Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 74, NWS Birmingham, AL
NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jan 24, 1997, 7:09 PM CST for DeKalb County, Alabama. It was in force for 66 min. 3 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- Jan 24, 1997, 7:09 PM CST (01:09 UTC)
- Expired
- Jan 24, 1997, 8:15 PM CST
- In force
- 66 min
- Issued by
- NWS Birmingham, AL
- Area
- Whole counties
County DeKalb County, AL
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 7:17 PM CST | Hail 0.75 | Henager, AL | |
| Jan 24, 7:17 PM CST | Hail 0.75 | Geraldine, AL | |
| Jan 24, 7:22 PM CST | Thunderstorm Wind 50 | Geraldine, AL |
NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in.
The watch it was issued in
The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 4:45 PM CST | Tornado Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 1.2 hours before the alert went out and 168 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
- 966 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -6 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 568 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 53 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 494 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 542 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 2.9
- Supercell composite
- 11.3
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KHSV 250108 RRA SVRHSV ALC049-103-250215- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 709 PM CST FRI JAN 24 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 815 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONSS... IN NORTH ALABAMA ...DEKALB COUNTY...MORGAN COUNTY AT 706 PM CST WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN HUNTSVILLE INDICATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHERN DEKALB COUNTY...AND OVER EASTERN MARSHALL COUNTY MOVING INTO WESTERN DEKALB NEAR OAK GROVE AND HOPEWELL. AND OVER MORGAN FROM LACEY SPRINGS TO SOMERVILLE TO LACON. MOVEMENT WAS EAST NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS. HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD. 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
Local storm report, Jan 24, 2:52 PM CST, 4 hours 17 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
251 PM CST FRI JAN 24 1997
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0205 PM AL 2 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 MARION 2 INCH DIAMETER HAIL
REPORTED 9 MILES EAST OF
HAMILTON THAT COMPLETELY
COVERED THE GROUND
0225 PM BEAR CREEK AL 1 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 MARION QUARTER SIZE HAIL REPORTED
IN BEAR CREEK BY STORM
SPOTTER
0235 PM HALEYVILLE AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 WINSTON DIME SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN
HALEYVILLE BY EMALocal storm report, Jan 24, 3:14 PM CST, 3 hours 55 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
314 PM CST FRI JAN 24 1997
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0250 PM AL 2 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 WINSTON 2 INCH DIAMETER SIZE HAIL
JUST WEST OF DOUBLE
SPRINGS
0307 PM AL 2 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 WINSTON 2 INCH DIAMETER HAIL
REPORTED NEAR ADDISON
0310 PM AL 2 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 WINSTON EMA REPORTS 2 INCH
DIAMETER HAIL ALONG THE
ENTIRE STORM PATH IN
EASTERN WINSTON COUNTYLocal storm report, Jan 24, 3:15 PM CST, 3 hours 54 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
314 PM CST FRI JAN 24 1997
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0250 PM AL 2 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 WINSTON 2 INCH DIAMETER SIZE HAIL
JUST WEST OF DOUBLE
SPRINGS
0307 PM AL 2 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 WINSTON 2 INCH DIAMETER HAIL
REPORTED NEAR ADDISON
0310 PM AL 2 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 WINSTON & EMA REPORTS 2 INCH
DIAMETER HAIL ALONG THE
ENTIRE STORM PATH IN
EASTERN WINSTON COUNTYLocal storm report, Jan 24, 4:30 PM CST, 2 hours 39 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
430 PM CST FRI JAN 24 1997
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0215 PM DELMAR AL 2 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 WINSTON 2 INCH DIAMETER HAIL NEAR
DELMAR
0327 PM AL 1.75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 CULLMAN GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL
REPORTED NEAR JONES CHAPEL
0327 PM AL TORNADO
01/24/97 CULLMAN TORNADO NEAR JONES CHAPEL
NO DAMAGE REPORTS
0335 PM AL TORNADO
01/24/97 WINSTON NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER
LINES DOWN NEAR MORELAND
WITH 2 INCH DIAMETER HAIL
COVERING THE GROUND
0417 PM AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 MARION DIME SIZE HAIL REPORTED SW
OF HALEYVILLE IN MARION
CO.Local storm report, Jan 24, 5:35 PM CST, 1 hour 34 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
535 PM CST FRI JAN 24 1997
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0335 PM AL TORNADO
01/24/97 CULLMAN UNCONFIRMED TORNADO IN
WESTERN CULLMAN CO...AT
LEAST 7 HOMES DAMAGED
0423 PM MIDFIELD AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON DIME SIZED HAIL IN
MIDFIELD...REPORTED BY
SHERIFF
0444 PM VESTAVIA HILLS AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON DIME SIZE HAIL IN VESTAVIA
HILLS REPORTED BY NWS
EMPLOYEE
0453 PM AL 2 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON 50 CENT PIECE SIZED HAIL
REPORTED NEAR LIBERTY PARK
AND HIGHWAY 459
0455 PM AL 1.75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL
REPORTED NEAR HOMEWOOD
0500 PM AL 1 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 SHELBY QUARTER SIZED HAIL
REPORTED IN MEADOWBROOK
0518 PM AL TORNADO
01/24/97 TUSCALOOSA UNCONFIRMED TORNADO NEAR
THE COTTONDALE
AREA...BROOKWOOD AREA AT
LEAST 3 HOMES DAMAGED
0518 PM AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON DIME SIZE HAIL REPORTED
