Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 1996

Flash Flood Warning 28, NWS Birmingham, AL

September 16, 1996Cullman County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this flash flood warning at Sep 16, 1996, 5:09 PM CDT for Cullman County, Alabama. It was in force for 2 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Sep 16, 1996, 5:09 PM CDT (22:09 UTC)
Expired
Sep 16, 1996, 7:15 PM CDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Cullman County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 107 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:10 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 10.2 hours before the alert went out and 106 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, Birmingham, AL at 12:00Z on 1996-09-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 776 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Birmingham, AL at 12:00Z on 1996-09-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 278 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
776 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-5 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
573 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
278 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
319 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.0
Supercell composite
6.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KBHM 162210
FFWBHM
ALC043-170015-
 
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
509 PM CDT MON SEP 16 1996
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  715 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTH ALABAMA
 
   ...CULLMAN COUNTY
 
FLASH FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE CITY OF CULLMAN...WHERE HIGHWAY
31 IS CLOSED WITH UP TO 3 FEET OF WATER ON THE ROAD. HIGHWAY 278 EAST OF
CULLMAN IS ALSO CLOSED DUE TO HIGH WATER.
 
THE BACK EDGE OF THE CURRENT PRECIPITATION AREA WILL BE OUT OF THE CITY
CULLMAN BETWEEN 530 AND 545 PM...BUT MORE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE
LATER THIS EVENING.
 
 
 
 
 
DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY.  THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO
CROSS SAFELY.  VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE
ABANDONED QUICKLY.  MOVE 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, Sep 16, 11:35 AM CDT, 5 hours 34 minutes before
ALZ001>007-011>013-161835-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1135 AM CDT MON SEP 16 1996

THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE TORNADO WATCH...

...MADISON...MORGAN...LAUDERDALE...LIMESTONE...LAWRENCE...COLBERT...
FRANKLIN...MARION...LAMAR...AND FAYETTE.

AT 1134AM...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED EASTWARD AND ONLY A FEW
RAIN SHOWERS WERE OCCURRING OVER PARTS OF NORTH AND NORTHWEST ALABAMA.
THUND"ERSTORMS WILL LIKELY RETURN TO PARTS OF NORTH ALABAMA LATER THIS
AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY EVENING AND CONDITIONS MAY ONCE AGAIN IMPROVE
FOR SEVERE WEATHER.
Special weather statement, Sep 16, 12:41 PM CDT, 4 hours 28 minutes before
ALZ001>057-161835-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1235 PM CDT MON SEP 16 1996

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 1020 FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND WESTERN ALABAMA
HAS BEEN CANCELLED.  A NEW TORNADO WATCH #1022 IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR MUCH
OF EAST AND EAST-CENTRAL SECTIONS UNTIL 800 PM.  THIS NEW WATCH IS
EAST OF A LINE FROM CALHOUN COUNTY TO TALLADEGA TO CHILTON
TO DALLAS TO WILCOX COUNTIES AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM BUTLER TO CRENSHAW
TO PIKE TO BARBOUR COUNTIES.
Special weather statement, Sep 16, 4:15 PM CDT, 54 minutes before
ALZ001>057-170200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
413 PM CDT MON SEP 16 1996

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 1022 FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN ALABAMA
HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH A NEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 1024 UNTIL 900 PM
CDT. BELOW IS A LISTING OF COUNTIES INCLUDED IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
NUMBER 1023 AND 1024.  BOTH ARE IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT.

NORTH           WEST CENTRAL    CENTRAL         EAST CENTRAL
SOUTHWEST

SOME CITIES INCLUDED IN THE WATCH ARE...

