Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 77, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

May 18, 1987Real County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 18, 1987, 9:13 PM CDT for Real County, Texas. It was in force for 62 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 18, 1987, 9:13 PM CDT (02:13 UTC)
Expired
May 18, 1987, 10:15 PM CDT
In force
62 min
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Real 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 00:00Z, 2.2 hours before the alert went out and 111 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 00:00Z on 1987-05-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3088 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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 00:00Z on 1987-05-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 48 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
3088 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-3 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
821 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
48 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
85 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.5
Supercell composite
2.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KSAT 190213
SVRSAT
TXC385-190315-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
913 PM CDT MON MAY 18 1987
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1015 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTH TEXAS
          ...REAL
 
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER SOUTHERN REAL COUNTY JUST
SOUTH OF LEAKEY TEXAS.  THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS MOVING NORTHEAST
ABOUT 20 MPH AND SHOULD MOVE THROUGH OR NEAR LEAKEY WITHIN THE NEXT
HOUR.  THIS THUNDERSTORM CONTAINS DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL AND VERY
HEAVY RAIN.  RESIDENTS OF REAL COUNTY...AND ESPECIALLY LEAKEY...SHOULD
BE ALERT FOR THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM.
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...HAIL
3/4 INCH OR MORE IN DIAMETER...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY
RAIN.
 
YOU SHOULD ASK THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY TO RELAY YOUR
SEVERE WEATHER REPORT_S TO THE LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.

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 18, 5:08 PM CDT, 4 hours 5 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
510 PM CDT MON MAY 18 1987

AT 505 PM AUSTIN WEATHER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS OVER MILLS
AND SAN SABA COUNTIES.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING VERY SLOWLY
TO THE NORTHEAST.  RAINFALL RATES FROM THESE STORMS ARE INTENSE..
1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR.

WITH THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS..LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN..
SMALL HAIL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING.  SOME FLOODING MAY
BE OCCURRING ON ROADWAYS AND SMALL STREAMS.
Special weather statement, May 18, 5:12 PM CDT, 4 hours 1 minute before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DEL RIO TX
512 PM CDT MON MAY 18 1987

AT 500 PM CDT VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN IN THE COMSTOCK AREA
AND EXTENDED NORTHEAST TO SONORA. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS AND RAINSHOWERS
WERE DEVELOPING 10 MILES SOUTHEAST TO 10 MILES SOUTH OF DEL RIO.
THE STRONGEST STORM REMAINED NEAR COMSTOCK. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING
TO THE NORTH AT 15 MPH.

HEAVY RAIN HAS BEEN REPORTED AT COMSTOCK. SINCE THESE STORMS
CONTINUE TO DEVELOP IN THE SAME AREA AROUND COMSTOCK FLOODING OF
LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND SMALL STREAMS IS LIKELY.

HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL...FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND STRONG
GUSTY WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

BOATERS ON LAKE AMISTAD AND THE SURROUNDING RIVERS SHOULD
CONTINE TO REMAIN ALERT AND PLAN TO SEEK SAFE HARBOR IF
CONDITIONS WORSEN.
Special weather statement, May 18, 6:24 PM CDT, 2 hours 49 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DEL RIO TX
625 PM CDT MON MAY 18 1987

...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS OBSERVED IN THE DEL RIO AREA...

AT 620 PM CDT INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WITH RAINSHOWERS...>GUSTY WINDS
AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING WERE OBSERVED AT THE DEL RIO
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

FLOODING OF LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND LOW LYING AREAS IN DEL RIO IS
LIKELY AS THESE STORMS PASS THROUGH THE AREA.
Special weather statement, May 18, 6:55 PM CDT, 2 hours 18 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
655 PM CDT MON MAY 18 1987

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR EAGLE PASS TEXAS...

A STRONG THUNDERSTORM HAS MOVED OUT OF MEXICO AND IS LOCATED NEAR
EAGLE PASS TEXAS.  THIS THUNDERSTORM CONTAINS VERY HEAVY RAIN...SMALL
HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS.  THE THUNDERSTORM IS MOVING NORTH ABOUT 15 MPH
AND SHOULD BE OUT OF THE CITY IN ABOUT ONE HALF HOUR.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO FOhRM OVER MEXICO AND ARE MOVING EAST
TOWARDS TEXAS.
Special weather statement, May 18, 8:49 PM CDT, 24 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
855 PM CDT MON MAY 18 1987

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING THROUGH UVALDE COUNTY...

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUES TO MOVE ACROSS THE TEXAS HILL
COUNTRY AND ADJOINING AREAS.  THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED
JUST SOUTHWEST OF THE CITY OF UVALDE AND WAS MOVING NORTHEAST ABOUT
20 MPH.  THIS THUNDERSTORM CONTAINS VERY HEAVY RAIN...HAIL AND GUSTY
WINDS.

OTHER THAUNDERSTORMS ARE FORMING NORTH OF LAREDO AND ARE ALSO MOVING
NORTHEAST.  IF THESE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE THEIR PRESENT RATE OF
MOVEMENT...THEY WILL MOVE THROUGH BEXAR COUNTY SHORTLY AFTER
MIDNIGHT.
Special weather statement, May 18, 9:10 PM CDT, 3 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DEL RIO TX
910 PM CDT MON MAY 18 1987

AT 905 PM CDT A LARGE THUNDERSTORM WAS 5 MILES SOUTH OF DEL RIO.
RAINSHOWERS WERE LOCATED IN THE EASTERN HALF OF VAL VERDE COUNTY.
THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTH AT 15 MPH.

HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL...FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND STRONG
GUSTY WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

BOATERS ON LAKE AMISTAD SHOULD PLAN TO MOVE TO SAFE
HARBOR SHOULD THEU THUNDERSTORMS BEGIN TO MOVE TOWARDS THE LAKE.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 18, 7:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXMaverick56 min
May 18, 7:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXVal Verde60 min
May 19, 10:58 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXKendall2 hr
May 19, 3:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBexar60 min
May 19, 4:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBexar61 min
May 19, 4:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXHays, Travis67 min
May 19, 5:03 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXGuadalupe57 min
May 19, 6:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBexar, Wilson54 min
May 19, 6:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXTravis61 min
May 19, 6:39 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXWilson66 min
May 19, 6:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBexar61 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.