Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1987
Tornado Warning 24, NWS Amarillo, TX
NWS Amarillo, TX issued this tornado warning at May 29, 1987, 8:45 PM CDT for Castro County, Texas. It was in force for 60 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- May 29, 1987, 8:45 PM CDT (01:45 UTC)
- Expired
- May 29, 1987, 9:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 60 min
- Issued by
- NWS Amarillo, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
County Castro County, TX
The radar
The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 29, 8:45 PM CDT | Tornado F0 | Castro, TX |
NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.
The nearest sounding before it
Amarillo Airport, TX (KAMA), launched 00:00Z, 1.8 hours before the alert went out and 93 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
- 1438 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -18 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1469 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 34 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 24 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 60 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 KAMA 300145
TORAMA
TXC069-300245-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
845 PM CDT FRI MAY 29 1987
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 945 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN THE TEXAS PANHANDLE
...CASTRO
AT 845PM CDT THE CASTRO COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTED A TORNADO 8 MILES
WET OF DIMMITT MOVING TO THE EAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR. {Basis}
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 29, 6:50 PM CDT, 1 hour 55 minutes before
TTAASP KAMA 292350
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
645 PM CDT FRI MAY 29 1987
...TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL
AND SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE UNTIL 11 PM TONIGHT ...
AT 635 PM CDT ...RADAR WAS DETECTING VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS FROM
SOUTHWEST OF BUFFALO LAKE TO NORTHEAST OF FRIONA MOVING EAST NORTHEAST
AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.
ELSEWHERE...THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING FROM WEST OF AMARILLO TO
NORTH OF AMARILLO WERE RAIN AND PEA SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED.
AT 615 PM THE HEREFORD FIRE DEPT. WAS REPORTING PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL
WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS UP TO 30 MPH.
KEEP TUNED TO YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO AND T V$ STATION
FOR LATER STAEMENTS.The office that day
Everything else NWS Amarillo, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 29, 7:17 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Randall | 58 min |
| May 29, 7:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Castro, Parmer | 61 min |
| May 29, 8:11 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Randall | 64 min |
| May 29, 9:46 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | AMA | Castro, Randall, Swisher | 59 min |
| May 29, 10:22 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Armstrong, Donley | 68 min |
| May 29, 10:46 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | AMA | Castro, Swisher | 59 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Texas, 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.