Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1994

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 39, NWS Birmingham, AL

March 27, 1994Cherokee County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 27, 1994, 6:36 PM CST for Cherokee County, Alabama. It was in force for 54 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 27, 1994, 6:36 PM CST (00:36 UTC)
Expired
Mar 27, 1994, 7:30 PM CST
In force
54 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Cherokee County, AL

The nearest sounding before it

Centreville/Bibb, AL (KCKL), launched 00:00Z, 0.6 hours before the alert went out and 205 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 1994-03-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1080 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 1994-03-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 327 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
1080 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-8 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1126 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
75 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
327 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
424 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.7
Supercell composite
13.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KBHM 280036
SVRBHM
ALC019-280130-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
636 PM CST SUN MAR 27 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  730 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTH ALABAMA
 
   ...CHEROKEE COUNTY
 
AT 635 PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER
PIEDMONT MOVING INTO CHEROKEE COUNTY AROUND 45 MILES AN HOUR.
 
A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA.  REMEMBER
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.  REMAIN CALM BUT BE ALERT TO
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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, Mar 27, 1:36 PM CST, 5 hours before
ALZ037-038-040>047-050-054-272135-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
134 PM CST SUN MAR 27 1994

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 41 IN EFFECT FOR COOSA...TALLAPOOSA...AND
CHAMBERS COUNTIES OF EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA UNTIL 4 PM CST...

WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT MONTGOMERY SHOWED SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTH ALABAMA AT 130 PM CST.
THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE LOCATED NEAR LAKE JORDAN... 10
MILES NORTHWEST OF PRATTVILLE...AND IN BUTLER COUNTY NEAR CHAPMAN.  THE
THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR.

NO SEVERE WEATHER WAS INDICATED BT RADAR OVER EAST CENTRAL OR SOUTH
ALABAMA AT THIS TIME...HOWEVER CONDITIONS REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES IN...AND CLOSE TO THE
WATCH AREA.  STRONG WINDS...GUSTING TO 40 MILES AN HOUR AT TIMES ARE
OCCURRING OVER SOUTH ALABAMA...IN ADDITION TO DANGEROUS LIGHTNING
ASSOCIATED WITH THE THU(NDERSTORMS.  PEOPLE IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH ALABAMA
ARE URGED TO KEEP A CLOSE WATCH ON WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING. STAY TUNED TO THE LOCAL BROADCAST MEDIA...OR NOAA WEATHER
RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Local storm report, Mar 27, 1:59 PM CST, 4 hours 37 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
155 PM CST SUN MAR 27 1994

INFORMATION PROVIDED TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FROM CHEROKEE
COUNTY INDICATES THAT A TORNADO STRUCK THE EXTREME SOUTHERN PORTION
OF CHEROKEE COUNTY AROUND 1135 AM.  THE TORNADO STRUCK THE GOSHEN
CHURCH NEAR THE CHEROKEE-CALHOUN COUNTY LINE.  WE UNDERSTAND THERE
WERE 17 DEATHS AND 90 INJURIES WITH ONE PERSON UNACCOUNTED FOR.
Special weather statement, Mar 27, 2:42 PM CST, 3 hours 54 minutes before
ALZ037-038-040>047-050-054-272245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
242 PM CST SUN MAR 27 1994

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 41 IS IN EFFECT FOR COOSA...TALLAPOOSA...AND
CHAMBERS COUNTIES UNTIL 4 PM CST...

WEATHER RADAR AT MONTGOMERY SHOWED WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTH ALABAMA AT 235 PM CST.
THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL WERE OCCURRING JUST EAST OF LAKE
JORDAN...AND 20 MILES NORTH OF ALEXANDER CITY.  THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR.

