Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 259, NWS Birmingham, AL
NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 18, 1998, 12:00 PM CDT for Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. It was in force for 45 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Apr 18, 1998, 12:00 PM CDT (17:00 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 18, 1998, 12:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 45 min
- Issued by
- NWS Birmingham, AL
- Area
- Whole counties
County Tuscaloosa County, AL
The nearest sounding before it
Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 5.0 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
- 1180 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 76 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 98 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 114 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
762 WUUS1 KBHM 181701 RRA SVRBHM ALC125-181745- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1200 PM CDT SAT APR 18 1998 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A * SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR... TUSCALOOSA COUNTY... IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA * UNTIL 1245 PM CDT * AT 1157 AM CDT... A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS SHOWN...BY WEATHER RADAR JUST NORTHEAST OF NORTHPORT AND WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. * THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE BROOKWOOD AND KELLERMAN AREAS THROUGH 1230 PM. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE LIKELY. GO INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 60 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 DONT DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.
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, Apr 18, 6:00 AM CDT, 6 hours before
ALZ001>050-181600- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 600 AM CDT SAT APR 18 1998 ...MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PARTS OF NORTH ALABAMA TODAY... A LOW PRESSURE AREA IS FORECAST TO FORM NEAR THE GULF COAST AND MOVE NORTH THROUGH EAST MISSISSIPPI AND WEST ALABAMA TODAY. MOIST GULF AIR WILL INVADE RAPIDLY FROM THE SOUTH WHILE A STRONG SYSTEM IN THE UPPER AIR APPROACHES FROM TEXAS AND MEXICO. THE GREATEST THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER TODAY WILL BE OVER NORTH AND WEST ALABAMA. CONDITIONS COULD BECOME FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE WEATHER AS EARLY AS 9 OR 10 AM AND CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING. OVER EAST AND CENTRAL ALABAMA...PLACES LIKE ALEXANDER CITY...AUBURN... MONTGOMERY AND SELMA...SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON BUT THE GREATEST THREAT WILL BE DURING THE NIGHT TONIGHT. OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS ALABAMA COULD SEE STORMS PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND EVEN TORNADOES. PERSISTANT HEAVY RAINS COULD ALSO CAUSE FLOODING TODAY...GENERALLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM FORT PAYNE TO CULLMAN TO FAYETTE. STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL SHOULD EXPECT ACTIVATION SOMETIME TODAY. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR LATER UPDATES ON THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Apr 18, 6:00 AM CDT, 6 hours before
ALZ001>050-181600- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 600 AM CDT SAT APR 18 1998 ...MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PARTS OF NORTH ALABAMA TODAY... A LOW PRESSURE AREA IS FORECAST TO FORM NEAR THE GULF COAST AND MOVE NORTH THROUGH EAST MISSISSIPPI AND WEST ALABAMA TODAY. MOIST GULF AIR WILL INVADE RAPIDLY FROM THE SOUTH WHILE A STRONG SYSTEM IN THE UPPER AIR APPROACHES FROM TEXAS AND MEXICO. THE GREATEST THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER TODAY WILL BE OVER NORTH AND WEST ALABAMA. CONDITIONS COULD BECOME FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE WEATHER AS EARLY AS 9 OR 10 AM AND CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING. OVER EAST AND CENTRAL ALABAMA...PLACES LIKE ALEXANDER CITY...AUBURN... MONTGOMERY AND SELMA...SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON BUT THE GREATEST THREAT WILL BE DURING THE NIGHT TONIGHT. OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS ALABAMA COULD SEE STORMS PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND EVEN TORNADOES. PERSISTANT HEAVY RAINS COULD ALSO CAUSE FLOODING TODAY...GENERALLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM FORT PAYNE TO CULLMAN TO FAYETTE. STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL SHOULD EXPECT ACTIVATION SOMETIME TODAY. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR LATER UPDATES ON THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Apr 18, 10:30 AM CDT, 1 hour 30 minutes before
ALZ001>050-GAZ089-090-102-120-182300- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH/CENTRAL AL AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1030 AM CDT SAT APR 18 1998 ...MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PARTS OF NORTH ALABAMA... A LOW PRESSURE AREA IS FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS EAST MISSISSIPPI AND WEST ALABAMA TODAY. MOIST GULF AIR WILL INVADE RAPIDLY FROM THE SOUTH WHILE A STRONG SYSTEM IN THE UPPER AIR APPROACHES FROM TEXAS AND MEXICO. THE GREATEST THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING AS A WARM FRONT OVER SOUTH ALABAMA MOVES NORTHWARD. INCREASING SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL BRING VERY UNSTABLE AIR NORTHWARD INTO THE REGION. OVER THE NEXT 12 HOURS ALABAMA AND WEST-CENTRAL GEORGIA COULD SEE STORMS PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND EVEN TORNADOES. PERSISTENT HEAVY RAINS COULD ALSO CAUSE FLOODING TODAY...GENERALLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM FORT PAYNE TO CULLMAN TO FAYETTE. STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL SHOULD EXPECT ACTIVATION SOMETIME TODAY. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR LATER UPDATES ON THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Apr 18, 10:30 AM CDT, 1 hour 30 minutes before
ALZ001>050-GAZ089-090-102-120-182300- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH/CENTRAL AL AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1030 AM CDT SAT APR 18 1998 ...MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PARTS OF NORTH ALABAMA... A LOW PRESSURE AREA IS FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS EAST MISSISSIPPI AND WEST ALABAMA TODAY. MOIST GULF AIR WILL INVADE RAPIDLY FROM THE SOUTH WHILE A STRONG SYSTEM IN THE UPPER AIR APPROACHES FROM TEXAS AND MEXICO. THE GREATEST THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING AS A WARM FRONT OVER SOUTH ALABAMA MOVES NORTHWARD. INCREASING SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL BRING VERY UNSTABLE AIR NORTHWARD INTO THE REGION. OVER THE NEXT 12 HOURS ALABAMA AND WEST-CENTRAL GEORGIA COULD SEE STORMS PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND EVEN TORNADOES. PERSISTENT HEAVY RAINS COULD ALSO CAUSE FLOODING TODAY...GENERALLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM FORT PAYNE TO CULLMAN TO FAYETTE. STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL SHOULD EXPECT ACTIVATION SOMETIME TODAY. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR LATER UPDATES ON THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
Local storm report, Apr 18, 11:31 AM CDT, 29 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM
1131 AM CDT SAT APR 18 1998
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0928 AM EMELLE AL .75 INCH HAIL
04/18/98 SUMTER DIME SIZE HAIL WAS
REPORTED IN EMELLE.
