Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1988
Tornado Warning 16, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this tornado warning at Sep 17, 1988, 8:44 AM CDT for Comal County, Texas. It was in force for 46 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
- Sep 17, 1988, 8:44 AM CDT (13:44 UTC)
- Expired
- Sep 17, 1988, 9:30 AM CDT
- In force
- 46 min
- Issued by
- NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
County Comal 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 17, 9:00 AM CDT | Tornado F0 | Comal, 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, 1.7 hours before the alert went out and 171 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 5804 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 485 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 13 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 154 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 176 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 3.9
- Supercell composite
- 22.6
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KSAT 171345
TORSAT
TXC091-171430-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
844 AM CDT SAT SEP 17 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SAN ANTONIO HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 930 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN SOUTH TEXAS
...COMAL
THE COMAL COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT REPORTS A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN
JUST NORTH OF CANYON LAKE IN NORTHERN COMAL COUNTY AT 841 AM THIS
MORNING. THE STORM THAT PRODUCED THE TORNADO IS MOVING TO THE
NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. RESIDENTS OF COMAL COUNTY SHOULD TAKE SHELTER
IMMEDIATELY.
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM...GO TO A BASEMENT SHELTER OR A
CENTRAL INTERIOR ROOM ON {THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME OR BUILDING.
ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING.
YOU SHOULD ASK THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY TO RELAY YOUR
SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS TO THE LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.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, Sep 17, 6:22 AM CDT, 2 hours 22 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DEL RIO TX 622 AM CDT SAT SEP 17 1988 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM CDT TODAY FOR VAL VERDE COUNTY... ...A FLASH FLOOD AND FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT TODAY AND TONIGHT... A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED UNTIL 5 PM CDT TODAY FOR THAT PART OF TEXAS ALONG AND 90 STATUE MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 75 MILES NORTHWEST OF HONDO TEXAS TO 30 MILES EAST OF BROWNSVILLE. VAL VERDE COUNTY AND THE CITY OF DEL RIO ARE INCLUDED IN THE WATCH AREA. REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN VAL VERDE COUNTY SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A BASEMENT. IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR AND AVOID WINDOWS. DO NOT USE YOUR CAR TO TRY TO OUTRUN A TORNADO AS THEY ARE EASILY TOSSED AROUND BY TORNADO WINDS. IF WEATHER BECOMES THREATENING PERSONS IN MOBILE HOMES SHOULD SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED SHELTER...SUCH AS A NEIGHBORS HOME BEFORE THE THREATENING WEATHER ARRIVES. A FLOOD AND FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS ALSO BE EXTENDED AND EXPANDED TO INCLUDE PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST TEXAS...INCLUDING THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY. THE WATCH IS IN EFFECT TODAY AND TONIGHT...AND IS GENERALLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM DEL RIO TO JUNCTION TO SAN ANTONIO TO CORPUS CHRISTI. THIS MEANS PERSONS IN OR NEAR THE WATCH AREA ARE URGED TO CHECK PREPAREDNESS...KEEP INFORMED AND BE READY TO TAKE ACTION IF HEAVY RAIN OR FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED. TROPICAL STORM GILBERT LOCATED WELL INLAND OVER NORTHEAST MEXICO SOUTHWEST OF BROWNSVILLE IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE MOVING WEST NORTHWEST TODAY. AS GILBERT MOVES ON THIS TRACK TOWARD SOUTHWEST TEXAS AND THE DEL RIO AREA...HEAVY RAINS AND FLOODING WILL SPREAD NORTHWARD. BECAUSE OF EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF MOSITURE BEING PRODUCED...GENERAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 8 INCHES IS POSSIBLE...WITH ISOLATED TOTALS TO 10 INCHES. PERSONS IN THE FLOOD PRONE AREAS OF DEL RIO SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO THE POTENTIAL DANGEROUS SITUATION AND BE POTENTIAL DANGEROUS SITUATION AND BE PREPARED TO EVACUATE TO HIGHER GROUND OR SHELTERS IF WARNED TO DO SO BY LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. AREA RANCHERS SHOULD CONSIDER MOVING LIVESTOCK AWAY FROM FLOOD PRONE AREAS. PARENTS ARE URGED TO KEEP A CLOSE WATCH ON THEIR CHILDREN AND KEEP THEM AWAY FROM DEEP DITCHES AND CREEKS IF HEAVY RAINFALL BEGINS TO OCCUR. AT 615 AM CDT AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM NORTH OF DEL RIO EAST TO SAN ANTONIO AND THEN SOUTHWEST TO BELOW EAGLE PASS. THIS AREA OF RAIN WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHWEST AT 15 MPH. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS SOUTH OF EAGLE PASS. STAY TUNED TO YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADIO...LOCAL RADIO STATIONS AND LOCAL wTV STATION FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS AND OR WARNINGS.
Local storm report, Sep 17, 7:59 AM CDT, 45 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
750 AM CDT SAT SEP 17 1988
TIME EVENT
545 AM 2 TORNADOES REPORTED VICINITY MOGFORD ROAD AND US 281
SOUTHERN BEXAR COUNTY...1 MOBILE HOME DEMOLISHED...1
INJURY.
550 AM TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR KARNES CITY IN KARNES COUNTY
640 AM TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN LACKLAND AFB NEAR SOUTH GATE
645 AM ROOFS RIPPED OFF...MARBACH AND TIMBERIDGE...WEST SA<N
ANTONIO
700 AM TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN KELLY AFB
735 AM HARDY AND I37...MOBILE HOME DESTROYED BY TORNADO
750 AM DPS CONFIRMED TORNADO NEAR 410 AND CALLAGHAN ROAD HEADED
TOWARD MEDICAL CENTER.The office that day
Everything else NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 17, 5:51 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Bexar | 69 min |
| Sep 17, 6:03 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Karnes, Wilson | 57 min |
| Sep 17, 7:34 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Bandera, Bexar, Medina | 41 min |
| Sep 17, 7:34 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Karnes, Wilson | 41 min |
| Sep 17, 8:08 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Atascosa, Medina | 67 min |
| Sep 17, 8:57 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Bexar | 48 min |
| Sep 17, 9:42 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Bexar | 63 min |
| Sep 17, 10:16 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Kendall, Kerr | 59 min |
| Sep 17, 10:23 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Uvalde | 67 min |
| Sep 17, 11:01 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Edwards | 59 min |
| Sep 17, 11:09 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | EWX | Bandera, Medina, Uvalde | 3 hr |
| Sep 17, 11:15 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Val Verde | 60 min |
| Sep 17, 12:20 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Kinney | 55 min |
| Sep 17, 12:40 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Val Verde | 80 min |
| Sep 17, 1:44 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Kendall | 46 min |
| Sep 17, 2:20 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Val Verde | 55 min |
| Sep 17, 2:45 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Val Verde | 60 min |
| Sep 17, 4:10 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Val Verde | 50 min |
| Sep 17, 5:14 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Bexar | 31 min |
| Sep 17, 5:40 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Val Verde | 60 min |
| Sep 17, 6:40 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Val Verde | 60 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Texas, 1988Every tornado warning in 1988Tornadoes in 1988
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.