NEAR LEEDSLocal storm report, Jan 24, 5:37 PM CST, 1 hour 32 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
535 PM CST FRI JAN 24 1997
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0335 PM AL TORNADO
01/24/97 CULLMAN UNCONFIRMED TORNADO IN
WESTERN CULLMAN CO...AT
LEAST 7 HOMES DAMAGED
0423 PM MIDFIELD AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON DIME SIZED HAIL IN
MIDFIELD...REPORTED BY
SHERIFF
0444 PM VESTAVIA HILLS AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON DIME SIZE HAIL IN VESTAVIA
HILLS REPORTED BY NWS
EMPLOYEE
0453 PM AL 2 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON 50 CENT PIECE SIZED HAIL
REPORTED NEAR LIBERTY PARK
AND HIGHWAY 459
0455 PM AL 1.75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL
REPORTED NEAR HOMEWOOD
0500 PM AL 1 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 SHELBY QUARTER SIZED HAIL
REPORTED IN MEADOWBROOK
0518 PM AL TORNADO
01/24/97 TUSCALOOSA UNCONFIRMED TORNADO NEAR
THE COTTONDALE
AREA...BROOKWOOD AREA AT
LEAST 3 HOMES DAMAGED
0518 PM AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON DIME SIZE HAIL REPORTED
NEAR LEEDSThe office that day
Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 6:10 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Franklin | 65 min |
| Jan 24, 6:14 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Walker | 61 min |
| Jan 24, 6:17 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Winston | 43 min |
| Jan 24, 6:20 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Morgan | 55 min |
| Jan 24, 6:23 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cleburne | 52 min |
| Jan 24, 6:30 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Franklin | 60 min |
| Jan 24, 6:32 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | St. Clair | 43 min |
| Jan 24, 6:35 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jackson | 55 min |
| Jan 24, 6:38 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Talladega | 37 min |
| Jan 24, 6:45 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Lawrence | 60 min |
| Jan 24, 6:45 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Marshall | 60 min |
| Jan 24, 6:54 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cullman | 51 min |
| Jan 24, 6:54 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jefferson | 51 min |
| Jan 24, 6:59 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Marshall | 61 min |
| Jan 24, 7:01 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Blount | 44 min |
| Jan 24, 7:09 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Morgan | 66 min |
| Jan 24, 7:11 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Calhoun | 64 min |
| Jan 24, 7:31 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Limestone, Madison | 59 min |
| Jan 24, 7:31 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Blount | 44 min |
| Jan 24, 7:37 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Calhoun, Cleburne | 53 min |
| Jan 24, 7:41 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Walker | 49 min |
| Jan 24, 7:46 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Pickens, Tuscaloosa | 59 min |
| Jan 24, 7:53 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Etowah | 52 min |
| Jan 24, 7:55 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jackson | 65 min |
| Jan 24, 8:01 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cullman | 59 min |
| Jan 24, 8:01 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jefferson | 59 min |
| Jan 24, 8:09 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | St. Clair | 36 min |
| Jan 24, 8:12 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | DeKalb | 63 min |
| Jan 24, 8:24 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Blount | 51 min |
| Jan 24, 8:28 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Jefferson | 47 min |
| Jan 24, 8:33 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Walker | 57 min |
| Jan 24, 8:35 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Greene, Sumter | 40 min |
| Jan 24, 8:41 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Tuscaloosa | 49 min |
| Jan 24, 8:51 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Bibb | 69 min |
| Jan 24, 8:51 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby | 69 min |
| Jan 24, 8:51 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Hale | 69 min |
| Jan 24, 8:59 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cherokee | 31 min |
| Jan 24, 9:03 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Blount, St. Clair | 27 min |
| Jan 24, 9:12 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Greene, Sumter | 48 min |
| Jan 24, 9:45 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Etowah | 30 min |
| Jan 24, 9:56 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Bibb, Hale, Shelby | 64 min |
| Jan 24, 9:56 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Greene, Sumter | 64 min |
| Jan 24, 9:56 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Calhoun, St. Clair, Talladega | 64 min |
| Jan 24, 10:18 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jefferson | 42 min |
| Jan 24, 10:23 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cleburne | 67 min |
| Jan 24, 10:45 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Marengo | 45 min |
| Jan 24, 11:01 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Chilton | 44 min |
| Jan 24, 11:29 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Autauga | 31 min |
| Jan 24, 11:32 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Perry | 28 min |
| Jan 24, 11:36 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Dallas | 54 min |
| Jan 25, 12:09 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Autauga | 51 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 1997Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1997
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.