CST SUN NOV 22 1992

...TORNADO WATCH 915 IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTH ALABAMA UNTIL
9AM...

AT 245 AM CST RADAR AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN
MONTGOMERY INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF MOSTLY LIGHT RAIN MOVING
ACROSS THE ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI BORDER. THIS WEATHER SHOULD NOT
ENTER DALLAS OR WILCOX COUNTIES BEFORE 500AM.

MOVEMENT OF THE PRECIPITATION WAS NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

AT THE PRESENT TIME THE SEVERE WEATHER WAS STILL LOCATED OVER EASTERN
MISSISSIPPI.

THIS TORNADO WATCH ISSUED FOR A LARGE PART OF ALABAMA WILL REMAIN IN
EFFECT UNTIL 900AM. PERSONS IN CENTRAL ALABAMA SHOULD PREPARE
FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER DURING THE MORNING.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Nov 22, 3:12 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXGreene, Pickens48 min
Nov 22, 3:51 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXTuscaloosa69 min
Nov 22, 4:06 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXGreene, Hale, Marengo54 min
Nov 22, 4:54 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBibb, Perry51 min
Nov 22, 4:59 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXWalker46 min
Nov 22, 5:34 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXCullman41 min
Nov 22, 5:40 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXShelby65 min
Nov 22, 5:40 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBibb35 min
Nov 22, 6:01 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXMorgan59 min
Nov 22, 6:31 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXShelby29 min
Nov 22, 6:38 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXSt. Clair52 min
Nov 22, 6:40 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXMadison65 min
Nov 22, 6:47 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXChilton43 min
Nov 22, 6:57 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXShelby33 min
Nov 22, 7:23 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXEtowah67 min
Nov 22, 7:27 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXShelby33 min
Nov 22, 7:33 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXTalladega72 min
Nov 22, 8:00 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXDeKalb60 min
Nov 22, 8:19 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCherokee41 min
Nov 22, 8:20 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXDeKalb55 min
Nov 22, 8:23 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXClay52 min
Nov 22, 8:27 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXJackson63 min
Nov 22, 8:53 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXRandolph52 min
Nov 22, 9:03 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCleburne42 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 1992Every tornado warning in 1992Tornadoes in 1992

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.