Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1995
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 37, NWS Birmingham, AL
NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Feb 16, 1995, 7:37 PM CST for Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. It was in force for 53 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Feb 16, 1995, 7:37 PM CST (01:37 UTC)
- Expired
- Feb 16, 1995, 8:30 PM CST
- In force
- 53 min
- Issued by
- NWS Birmingham, AL
- Area
- Whole counties
County Tuscaloosa County, AL
The nearest sounding before it
Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 1.6 hours before the alert went out and 70 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
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 963 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 67 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 125 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 224 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 1.3
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 WUUS1 KBHM 170137 RRA SVRBHM ALC125-170230- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 737 PM CST THU FEB 16 1995 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 830 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA ...SOUTHERN TUSCALOOSA COUNTY AT 738 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER EXTREME SOUTHWEST TUSCALOOSA COUNTY OVER THE CITY OF RALPH. THE MOVEMENT OF THIS STORM WAS TO THE EAST NORTHEAST AT 35 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, Feb 16, 6:31 PM CST, 1 hour 6 minutes before
ALZ011>029-031>035-039-170135- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 631 PM CST THU FEB 16 1995 ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL AND PARTS OF NORTH ALABAMA UNTIL 900 PM CST... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL ALABAMA TONIGHT... AT 630 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS SHOWED A BAND OF SHOWERS AND WITH A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTH ALABAMA FROM CALHOUN COUNTY SOUTHWEST TO SHELBY AND GREENE COUNTIES. THIS BAND EXTENDED SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 25 MPH. ELSEWHERE ANOTHER BAND OF SHOWERS AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS OVER CENTRAL ALABAMA FROM JUST NORTH OF MONTGOMERY TO NEAR AUBURN. THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ...AND HEAVY RAINFALL OF NEAR ONE INCH IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
Special weather statement, Feb 16, 6:57 PM CST, 40 minutes before
ALZ036>038-040>047-049-050-054-057-058-060-065>069-170200- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL 657 PM CST THU FEB 16 1995 ...TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH ALABAMA UNTIL 9:00 PM... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF CENTRAL ALABAMA... AT 6:55 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT MONTGOMERY INDICATED A LINE OF MODERATE TO STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM EXTREME SOUTHEAST CHAMBERS COUNTY...SOUTHEAST OF LAFAYETTE...SOUTHWESTWARD AND INTO SOUTH-CENTRAL ELMORE COUNTY EAST OF WETUMPKA. ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED IN SOUTHERN TALLAPOOSA COUNTY...NORTH OF TALLASSEE. THESE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE TO THE EAST-SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH. AT SIGNS OF AN IMPENDING STORM...TOWERING THUNDERHEADS...DARKENING SKIES...LIGHTNING AND INCREASING WINDS...MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY. TUNE IN NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, Feb 16, 6:58 PM CST, 39 minutes before
ALZ036>038-040>047-049-050-054-057-058-060-065>069-170200- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL 657 PM CST THU FEB 16 1995 ...TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH ALABAMA UNTIL 9:00 PM... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF CENTRAL ALABAMA... AT 6:55 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT MONTGOMERY INDICATED A LINE OF MODERATE TO STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM EXTREME SOUTHEAST CHAMBERS COUNTY...SOUTHEAST OF LAFAYETTE...SOUTHWESTWARD AND INTO SOUTH-CENTRAL ELMORE COUNTY EAST OF WETUMPKA. ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED IN SOUTHERN TALLAPOOSA COUNTY...NORTH OF TALLASSEE. THESE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE TO THE EAST-SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH. AT SIGNS OF AN IMPENDING STORM...TOWERING THUNDERHEADS...DARKENING SKIES...LIGHTNING AND INCREASING WINDS...MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY. TUNE IN NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, Feb 16, 7:17 PM CST, 20 minutes before
ALZ011>029-031>035-039-170220- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 717 PM CST THU FEB 16 1995 ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL AND PARTS OF NORTH ALABAMA UNTIL 900 PM CST... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL ALABAMA TONIGHT... AT 715 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS INDICATED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM CALHOUN COUNTY SOUTHWESTWARD ACROSS TALLADEGA INTO SHELBY...BIBB...HALE...GREENE AND SUMTER COUNTIES. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE RE-DEVELOPING DURING THE PAST HOUR WITH THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHERN SUMTER COUNTY AND WESTERN GREENE COUNTIES. THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST-NORTHEAST AT 10 TO 20 MPH. ELSEWHERE ANOTHER BAND OF SHOWERS AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS OVER CENTRAL ALABAMA FROM JUST NORTH OF MONTGOMERY TO NEAR AUBURN. THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ...AND HEAVY RAINFALL OF NEAR ONE INCH IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
Special weather statement, Feb 16, 7:18 PM CST, 19 minutes before
ALZ011>029-031>035-039-170220- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 717 PM CST THU FEB 16 1995 ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL AND PARTS OF NORTH ALABAMA UNTIL 900 PM CST... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL ALABAMA TONIGHT... AT 715 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS INDICATED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM CALHOUN COUNTY SOUTHWESTWARD ACROSS TALLADEGA INTO SHELBY...BIBB...HALE...GREENE AND SUMTER COUNTIES. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE RE-DEVELOPING DURING THE PAST HOUR WITH THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHERN SUMTER COUNTY AND WESTERN GREENE COUNTIES. THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST-NORTHEAST AT 10 TO 20 MPH. ELSEWHERE ANOTHER BAND OF SHOWERS AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS OVER CENTRAL ALABAMA FROM JUST NORTH OF MONTGOMERY TO NEAR AUBURN. THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ...AND HEAVY RAINFALL OF NEAR ONE INCH IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
Local storm report, Feb 16, 7:30 PM CST, 7 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
730 PM CST THU FEB 16 1995
... ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON NORTH ALABAMA TORNADOES ...
