Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 1993

Tornado Warning 18, NWS Jackson, MS

February 21, 1993Choctaw County, Alabama

NWS Jackson, MS issued this tornado warning at Feb 21, 1993, 12:27 PM CST for Choctaw County, Alabama. It was in force for 48 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Feb 21, 1993, 12:27 PM CST (18:27 UTC)
Expired
Feb 21, 1993, 1:15 PM CST
In force
48 min
Issued by
NWS Jackson, MS
Area
Whole counties

County Choctaw County, AL

The nearest sounding before it

Centreville/Bibb, AL (KCKL), launched 12:00Z, 6.5 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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Centreville/Bibb, AL at 12:00Z on 1993-02-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 5 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 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 1993-02-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 305 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
5 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-34 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
612 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
45 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
305 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
359 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 KMEI 211827
TORMEI
ALC023-211915-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MERIDIAN MS
1227 PM CST SUN FEB 21 1993
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MERIDIAN HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  115 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION......
 
IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA
 
   ...CHOCTAW COUNTY
 
AT 1227 PM CST RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO 12 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
BUTLER ALABAMA MOVING EAST 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.  USE BLANKETS...PbILLOWS...
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, Feb 21, 8:50 AM CST, 3 hours 37 minutes before
MSZ009-012-ALZ008-013-211545-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MERIDIAN MS
850 AM CST SUN FEB 21 1993

...TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF CENTRAL AND EAST CENTRAL
MISSISSIPPI UNTIL NOON...

AT 840 AM CST MERIDIAN WEATHER RADAR INDICATED RAIN WITH A FEW EMBEDDED
THUNDERSTORMS COVERING A LARGE PART OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND EAST CENTRAL
MISSISSIPPI AND WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA.  THE RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE
LOCATED WITHIN A 100 MILE WIDE AREA EXTENDING FROM NEAR MCCOMB
MISSISSIPPI NORTHEAST THROUGH MERIDIAN TO NEAR TUSCALOOSA ALABAMA.  THE
STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED BETWEEN RALEIGH AND STRINGER IN
CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI.  LITTLE CHANGE IN COVERAGE OR INTENSIpTY HAS BEEN
INDICATED DURING THE PAST HOUR.

THE RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 35 MPH.
Special weather statement, Feb 21, 9:26 AM CST, 3 hours 1 minute before
MSZALL-211300

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
925 AM CST SUN FEB 21 1993

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 31 FOR NORTH MISSISSIPPI HAS BEEN
CANCELLED. THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED CLEAR THE THE WATCH AREA.

HOWEVER TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 32 FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTH MISSISSIPPI
REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 12 NOON THIS SUNDAY MORNING.
Special weather statement, Feb 21, 9:52 AM CST, 2 hours 35 minutes before
MSZ009-012-211700-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MERIDIAN MS
951 AM CST SUN FEB 21 1993

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 32 FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
MISSISSIPPI CONTINUES UNTIL NOON CST...

AT 941 AM CST...RADAR INDICATED RAIN WITH SEVERAL STRONG THUNDER
STORMS CONTINUED GENERALLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM JACKSON TO MERIDIAN
MISSISSIPPI AND INTO ALABAMA TO DIXON MILLS.

THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORM OVER CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI WAS NOTED  5
MILES SOUTHWEST OF NEWTON OVER NEWTON COUNTY.  OTHER INTENSE
STORMS WERE APPARENT OVER MISSISSIPPI SOUTH OF JACKSON.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 50 MILES AN HOUR.

PERSONS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE
ALERT& FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS.
Special weather statement, Feb 21, 10:44 AM CST, 1 hour 43 minutes before
MSZ009-012-211745-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MERIDIAN MS
1044 AM CST SUN FEB 21 1993

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 32 FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH MISSISSIPPI
CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST...

AT 1036 AM CST...RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR BAY
SPRINGS MISSISSIPPI.  THIS STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING GENERALLY SOUTHEAST OF A LINE
FROM MAGEE MISSISSIPPI TO LAUDERDALE MISSISSIPPI.  THE STORMS
EXTENDED SOUTH TO HATTIESBURG MISSISSIPPI AND INTO ALABAMA NEAR
DIXON MILLS.

PERSONS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE
ALERT FOR FUTURE STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS.

EVEN THOUGH SUNSHINE MAY BE RETURNING TO SOME AREAS...THIS
COULD PRODUCE FALSE HOPE...SERVING ONLY AS A IMPETUOUS FOR
NEW DEVELOPMENT.
Special weather statement, Feb 21, 11:24 AM CST, 1 hour 3 minutes before
MSZALL-211800

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
1120 AM CST SUN FEB 21 1993

...TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 12 MOON CST FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTH MISSISSIPPI...

AT 1115AM CST RADAR INDICATED A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM SOUTH OF
MERIDIAN TO SOUTH OF RALEIGH. THE STORMS WERE STILL MOVING EAST AT 40
MILES AN HOUR.

ANOTHER TORNADO WATCH WILL BE ISSUED SHORTLY FOR SECTIONS OF NORTH AND
CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI. THE AIRMASS OVER OUR REGION REMIANS VERY MOIST AND
UNSTABLE. SINCE THE AIR IS BEING HEATED...MORE SEVERE STORMS WILL
LIKELY DEVELOP RAPIDLY EARLY THIS AFTERNOON OVER WEST MISSISSIPPI THEN
MOVE QUICKLY TO THE EAST.

STAY ALERT TO YPUR LOCAL WEATHER CONDITIONS AND MONITOR A RELIABLE
SOURCE OF WEATHER INFORMATION THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON.
Special weather statement, Feb 21, 11:47 AM CST, 40 minutes before
MSZALL-211835

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
1135 AM CST SUN FEB 21 1993

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 34 IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN
MISSISSIPPI UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING...

AT 1125 AM CST RADAR INDICATED A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH
VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...IN EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI...BETWEEN MAGEE...
MERIDIAN...AND CRANDALL.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED JUST NORTHEAST OF MIZE...
AND BETWEEN BAY SPRINGS AND HEIDELBERG.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR.

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 32 IS NOW REPLACED BY TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 34...IN
EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST.  THIS WATCH COVERS A LARGE PART OF EASTERN
MISSISSIPPI...EAST OF A LINE FROM RIPLEY...TO WINONA...TO JACKSON...
TO HAZELHURST.

PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER
AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS.  STAY ALERT TO YOUR LOCAL WEATHER
CONDITIONS AND MONITOR A RELIABLE SOURCE OF WEATHER INFORMATION
THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON.

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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.