Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2011

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 421, NWS Birmingham, AL

December 22, 2011Shelby County, Talladega County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Dec 22, 2011, 1:42 PM CST for Shelby County, Talladega County, Alabama. It was in force for 33 min. 3 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: Dec 22, 2011, 1:42 PM CST (19:42 UTC)
Expired: Dec 22, 2011, 2:15 PM CST
In force: 33 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Shelby County, AL, Talladega County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 46 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:43 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
Dec 22, 1:42 PM CST	TORNADO 0	1 Nw Columbiana, AL	AN EF0 TORNADO WITH WINDS OF 70-80 MPH BRIEFLY TOUCHED DOWN IN COLUMBIANA, ALONG COUNTY ROAD 47 AND MOVED NORTHEAST FOR 1.8 MILES, LIFTING ALONG COUNTY ROAD 25. ALONG ITS PATH, 2 HOMES WERE DAMAGED DUE TO FALLING TREES. APPROXIMATELY 50 TREES WERE SNAPPED OR U
Dec 22, 1:50 PM CST	TSTM WND DMG	1 N Columbiana, AL	TREE DOWN ON POWER LINES ALONG AL HWY 25.
Dec 22, 1:51 PM CST	TSTM WND GST 55	Columbiana, AL	ESTIMATED 55 TO 60 MPH WINDS REPORTED IN DOWNTOWN COLUMBIANA ON OLD ALABAMA HWY 25.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Dec 22, 10:00 AM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 7.7 hours before the alert went out and 47 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: 1 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 699 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 60 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 102 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 129 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.

256 
WUUS54 KBMX 221942
SVRBMX
ALC117-121-222015-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0421.111222T1942Z-111222T2015Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
142 PM CST THU DEC 22 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN SHELBY COUNTY IN ALABAMA...
  WESTERN TALLADEGA COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 215 PM CST

* AT 142 PM CST...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60
  MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR COLUMBIANA...AND MOVING NORTHEAST
  AT 45 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  WILSONVILLE...CHILDERSBURG...HARPERSVILLE...VINCENT...LOGAN MARTIN
  DAM...ALPINE BAY RESORT...WINTERBORO AND ALPINE.

WINDS OF 60 TO 70 MPH WILL BREAK LARGE TREE LIMBS AND CAUSE SOME
DAMAGE...ESPECIALLY TO SMALLER STRUCTURES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. TORNADOES CAN
DEVELOP QUICKLY FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. ALTHOUGH NOT IMMEDIATELY
LIKELY...IF A TORNADO IS SPOTTED...ACT QUICKLY AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF
SAFETY INSIDE A STURDY STRUCTURE...SUCH AS A BASEMENT OR SMALL
INTERIOR ROOM.

&&

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM CST THURSDAY AFTERNOON
FOR ALABAMA.

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

LAT...LON 3349 8626 3350 8624 3332 8609 3307 8664
      3320 8673 3344 8638 3339 8638 3346 8630
      3350 8629 3352 8627
TIME...MOT...LOC 1942Z 235DEG 40KT 3318 8660

$$

27

2 follow-up statements

666 
WWUS54 KBMX 221956
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
156 PM CST THU DEC 22 2011

ALC117-121-222015-
/O.CON.KBMX.SV.W.0421.000000T0000Z-111222T2015Z/
SHELBY AL-TALLADEGA AL-
156 PM CST THU DEC 22 2011

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR WESTERN
TALLADEGA AND EAST CENTRAL SHELBY COUNTIES UNTIL 215 PM CST...

AT 156 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DESTRUCTIVE WINDS IN EXCESS
OF 70 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR WILSONVILLE...MOVING 
NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. A TORNADO WARNING IS NOW ALSO IN EFFECT FOR 
THIS SAME AREA.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  CHILDERSBURG...HARPERSVILLE...VINCENT...LOGAN MARTIN DAM...ALPINE
  BAY RESORT...WINTERBORO...ALPINE AND COUNTRY CLUB ESTATES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA.

&&

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

LAT...LON 3352 8627 3349 8626 3349 8624 3332 8609
      3313 8650 3327 8662 3344 8638 3339 8638
      3346 8630 3350 8629
TIME...MOT...LOC 1955Z 235DEG 40KT 3326 8646

$$

27

551 
WWUS54 KBMX 222012
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
212 PM CST THU DEC 22 2011

ALC117-121-222015-
/O.CON.KBMX.SV.W.0421.000000T0000Z-111222T2015Z/
SHELBY AL-TALLADEGA AL-
212 PM CST THU DEC 22 2011

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR WESTERN
TALLADEGA AND EAST CENTRAL SHELBY COUNTIES UNTIL 215 PM CST...

AT 212 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DESTRUCTIVE WINDS IN EXCESS
OF 70 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR CHILDERSBURG...MOVING 
NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 245 
PM FOR THIS SAME AREA.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  ALPINE BAY RESORT...WINTERBORO...ALPINE AND COUNTRY CLUB ESTATES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA.

&&

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

LAT...LON 3352 8627 3349 8626 3349 8624 3332 8609
      3316 8643 3331 8656 3344 8638 3339 8638
      3346 8630 3350 8629
TIME...MOT...LOC 2012Z 235DEG 40KT 3337 8627

$$

27

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Dec 22, 8:49 AM CST	Flash Flood Watch	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Marion, Pickens, Walker, Winston	7 hr
Dec 22, 9:52 AM CST	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Fayette	23 min
Dec 22, 10:13 AM CST	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Lamar	3 hr
Dec 22, 11:47 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Tuscaloosa	25 min
Dec 22, 11:51 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Marengo, Perry	15 min
Dec 22, 12:53 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Bibb, Chilton, Shelby	52 min
Dec 22, 12:59 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Bibb, Chilton, Perry, Shelby	31 min
Dec 22, 1:08 PM CST	River Flood Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Marengo, Pickens, Sumter	19 hr
Dec 22, 1:54 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	St. Clair, Shelby, Talladega	39 min
Dec 22, 1:59 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Autauga, Coosa, Elmore, Tallapoosa	46 min
Dec 22, 2:39 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Clay, Coosa, Tallapoosa	15 min
Dec 22, 3:09 PM CST	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Etowah	111 min
Dec 22, 3:34 PM CST	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Pike	41 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 2011 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2011

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.