Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2000

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 340, NWS Birmingham, AL

July 20, 2000Etowah County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 20, 2000, 6:00 PM CDT for Etowah County, Alabama. It was in force for 45 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: Jul 20, 2000, 6:00 PM CDT (23:00 UTC)
Expired: Jul 20, 2000, 6:45 PM CDT
In force: 45 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Whole counties

County Etowah County, AL

The radar

The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 99 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:04 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Jul 20, 6:05 PM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind 60 M	Countywide, AL	Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across Etowah County. Several homes were severely damaged by fallen trees and many more reported damaged awnings and carports. One tree fell on a mobile home causing major damage. The Emergency Operations Cente

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
Jul 20, 4:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	4 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 11.0 hours before the alert went out and 118 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: 230 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -323 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1462 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 12 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -5 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 1 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.

000 
WUUS54 KBMX 202301
SVRBHM
ALC055-202345-
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
600 PM CDT THU JUL 20 2000

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A...

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  ETOWAH COUNTY IN ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 645 PM CDT.

* AT 600 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A 
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR WALNUT GROVE...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH.  

* SOME LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
  RIDGEVILLE...REECE CITY...GADSDEN AND ATTALLA.

STRONG DAMAGING WIND IS LIKELY WITH THIS STORM. TAKE COVER NOW! FIND
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. AVOID WINDOWS...VEHICLES AND MOBILE HOMES.

NNNN

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.

NWS Birmingham, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 20, 3:09 PM CDT, 2 hours 51 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 20, 3:09 PM CDT, 2 hours 51 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM, AL
309 PM CDT THU JUL 20 2000

MCS...SQUALL LINE...WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS NORTH ALABAMA LATE
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  SEVERE WEATHER THREAT CONTINUES WITH
THIS SQUALL LINE AT THIS TIME.  OTHER SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE
BEEN DEVELOPING ACROSS SUMTER COUNTY.  AIR MASS VERY UNSTABLE OVER
MS AND WESTERN AL.  LOOKS LIKE AN ACTIVE UPCOMING EVENING SHIFT.

ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED ON FRIDAY...AS ETA MODEL
INDICATES ANOTHER VORT MAX/MCS ROLLING DOWN THE EAST SIDE OF THE
UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE.  UPPER-LEVEL PATTERN STILL EXPECTED TO CHANGE
SIGNIFICANTLY NEXT SEVERAL DAYS...AS THE RIDGE BUILDS WESTWARD AND
A TROUGH BECOMES WELL ESTABLISHED OVER THE EASTERN PART OF THE
COUNTRY.  AIR MASS WILL REMAIN MOIST AND UNSTABLE OVER MOST OF
CWFA UNTIL SURFACE LOW AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT MOVES EAST OF THE
AREA ON SUNDAY...ACCORDING TO AVN MODEL. (70)
0
HSV 069/093 072/090 6323
BHM 071/096 072/093 6324
MGM 072/100 073/096 4425

.BHM...NONE.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 20, 12:45 PM CDT, 5 hours 15 minutes before

ALZ001>038-040>050-202330-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1245 PM CDT THU JUL 20 2000

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ALABAMA.

A THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX OVER EASTERN ARKANSAS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...
WILL MOVE RAPIDLY ACROSS NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI...AND COULD REACH THE
EXTREME NORTHWEST CORNER OF ALABAMA...AS EARLY AS 3 PM THIS
AFTERNOON. THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS PLACED MUCH OF NORTHWEST
ALABAMA...UNDER A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...WHICH
INCLUDES THE CITIES OF FLORENCE...DECATUR...JASPER...TUSCALOOSA...
HAMILTON AND FAYETTE.  THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE
DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

TEMPERATURES WILL ONCE AGAIN REACH NEAR 100 DEGREES...ACROSS MUCH
OF SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...THIS AFTERNOON.   COMBINED WITH THE HIGH
HUMIDITY...HEAT INDICES WILL CLIMB TO THE 105 TO 100 DEGREE RANGE.

