Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 1998

Tornado Warning 160, NWS Birmingham, AL

September 28, 1998Lowndes County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Sep 28, 1998, 2:34 PM CDT for Lowndes County, Alabama. It was in force for 36 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
Sep 28, 1998, 2:34 PM CDT (19:34 UTC)
Expired
Sep 28, 1998, 3:10 PM CDT
In force
36 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Lowndes County, AL

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Sep 28, 2:47 PM CDTTornado F0Letohatchee, ALA tornado moved northwest along CR 97 from Letohatchee to Hayneville. Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down, one mobile home was totally destroyed, and several others sustained minor 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

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 7.6 hours before the alert went out and 115 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Birmingham, AL at 12:00Z on 1998-09-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 354 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Birmingham, AL at 12:00Z on 1998-09-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -28 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
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
354 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-118 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
817 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-28 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-30 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

848 
WFUS1 KBHM 281935 RRA
TORBHM
ALC085-282010-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
234 PM CDT MON SEP 28 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  LOWNDES COUNTY... IN CENTRAL ALABAMA

* UNTIL 310 PM CDT

* AT 233 PM CDT... A TORNADO WAS DETECTED...BY NATIONAL WEATHER
  SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR OVER EXTREME NORTH CRENSHAW COUNTY MOVING
  NORTH NORTHWEST AT NEAR 50 MPH.

* THE TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR LETOHATCHEE AROUND 250 PM.

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, Sep 28, 10:43 AM CDT, 3 hours 51 minutes before
ALZ001>050-GAZ089-090-102-120-290330-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
FOR NORTH/CENTRAL AL AND WEST CENTRAL GA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1043 AM CDT MON SEP 28 1998

HURRICANE GEORGES HAS MADE LANDFALL NEAR BILOXI MISSISSIPPI AND HAS
NOT MOVED MUCH IN THE PAST FEW HOURS. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN
EFFECT THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON FOR BARBOUR..PIKE..AND MARENGO
COUNTIES. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY FOR
PIKE..LOWNDES..DALLAS..PERRY..MARENGO..HALE..GREENE..AND SUMTER
COUNTIES. A HIGH WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY FOR
LOWNDES..DALLAS..PERRY..MARENGO..HALE..GREENE..AND SUMTER COUNTIES.
MOST OF THESE WATCHES AND ADVISORIES EXTENDED FURTHER TO THE SOUTH AND
WEST.

HURRICANE GEORGES WILL NOT MOVE SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
THEREFORE...RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE MOVING FARTHER INTO
THE STATE. AT 1030AM..THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL AND GUSTY WINDS WERE
LOCATED SOUTHWEST OF A LINE FROM FORT WALTON BEACH FLORIDA..TO
MONTGOMERY..TO LIVINGSTON IN SUMTER COUNTY. THE RAIN AREA WILL SLOWLY
MOVE NORTHWARD OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS AND HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE
POSSIBLE OVER MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALABAMA.

STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL SHOULD REMAIN ALERT
FOR CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR
LOCAL TV AND RADIO FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS LATER TODAY.

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, Sep 28, 10:43 AM CDT, 3 hours 51 minutes before
ALZ001>050-GAZ089-090-102-120-290330-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
FOR NORTH/CENTRAL AL AND WEST CENTRAL GA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1043 AM CDT MON SEP 28 1998

HURRICANE GEORGES HAS MADE LANDFALL NEAR BILOXI MISSISSIPPI AND HAS
NOT MOVED MUCH IN THE PAST FEW HOURS. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN
EFFECT THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON FOR BARBOUR..PIKE..AND MARENGO
COUNTIES. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY FOR
PIKE..LOWNDES..DALLAS..PERRY..MARENGO..HALE..GREENE..AND SUMTER
COUNTIES. A HIGH WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY FOR
LOWNDES..DALLAS..PERRY..MARENGO..HALE..GREENE..AND SUMTER COUNTIES.
MOST OF THESE WATCHES AND ADVISORIES EXTENDED FURTHER TO THE SOUTH AND
WEST.

HURRICANE GEORGES WILL NOT MOVE SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
THEREFORE...RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE MOVING FARTHER INTO
THE STATE. AT 1030AM..THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL AND GUSTY WINDS WERE
LOCATED SOUTHWEST OF A LINE FROM FORT WALTON BEACH FLORIDA..TO
MONTGOMERY..TO LIVINGSTON IN SUMTER COUNTY. THE RAIN AREA WILL SLOWLY
MOVE NORTHWARD OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS AND HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE
POSSIBLE OVER MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALABAMA.

STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL SHOULD REMAIN ALERT
FOR CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR
LOCAL TV AND RADIO FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS LATER TODAY.

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.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 28, 1:35 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXPike40 min
Sep 28, 1:55 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXBarbour20 min
Sep 28, 2:10 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXPike35 min
Sep 28, 2:30 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXBullock35 min
Sep 28, 2:43 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXBarbour17 min
Sep 28, 3:02 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXBullock33 min
Sep 28, 3:16 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXBarbour19 min
Sep 28, 3:31 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXBullock34 min
Sep 28, 3:36 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXPike34 min
Sep 28, 4:02 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXMacon33 min
Sep 28, 4:15 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXBullock40 min
Sep 28, 4:20 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXRussell35 min
Sep 28, 4:30 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXElmore35 min
Sep 28, 4:34 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXMacon36 min
Sep 28, 4:49 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXBullock36 min
Sep 28, 5:03 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXElmore32 min
Sep 28, 5:12 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXMacon, Montgomery33 min
Sep 28, 5:20 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXLee, Russell30 min
Sep 28, 5:38 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXElmore32 min
Sep 28, 5:53 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXBarbour32 min
Sep 28, 5:56 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXBarbour34 min
Sep 28, 6:19 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXRussell31 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.