Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Warnings in 1987

Tornado Warning 22, NWS Amarillo, TX

May 26, 1987Texas County, Oklahoma

NWS Amarillo, TX issued this tornado warning at May 26, 1987, 11:07 PM CDT for Texas County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 53 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 26, 1987, 11:07 PM CDT (04:07 UTC)
Expired
May 27, 1987, 12:00 AM CDT
In force
53 min
Issued by
NWS Amarillo, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Texas County, OK

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

Amarillo Airport, TX (KAMA), launched 00:00Z, 4.1 hours before the alert went out and 170 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, Amarillo Airport, TX at 00:00Z on 1987-05-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2416 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Amarillo Airport, TX at 00:00Z on 1987-05-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 215 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
2416 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-12 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
653 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
62 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
215 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
225 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
3.6
Supercell composite
11.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KAMA 270407
TORAMA
OKC139-270500-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
1107 PM CDT TUE MAY 26 1987
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE
          ...TEXAS
 
AT 1108PM CDT A TORNADO WAS REPORTED ABOUT 10 MILES NORTH OF TEXOMA...
MOVING EAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR...TOWARD THE CITY OF GUYMON.
THIS STORM WAS CONFIRMED BY A SPOTTER.
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.
 
DO NOT USE YOUR CAR TO TRY TO OUTRUN A TORNADO.  CARS ARE EASILY
TOSSED AROUND BY TORNADO WINDS.  IF YOU ARE CAUGHT IN THE PATH OF
A TORNADO...LEAVE THE CAR AND GO TO A STRONG BUILDING.  IF NO
STRUCTURE IS NEARBY...SEEK SHELTER IN A DITCH OR LOW SPOT.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION.  ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF
AVAILABLE.  OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR POSSIBLE.  AVOID WINDOWS.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES
FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.

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, May 26, 5:39 PM CDT, 5 hours 28 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
540 PM CDT TUE MAY 26 1987

   ...FLASH FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT FOR RANDALL COUNTY TIL 815 PM...
   ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 133 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM TONIGHT...
   ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR THE TEXAS PANHANDLE...

AT 535 PM CDT...A VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED SOUTHEAST OF
BORGER.   ELSEWHERE..AN AREA OF HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING
FROM SOUTHWEST OF TULIA TO WEST OF LUBBOCK.

DANGEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES..STRONG GUSTY WINDS..VERY HEAVY RAIN..
AND HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

ALL INTERESTS ARE URGE TO MAINTAIN AWARENESS OF DEVELOPING WEATHER
SITUATIONS THROUGHOUT THE xEVENING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO AND T V STATION FOR
LATER STATEMENTS.
Special weather statement, May 26, 6:45 PM CDT, 4 hours 22 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
640 PM CDT TUE MAY 26 1987

   ...FLASH FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT FOR RANDALL COUNTY TIL 815 PM...
   ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 133 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM TONIGHT...
   ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR THE TEXAS PANHANDLE...

AT 635 PM CDT...VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED FROM 10 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF TULIA TO 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PLAINVIEW.  ELSEWHERE..
A VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF PAMPA.
MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

DANGEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES..STRONG GUSTY WINDS..VERY HEAVY RAIN..
AND HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

ALL INTERESTS ARE URGE TO MAINTAIN AWARENESS OF DEVELOPING WEATHER
SITUATIONS THROUGHOUT THE EVENING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO AND T V STATION FOR
LATER STATEMENTS.
Special weather statement, May 26, 7:41 PM CDT, 3 hours 26 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
740 PM CDT TUE MAY 26 1987

   ...FLASH FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT FOR RANDALL COUNTY TIL 815 PM...
   ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 133 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM TONIGHT...
   ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR THE TEXAS PANHANDLE...

AT 735 PM CDT...A VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 15 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF SILVERTON.   ELSEWHERE..ANOTHER VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORM
WAS LOCATED 12 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CANADIAN.
MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

DANGEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES..STRONG GUSTY WINDS..VERY HEAVY RAIN..
AND HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

ALL INTERESTS ARE URGE TO MAINTAIN AWARENESS OF DEVE6LOPING WEATHER
SITUATIONS THROUGHOUT THE EVENING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO AND T V STATION FOR
LATER STATEMENTS.
Special weather statement, May 26, 8:36 PM CDT, 2 hours 31 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
835 PM CDT TUE MAY 26 1987

   ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 133 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM TONIGHT...
   ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR THE TEXAS PANHANDLE...

AT 830 PM CDT...A VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER SILVERTON.
ELSEWHERE..HEAVY THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GUYMON
OKLAHOMA.

MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

DANGEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES..STRONG GUSTY WINDS..VERY HEAVY RAIN..
AND HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

ALL INTERESTS ARE URGE TO MAINTAIN AWARENESS OF DEVELOPING WEATHER
SITUATIONS THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL `RADIO AND T V STATION FOR
LATER STATEMENTS.
Special weather statement, May 26, 9:49 PM CDT, 1 hour 18 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
940 PM CDT TUE MAY 26 1987

AT 935 PM CDT...A VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 15 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF SHAMROCK.  ELSEWHERE..HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED FROM WEST OF
STRATFORD TEXAS TO NORTHEAST OF GUYMON OKLAHOMA.
MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH THAT WAS ISSUED LATE THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE TEXAS
PANHANDLE HAS BEEN CANCELLED.  THE TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 133 HAS ALSO
BEEN CANCELLED FOR THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE..ONLY THE
SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE REMAINS IN THE WATCH.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Amarillo, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 26, 10:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMATexas56 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Oklahoma, 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.