Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 1999

Flash Flood Warning 11, NWS Birmingham, AL

May 6, 1999Morgan County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this flash flood warning at May 6, 1999, 12:19 AM CDT for Morgan County, Alabama. It was in force for 3 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 6, 1999, 12:19 AM CDT (05:19 UTC)
Expired
May 6, 1999, 3:20 AM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Morgan County, AL

The radar

The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 88 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 05:22 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 5.3 hours before the alert went out and 142 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 00:00Z on 1999-05-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1931 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 00:00Z on 1999-05-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 316 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
1931 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-90 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
763 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
55 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
316 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
395 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
3.8
Supercell composite
21.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KBHM 060520
FFWBHM
ALC103-060820-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1219 AM CDT THU MAY 6 1999

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  MORGAN COUNTY... IN NORTHERN ALABAMA

* UNTIL 320 AM CDT

* AT 1215 AM CDT... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER ALL OF MORGAN
COUNTY... MOVING SLOWLY TO THE SOUTHEAST.

* STREET FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE TOWN OF HARTSELLE.
  NUMEROUS ROADS HAVE BEEN CLOSED IN HARTSELLE.  MORE HEAVY RAINS WILL
  AFFECT MORGAN COUNTY OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS.

DON'T DRIVE ACROSS FLOODED ROADS! MOST FLASH FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN
AUTOMOBILES.


&

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood 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 5, 9:24 PM CDT, 2 hours 55 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM
924 PM CDT WED MAY 05 1999

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

0810 PM                              AL   60 MPH TSTM GUST
05/05/99   LAUDERDALE                     60 MILE AN HOUR WIND
                                          REPORTED IN NORTHWEST
                                          LAUDERDALE COUNTY
                                          NORTHWEST OF WATERLOO.
                                          REPORTED BY SPOTTER.

0845 PM                              AL   WIND DAMAGE
05/05/99   COLBERT                        POWER LINES DOWN ACROSS
                                          COLBERT COUNTY. REPORTED
                                          BY EMA.

0855 PM    RED BAY                   AL   .88 INCH HAIL
05/05/99   FRANKLIN                       NICKEL SIZED HAIL REPORTED
                                          IN RED BAY IN WESTERN
                                          FRANKLIN COUNTY. REPORTED
                                          BY HAM RADIO.

0900 PM    MUSCLE SHOALS             AL   .88 INCH HAIL
05/05/99   COLBERT                        NICKLE SIZED HAIL REPORTED
                                          10 MILES SOUTH OF MUSCLE
                                          SHOALS. REPORTED BY HAM
                                          RADIO.

0905 PM    RUSSELLVILLE              AL   .88 INCH HAIL
05/05/99   FRANKLIN                       NICKEL SIZED HAIL 10 MILES
                                          WEST OF RUSSELLVILLE.
                                          REPORTED BY HAM RADIO.

0914 PM                              AL   .88 INCH HAIL
05/05/99   COLBERT                        NICKEL SIZED HAIL IN
                                          NORTHEASTERN COLBERT
                                          COUNTY.  REPORTED BY HAM
                                          RADIO.

0920 PM    TUSCUMBIA                 AL   .75 INCH HAIL
05/05/99   COLBERT                        DIME SIZE HAIL 8 MILES
                                          EAST OF TUSCUMBIA.
                                          REPORTED BY HAM RADIO.
Special weather statement, May 5, 10:29 PM CDT, 1 hour 50 minutes before
ALZ001-002-060356-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1029 PM CDT WED MAY 5 1999

THE TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELED FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN
NORTHWEST ALABAMA...

...LAUDERDALE...COLBERT...FRANKLIN

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED SOUTHEAST OF THESE COUNTIES.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTH AND NORTHWEST
ALABAMA UNTIL 2 AM CDT.
Special weather statement, May 5, 10:30 PM CDT, 1 hour 49 minutes before
ALZ001>003-060355-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1030 PM CDT WED MAY 5 1999

THE TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELED FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN
NORTHWEST ALABAMA...