NO SEVERE WEATHER WAS INDICATED BY RADAR OVER EAST CENTRAL OR SOUTH
ALABAMA AT THIS TIME...HOWEVER THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
AND TORNADOES REMAINS HIGH IN...AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.  STAY
TUNED TO THE LOCAL BROADCAST MEDIA...OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER
STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Mar 27, 3:23 PM CST, 3 hours 13 minutes before
ALZ037-038-040>047-050-054-272325-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
322 PM CST SUN MAR 27 1994

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 45 IS IN EFFECT FOR DALLAS...AUTAUGA...COOSA
...TALLAPOOSA AND CHAMBERS COUNTIES OF CENTRAL ALABAMA UNTIL 10 PM
CST...

WEATHER RADAR AT MONTGOMERY SHOWED SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER
NORTH AND WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA AT 315 PM CST.  OTHER SCATTERED SHOWERS
WERE OCCURRING OVER THE EAST CENTRAL SECTIONS OF THE STATE.  THE
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR.

NO SEVERE WEATHER WAS INDICATED BY RADAR ACROSS EAST CENTRAL OR SOUTH
ALABAMA AT THIS TIME...HOWEVER THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
AND TORNADOES REMAINS VERY HIGH IN...AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PEOPLE IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH ALABAMA SHOULD KEEP ABREAST OF THIS
DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.  STAY TUNED TO THE LOCAL BROADCAST MEDIA
OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Mar 27, 4:50 PM CST, 1 hour 46 minutes before
ALZ037-038-040>047-050-054-280050-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
449 PM CST SUN MAR 27 1994

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 45 IS IN EFFECT FOR AUTAUGA...COOSA...
TALLAPOOSA...CHAMBERS...AND DALLAS COUNTIES UNTIL 10 PM CST...

WEATHER RADAR AT MONTGOMERY SHOWED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS
NORTHWEST ALABAMA AT 440 PM CST.  THE LINE STRETCHED FROM JUST WEST OF
GADSDEN...SOUTHWEST THROUGH BIRMINGHAM...AND ON TO NEAR MERIDIAN
MISSISSIPPI.  THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN
HOUR...WHILE THE LINE DRIFTED SOUTHEAST AT 10 MILES AN HOUR.

NO SEVERE WEATHER WAS OCCURRING OVER EAST CENTRAL OR SOUTH ALABAMA AT
THIS TIME...HOWEVER THE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE NORTHERN SECTIONS OF THE
STATE CONTINUE TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND TORNADOES.
THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES REMAINS VERY HIGH
IN...AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.  PEOPLE IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH ALABAMA
ARE URGED TO MONITOR THIS DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY FOR THE
NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.  STAY TUNED TO THE LOCAL BROADCAST MEDIA...OR NOAA
WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Mar 27, 6:05 PM CST, 31 minutes before
ALZ037-038-040>047-050-054-280205-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
604 PM CST SUN MAR 27 1994

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 45 IS IN EFFECT FOR AUTAUGA...COOSA...
TALLAPOOSA...CHAMBERS...AND DALLAS COUNTIES UNTIL 10 PM CST...

WEATHER RADAR AT MONTGOMERY SHOWED A LINE OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS OVER
NORTH ALABAMA AT 6 PM CST.  THE LINE STRETCHED FROM 20 MILES EAST OF
GADSDEN...SOUTHWEST TO NEAR BIRMINGHAM...AND ON TO NEAR CENTREVILLE.
OTHER SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING ACROSS MOST OF
CENTRAL ALABAMA.  THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 45 MILES AN HOUR.

THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES REMAINS VERY HIGH
IN...AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.  PEOPLE IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH ALABAMA
SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR WEATHER CONDITIONS CLOSELY FOR THE NEXT
SEVERAL HOURS.  STAY TUNED TO THE LOCAL BROADCAST MEDIA OR NOAA WEATHER
RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 27, 6:04 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXTalladega56 min
Mar 27, 6:27 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXClay, Cleburne63 min
Mar 27, 6:42 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXCalhoun33 min
Mar 27, 7:13 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXCleburne32 min
Mar 27, 7:19 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXRandolph56 min
Mar 27, 7:26 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXClay34 min
Mar 27, 7:45 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCleburne30 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 1994Every severe thunderstorm 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.