Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1987

Tornado Warning 6, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

July 24, 1987Harris County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this tornado warning at Jul 24, 1987, 2:55 PM CDT for Harris County, Texas. It was in force for 30 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
Jul 24, 1987, 2:55 PM CDT (19:55 UTC)
Expired
Jul 24, 1987, 3:25 PM CDT
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Harris 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 24, 3:05 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 0Harris, 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

Victoria Regiona, TX (KVCT), launched 12:00Z, 7.9 hours before the alert went out and 184 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, Victoria Regiona, TX at 12:00Z on 1987-07-24Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2356 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, Victoria Regiona, TX at 12:00Z on 1987-07-24The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 30 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
2356 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-14 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
721 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
15 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
30 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
23 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KHOU 241955
TORHOU
TXC201-242100-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON TX
255 PM CDT FRI JUL 24 1987
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL  400 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
          ...HARRIS
 
AT 250 PM CDT THE PUBLIC REPORTED A TORNADO AT GULF BANK AND CAMINO
RD IN NORTH HOUTSTON.  RADAR SHOWS VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN THE
AREA MOVING NORTHWEST AT 15 MPH.Basis}
 
 
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.
 
IF YOU LIVE IN A HOME OR APARTMENT...SEEK SHELTER IN THE
INNERMOST PORTION OF THE BUILDING ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  GET TO
A BASEMENT IF ONE IS AVAILABLE.  AVOID WINDOWS AND PROTECT YOUR
BODY FROM FLYING DEBRIS WITH CUSHIONS...BLANKETS...OR PILLOWS.

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, Jul 24, 1:31 PM CDT, 1 hour 24 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON TX
135 PM CDT FRI JUL 25 1987

WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWS A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM ON THE FORT
BEND-BRAZORIA COUNTY LINE SOUTHEAST OF RICHMOND.  THE THUNDERSTORM
IS MOVING NORTHWEST AT 15 MPH.

THIS THUNDERSTORM MAY PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAIN...
FREQUENT LIGHTING...AND SOME SMALL HAIL AS IT MOVES THROUGH FORT BEND
COUNTY INTO THE RICHMOND-ROSENBERG AREA.

STAY TUNED FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS AS NEEDED.
Special weather statement, Jul 24, 1:36 PM CDT, 1 hour 19 minutes before
CORRECTION...DATE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON TX
135 PM CDT FRI JUL 24 1987

WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWS A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM ON THE FORT
BEND-BRAZORIA COUNTY LINE SOUTHEAST OF RICHMOND.  THE THUNDERSTORM
IS MOVING NORTHWEST AT 15 MPH.

THIS THUNDERSTORM MAY PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAIN...
FREQUENT LIGHTING...AND SOME SMALL HAIL AS IT MOVES THROUGH FORT BEND
COUNTY INTO THE RICHMOND-ROSENBERG AREA.

STAY TUNED FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS AS NEEDED.
Special weather statement, Jul 24, 2:28 PM CDT, 27 minutes before
CORRECTION...DATE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON TX
230 PM CDT FRI JUL 24 1987

WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWS VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED
IN COLARADO COUNTY.  THE THUNDERSTORM ARE MOVING NORTHEWEST THROUGH
THE COLUMBUS AREA.

ANOTHER CLUSTER OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAS DEVELOPED NORTHEAST
OF INTERCONTINETAL AIPRORT.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO MOVING
NORTHWEST ACROSS NORTHEASTERN HARRIS AND SOUTHEASTERN MONTGOMERY
COUNTIES.

THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT
FREQUENT LIGHTING...AND SOME SMALL HAIL.

STAY TUNED FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS AS NEEDED.
Special weather statement, Jul 24, 2:29 PM CDT, 26 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON TX
230 PM CDT FRI JUL 24 1987

WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWS VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED
IN COLARADO COUNTY.  THE THUNDERSTORM ARE MOVING NORTHEWEST THROUGH
THE COLUMBUS AREA.

ANOTHER CLUSTER OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAS DEVELOPED NORTHEAST
OF INTERCONTINETAL AIPRORT.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO MOVING
NORTHWEST ACROSS NORTHEASTERN HARRIS AND SOUTHEASTERN MONTGOMERY
COUNTIES.

THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT
FREQUENT LIGHTING...AND SOME SMALL HAIL.

STAY TUNED FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS AS NEEDED.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 24, 3:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXColorado58 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.