...LAUDERDALE...COLBERT...FRANKLIN

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED SOUTHEAST OF THESE COUNTIES.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTH AND NORTHWEST
ALABAMA UNTIL 2 AM CDT.
Local storm report, May 5, 11:05 PM CDT, 1 hour 14 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM
1105 PM CDT WED MAY 05 1999

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

0931 PM    COURTLAND                 AL   WIND DAMAGE
05/05/99   LAWRENCE                       TREES KNOCKED DOWN IN
                                          COURTLAND AND DIME SIZE
                                          HAIL. REPORTED BY HAM
                                          RADIO.

0950 PM    MOULTON                   AL   .75 INCH HAIL
05/05/99   LAWRENCE                       DIME SIZE HAIL 3 MILES
                                          NORTH OF MOULTON. REPORTED
                                          BY HAM RADIO.

0950 PM                              AL   WIND DAMAGE
05/05/99   LAMAR                          TREES KNOCKED DOWN IN
                                          NORTHEASTERN LAMAR COUNTY
                                          NEAR THE MARION COUNTY
                                          BORDER. REPORTED BY EMA.

0955 PM    ATHENS                    AL   WIND DAMAGE
05/05/99   LIMESTONE                      TREES AND POWER LINES
                                          KNOCKED DOWN A FEW MILES
                                          SOUTH OF ATHENS.  REPORTED
                                          BY EMA.

1010 PM                              AL   WIND DAMAGE
05/05/99   MARION                         SEVERAL LARGE TREE LIMBS
                                          BROKEN OFF ON HIGHWAY 19 4
                                          MILES NORTH OF THE LAMAR
                                          COUNTY LINE.  REPORTED BY
                                          EMA.

1014 PM    HUNTSVILLE                AL   WIND DAMAGE
05/05/99   MADISON                        TREES AND POWER LINES
                                          KNOCKED DOWN IN
                                          HUNTSVILLE. REPORTED BY
                                          HSV 911.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 5, 8:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXColbert, Lauderdale49 min
May 5, 8:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXFranklin47 min
May 5, 8:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMarion45 min
May 5, 8:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXColbert, Lauderdale47 min
May 5, 9:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXFranklin, Lawrence61 min
May 5, 9:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLimestone51 min
May 5, 9:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLamar, Marion50 min
May 5, 9:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMorgan62 min
May 5, 9:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMadison62 min
May 5, 10:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCullman, Winston63 min
May 5, 10:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJackson63 min
May 5, 11:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMadison32 min
May 5, 11:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLamar30 min
May 5, 11:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLamar31 min
May 6, 12:06 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXFayette, Walker64 min
May 6, 12:06 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCullman, Winston64 min
May 6, 12:27 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningBMXMadison3 hr
May 6, 12:37 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXPickens48 min
May 6, 12:52 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJackson48 min
May 6, 12:57 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXDeKalb63 min
May 6, 1:11 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXTuscaloosa64 min
May 6, 1:36 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJefferson, Walker64 min
May 6, 1:47 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningBMXDeKalb3 hr
May 6, 1:51 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBlount64 min
May 6, 2:16 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXTuscaloosa44 min
May 6, 3:10 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXPerry65 min
May 6, 3:46 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXSt. Clair49 min
May 6, 4:15 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCalhoun50 min
May 6, 4:38 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCherokee, Cleburne62 min
May 6, 5:31 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXClay, Randolph49 min
May 6, 6:12 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXChambers, Tallapoosa63 min
May 6, 6:21 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXRandolph49 min
May 6, 6:23 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMarengo52 min
May 6, 6:32 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXPerry48 min
May 6, 7:17 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXElmore63 min
May 6, 7:52 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXDallas, Lowndes63 min
May 6, 8:22 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXChambers33 min
May 6, 8:45 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMontgomery45 min
May 6, 9:54 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLee46 min
May 6, 12:23 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXBarbour47 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Alabama, 1999Every flash flood warning in 1999

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.