THE COMBINATION OF ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND SPARSE RAINFALL
DURING THE PAST FEW WEEKS HAS CREATED IDEAL CONDITIONS FOR
WILDFIRES.  THE ALABAMA FORESTRY COMMISSION HAS PLACED ALL OF
ALABAMA UNDER A FIRE ALERT.  VARIABLE GUSTY WINDS WILL MAKE IT
DIFFICULT TO CONTAIN EXISTING WILDFIRES.  NO SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL
IS FORECAST TODAY...EXCEPT NORTHWEST ALABAMA...WHERE RAIN
COULD MOVE INTO THE AREA LATER THIS AFTERNOON.

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL...
MAY BE REQUIRED FOR THE NORTHWEST COUNTIES.

Local storm report, Jul 20, 4:16 PM CDT, 1 hour 44 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
416 PM CDT THU JUL 20 2000

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

250 PM     BOYD                      AL   0.75 INCH HAIL
07/20/00   SUMTER                         DIME SIZE HAIL

330 PM     BOYD                      AL   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/00   SUMTER                         TREES DOWN IN BOYD AREA
                                          ONE ON 74 WEST

402 PM     WATERLOO                  AL   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/00   LAUDERDALE                     NUMEROUS TREES DOWN IN
                                          WESTERN LAUDERDALE
        7                                  COUNTY

Local storm report, Jul 20, 4:23 PM CDT, 1 hour 37 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
423 PM CDT THU JUL 20 2000

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

409 PM     MCGEE TOWN                AL   1.75 INCH HAIL
07/20/00   PICKENS                        GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL AT
                                          MCGEE TOWN AND WIND
                                          DAMAGE IN CLOVERDALE

419 PM     SHEFFIELD                 AL   45 MPH WIND GUST
07/20/00   COLBERT                        GUST REPORTED AT
                                          SHEFFIELD BY WHNT

425 PM     MOULTON                   AL   0.75 INCH HAIL
07/20/00   LAWRENCE                       SOUTH OF MOULTON

Local storm report, Jul 20, 4:52 PM CDT, 1 hour 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
452 PM CDT THU JUL 20 2000

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

430 PM     ALICEVILLE                AL   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/00   PICKENS                        TREES DOWN NEAR
                                          ALICEVILLE AND ON COUNTY
                                          ROAD 2

433 PM     TUSCALOOSA                AL   0.75 INCH HAIL
07/20/00   TUSCALOOSA                     HAIL AT UNIV OF ALABAMA
                                          ALONG WITH VERY STRONG
                                          WINDS

434 PM     MT HOPE                   AL   45 MPH WIND GUST
07/20/00   MONTGOMERY                     WIND GUST OF 45 OT 50
                                          MPH

436 PM     TUSCALOOSA                AL   0.75 INCH HAIL
07/20/00   TUSCALOOSA

438 PM     6NE MOULTON               AL   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/00   LAWRENCE                       TREES DOWN ALABAMA ROAD
                                          24

440 PM     RUSSELLVILLE              AL   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/00   FRANKLIN                       TREES DOWN IN THE VINA
                                          AND RUSSELLVILLE AREA

442 PM     MOULTON                   AL   FUNNEL CLOUD
07/20/00   LAWRENCE                       FUNNEL CLOUD NW OF
                                          MOULTON

444 PM     ATHENS                    AL   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/00   LIMESTONE                      NUMEROUS TREES DOWN WEST
                                          OF ATHENS NEAR CLEMENTS
                                          SCHOOL

Local storm report, Jul 20, 5:50 PM CDT, 10 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
550 PM CDT THU JUL 20 2000

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

0432 PM    TUSCALOOSA                AL   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/00   TUSCALOOSA                     EMA REPORTED TREES DOWN
                                          ON RIVER ROAD.

0435 PM    TUSCALOOSA                AL   1.75 INCH HAIL
07/20/00   TUSCALOOSA                     EMA REPORT

0500 PM    ATHENS                    AL   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/00   LIMESTONE                      EMA REPORTED THAT ATHENS
                                          HOSPITAL (UNDER
                                          CONSTRUCTION) DOWNED BY
                                          WINDS.

0505 PM    MILLBROOK                 AL   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/00   ELMORE                         EMA REPORTED TREES DOWN
                                          ON ALABAMA HIGHWAY 14.

