Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 1993
Tornado Warning 12, NWS Birmingham, AL
NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at May 3, 1993, 7:18 PM CDT for Cullman County, Alabama. It was in force for 27 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 3, 1993, 7:18 PM CDT (00:18 UTC)
- Expired
- May 3, 1993, 7:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 27 min
- Issued by
- NWS Birmingham, AL
- Area
- Whole counties
County Cullman County, AL
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 3, 7:30 PM CDT | Tornado F1 | Cullman, AL | A tornado touched down about twelve miles southwest of Cullman and moved north about one mile. Several homes were completely destroyed and several others were heavily damaged. Golf ball-size hail fell in the same area. |
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, 0.3 hours before the alert went out and 140 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1622 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -1 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 664 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 46 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 243 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 302 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 2.1
- Supercell composite
- 10.3
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KBHM 040019 TORBHM ALC043-040045- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 718 PM CDT MON MAY 3 1993 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 745 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN NORTH ALABAMA ...CULLMAN COUNTY THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF A TORNADO WARNING ISSUED EARLIER FOR CULLMAN COUNTY. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUES TO INDICATE A TORNADO OVER SOUTHWEST CULLMAN COUNTY MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. 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, May 3, 2:26 PM CDT, 4 hours 52 minutes before
ALZ004-008-013-032030- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 227 PM CDT MON MAY 03 1993 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 9 PM FOR MUCH OF NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA... RADAR AT 225 PM SHOWED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN PICKENS COUNTY. THESE STROMS WERE MOVING NORTH NEAR CARROLLTON AROUND 35 MILES AN HOUR AND WERE LIKLEY PRODUCING SMALL HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ...AND GUSTY WIND. IT WILL LIKELY MOVE ACROSS REFORM BY 300 PM.
Special weather statement, May 3, 2:27 PM CDT, 4 hours 51 minutes before
ALZ004-008-013-032030- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 227 PM CDT MON MAY 03 1993 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 9 PM FOR MUCH OF NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA... RADAR AT 225 PM SHOWED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN PICKENS COUNTY. THESE STROMS WERE MOVING NORTH NEAR CARROLLTON AROUND 35 MILES AN HOUR AND WERE LIKLEY PRODUCING SMALL HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ...AND GUSTY WIND. IT WILL LIKELY MOVE ACROSS REFORM BY 300 PM.
Special weather statement, May 3, 3:24 PM CDT, 3 hours 54 minutes before
ALZ010-014-032130- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL 324 PM CDT MON MAY 3 1993 ....SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR DALLAS COUNTY EXPIRED AT 315PM... ....SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR DALLAS AND AUTAUGA COUNITES TIL 9PM.. AT 315PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN MONTGOMERY SHOWED SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTH ALABAMA. THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE LOCATED ACROSS CENTRAL DALLAS COUNTY AND SOUTHERN ELMORE COUNTY NEAR PRATTVILLE. THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE NORTHEAST AROUND 30 MILES AN HOUR. RESIDENTS SHOULD STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL TV FOR LATER STATEMENTS.
Special weather statement, May 3, 3:26 PM CDT, 3 hours 52 minutes before
ALZ010-014-032130- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL 324 PM CDT MON MAY 3 1993 ....SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR DALLAS COUNTY EXPIRED AT 315PM... ....SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR DALLAS AND AUTAUGA COUNITES TIL 9PM.. AT 315PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN MONTGOMERY SHOWED SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTH ALABAMA. THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE LOCATED ACROSS CENTRAL DALLAS COUNTY AND SOUTHERN ELMORE COUNTY NEAR PRATTVILLE. THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE NORTHEAST AROUND 30 MILES AN HOUR. RESIDENTS SHOULD STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL TV FOR LATER STATEMENTS.
Special weather statement, May 3, 5:14 PM CDT, 2 hours 4 minutes before
ALZ010-011-012-014-017-032315- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL 514 PM CDT MON MAY 3 1993 ....TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL ALABAMA UNTIL 1100PM.... AT 505PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN MONTGOMERY SHOWED SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ALABAMA. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER SOUTHERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY NEAR RAMER AND EXTENDING INTO NORTHERN PIKE COUNTY AND WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS...AND DEADLY LIGHTNING. RESIDENTS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER AND LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 3, 5:16 PM CDT, 2 hours 2 minutes before
ALZ010-011-012-014-017-032315- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL 514 PM CDT MON MAY 3 1993 ....TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL ALABAMA UNTIL 1100PM.... AT 505PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN MONTGOMERY SHOWED SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ALABAMA. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER SOUTHERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY NEAR RAMER AND EXTENDING INTO NORTHERN PIKE COUNTY AND WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS...AND DEADLY LIGHTNING. RESIDENTS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER AND LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 3, 7:13 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Jefferson | 62 min |
| May 3, 8:14 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Jefferson | 61 min |
| May 3, 8:20 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Morgan | 55 min |
| May 3, 8:26 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Tuscaloosa | 64 min |
| May 3, 9:02 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Lawrence | 4 hr |
| May 3, 9:02 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Madison | 4 hr |
| May 3, 10:14 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Shelby | 46 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 1993Every tornado warning in 1993Tornadoes in 1993
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.