Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 1998
Tornado Warning 118, NWS Birmingham, AL
NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at May 7, 1998, 9:25 PM CDT for Etowah County, St. Clair County, Alabama. It was in force for 65 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
- May 7, 1998, 9:25 PM CDT (02:25 UTC)
- Expired
- May 7, 1998, 10:30 PM CDT
- In force
- 65 min
- Issued by
- NWS Birmingham, AL
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Etowah County, AL, St. Clair County, AL
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 10:00 PM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind 55 | Gadsden, AL | Several trees were blown down and about six utility poles were clipped along SR 77. Part of a barn roof was also blown off in the same area. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 8:00 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 5 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 2.4 hours before the alert went out and 96 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
- 2677 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -3 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 985 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 74 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 132 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 224 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 3.5
- Supercell composite
- 12.4
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
535 WFUS1 KBHM 080224 RRA TORBHM ALC055-115-080330- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 925 PM CDT THU MAY 7 1998 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO WARNING FOR... ETOWAH COUNTY... IN NORTHERN ALABAMA ST. CLAIR COUNTY... IN CENTRAL ALABAMA * UNTIL 1030 PM CDT * AT 923 PM CDT... A TORNADO WAS DETECTED...BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR OVER EASTERN BLOUNT COUNTY MOVING EAST AT 30 TO 35 MPH. IF YOU ARE IN A MULTIPLE STORY BUILDING...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
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
Local storm report, May 7, 5:07 PM CDT, 4 hours 18 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM
507 PM CDT THU MAY 07 1998
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0505 PM NEW MARKET AL 1.75 INCH HAIL
05/07/98 MADISON GOLFBALL HAIL
0505 PM CENTER STAR AL
05/07/98 LAUDERDALE HALF INCH HAILLocal storm report, May 7, 5:07 PM CDT, 4 hours 18 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM
507 PM CDT THU MAY 07 1998
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0505 PM NEW MARKET AL 1.75 INCH HAIL
05/07/98 MADISON GOLFBALL HAIL
0505 PM CENTER STAR AL
05/07/98 LAUDERDALE HALF INCH HAILSpecial weather statement, May 7, 6:33 PM CDT, 2 hours 52 minutes before
ALZ006-008>010-018>021-028-029-038-080020- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 633 PM CDT THU MAY 7 1998 TORNADO WATCH 302 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR ALL SECTIONS OF NORTHEAST AND NORTH-CENTRAL ALABAMA. THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY HAS SHIFTED NORTH AND EAST OF THE AREA. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING WEST OF THE STATE BUT WITH THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING... THIS THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD GRADUALLY DIMINISH. HOWEVER...A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY REMAINS VERY CLOSE TO NORTH ALABAMA AND IT REMAINS POSSIBLE THAT ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS COULD DEVELOP. UPDATES WILL BE ISSUED AS NECESSARY. NO WATCHES OR WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE STATE AT THIS TIME.
Special weather statement, May 7, 6:33 PM CDT, 2 hours 52 minutes before
ALZ006-008>010-018>021-028-029-038-080020- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 633 PM CDT THU MAY 7 1998 TORNADO WATCH 302 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR ALL SECTIONS OF NORTHEAST AND NORTH-CENTRAL ALABAMA. THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY HAS SHIFTED NORTH AND EAST OF THE AREA. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING WEST OF THE STATE BUT WITH THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING... THIS THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD GRADUALLY DIMINISH. HOWEVER...A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY REMAINS VERY CLOSE TO NORTH ALABAMA AND IT REMAINS POSSIBLE THAT ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS COULD DEVELOP. UPDATES WILL BE ISSUED AS NECESSARY. NO WATCHES OR WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE STATE AT THIS TIME.
Special weather statement, May 7, 6:35 PM CDT, 2 hours 50 minutes before
ALZ006-008>010-018>021-028-029-038-080020- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 635 PM CDT THU MAY 7 1998 TORNADO WATCH 302 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR ALL SECTIONS OF NORTHEAST AND EAST-CENTRAL ALABAMA. THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY HAS SHIFTED NORTH AND EAST OF THE AREA. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING WEST OF THE STATE BUT WITH THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING... THESE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD GRADUALLY DIMINISH. HOWEVER...A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY REMAINS VERY CLOSE TO NORTH ALABAMA AND IT REMAINS POSSIBLE THAT ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS COULD DEVELOP. UPDATES WILL BE ISSUED AS NECESSARY. NO WATCHES OR WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE STATE AT THIS TIME.
Special weather statement, May 7, 6:35 PM CDT, 2 hours 50 minutes before
ALZ006-008>010-018>021-028-029-038-080020- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 635 PM CDT THU MAY 7 1998 TORNADO WATCH 302 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR ALL SECTIONS OF NORTHEAST AND EAST-CENTRAL ALABAMA. THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY HAS SHIFTED NORTH AND EAST OF THE AREA. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING WEST OF THE STATE BUT WITH THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING... THESE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD GRADUALLY DIMINISH. HOWEVER...A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY REMAINS VERY CLOSE TO NORTH ALABAMA AND IT REMAINS POSSIBLE THAT ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS COULD DEVELOP. UPDATES WILL BE ISSUED AS NECESSARY. NO WATCHES OR WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE STATE AT THIS TIME.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 7:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Madison | 31 min |
| May 7, 7:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Limestone | 50 min |
| May 7, 7:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jackson | 65 min |
| May 7, 7:36 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Lawrence, Winston | 64 min |
| May 7, 7:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Madison | 50 min |
| May 7, 8:00 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Cullman, Winston | 65 min |
| May 7, 8:06 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Madison | 49 min |
| May 7, 8:08 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Morgan | 62 min |
| May 7, 8:11 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | DeKalb, Jackson | 64 min |
| May 7, 8:38 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Marshall | 52 min |
| May 7, 8:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Lawrence | 65 min |
| May 7, 8:43 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Blount | 62 min |
| May 7, 8:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Franklin | 35 min |
| May 7, 8:48 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Winston | 62 min |
| May 7, 8:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cherokee | 35 min |
| May 7, 9:14 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | DeKalb | 51 min |
| May 7, 9:19 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cullman | 66 min |
| May 7, 9:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Franklin | 65 min |
| May 7, 9:36 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cherokee | 49 min |
| May 7, 9:51 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Winston | 64 min |
| May 7, 9:54 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Calhoun | 61 min |
| May 7, 10:15 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Marion | 65 min |
| May 7, 10:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cleburne | 47 min |
| May 7, 10:58 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Cleburne | 32 min |
| May 7, 11:01 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cullman | 49 min |
| May 7, 11:03 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Calhoun | 62 min |
| May 7, 11:24 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Calhoun | 36 min |
| May 7, 11:30 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Cleburne | 50 min |
| May 7, 11:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | St. Clair | 50 min |
| May 8, 12:00 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Calhoun | 50 min |
| May 8, 12:18 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Cleburne | 62 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.