Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 1994

Flash Flood Warning 1, NWS Birmingham, AL

January 27, 19944 counties in Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this flash flood warning at Jan 27, 1994, 10:41 PM CST for 4 counties in Alabama. It was in force for 5 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jan 27, 1994, 10:41 PM CST (04:41 UTC)
Expired
Jan 28, 1994, 3:45 AM CST
In force
5 hr
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

Counties Lawrence County, AL, Limestone County, AL, Madison County, AL, Morgan County, AL

The nearest sounding before it

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 00:00Z, 4.7 hours before the alert went out and 169 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 00:00Z on 1994-01-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 00:00Z on 1994-01-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 238 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
543 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
45 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
238 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
203 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 280443
FFWHSV
ALC079-083-089-103-280945-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1041 PM CST THU JAN 27 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  345 AM CST
S...
 
IN NORTH ALABAMA
 
   ...LAWRENCE COUNTY...LIMESTONE COUNTY...MADISON COUNTY
   ...MORGAN COUNTY
 
REPORTS FROM LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS INDICATE NUMEROUS AREAS OF
FLOODING ACROS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY REGION OF NORTH ALABAMA
 
IN LIMESTONE COUNTY THERE WAS ONE FOOT OF ACROSS ROUTE 127 IN MORRIS
CROSSROADS. THEY ALSO REPORT WATER ACROSS ROUTE 72 WEST. SEVERAL AREAS
IN ATHENS WERE ALSO REPORTED TO BE UNDERWATER.
 
DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT INDICATE SOME FLOODING THROUGH OUT THE CITY OF
DECATUR.
 
IN MADISON COUNTY THERE WERE REPORTS OF FLOODING IN HAZEL GREEN.
 
LAWRENCE COUNTY REPORTED A BRIDGE UNDERWATER ON COUNTY ROUTE 316 NORTH
OF COUNTY ROUT 460. THEY ALSO REPORTED WATER ACROSS ROUTE 460 WEST OF
MOULTON. IN COURTLAND THERE WAS WATER ACROSS THE SOUTH PIKE.
 
WITH HEAVY RAIN FALLING ACROSS PARTS OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY MORE
FLOODING IS POSSIBLE.
 
A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS
IMMINENT.  MOST FLASH FLOOD DEATHS 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.  TO ESCAPE RISING WATER MOVE UPT TO HIGHER GROUND.
 
 
 
&

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, Jan 27, 7:24 PM CST, 3 hours 17 minutes before
ALZ040>044-054-057-058-060-280330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
725 PM CST THU JAN 27 1994

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST
ALABAMA UNTIL MIDNIGHT TONIGHT...

WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED WIDESPREAD RAIN...ALONG WITH A FEW
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...OVER MOST OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH
ALABAMA AT 715 PM CST.  THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN WERE
LOCATED OVER THE WEST CENTRAL PORTION OF THE STATE...MAINLY BETWEEN
BIRMINGHAM AND DEMOPOLIS.  THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

NO SEVERE WEATHER WAS OCCURRING ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA AT THIS
TIME...HOWEVER CONDITIONS WILL BEf FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.  STAY TUNED TO THE
LOCAL BROADCAST MEDIA...OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO...FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Jan 27, 7:25 PM CST, 3 hours 16 minutes before
ALZ040>044-054-057-058-060-280330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
725 PM CST THU JAN 27 1994

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST
ALABAMA UNTIL MIDNIGHT TONIGHT...

WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED WIDESPREAD RAIN...ALONG WITH A FEW
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...OVER MOST OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH
ALABAMA AT 715 PM CST.  THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN WERE
LOCATED OVER THE WEST CENTRAL PORTION OF THE STATE...MAINLY BETWEEN
BIRMINGHAM AND DEMOPOLIS.  THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

NO SEVERE WEATHER WAS OCCURRING ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA AT THIS
TIME...HOWEVER CONDITIONS WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.  STAY TUNED TO THE
LOCAL BROADCAST MEDIA...OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO...FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Jan 27, 8:34 PM CST, 2 hours 7 minutes before
ALZ011>029-031>035-039-280330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
835 PM CST THU JAN 27 1994

...STRONG LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH WEST CENTRAL
ALABAMA...

AT 833 PM THIS EVENING...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED
TWO STRONG LINES OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH CENTRAL GREENE AND
SOUTHEASTERN MARENGO COUNTIES.  THESE LINES WERE MOVING TO THE
EAST AT ABOUT 40 MPH.  STRONG DAMAGING WIND...TORRENTIAL *RAIN...
AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

THE NORTHERN LINE WILL BE MOVING INTO HALE COUNTY WITHIN THE NEXT
30 MINUTES.  THE SOUTHERN LINE WILL BE MOVING INTO WILCOX AND DALLAS
COUNTIES.
Special weather statement, Jan 27, 8:35 PM CST, 2 hours 6 minutes before
ALZ011>029-031>035-039-280330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
835 PM CST THU JAN 27 1994

...STRONG LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH WEST CENTRAL
ALABAMA...

AT 833 PM THIS EVENING...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED
TWO STRONG LINES OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH CENTRAL GREENE AND
SOUTHEASTERN MARENGO COUNTIES.  THESE LINES WERE MOVING TO THE
EAST AT ABOUT 40 MPH.  STRONG DAMAGING WIND...TORRENTIAL RAIN...
AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

THE NORTHERN LINE WILL BE MOVING INTO HALE COUNTY WITHIN THE NEXT
30 MINUTES.  THE SOUTHERN LINE WILL BE MOVING INTO WILCOX AND DALLAS
COUNTIES.

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Alabama, 1994Every flash flood warning in 1994

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.