Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 421, NWS Birmingham, AL

June 5, 1998St. Clair County, Shelby County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 5, 1998, 6:04 AM CDT for St. Clair County, Shelby County, Alabama. It was in force for 46 min. 1 report 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: Jun 5, 1998, 6:04 AM CDT (11:04 UTC)
Expired: Jun 5, 1998, 6:50 AM CDT
In force: 46 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Whole counties

Counties Shelby County, AL, St. Clair County, AL

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Jun 5, 6:23 AM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind 50	Springville, AL	Power lines were down in Springville.

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 nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 11.1 hours before the alert went out and 185 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 1476 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -27 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1507 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 54 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 119 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.5
Supercell composite: 2.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

096 
WUUS1 KBHM 051103 RRA
SVRBHM
ALC115-117-051150-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
604 AM CDT FRI JUN 5 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SHELBY COUNTY... IN CENTRAL ALABAMA
  ST. CLAIR COUNTY... IN CENTRAL ALABAMA

* UNTIL 650 AM CDT

* AT 602 AM CDT... A BAND OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WAS SHOWN BY
WEATHER RADAR FROM NEAR GADSDEN TO BIRMINGHAM MOVING EAST
AT 50 MPH.  HIGH AND DAMAGING WINDS OF OVER 60 MPH ARE LIKELY.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR PELL CITY AND ALABASTER BY
620 AM.

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF DAMAGING WIND. GO INSIDE A STURDY
BUILDING AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS

WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING... PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A
STRONG BUILDING. DO NOT STAND BY WINDOWS. DO NOT USE TELEPHONES OR
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY UNTIL THE STORM HAS
PASSED. MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT DRIVE INTO LOW WATER CROSSINGS.

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, Jun 5, 5:49 AM CDT, 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM
549 AM CDT FRI JUN 05 1998

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0424 AM    MUSCLE SHOALS ARPT        AL   66 MPH TSTM GUST
06/05/98   COLBERT                        MSL ASOS REPORTED 57 KNOT
                                          GUST WITH THUNDERSTORM
                                          PASSAGE.

0430 AM                              AL   WIND DAMAGE
06/05/98   COLBERT                        NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER
                                          LINES DOWN...SOME ON
                                          HOMES..COUNTYWIDE.

0445 AM                              AL   WIND DAMAGE
06/05/98   LAUDERDALE                     NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER
                                          LINES DOWN..SOME ON HOUSES
                                          AND CARS. NUMEROUS POWER
                                          OUTAGES.

0445 AM                              AL   WIND DAMAGE
06/05/98   FRANKLIN                       NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER
                                          LINES DOWN...NUMEROUS CAR
                                          ACCIDENTS. THIS IS
                                          COUNTYWIDE.

0510 AM    HUNTSVILLE ARPT NORTH     AL   54 MPH TSTM GUST
06/05/98   MADISON                        HSV ASOS HAD 54 MILE PER
                                          HOUR WIND GUST WITH
                                          THUNDERSTORM PASSAGE.

0515 AM    ATHENS                    AL   69 MPH TSTM GUST
06/05/98   LIMESTONE                      69 MILE PER HOUR WIND GUST
                                          FROM TV METEOROLOGIST WITH
                                          THUNDERSTORM PASSAGE. TIME
                                          ESTIMATED.

0520 AM                              AL   51 MPH TSTM GUST
06/05/98   MADISON                        WIND GUST OF 51 MILES PER
                                          HOUR IN OWENS
                                          CROSSROADS..TV
                                          METEOROLOGIST.

0535 AM                              AL   WIND DAMAGE
06/05/98   MORGAN                         NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER
                                          LINES DOWN THROUGHOUT THE
                                          COUNTY.

0535 AM                              AL   WIND DAMAGE
06/05/98   MARSHALL                       NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER
                                          LINES DOWN ACROSS THE
                                          COUNTY...NUMEROUS POWER
                                          OUTAGES.

Local storm report, Jun 5, 5:49 AM CDT, 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM
549 AM CDT FRI JUN 05 1998

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0424 AM    MUSCLE SHOALS ARPT        AL   66 MPH TSTM GUST
06/05/98   COLBERT                        MSL ASOS REPORTED 57 KNOT
                                          GUST WITH THUNDERSTORM
                                          PASSAGE.

0430 AM                              AL   WIND DAMAGE
06/05/98   COLBERT                        NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER
                                          LINES DOWN...SOME ON
                                          HOMES..COUNTYWIDE.

