Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 1994
Tornado Warning 34, NWS Birmingham, AL
NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Mar 27, 1994, 6:42 PM CST for Calhoun County, Alabama. It was in force for 33 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Mar 27, 1994, 6:42 PM CST (00:42 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 27, 1994, 7:15 PM CST
- In force
- 33 min
- Issued by
- NWS Birmingham, AL
- Area
- Whole counties
County Calhoun County, AL
The nearest sounding before it
Centreville/Bibb, AL (KCKL), launched 00:00Z, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 160 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
- 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
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KBHM 280042 TORBHM ALC015-280115- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 642 PM CST SUN MAR 27 1994 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 715 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA ...CALHOUN COUNTY AT 645 RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO IN CALHOUN COUNTY NEAR ANNISTON. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 45 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, Mar 27, 1:36 PM CST, 5 hours 6 minutes 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 43 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, 4 hours 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 19 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 52 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, 37 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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 27, 6:04 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Talladega | 56 min |
| Mar 27, 6:27 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Clay, Cleburne | 63 min |
| Mar 27, 6:36 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cherokee | 54 min |
| Mar 27, 7:13 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Cleburne | 32 min |
| Mar 27, 7:19 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Randolph | 56 min |
| Mar 27, 7:26 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Clay | 34 min |
| Mar 27, 7:45 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cleburne | 30 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 1994Every tornado warning in 1994Tornadoes 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.