0930 AM SUMTERVILLE AL 1.75 INCH HAIL
04/18/98 SUMTER GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL WAS
REPORTED IN SUMTERVILLE.
0950 AM BOLIGEE AL 1 INCH HAIL
04/18/98 GREENE HAIL THE SIZE OF QUARTERS
WAS REPORTED NEAR BOLIGEE.
1038 AM NORTHPORT AL .75 INCH HAIL
04/18/98 TUSCALOOSA DIME SIZE HAIL WAS
REPORTED IN NORTHPORT.
1117 AM AL 1 INCH HAIL
04/18/98 JEFFERSON HAIL THE SIZE OF QUARTERS
WAS REPORTED IN THE
MACADORY AREA.
1122 AM LIPSCOMB AL .75 INCH HAIL
04/18/98 JEFFERSON DIME SIZE HAIL WAS
REPORTED IN LIPSCOME BY A
SPOTTER.
1123 AM BESSEMER AL 1.75 INCH HAIL
04/18/98 JEFFERSON GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL WAS
REPORTED IN BESSEMER.
1124 AM MIDFIELD AL .75 INCH HAIL
04/18/98 JEFFERSON DIME SIZE HAIL WAS
KNOCKING LEAVES OFF TREES
IN MIDFIELD.
1128 AM PRATT CITY AL .75 INCH HAIL
04/18/98 JEFFERSON DIME SIZE HAIL WAS
REPORTED IN PRATT CITY.Local storm report, Apr 18, 11:31 AM CDT, 29 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM
1131 AM CDT SAT APR 18 1998
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0928 AM EMELLE AL .75 INCH HAIL
04/18/98 SUMTER DIME SIZE HAIL WAS
REPORTED IN EMELLE.
0930 AM SUMTERVILLE AL 1.75 INCH HAIL
04/18/98 SUMTER GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL WAS
REPORTED IN SUMTERVILLE.
0950 AM BOLIGEE AL 1 INCH HAIL
04/18/98 GREENE HAIL THE SIZE OF QUARTERS
WAS REPORTED NEAR BOLIGEE.
1038 AM NORTHPORT AL .75 INCH HAIL
04/18/98 TUSCALOOSA DIME SIZE HAIL WAS
REPORTED IN NORTHPORT.
1117 AM AL 1 INCH HAIL
04/18/98 JEFFERSON HAIL THE SIZE OF QUARTERS
WAS REPORTED IN THE
MACADORY AREA.
1122 AM LIPSCOMB AL .75 INCH HAIL
04/18/98 JEFFERSON DIME SIZE HAIL WAS
REPORTED IN LIPSCOME BY A
SPOTTER.
1123 AM BESSEMER AL 1.75 INCH HAIL
04/18/98 JEFFERSON GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL WAS
REPORTED IN BESSEMER.
1124 AM MIDFIELD AL .75 INCH HAIL
04/18/98 JEFFERSON DIME SIZE HAIL WAS
KNOCKING LEAVES OFF TREES
IN MIDFIELD.
1128 AM PRATT CITY AL .75 INCH HAIL
04/18/98 JEFFERSON DIME SIZE HAIL WAS
REPORTED IN PRATT CITY.The office that day
Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 17, 9:21 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Pike | 34 min |
| Apr 17, 9:53 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Barbour | 47 min |
| Apr 17, 11:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Lowndes, Montgomery | 50 min |
| Apr 18, 1:38 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Sumter | 62 min |
| Apr 18, 9:05 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Greene, Sumter | 45 min |
| Apr 18, 9:47 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Greene | 33 min |
| Apr 18, 10:38 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Tuscaloosa | 32 min |
| Apr 18, 10:58 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jefferson | 62 min |
| Apr 18, 12:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jefferson | 45 min |
| Apr 18, 5:13 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Calhoun | 32 min |
| Apr 18, 5:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Tuscaloosa | 46 min |
| Apr 18, 5:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Dallas | 18 min |
| Apr 18, 5:42 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Cherokee | 48 min |
| Apr 18, 5:44 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Chilton | 46 min |
| Apr 18, 6:03 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Chilton | 47 min |
| Apr 18, 6:15 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Jackson | 4 hr |
| Apr 18, 6:16 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jefferson | 49 min |
| Apr 18, 6:20 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Jackson | 50 min |
| Apr 18, 6:20 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Dallas | 50 min |
| Apr 18, 6:26 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Cherokee | 19 min |
| Apr 18, 6:35 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Blount, Marshall | 4 hr |
| Apr 18, 6:48 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Perry | 62 min |
| Apr 18, 6:52 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Shelby | 63 min |
| Apr 18, 6:53 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | DeKalb | 47 min |
| Apr 18, 6:56 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Etowah | 49 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 1998Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1998
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.