0510 PM    JONES CHAPEL              AL   60 MPH WIND GUST
07/20/00   CULLMAN                        50 TO 65 MPH WIND GUST
                                          ALONG US 278 WEST OF
                                          CULLMAN REPORTED BY
                                          CULLMAN COUNTY EMA.

0510 PM    2SE HILLSBORO             AL   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/00   LAWRENCE                       TREE DOWN ON HOUSE ON
                                          COUNTY ROAD 214 EAST OF
                                          THE CADDO AREA. REPORTED
                                          BY LAWRENCE COUNTY EMA.

0510 PM    DECATUR                   AL   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/00   MORGAN                         TREES DOWN REPORTED BY
                                          MORGAN COUNTY EMA.

0512 PM    HARTSELLE                 AL   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/00   MORGAN                         TREES DOWN REPORTED BY
                                          MORGAN COUNTY EMA.

0512 PM    PRICEVILLE                AL   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/00   MORGAN                         TREES DOWN REPORTED BY
                                          MORGAN COUNTY EMA.

0513 PM    CARBON HILL               AL   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/00   WALKER                         TREES DOWN REPORTED BY
                                          WALKER COUNTY EMA.

Special weather statement, Jul 20, 5:51 PM CDT, 9 minutes before

ALZ001>005-007-011>014-022-210100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
551 PM CDT THU JUL 20 2000

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS CANCELED FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES

LAUDERDALE...LIMESTONE...COLBERT...FRANKLIN...LAWRENCE...
MORGAN...WINSTON...MARION...LAMAR...FAYETTE...PICKENS

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 20, 2:40 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Sumter	35 min
Jul 20, 3:18 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Sumter	27 min
Jul 20, 3:40 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale	50 min
Jul 20, 3:40 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Colbert, Lauderdale	35 min
Jul 20, 3:53 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Pickens, Sumter	52 min
Jul 20, 4:05 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Colbert, Lauderdale	40 min
Jul 20, 4:17 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lawrence	43 min
Jul 20, 4:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Tuscaloosa	32 min
Jul 20, 4:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lamar	46 min
Jul 20, 4:31 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Marion	44 min
Jul 20, 4:35 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Limestone	40 min
Jul 20, 4:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Morgan	32 min
Jul 20, 4:48 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Pickens	42 min
Jul 20, 4:55 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Madison	50 min
Jul 20, 4:55 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Tuscaloosa	35 min
Jul 20, 4:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Cullman	48 min
Jul 20, 5:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chilton, Dallas, Perry	30 min
Jul 20, 5:01 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Elmore, Montgomery	29 min
Jul 20, 5:02 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Winston	43 min
Jul 20, 5:09 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette	36 min
Jul 20, 5:12 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jackson, Marshall	48 min
Jul 20, 5:15 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Walker	45 min
Jul 20, 5:18 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Jefferson	57 min
Jul 20, 5:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount	51 min
Jul 20, 5:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Morgan	17 min
Jul 20, 5:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Tuscaloosa	32 min
Jul 20, 5:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chilton, Dallas, Perry	31 min
Jul 20, 5:31 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Shelby	44 min
Jul 20, 5:38 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Elmore, Macon	37 min
Jul 20, 5:38 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Cullman	37 min
Jul 20, 5:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jackson, Marshall	45 min
Jul 20, 5:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	DeKalb	54 min
Jul 20, 6:05 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Shelby	40 min
Jul 20, 6:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Autauga, Elmore, Montgomery	52 min
Jul 20, 6:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jefferson	37 min
Jul 20, 6:10 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chilton	50 min
Jul 20, 6:11 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	St. Clair	49 min
Jul 20, 6:12 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Talladega	48 min
Jul 20, 6:17 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Shelby	28 min
Jul 20, 6:20 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Cherokee	40 min
Jul 20, 6:23 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Jefferson	3 hr
Jul 20, 6:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun	51 min
Jul 20, 6:32 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Coosa	43 min
Jul 20, 6:37 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Clay	38 min
Jul 20, 6:41 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Cleburne	49 min
Jul 20, 6:50 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Tallapoosa	40 min
Jul 20, 6:52 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Elmore, Montgomery	38 min
Jul 20, 6:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Talladega	21 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 2000 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2000

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.