MD-82
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human-Machine Interface; Situational Awareness; Time Pressure; Workload; Communication Breakdown; Distraction
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Diverted; General Declared Emergency
Weather; Aircraft
We had been holding for a period of approximately 20 minutes due to convective activity between us and the airport. We had been experiencing sporadic turbulence and heavy rain. We were at 5;000 FT and 250 KTS. We had attempted to contact Dispatch via ACARS free text message and SAT phone but could not establish communication using either method.  Our filed alternate was some distance and we wanted to consider changing it to something closer due to fuel. While holding; the stick shaker and stall warning light/aural warning activated. Pitch; power settings and all airspeed indications were verified and no abnormalities were detected. I decided to divert to the nearest suitable VFR airport due to the combination of weather and the stall warning issues. We asked our destination Operations to notify Dispatch of our diversion and stood by for any further information. I declared an emergency because the divert airport was not the specified alternate for the flight. The stall warning stopped after a few minutes but we were already headed to the divert airport. Dispatch did acknowledge our divert and sent us all applicable data prior to our landing. Remainder of flight was uneventful.
[Narrative #2 had no additional information]
An MD82 was holding for thunderstorms at the destination airport when the stall warning activated so considering the delay; remaining fuel; and the stall system malfunction the flight crew declared an emergency and diverted to a nearby airport.