Alert archive / Virginia / Tornado Warnings in 1987
Tornado Warning 2, NWS Wakefield, VA
NWS Wakefield, VA issued this tornado warning at Jun 3, 1987, 5:37 PM EDT for Henrico County, Virginia. It was in force for 23 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Jun 3, 1987, 5:37 PM EDT (21:37 UTC)
- Expired
- Jun 3, 1987, 6:00 PM EDT
- In force
- 23 min
- Issued by
- NWS Wakefield, VA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Henrico County, VA
The radar
The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.
The nearest sounding before it
Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 9.6 hours before the alert went out and 166 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 70 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -103 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 993 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 22 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 50 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 154 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KRIC 032145 COR TORRIC VAC087-760-032200- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RICHMOND VA 537 PM EDT WED JUN 3 1987 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 600 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF VIRGINIA...HENRICO AND CITY OF RICHMOND AT 525 PM THE PUBLIC REPORTED A POSSIBLE TORNADO FORMING NEAR THE HUGENOT BRIDGE IN HENRICO COUNTY. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO..GO TO A BASEMENT SHELTER OR A CENTRAL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR REINFORCED BUILDINGS. LINTON
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jun 3, 3:17 PM EDT, 2 hours 20 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RICHMOND VA 315 PM EDT WED JUN 3 1987 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFECT FOR MUCH OF WESTERN VIRGINIA UNTIL 800 PM EDT TONIGHT... AT 310 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A BROKEN LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THAT EXTENDED FROM THE NORTH PART OF ALBEMARLE COUNTY THROUGH THE SOUTH PART OF AUGUSTA COUNTY...THE NORTH PART OF ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY...THE SOUTHEAST PART OF BATH COUNTY...AND ALLEGHANY COUNTY. THIS AREA IS PART OF A LARGE LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THAT EXTENDS FROM CENTRAL MARYLAND TO NORTHEAST TENNESSEE. ANOTHER ISOLATED STORM WAS IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF NEW KENT COUNTY. ALL OF THE STORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE EAST ATa 25 MILES AN HOUR. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS...YOU SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER. < PLEASE REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER TO YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY FOR RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. JL
Special weather statement, Jun 3, 4:13 PM EDT, 1 hour 24 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORFOLK VA 4.10 PM EDT WED JUN 3 1987 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR EASTERN VIRGINIA AND NORTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA UNTIL 9 PM THIS WVENING... AT 4 PM THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WAS WELL TO THE NORTHWEST OF TIDEWATER THE NEAREST THUNDERSTORM WAS NORTHWEST OF WILLIAMSBURG AMD MOVING TO THE EAST AT 15 MPH. REMEMBER A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. ALL PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATING WEATHER AND TAKE THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS. ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS CONDITIONS WARRANT. BOTTOM Y
Special weather statement, Jun 3, 4:20 PM EDT, 1 hour 17 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RICHMOND VA 415 PM EDT WED JUN 3 1987 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF VIRGINIA... ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN PARTS OF LOUISA...FLUVANNA...AND BUCKINGHAM COUNTIES... AT 410 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THAT EXTENDED FROM LOUISA COUNTY...SOUTHWESTWARD THROUGH THE COUNTIES OF FLUVANNA AND BUCKINGHAM. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR...AND WILL BE MOVING INTO THE COUNTIES OF HANOVER...GOOCHLAND.. POWHATAN...AND CUMBERLAND DURING THE NEXT HOUR OR SO. IF YOU ARE IN THE PART OF THESE STORM...YOU SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGTNING STRIKES...VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS... GUSTY WINDS...AND POSSIBLY TORNADOES. REMEMBER...LIGHTNING CAN...AND DOES KILL. THIS AREA OF STORMS WAS PART OF A LARGE LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THAT EXTENDED FROM CENTRAL MARYLAND TO NORTHEAST TENNESSEE. PLEASE REPORT ANY SEVEREh WEATHER TO YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY FOR RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. JL
Special weather statement, Jun 3, 5:11 PM EDT, 26 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RICHMOND VA 5113 PM EDT WED JUN 3 1987 A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF VIRGINIA TILL 9 PM TONIGHT AT 510 PM EDT WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY DANGEROUS THUNDERSTORMS IN THE COUNTIES OF GOOCHLAND...POWHATAN BUCKINGHAM AND HENRICO. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST SOUTHEAST AROUND 25 MPH. STORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...EXTREMLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND DAMAGING WINDS. PERSON IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA TONIGHT SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER CONDITION VIA YOUR LOCAL TV...RADIO OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR POSSIBLE WARNING FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL MONTIOR THESE STORMS AND ISSUED STATEMENT AS DEVELOPMENT OCCURS. WILLS
Special weather statement, Jun 3, 5:12 PM EDT, 25 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RICHMOND VA 513 PM EDT WED JUN 3 1987 A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF VIRGINIA TILL 9 PM TONIGHT AT 510 PM EDT WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY DANGEROUS THUNDERSTORMS IN THE COUNTIES OF GOOCHLAND...POWHATAN BUCKINGHAM AND HENRICO. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST SOUTHEAST AROUND 25 MPH. STORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...EXTREMLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND DAMAGING WINDS. PERSON IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA TONIGHT SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER CONDITION VIA YOUR LOCAL TV...RADIO OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR POSSIBLE WARNING FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL MONTIOR THESE STORMS AND ISSUED STATEMENT AS DEVELOPMENT OCCURS. WILLS
Special weather statement, Jun 3, 5:20 PM EDT, 17 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RICHMOND VA 513 PM EDT WED JUN 3 1987 A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF VIRGINIA TILL 9 PM TONIGHT AT 510 PM EDT WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY DANGEROUS THUNDERSTORMS IN THE COUNTIES OF GOOCHLAND...POWHATAN BUCKINGHAM AND HENRICO. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST SOUTHEAST AROUND 25 MPH. STORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...EXTREMLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND DAMAGING WINDS. PERSONS IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA TONIGHT SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER CONDITION VIA YOUR LOCAL TV...RADIO OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR POSSIBLE WARNING FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL MONITOR THESE STORMS AND ISSUED STATEMENT AS DEVELOPMENT OCCURS. WILLS
The office that day
Everything else NWS Wakefield, VA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 3, 5:52 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | AKQ | Caroline | 38 min |
| Jun 3, 6:45 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | AKQ | Prince George | 30 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Virginia, 1987Every tornado warning in 1987Tornadoes in 1987
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.