Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 6, NWS Mobile, AL

May 18, 2003Baldwin County, Mobile County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this flash flood warning at May 18, 2003, 8:25 AM CDT for Baldwin County, Mobile County, Alabama. It was in force for 2 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 18, 2003, 8:25 AM CDT (13:25 UTC)
Expired
May 18, 2003, 10:30 AM CDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Baldwin County, AL, Mobile County, AL

The radar

The Mobile radar (KMOB), 30 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 13:26 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

Slidell Radar S, LA (KSIL), launched 12:00Z, 1.4 hours before the alert went out and 177 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, Slidell Radar S, LA at 12:00Z on 2003-05-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 424 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Slidell Radar S, LA at 12:00Z on 2003-05-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 101 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
424 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-67 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
706 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
101 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
131 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
4.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS54 KMOB 181327
FFWMOB
ALC003-097-181530-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
825 AM CDT SUN MAY 18 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL BALDWIN COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF BAY MINETTE
  SOUTHERN MOBILE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF DOWNTOWN MOBILE

* UNTIL 1030 AM CDT

* AT 825 AM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY
  RAIN FROM 11 MILES EAST OF BAY MINETTE TO DEES...OR FROM 11 MILES
  EAST OF BAY MINETTE TO 13 MILES EAST OF ESCATAWPA.  THE AREA OF
  HEAVY RAIN WAS NEARLY STATIONARY.

* THUNDERSTORMS WITH EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL BE...  
  OVER SCHILLINGER AND THREE NOTCH ROADS...
  KNOLLWOOD HOSPITAL AT 830  AM CDT
  OVER PINTO ISLAND AT 845 AM CDT
  OVER I10 AND I65 INTERSECTION AT 900 AM CDT
  OVER TILLMANS CORNER AT 905 AM CDT
  OVER BROOKLEY FIELD AIRPORT AT 910 AM CDT
  OVER I10 NEAR THE BATTLESHIP AT 915 AM CDT

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS
SAFELY. VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY.
MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS
SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY
AUTOMOBILE. IF YOUR VEHICLE STALLS, ABANDON IT IMMEDIATELY AND SEEK
HIGHER GROUND.

TO REPORT FLOODING...HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY
RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE.

LAT...LON 3096 8776 3058 8844 3047 8817 3081 8759

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 17, 7:36 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningMOB24 min
May 17, 9:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBWashington37 min
May 17, 10:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBClarke35 min
May 18, 6:38 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningMOBBaldwin, Mobile112 min
May 18, 10:25 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningMOBBaldwin2 hr
May 18, 10:51 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningMOBMobile84 min
May 18, 12:04 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningMOB3 hr
May 18, 12:28 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningMOBBaldwin6 hr
May 18, 2:58 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningMOB2 hr
May 18, 4:58 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningMOB3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Alabama, 2003Every flash flood warning in 2003

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.