ANNISTON        ASHLAND         ATHENS          BIRMINGHAM
BUTLER          CAMDEN          CARROLLTON      CENTRE
CENTREVILLE     CLANTON         COLUMBIANA      CULLMAN
DADEVILLE       DECATUR         DOUBLE SPRINGS  EUTAW
FAYETTE         FLORENCE        FORT PAYNE      GADSDEN
GREENSBORO      GREENVILLE      GROVE HILL      GUNTERSVILLE
HAMILTON        HAYNEVILLE      HEFLIN          HUNTSVILLE
JASPER          LINDEN          LIVINGSTON      LUVERNE
MARION          MONTGOMERY      MOULTON         MUSCLE SHOALS
ONEONTA         PELL CITY       PRATTVILLE      ROCKFORD
RUSSELLVILLE    SCOTTSBORO      SELMA           TALLADEGA
TUSCALOOSA      VERNON          WEDOWEE         WETUMPKA

IN ALABAMA THIS WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

ALC077-033-059-079-083-089-103-095-071-049-093-133-043-009-055-019-
170200-
...NORTH...
LAUDERDALE      COLBERT         FRANKLIN        LAWRENCE
LIMESTONE       MADISON         MORGAN          MARSHALL
JACKSON         DEKALB          MARION          WINSTON
CULLMAN         BLOUNT          ETOWAH          CHEROKEE

ALC075-057-107-125-119-063-065-091-170200-
...WEST CENTRAL...
LAMAR           FAYETTE         PICKENS         TUSCALOOSA
SUMTER          GREENE          HALE            MARENGO

ALC127-073-117-115-121-105-007-021-037-047-001-085-051-101-170200-
...CENTRAL...
WALKER          JEFFERSON       SHELBY          ST. CLAIR
TALLADEGA       PERRY           BIBB            CHILTON
COOSA           DALLAS          AUTAUGA         LOWNDES
ELMORE          MONTGOMERY

ALC015-029-027-111-123-170200-
...EAST CENTRAL...
CALHOUN         CLEBURNE        CLAY            RANDOLPH
TALLAPOOSA

ALC023-025-131-013-041-170200-
...SOUTHWEST...
CHOCTAW         CLARKE          WILCOX          BUTLER
CRENSHAW

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 16, 6:45 AM CDTTornado WarningBMXLamar45 min
Sep 16, 7:08 AM CDTTornado WarningBMXMarion52 min
Sep 16, 7:40 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMorgan65 min
Sep 16, 7:47 AM CDTTornado WarningBMXWinston43 min
Sep 16, 8:14 AM CDTTornado WarningBMXLimestone46 min
Sep 16, 8:18 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCullman57 min
Sep 16, 8:27 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMadison63 min
Sep 16, 9:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMorgan45 min
Sep 16, 9:40 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMarshall65 min
Sep 16, 9:49 AM CDTTornado WarningBMXMarshall56 min
Sep 16, 9:59 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJackson61 min
Sep 16, 10:11 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXDeKalb64 min
Sep 16, 2:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXFranklin65 min
Sep 16, 2:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMarion47 min
Sep 16, 2:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXColbert68 min
Sep 16, 3:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLauderdale, Lawrence63 min
Sep 16, 3:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXSumter37 min
Sep 16, 4:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLimestone55 min
Sep 16, 4:22 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXBibb38 min
Sep 16, 4:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCullman48 min
Sep 16, 4:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMadison69 min
Sep 16, 4:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMarshall, Morgan63 min
Sep 16, 4:50 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXChilton40 min
Sep 16, 5:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBlount43 min
Sep 16, 5:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXFranklin69 min
Sep 16, 5:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXDeKalb61 min
Sep 16, 5:29 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXBlount31 min
Sep 16, 5:31 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXChilton29 min
Sep 16, 5:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXDallas, Marengo, Perry41 min
Sep 16, 5:47 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXSt. Clair58 min
Sep 16, 6:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXAutauga45 min
Sep 16, 6:01 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXCoosa, Elmore44 min
Sep 16, 6:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCherokee40 min
Sep 16, 6:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXDallas33 min
Sep 16, 6:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXEtowah30 min
Sep 16, 6:16 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXCalhoun44 min
Sep 16, 6:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLowndes41 min
Sep 16, 6:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMontgomery55 min
Sep 16, 6:39 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXDallas36 min
Sep 16, 6:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXAutauga31 min
Sep 16, 6:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCoosa, Elmore45 min
Sep 16, 6:54 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXLowndes36 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Alabama, 1996Every flash flood warning in 1996

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.