Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 113, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

May 28, 1987Val Verde County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 28, 1987, 5:40 PM CDT for Val Verde County, Texas. It was in force for 65 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 28, 1987, 5:40 PM CDT (22:40 UTC)
Expired
May 28, 1987, 6:45 PM CDT
In force
65 min
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Val Verde 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

Del Rio, TX (KDRT), launched 12:00Z, 10.7 hours before the alert went out and 66 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, Del Rio, TX at 12:00Z on 1987-05-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3554 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, Del Rio, TX at 12:00Z on 1987-05-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 179 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
3554 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-9 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
539 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
179 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
272 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
3.6
Supercell composite
16.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KDRT 282239 RRA
SVRDRT
TXC465-282345-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DEL RIO TX
540 PM CDT THU MAY 28 1987

...A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR VAL VERDE COUNTY UNTIL
1000 PM CDT TONIGHT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 645 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY IN

SOUTHCENTRAL TEXAS...VAL VERDE

AT 535 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 25 MILES WEST
SOUTHWEST OF COMSTOCK MOVING TO THE EAST AT 15 MPH. PEOPLE IN THE
LAKE AMISTAD AREA SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE COVER.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 60
MPH..DESTRUCTIVE HAIL..DEADLY LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. FOR
YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR
HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO DONT DRIVE
INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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 28, 2:06 PM CDT, 3 hours 34 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DEL RIO TX
205 PM CDT THU MAY 28 1987

...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FOR VAL VERDE COUNTY
INCLUDING THE CITY OF DEL RIO...

AT 200 PM RADAR INDICATED NO THUNDERSTORMS OR RAINSHOWERS IN VAL
VERDE COUNTY. HOWEVER WITH THE UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE AND MOIST
SOUTHEAST FLOW THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXISTS.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 28, 3:22 PM CDT, 2 hours 18 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DEL RIO TX
322 PM CDT THU MAY 28 1987

...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FOR VAL VERDE COUNTY
INCLUDING THE CITY OF DEL RIO...

AT 315 PM RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS NEAR LANGTRY AND
WAS MOVING NORTH AT 5 MILES AN HOUR. NO OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE
OCCURRING IN VAL VERDE COUNTY.

CAMPERS AND FISHERMEN ON THE RIO GRANDE AND PECOS RIVERS NEAR THE
PECOS HIGH BRIDGE SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFTEY
IF THE STORM BECOMES THREATENING.

HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS SMALL HAIL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE
QUITE LIKELY FROM THIS STORM.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 28, 4:12 PM CDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DEL RIO TX
408 PM CDT THU MAY 28 1987

...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FOR VAL VERDE COUNTY
INCLUDING THE CITY OF DEL RIO...

AT 339 PM CDT LAUGHLIN RADAR INDICATED AN INTENSE THUNDERSTORM ALONG
THE VAL VERDE AND TERREL COUNTY LINE MOVING NORTH AT AROUND 20 MPH.
THIS STORM WAS VERY CLOSE TO HIGHWAY 90S CROSSING POINT OF THE
COUNTY LINE.

MOTORISTS IN THIS AREA SHOULD BE ESPECIALLY ALERT FOR DECREASED
VISIBLITY IN HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS WHICH WILL MAKE DRIVING
DIFFICULT.

THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXISTS WITH THE UNSTABLE
ATMOSPHERE AND MOIST SOUTHEAST FLOW.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE) FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 28, 4:37 PM CDT, 1 hour 3 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DEL RIO TX
438 PM CDT THU MAY 28 1987

...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FOR VAL VERDE COUNTY
INCLUDING THE CITY OF DEL RIO...

AT 430 PM CDT LAUGHLIN RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF VERY STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS  FROM THE VAL VERDE COUNTY LINE EAST TO LANGTRY MOVING
EAST AT AROUND 15 MPH. THE STORMS WERE OVER AND CLOSE TO HIGHWAY 90.
MOTORISTS IN THE LANGTRY AREA HAVE REPORTED HAIL.

MOTORISTS IN THIS AREA SHOULD BE ESPECIALLY ALERT FOR
DAMAGING HAIL DECREASED VISIBLITY IN HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG GUSTY
WINDS WHICH WILL MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT.

THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXISTS WITH THE UNSTABLE
ATMOSPHERE AND MOIST SOUTHEAST FLOW.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEM9ENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 28, 6:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXVal Verde70 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Texas, 1987Every severe thunderstorm warning 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.