Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 1994

Flash Flood Warning 5, NWS Birmingham, AL

February 11, 1994Winston County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this flash flood warning at Feb 11, 1994, 12:48 AM CST for Winston County, Alabama. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Feb 11, 1994, 12:48 AM CST (06:48 UTC)
Expired
Feb 11, 1994, 3:45 AM CST
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Winston County, AL

The nearest sounding before it

Centreville/Bibb, AL (KCKL), launched 00:00Z, 6.8 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 00:00Z on 1994-02-11Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 554 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 00:00Z on 1994-02-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 371 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
554 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-35 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
561 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
58 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
371 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
472 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
4.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KBHM 110651
FFWBHM
ALC133-110945-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1248 AM CST FRI FEB 11 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  345 AM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTH ALABAMA
 
   ...WINSTON COUNTY
 
AT 1240 AM THE WINSTON COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTED THAT SEVERAL BRIDGES WERE
COVERED WITH WATER ACROSS THE COUNTY. THE SHERIFF ALSO REPORTED THAT
SPLUNGE CREEK WAS OUT OF ITS BANKS AND COVERING NEARBY ROADS.
 
 
BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE
THE DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS.  IF FLASH FLOODING IS
OBSERVED...ACT QUICKLY.  MOVE rUP TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS.  DO
NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.
 
 
 
&

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, Feb 10, 7:32 PM CST, 5 hours 16 minutes before
ALZ066-068-067-069-110230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
733 PM CST THU FEB 10 1994

...TORNADO WATCH #11 IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH ALABAMA UNTIL MIDNIGHT...
...THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN MOVING INTO GENEVA...HOUSTON
COUNTY...

AT 724 PM CST NEXRAD WEATHER RADAR IN TALLAHASSEE SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS
WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN JUST SOUTH OF GENEVA COUNTY AND IN EASTERN GENEVA
COUNTY MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL
HAVE DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN WITH STRONG GUSTY WINDS.

PERSONS IN GENEVA AND HOUSTON COUNTIES AND ESPECIALLY NEAR DOTHAN SHOULD
REMAIN ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE READY TO
TAKE6 COVER IN THE EVENT OF A WARNING. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO
LIKELY CROSS INTO DALE AND HENRY COUNTIES AFTER 8PM.

SNELL
Special weather statement, Feb 10, 7:33 PM CST, 5 hours 15 minutes before
ALZ066-068-067-069-110230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
733 PM CST THU FEB 10 1994

...TORNADO WATCH #11 IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH ALABAMA UNTIL MIDNIGHT...
...THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN MOVING INTO GENEVA...HOUSTON
COUNTY...

AT 724 PM CST NEXRAD WEATHER RADAR IN TALLAHASSEE SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS
WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN JUST SOUTH OF GENEVA COUNTY AND IN EASTERN GENEVA
COUNTY MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL
HAVE DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN WITH STRONG GUSTY WINDS.

PERSONS IN GENEVA AND HOUSTON COUNTIES AND ESPECIALLY NEAR DOTHAN SHOULD
REMAIN ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE READY TO
TAKE COVER IN THE EVENT OF A WARNING. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO
LIKELY CROSS INTO DALE AND HENRY COUNTIES AFTER 8PM.

SNELL
Special weather statement, Feb 10, 11:26 PM CST, 1 hour 22 minutes before
ALZ011>039-110615-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1126 PM CST THU FEB 10 1994

    ...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA...

AT 1123 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS INDICATED SCATTERED RAIN
AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA.  THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS
WERE IN EASTERN FAYETTE...WESTERN WALKER...MARENGO AND HALE
COUNTIES.  THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE FREQUENT LIGHTNING...HEAVY RAIN...
AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS.
Special weather statement, Feb 10, 11:27 PM CST, 1 hour 21 minutes before
ALZ011>039-110615-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1126 PM CST THU FEB 10 1994

    ...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA...

AT 1123 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS INDICATED SCATTERED RAIN
AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA.  THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS
WERE IN EASTERN FAYETTE...WESTERN WALKER...MARENGO AND HALE
COUNTIES.  THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE FREQUENT LIGHTNING...HEAVY RAIN...
AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS.
Special weather statement, Feb 11, 12:41 AM CST, 7 minutes before
ALZ041-050-046-057-038-065-036-060-058-066-040-043-068-067-069-
047-042-045-044-049-037-054-110815-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
1241 AM CST FRI FEB 11 1994

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 13 FOR SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ALABAMA UNTIL 5 AM...

AT 1235 AM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN MACON COUNTY SHOWED A BAND OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS WHICH STRETCHED FROM EAST OF PENSACOLA FLORIDA NORTHWARD
INTO EASTERN DALLAS COUNTY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE ACCOMPANIED BY
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL...WIND GUSTS TO NEAR 40 MPH...AND DEADLY LIGHTNING.
THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING QUICKLY TO THE NORTH-NORTHEAST AT AROUND
45 MILES AN HOUR...WHILE THE BAND WAS MOVING SLOWLY EAST AT 15 MILES AN
HOUR.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE AFFECTING CITIES SUCH AS MONTGOMERY...
GREENVILLE AND ANDALUSIA WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR OR SO. RESIDENTS OF SOUTH
AND SOUTHEAST ALABAMA SHOULD REMAIN ON THE LOOKOUT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING
WEATHER...AND STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR LATER STATMENTS.
Special weather statement, Feb 11, 12:41 AM CST, 7 minutes before
ALZ041-050-046-057-038-065-036-060-058-066-040-043-068-067-069-
047-042-045-044-049-037-054-110815-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
1241 AM CST FRI FEB 11 1994

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 13 FOR SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ALABAMA UNTIL 5 AM...

AT 1235 AM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN MACON COUNTY SHOWED A BAND OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS WHICH STRETCHED FROM EAST OF PENSACOLA FLORIDA NORTHWARD
INTO EASTERN DALLAS COUNTY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE ACCOMPANIED BY
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL...WIND GUSTS TO NEAR 40 MPH...AND DEADLY LIGHTNING.
THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING QUICKLY TO THE NORTH-NORTHEAST AT AROUND
45 MILES AN HOUR...WHILE THE BAND WAS MOVING SLOWLY EAST AT 15 MILES AN
HOUR.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE AFFECTING CITIES SUCH AS MONTGOMERY...
GREENVILLE AND ANDALUSIA WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR OR SO. RESIDENTS OF SOUTH
AND SOUTHEAST ALABAMA SHOULD REMAIN ON THE LOOKOUT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING
WEATHER...AND STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR LATER STATMENTS.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 10, 11:38 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXJackson4 hr
Feb 10, 11:58 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXMarion4 hr
Feb 11, 12:12 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXLimestone, Madison, Morgan4 hr

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.