Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1987

Tornado Warning 7, NWS Amarillo, TX

May 25, 1987Childress County, Texas

NWS Amarillo, TX issued this tornado warning at May 25, 1987, 12:03 AM CDT for Childress County, Texas. It was in force for 27 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 25, 1987, 12:03 AM CDT (05:03 UTC)
Expired
May 25, 1987, 12:30 AM CDT
In force
27 min
Issued by
NWS Amarillo, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Childress County, TX

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, 5.1 hours before the alert went out and 157 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 1987-05-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 782 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 1987-05-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 20 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
782 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-16 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1578 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
20 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
117 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KAMA 250503
TORAMA
TXC075-250530-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
1203 AM CDT MON MAY 25 1987
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1230 AM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN THE TEXAS PANHANDLE
          ...CHILDRESS
 
THE DPS REPORTED A TORNADO ON THE GROUND SOUTHEAST OF MEMPHIS MOVING
EAST NORTHEAST INTO CHILDRESS COUNTY.
 
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 24, 7:43 PM CDT, 4 hours 20 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
735 PM CDT SUN MAY 24 1987

AT 730 PM CDT...NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN EXTENDED
FROM THE CENTRAL OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE...INTO THE NORTH AND CENTRAL
TEXAS PANHANDLE. THE HEAVIEST ACTIVITY WAS LOCATED IN A LINE FROM
SOUTHEAST OF HEREFORD...THROUGH THE CITY OF AMARILLO TO JUST NORTHWEST
OF PAMPA.

FREQUENT LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WIND...VERY HEAVY RAIN...AND PEA SIZE
HAIL HAS BEEN REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE
THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR POSSIBLE SEVERE WEATHER...
STAY TUNED TO YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION OR RADIO STAIONS FOR FURTHER UPDATES.
Special weather statement, May 24, 8:43 PM CDT, 3 hours 20 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
835 PM CDT SUN MAY 24 1987

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT...

AT 827 PM CDT...NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE OVER
PORTIONS OF THE NORTHEAST AND CENTRAL TEXAS PANHANDLE...FROM CANADIAN
...SOUTHWEST TO CLAUDE. OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE SOUTH OF AMARILLO
...IN THE TULIA AREA. ALTHOUGH MANY OF THE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DECREASED
IN STRENGTH DURING THE PAST HOUR...THE POSSIBILTY OF SEVERE WEATHER WITH
THESE STORMS STILL EXIST. MOVEMENT OF THE STORMS WAS TO THE EAST AT 40
MILES AN HOUR.

GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS...AND
VERY 'HEAVY RAINFALL HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THESE STORMS. PERSONS IN THE
WATCH AREA SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR POSSIBLE SEVERE WEATHER..

STAY TUNED TO YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION OR RADIO STAIONS FOR FURTHER UPDATES.
Special weather statement, May 24, 9:48 PM CDT, 2 hours 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
940 PM CDT SUN MAY 24 1987

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT...

AT 934 PM CDT...NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN CONTINUED
OVER MUCH OF THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE...FROM TULIA...
NORTHEAST TO WHEELER TEXAS.

MOVEMENT OF THE STORMS WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

REPORTS OF FUNNEL CLOUDS...GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...
FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH
THESE STORMS. PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR POSSIBLE
SEVERE WEATHER...AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY.

STAY TUNElD TO YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION OR RADIO STAIONS FOR FURTHER UPDATES.
Special weather statement, May 24, 11:41 PM CDT, 22 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
1140PM CDT SUN MAY 24 1987

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT...

AT 1131 PM CDT...NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE
OVER MUCH OF THE EASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE...AND EXTENDED INTO WESTERN
OKLAHOMA. THE HEAVIEST STORMS WERE LOCATED 10 MILES WEST OF CHILDRESS
...AND SOUTHEAST OF CLARENDON IN THE EAST CENTRAL TEXAS PANHANDLE.
MOVEMENT OF THE STORMS WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

REPORTS OF FUNNEL CLOUDS...GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...
FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH
THESE STORMS. PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA SHOUL.D REMAIN ALERT FOR POSSIBLE
SEVERE WEATHER...AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY.

STAY TUNED TO YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION OR RADIO STAIONS FOR FURTHER UPDATES.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 24, 7:51 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMAHall24 min
May 24, 8:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMAArmstrong, Randall46 min
May 24, 9:16 PM CDTTornado WarningAMABriscoe29 min
May 24, 9:56 PM CDTTornado WarningAMABriscoe34 min
May 25, 2:21 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMACastro10 min
May 25, 5:10 PM CDTTornado WarningAMAHansford50 min
May 25, 6:05 PM CDTTornado WarningAMAHansford40 min
May 25, 6:08 PM CDTTornado WarningAMAArmstrong67 min
May 25, 6:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMACastro, Randall, Swisher61 min
May 25, 6:40 PM CDTTornado WarningAMAHansford65 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.