Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 7, NWS Birmingham, AL

January 6, 2009Clay County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Jan 6, 2009, 5:49 PM CST for Clay County, Alabama. It was in force for 26 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Jan 6, 2009, 5:49 PM CST (23:49 UTC)
Expired
Jan 6, 2009, 6:15 PM CST
In force
26 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Clay County, AL

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jan 6, 2:03 PM CSTTornado WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 11.8 hours before the alert went out and 98 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 2009-01-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 163 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, Birmingham, AL at 12:00Z on 2009-01-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 240 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
163 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-7 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
560 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
75 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
240 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
258 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
0.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS54 KBMX 062349
TORBMX
ALC027-070015-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0007.090106T2349Z-090107T0015Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
549 PM CST TUE JAN 6 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CLAY COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...LINEVILLE...ASHLAND...

* UNTIL 615 PM CST

* AT 549 PM CST...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 7 MILES WEST OF
  ASHLAND...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  ASHLAND BY 555 PM CST...
  LINEVILLE BY 600 PM CST...
  BARFIELD BY 605 PM CST...

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM CST TUESDAY EVENING
FOR EASTERN ALABAMA.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...
CALL 1-800-856-0758.

LAT...LON 3344 8564 3326 8565 3318 8596 3326 8603
      3351 8567 3350 8564
TIME...MOT...LOC 2349Z 238DEG 41KT 3327 8591

$$

10/ARM
2 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS54 KBMX 062358
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
558 PM CST TUE JAN 6 2009

ALC027-070015-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0007.000000T0000Z-090107T0015Z/
CLAY AL-
558 PM CST TUE JAN 6 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM CST FOR
NORTHEASTERN CLAY COUNTY...

AT 558 PM CST...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONTINUED TO INDICATE A
TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR ASHLAND...MOVING NORTHEAST AT
45 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  BARFIELD BY 610 PM CST...

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM CST TUESDAY EVENING
FOR EASTERN ALABAMA.

LAT...LON 3331 8565 3326 8567 3321 8589 3331 8592
      3350 8568 3350 8564
TIME...MOT...LOC 2358Z 238DEG 41KT 3331 8582

$$

10/ARM
000 
WWUS54 KBMX 070008
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
608 PM CST TUE JAN 6 2009

ALC027-070016-
/O.EXP.KBMX.TO.W.0007.000000T0000Z-090107T0015Z/
CLAY AL-
606 PM CST TUE JAN 6 2009

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN CLAY COUNTY WILL BE ALLOWED 
TO EXPIRE AT 615 PM CST...

THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER HAS ENDED. THE STORMS THAT PROMPTED THE
WARNING HAVE WEAKENED.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM CST TUESDAY EVENING
FOR EASTERN ALABAMA.

LAT...LON 3331 8565 3326 8567 3321 8589 3331 8592
      3350 8568 3350 8564
TIME...MOT...LOC 0006Z 238DEG 41KT 3336 8573

$$

10/ARM

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 5, 8:50 PM CSTRiver Flood WarningBMXGreene, Hale, Marengo, Pickens, Sumter6 days
Jan 6, 7:22 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXBlount4 hr
Jan 6, 7:34 AM CSTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXFayette, Lamar, Marion, Walker, Winston4 hr
Jan 6, 7:43 AM CSTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXCherokee, Etowah3 hr
Jan 6, 9:36 AM CSTRiver Flood WarningBMXGreene, Hale, Marengo, Sumter6 days
Jan 6, 9:36 AM CSTRiver Flood WarningBMXGreene, Hale, Marengo, Sumter9 days
Jan 6, 9:51 AM CSTRiver Flood WarningBMXJefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker4 days
Jan 6, 9:56 AM CSTRiver Flood WarningBMXGreene, Hale, Marengo9 days
Jan 6, 11:04 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXBlount, Cherokee, Etowah4 hr
Jan 6, 11:12 AM CSTLake Wind AdvisoryBMXAutauga, Barbour, Bibb, Bullock, Chambers, Chilton and 15 more10 hr
Jan 6, 11:58 AM CSTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXFayette, Jefferson, Lamar, Marion, Pickens, Tuscaloosa and 2 more4 hr
Jan 6, 1:06 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXFayette, Jefferson, Lamar, Marion, Pickens, Tuscaloosa and 2 more4 hr
Jan 6, 1:37 PM CSTRiver Flood WarningBMXGreene, Hale, Marengo, Sumter, Tuscaloosa4 days
Jan 6, 1:37 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXJefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker23 min
Jan 6, 1:59 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXJefferson, Walker31 min
Jan 6, 2:52 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXBlount, Etowah23 min
Jan 6, 3:09 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXBlount, Etowah, St. Clair4 hr
Jan 6, 3:14 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXCherokee, Etowah31 min
Jan 6, 3:40 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXCherokee4 hr
Jan 6, 3:45 PM CSTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXBibb, Shelby3 hr
Jan 6, 3:53 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXCherokee16 min
Jan 6, 5:09 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXFayette, Jefferson, Lamar, Marion, Pickens, Tuscaloosa and 2 more3 hr
Jan 6, 5:27 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXCalhoun, Clay, Cleburne33 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 2009Every tornado warning in 2009Tornadoes in 2009

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.