0445 AM                              AL   WIND DAMAGE
06/05/98   LAUDERDALE                     NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER
                                          LINES DOWN..SOME ON HOUSES
                                          AND CARS. NUMEROUS POWER
                                          OUTAGES.

0445 AM                              AL   WIND DAMAGE
06/05/98   FRANKLIN                       NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER
                                          LINES DOWN...NUMEROUS CAR
                                          ACCIDENTS. THIS IS
                                          COUNTYWIDE.

0510 AM    HUNTSVILLE ARPT NORTH     AL   54 MPH TSTM GUST
06/05/98   MADISON                        HSV ASOS HAD 54 MILE PER
                                          HOUR WIND GUST WITH
                                          THUNDERSTORM PASSAGE.

0515 AM    ATHENS                    AL   69 MPH TSTM GUST
06/05/98   LIMESTONE                      69 MILE PER HOUR WIND GUST
                                          FROM TV METEOROLOGIST WITH
                                          THUNDERSTORM PASSAGE. TIME
                                          ESTIMATED.

0520 AM                              AL   51 MPH TSTM GUST
06/05/98   MADISON                        WIND GUST OF 51 MILES PER
                                          HOUR IN OWENS
                                          CROSSROADS..TV
                                          METEOROLOGIST.

0535 AM                              AL   WIND DAMAGE
06/05/98   MORGAN                         NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER
                                          LINES DOWN THROUGHOUT THE
                                          COUNTY.

0535 AM                              AL   WIND DAMAGE
06/05/98   MARSHALL                       NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER
                                          LINES DOWN ACROSS THE
                                          COUNTY...NUMEROUS POWER
                                          OUTAGES.

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jun 4, 8:23 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb	47 min
Jun 4, 8:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chilton, Shelby	48 min
Jun 5, 3:52 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale	63 min
Jun 5, 3:52 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Marion	63 min
Jun 5, 4:23 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lamar	47 min
Jun 5, 4:37 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lawrence, Limestone	63 min
Jun 5, 4:44 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Walker, Winston	61 min
Jun 5, 5:02 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Madison, Morgan	48 min
Jun 5, 5:02 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Cullman	48 min
Jun 5, 5:16 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Pickens, Tuscaloosa	49 min
Jun 5, 5:25 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Jefferson, Marshall	45 min
Jun 5, 5:25 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jackson	45 min
Jun 5, 5:42 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	DeKalb	48 min
Jun 5, 5:57 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Cherokee, Etowah	48 min
Jun 5, 6:21 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cleburne	34 min
Jun 5, 6:52 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cleburne, Talladega	18 min
Jun 5, 2:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Pickens, Sumter	52 min
Jun 5, 2:09 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Hale, Tuscaloosa	61 min
Jun 5, 2:10 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lamar	50 min
Jun 5, 2:29 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Pickens	46 min
Jun 5, 2:38 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb	47 min
Jun 5, 2:40 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette	80 min
Jun 5, 2:46 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Tuscaloosa	64 min
Jun 5, 2:48 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jefferson, Walker	77 min
Jun 5, 2:48 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Shelby	77 min
Jun 5, 2:53 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Hale, Marengo	62 min
Jun 5, 2:55 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette	50 min
Jun 5, 2:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lamar	34 min
Jun 5, 3:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Sumter	35 min
Jun 5, 3:05 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Jefferson	65 min
Jun 5, 3:09 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Perry	66 min
Jun 5, 3:09 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chilton, Coosa	96 min
Jun 5, 3:19 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb	46 min
Jun 5, 3:19 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Elmore	66 min
Jun 5, 3:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Autauga, Dallas	51 min
Jun 5, 3:35 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Talladega	80 min
Jun 5, 3:40 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Tallapoosa	65 min
Jun 5, 3:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	St. Clair	64 min
Jun 5, 3:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Clay	66 min
Jun 5, 4:02 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lowndes, Montgomery	63 min
Jun 5, 4:12 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Macon	78 min
Jun 5, 4:21 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chambers, Lee	79 min
Jun 5, 4:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bullock	63 min
Jun 5, 4:37 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Pike	63 min
Jun 5, 4:37 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Lee, Macon	48 min
Jun 5, 4:44 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Russell	61 min
Jun 5, 4:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Barbour	64 min
Jun 5, 4:53 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Russell	47 min
Jun 5, 5:10 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Etowah	35 min
Jun 5, 5:11 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Cherokee, DeKalb	64 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 1998 Every 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.