A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASSESSMENT OF THE DAMAGE ACROSS
PARTS OF CULLMAN, MARSHALL, AND DEKALB COUNTIES INDICATED THAT
THERE WERE TWO DISTINCT TORNADO PATHS.
THE FIRST TORNADO BEGAN APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES WEST OF JOPPA
IN CULLMAN COUNTY AT 4:58 AM. THE TORNADO MOVED EAST-NORTHEAST
MOVING OUT OF CULLMAN COUNTY INTO MARSHALL COUNTY CROSSING THE
SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE CITY OF ARAB. THE TORNADO CONTINUED
EAST-NORTHEAST ACROSS THE BRASHIER'S CHAPEL COMMUNITY AND CROSSED
MARSHALL COUNTY ROAD 14 JUST NORTH OF THE DIAMOND COMMUNITY
BEFORE ENDING AT THE BROWN'S CREEK PORTION OF GUNTERSVILLE LAKE.
THE TORNADO PATH WAS 14 MILES IN LENGTH AND VARIED IN WIDTH
AND INTENSITY. WIDTH VARIED FROM ONLY A COUPLE OF HUNDRED YARDS
AT THE NARROWEST TO NEARLY A HALF MILE WIDE AT THE WIDEST. AT
THE MAXIMUM WIDTH, THE MOST INTENSE DAMAGE WAS CONFINED TO AN
AREA ABOUT A QUARTER OF A MILE IN WIDTH. THE GREATEST INTENSITY
APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN IN THE JOPPA AND IN THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF
ARAB WHERE IT CROSSED US HIGHWAY 231.
ON THE FUJITA SCALE OF TORNADO CLASSIFICATION, THIS TORNADO
WAS RATED AS AN F3 WITH WINDS IN THE RANGE OF 158 TO 206 MILES AN
HOUR. MAXIMUM WINDS SPEEDS BASED ON INSPECTION OF THE DAMAGE
WERE PROBABLY IN THE LOWER PORTION OF THE RANGE. THE F3
CLASSIFICATION PLACES THIS TORNADO IN THE STRONG CATEGORY. THE
FUJITA SCALE RATES TORNADOES ON A SCALE FROM F0 FOR THE WEAKEST
TO AN F5 FOR THE MOST VIOLENT TORNADOES.
A SECOND TORNADO BEGAN FROM THE SAME THUNDERSTORM ABOUT 2
MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF MARTLING IN EASTERN MARSHALL COUNTY AT
APPROXIMATELY 5:26 AM CST. IT WAS MOVING EAST-NORTHEAST IN A
GENTLY CURVING ARC THAT TOOK IT INTO DEKALB COUNTY AND ACROSS THE
HOPEWELL COMMUNITY. THE TORNADO DAMAGE ENDED JUST SOUTH OF THE
LAKEVIEW COMMUNITY AT STATE HIGHWAY 75.
THE TORNADO PATH LENGTH WAS 12 MILES IN LENGTH WITH DAMAGE
ABOUT A QUARTER OF A MILE WIDE. ON THE FUJITA SCALE THIS TORNADO
WAS RATED AS AN F2 WITH WIND SPEEDS IN THE RANGE FROM 113 TO 157
MILES AN HOUR. BASED ON THE DAMAGE INSPECTION WIND SPEEDS
PROBABLY DID NOT EXCEED THE MIDDLE VALUES AROUND 135 MILES AN
HOUR.
INFORMATION FROM EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SOURCES INDICATE THAT
THERE WERE THREE FATALITIES, APPARENTLY ALL OF THEM IN MARSHALL
COUNTY IN OR NEAR ARAB. THE DEATHS INCLUDED A 5 YEAR-OLD-GIRL IN
AN APARTMENT, A MALE ABOUT 50 YEARS OLD IN A MOBILE HOME, AND A
32 YEAR-OLD MALE IN A HOUSE. REPORTS FROM THE VARIOUS HOSPITALS
SERVING THE AREAS STRUCK INDICATED THAT THE NUMBER OF INJURIES
WAS AROUND 93.Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 1995Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1995
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.