Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 1998
Tornado Warning 104, NWS Birmingham, AL
NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at May 7, 1998, 5:50 AM CDT for Madison County, Alabama. It was in force for 45 min. 2 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
- May 7, 1998, 5:50 AM CDT (10:50 UTC)
- Expired
- May 7, 1998, 6:35 AM CDT
- In force
- 45 min
- Issued by
- NWS Birmingham, AL
- Area
- Whole counties
County Madison County, AL
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 6:03 AM CDT | Tornado F1 | Toney, AL | Six homes were damaged in the Toney community, in northern Madison county. One home had major damage, one had moderate damage and four had minor damage. |
| May 7, 6:27 AM CDT | Tornado F1 | New Market, AL | Trees were down in the New Market area, this damaged several homes in the area. One home had major damage and four homes had minor roof damage. |
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
Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 00:00Z, 10.8 hours before the alert went out and 152 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
- 986 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 40 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -39 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 31 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KBHM 071050 RRA TORBHM ALC089-071135- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 550 AM CDT THU MAY 7 1998 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO WARNING FOR... MADISON COUNTY... IN NORTHERN ALABAMA * UNTIL 635 AM CDT * AT 548 AM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS SHOWN BY WEATHER RADAR OVER THE EASTERN PART OF LIMESTONE COUNTY FROM THE ARDMORE AREA TO JUST NORTH OF CAPSHAW. THE STOR0M WAS MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. * THE STORM WILL AFFECT THE HARVEST...TONEY...NEBO...MERIDIANVILLE... SULPHUR SPRINGS AND NEW MARKET AREAS. GO TO THE BASEMENT OR A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR!
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado 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, May 7, 3:25 AM CDT, 2 hours 25 minutes before
ALZ001>050-GAZ089-090-102-120-071400- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH/CENTRAL AL AND WEST CENTRAL GA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 325 AM CDT THU MAY 7 1998 SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE SHOWN BY WEATHER RADAR MOVING INTO THE NORTHERN PART OF ALABAMA THIS MORNING. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY BE STRONG OR SEVERE THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY REGION OF NORTH ALABAMA TIL 900 AM CDT. WARM...MOIST...AND UNSTABLE CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH OF ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA THROUGH THE REST OF THE DAY. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF ALABAMA THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. THE COMBINATION OF AN UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE...A COLD FRONT AND DAYTIME HEATING WILL SET THE STAGE FOR YET ANOTHER SEVERE WEATHER EVENT ACROSS PARTS OF NORTH/CENTRAL ALABAMA AND PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA DURING THE DAY AND INTO THE EVENING HOURS. AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE AREA...THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AHEAD AND ALONG THE FRONT. YOU CAN EXPECTED SOME OF THE STORMS TO BECOME SEVERE... PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH AND LARGE HAIL. PROJECTED WIND PROFILES THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE SUGGEST THAT CONDITIONS MAY BE FAVORABLE FOR SOME OF THE STORMS TO ALSO PRODUCE TORNADOES. THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS OUTLOOKED THE NORTHERN HALF OF ALABAMA FOR A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER TODAY. MOST OF THE REMAINING PARTS OF ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA ARE UNDER A SLIGHT RISK. ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS EXPECTED TODAY AND INTO THE EVENING HOURS. SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL SHOULD KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST FORECASTS... STATEMENTS...AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...SEE PRODUCT BHMSPSMOB. FOR SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...LOOK AT MIASPSTLH. FOR MORE WEATHER INFORMATION VISIT OUR INTERNET SITE ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB AT HTTP://WWW.ACESAG.AUBURN.EDU/DEPARTMENT/NWS/
Special weather statement, May 7, 3:25 AM CDT, 2 hours 25 minutes before
ALZ001>050-GAZ089-090-102-120-071400- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH/CENTRAL AL AND WEST CENTRAL GA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 325 AM CDT THU MAY 7 1998 SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE SHOWN BY WEATHER RADAR MOVING INTO THE NORTHERN PART OF ALABAMA THIS MORNING. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY BE STRONG OR SEVERE THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY REGION OF NORTH ALABAMA TIL 900 AM CDT. WARM...MOIST...AND UNSTABLE CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH OF ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA THROUGH THE REST OF THE DAY. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF ALABAMA THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. THE COMBINATION OF AN UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE...A COLD FRONT AND DAYTIME HEATING WILL SET THE STAGE FOR YET ANOTHER SEVERE WEATHER EVENT ACROSS PARTS OF NORTH/CENTRAL ALABAMA AND PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA DURING THE DAY AND INTO THE EVENING HOURS. AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE AREA...THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AHEAD AND ALONG THE FRONT. YOU CAN EXPECTED SOME OF THE STORMS TO BECOME SEVERE... PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH AND LARGE HAIL. PROJECTED WIND PROFILES THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE SUGGEST THAT CONDITIONS MAY BE FAVORABLE FOR SOME OF THE STORMS TO ALSO PRODUCE TORNADOES. THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS OUTLOOKED THE NORTHERN HALF OF ALABAMA FOR A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER TODAY. MOST OF THE REMAINING PARTS OF ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA ARE UNDER A SLIGHT RISK. ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS EXPECTED TODAY AND INTO THE EVENING HOURS. SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL SHOULD KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST FORECASTS... STATEMENTS...AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...SEE PRODUCT BHMSPSMOB. FOR SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...LOOK AT MIASPSTLH. FOR MORE WEATHER INFORMATION VISIT OUR INTERNET SITE ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB AT HTTP://WWW.ACESAG.AUBURN.EDU/DEPARTMENT/NWS/
The office that day
Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 6, 7:01 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Tuscaloosa | 64 min |
| May 6, 7:05 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Talladega | 60 min |
| May 6, 7:18 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Bibb | 47 min |
| May 6, 7:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Perry | 60 min |
| May 6, 7:33 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Clay | 47 min |
| May 6, 7:38 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Shelby | 47 min |
| May 6, 7:42 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Bibb | 18 min |
| May 6, 7:44 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Perry | 46 min |
| May 6, 7:52 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Chilton | 48 min |
| May 6, 8:14 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Autauga, Dallas | 66 min |
| May 6, 9:05 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Autauga | 45 min |
| May 6, 9:08 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Tallapoosa | 47 min |
| May 6, 9:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Lowndes, Montgomery | 42 min |
| May 6, 10:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Montgomery | 47 min |
| May 6, 10:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Lowndes | 50 min |
| May 6, 11:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Montgomery | 31 min |
| May 6, 11:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Pike | 65 min |
| May 7, 12:03 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Barbour | 62 min |
| May 7, 4:29 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Lauderdale | 36 min |
| May 7, 5:03 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Lawrence | 32 min |
| May 7, 5:06 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Lauderdale | 19 min |
| May 7, 5:10 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Limestone | 30 min |
| May 7, 5:41 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Limestone | 34 min |
| May 7, 6:20 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Jackson | 25 min |
| May 7, 6:34 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Madison | 31 min |
| May 7, 6:45 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Jackson | 35 min |
| May 7, 4:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jackson | 47 min |
| May 7, 4:19 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Limestone | 51 min |
| May 7, 4:25 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Jackson | 50 min |
| May 7, 4:27 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Madison | 63 min |
| May 7, 4:44 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Lauderdale | 51 min |
| May 7, 5:03 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Jackson | 67 min |
| May 7, 5:45 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | DeKalb | 50 min |
| May 7, 6:57 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Franklin | 48 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 1998Every tornado warning in 1998Tornadoes 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.