Alert archive / Louisiana / Tornado Warnings in 1987

Tornado Warning 10, NWS Shreveport, LA

November 16, 1987Franklin Parish, Tensas Parish, Louisiana

NWS Shreveport, LA issued this tornado warning at Nov 16, 1987, 12:20 AM CST for Franklin Parish, Tensas Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 70 min. 2 reports 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
Nov 16, 1987, 12:20 AM CST (06:20 UTC)
Expired
Nov 16, 1987, 1:30 AM CST
In force
70 min
Issued by
NWS Shreveport, LA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Franklin Parish, LA, Tensas Parish, LA

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
Nov 16, 1:00 AM CSTThunderstorm Wind 0Franklin, LA
Nov 16, 1:25 AM CSTThunderstorm Wind 0Tensas, LA

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

Jackson, MS (KJAN), launched 00:00Z, 6.3 hours before the alert went out and 137 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, Jackson, MS at 00:00Z on 1987-11-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 314 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, Jackson, MS at 00:00Z on 1987-11-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 70 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
314 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-19 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
947 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
70 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
174 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

The text of this product is not in the archive. The NWS text archive before 2002 is incomplete.

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

Local storm report, Nov 15, 8:30 PM CST, 3 hours 50 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
825 PM CST SUN NOV 15 1987

PRELIMINARY REPORT ON LONG TRACK TORNADO THAT MOVED ACROSS EAST
CENTRAL TEXAS INTO NORTHWEST LOUISIANA.

APPARENTLY A MAJOR TORNADO STRIKE WITH DAMAGE AND INJURIES.

TORNADO DAMAGE REPORTED FROM NEAR JERICO TEXAS...IN CENTER TEXAS...
NEAR JOAQUIN TEXAS...IN KEATCHIE LOUISIANA...LONGSTREET LOUISIANA...
STONEWALL LOUISIANA AND THE SOUTHERN PART OF SHREVEPORT.

NUMEROUSS TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN...MOBILE HOMES DESTROYED...ROOFS
OFF SEVERAL BUILDINGS...HOMES AND BUSINESS DAMAGED OR DESTROYED ALL
ALONG THE TRACK.
Special weather statement, Nov 15, 10:32 PM CST, 1 hour 48 minutes before
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
1020 PM CST SUN NOV 15 1987

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING ISSUED EARLIER HAS EXPIRED...
...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ARKLATEX TONIGHT...

AT 10:10 PM CST THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN SHREVEPORT SHOWED
A BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ABOUT 45 MILES WIDE THAT EXTENDED
FROM NEAR WARREN ARKANSAS ACROSS THE MONROE AND COLUMBIA AREAS TO NEAR
OBERLIN LOUISIANA. WITHIN THIS BAND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE NOTED
NEAR RAYVILLE AND SOUTHWEST OF COLUMBIA LOUISIANA.
MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST NEAR 30 MPH.

ANOTHER BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ABOUT 50 MILES WIDE EXTENDED
FROM NEAR PRESCOTT ARKANSAS ACROSS SHREVEPORT TO NEAR LUFKIN TEXAS.
STRONG STORMS WERE LOCATED FROM PLAIN DEALING TO WEST OF SHREVEPORT.
MOVEMENT WAS EAST NEAR 5 MPH.

STRONG TO HIGH WIND GUSTS AND HEAVY RAINS OF ONE TO THREE INCHES
WHICH WILL CAUSE SOME STREET AND LOW AREA FLOODING CONTINUE
TO ACCOMPANY THE STORMS.
Special weather statement, Nov 16, 12:05 AM CST, 15 minutes before
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
1155 PM CST SUN NOV 15 1987

...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE PARTS OF THE ARKLATEX...

AT 11:45 PM CST THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN SHREVEPORT SHOWED
A BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ABOUT 70 MILES WIDE THAT EXTENDED
FROM NEAR NASHVILLE ARKANSAS ACROSS SHREVEPORT TO NEAR WOODVILLE TEXAS.
WITHIN THIS BAND HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS WERE NOTED FROM NEAR PLAIN DEALING
LOUISIANA TO SHREVEPORT TO MANSFIELD LOUISIANA. THE STORMS WERE MOVING
NORTHEAST NEAR 20 MPH...WHILE THE SYSTEM WAS DRIFTING EAST NEAR 5 MPH.

ANOTHER BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ABOUT 50 MILES WIDE EXTENDED
FROM NEAR HAMBURG ARKANSAS ACROSS MONROE TO ALEXANDRIA LOUISIANA. HEAVY
STORMS WERE LOCATED FROM MONROE TO COLUMBIA AND NEAR HARRISONBURG.
MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST NEAR 35 MPH.

STRONG TO HIGH WIND GUSTS AND HEAVY RAINS OF ONE TO THREE INCHES
WHICH WILL CAUSE SOME STREET AND LOW AREA FLOODING CONTINUE
TO ACCOMPANY THE STORMS.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF CADDO PARISH
AND HARRISON COUNTY.

THE STORMS OVER CENTRAL LOUISIANA ARE INCREASING AND MAY REQUIRE
WARNINGS WITHIN THE HOUR.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Shreveport, LA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Nov 15, 6:20 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSHVBossier, Caddo, De Soto70 min
Nov 15, 6:25 PM CSTTornado WarningSHVBossier, Caddo65 min
Nov 15, 6:25 PM CSTTornado WarningSHVDe Soto65 min
Nov 15, 7:25 PM CSTTornado WarningSHVBossier, Caddo, Webster65 min
Nov 15, 9:15 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSHVMorehouse, Ouachita, Richland60 min
Nov 16, 12:30 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningSHVBossier, Caddo, De Soto4 hr
Nov 16, 1:45 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSHVFranklin, Tensas60 min
Nov 16, 3:20 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSHVTensas55 min
Nov 16, 4:15 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningSHVCaldwell, Jackson, Winn2 hr
Nov 16, 5:05 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSHVMadison55 min
Nov 16, 9:47 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSHVBossier, Webster58 min
Nov 16, 9:47 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSHVCaddo58 min
Nov 16, 10:00 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningSHVCaldwell, Franklin, Jackson, Ouachita, Winn4 hr
Nov 16, 10:00 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningSHVDe Soto, Sabine4 hr
Nov 16, 10:00 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningSHVBienville, Bossier, Caddo, Natchitoches, Red River4 hr
Nov 16, 10:00 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningSHVClaiborne, Webster4 hr
Nov 16, 1:10 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSHVFranklin, Madison, Tensas58 min
Nov 16, 4:25 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningSHVCaldwell, Ouachita4 hr
Nov 16, 4:25 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningSHVFranklin, Madison, Richland, Tensas4 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Louisiana, 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.