Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1988
Tornado Warning 25, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this tornado warning at Sep 17, 1988, 1:44 PM CDT for Kendall County, Texas. It was in force for 46 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Sep 17, 1988, 1:44 PM CDT (18:44 UTC)
- Expired
- Sep 17, 1988, 2:30 PM CDT
- In force
- 46 min
- Issued by
- NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
County Kendall 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
Victoria Regiona, TX (KVCT), launched 12:00Z, 6.7 hours before the alert went out and 214 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 171845
TORSAT
TXC259-171930-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
144 PM CDT SAT SEP 17 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SAN ANTONIO HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 230 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN SOUTH TEXAS
...KENDALL
A TORNADO HAS BEEN SIGHTED BY AN AIRCRAFT 10 MILES EAST OF BOERNE IN
SOUTHERN KENDALL COUNTY. THE THUNDERSTORM THAT PRODUCE THE TORNADO IS
MOVING TO THE NORTHWEST AT 25 MPH. RESIDENTS OF KENDALL COUNTY SHOULD
TAKE COVER 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, 9:45 AM CDT, 3 hours 59 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX 945 AM CDT SAT SEPT 17 1988 TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR PORTIONS SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...THIS IS TO THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST OF AUSTIN. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SAME GENERAL AREA FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT. BETWEEN 7:30 AND 7:455 CDT THIS MORNING A POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS SIGHTED IN FAYETTE COUNTY. THERE WAS SOME MINOR DAMAGE IN THE AREA. AT 8:45 AM CDT A MAN IN SOUTHERN TRAVIS COUNTY...NEAR ELROY... REPORTED A POSSIBLE FUNNEL CLOUD. THIS DID NOT TOUCHDOWN. NO DAMAGE REPORTED. AT 9:45 AM CDT THE AUSTIN RADAR INDICATED SEVERAL BANDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHCENTRAL TEXAS. MOST OF THE RAIN IS LIGHT...HOWEVER THERE ARE SOME ISOLATED HEAVY SHOWERS THROUGH THE AREA. IN SOUTH AUSTIN NEAR CHERRY CREEK 0.52 OF RAIN WAS REPORTED TO HAVE FALLEN IN 15 MINUTES. THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TO THE NORTHWEST AT ABOUT 20 MPH.
Local storm report, Sep 17, 9:50 AM CDT, 3 hours 54 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
940 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 SAN
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.
800 AM TORNADO REPORTED NEAR THE MEDICAL COMPLEX ON THE NORTHWEST
SIDE OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. THE MURPHY VA HOSPITAL HAD
WINDOWS BLOWN OUT. ALSO JUST NORTH OF THE HOSPITAL...ROOFS
WERE BLOWN OFF SOME APT COMPLEXES. ONE CAR OVERTURNED IN
IN THE AREA. APPARENTLY THE SAME TORNADO HIT THE OXBOW AREA
WHICH IS AT BABCOCK AND DE ZAVALA. HOMES WERE UNROOFED IN
THAT AREA WITH DAMAGE TO CARS.
803 AM TORNADO HEADED NORTH ON HWY TO DEVINE
840 AM TORNADO NEAR JOURDANTON IN ATASCOSA COUNTY MOVG NORTH.
841 AM TORNADO JUST NORTH OF CANYON LAKE DAMAGE NOT REPORTED
850 AM TORNADO REPORTED BY THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS AT CAYON LAKE
850 AM TORNADO HIT ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF THE CITY NEAR HEB
FOOD STORE AT 5400MBLK OF BABCOCK AT 8 AM.
853 AM TORNADO REPORTED IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF BEXAR COUTNFY
855 AM TORNADO REPORTED AT NEAR DEVINE IN WESTERN BEXAR CO
859 AM SEVERAL FUNNEL CLUDS OBSRVED AT KELLY AFB.
930 AM FUNNEL CLOUD ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE CITY AT THE
INTERSECTION OF HWY 90 AND 1604.
940 AM A TORNADO REPORTED SEEN BY KELLY AFB PERSONNEL TWO AND ONE
HALF MILES NORTHWEST OF THE BASE.Special weather statement, Sep 17, 10:48 AM CDT, 2 hours 56 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX 1045 AM CDT SAT SEPT 17 1988 TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR PORTIONS SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...THIS IS TO THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST OF AUSTIN. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SAME GENERAL AREA FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT. AT 10:45 AM CDT HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAD MOVED IN HAYS COUNTY. RADAR INDICATED THE STRONGEST ACTIVITY JUST TO THE EAST AND THE NORTHWEST OF SAN MARCOS. THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST AT 20 TO 25 MPH AND WILL MOVE INTO BLANCO COUNTY IN THE NEXT HOUR. OTHER BANDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS COVER A LARGE PORTION OF CENTRAL TEXAS. ALL: THESE BANDS ARE MOVING NORTHWEST.
Local storm report, Sep 17, 11:43 AM CDT, 2 hours 1 minute before
STORM REPORT...ADDITIONAL REPORTS...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
1140 AM CDT SAT SEP 17 1988
TIME EVENT
940 AM A TORNADO REPORTED SEEN BY KELLY AFB PERSONNEL TWO AND ONE
HALF MILES NORTHWEST OF THE BASE.
1013 AM FUNNEL CLOUD REPORTED NEAR BOERNE REPORTED BY THE KENDALL
COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE. IT WAS MOVING NORTHWEST.
1018 AM TEX DEPT OF PUBLIC SAFETY REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD IN UVALDE
COFUNTY NEAR KNIPPA
1025 AM FUNNEL CLOUD 3 MI SOUTHWEST OF SABINAL
1030 AM A TORNADO DESTROYED A MOBILE HOME AND DAMAGED A SHED NEAR
THE INTERSECTION OF IH10 AND HARDY RD ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF
SAN ANTONIO. THIS APPARENTLY WAS FROM A EARLIER
OCCURANCE.
1032 AM REPORT FROM THE LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT 18 HOMES DAMAGED IN
SAN ANTONIO
1030 AM FROM A RADIO STATION IN KERRVILLE...POSSIBLE FUNNEL CLOUD
NEAR BOERNE.
1050 AM TORNADO REPORTED JUST INSIDE THE EDWARDS COUNTY LINE IN THE
NORTHWEST PART OF THE COUNTY. REPORTED BY A RAINFALL
NETWORK OBSERVER TO THE DEL RIO WSO.Special weather statement, Sep 17, 12:13 PM CDT, 1 hour 31 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX 1210 PM CDT SAT SEPT 17 1988 TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR A A LARGE PORTION OF CENTRAL TEXAS. THIS WATCH AREA DOES INCLUDE TRAVIS COUNTY AND ALL SURROUNDING COUNTIES IN CENTRAL TEXAS. AT 1205 PM CDT AUSTIN RADAR INDICATED NURMEROUS BANDS OF HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ALL THROUGH CENTRAL TEXAS. THE STRONGEST AND MOST PERSISENT RAIN WAS IN A BAND FROM LULING...IN CALWELL COUNTY... NORTHWESTWARD OVER SAN MARCOS AND KYLE TO JOHNSON CITY. ALL RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHWEST AT 20 TO 25 MPH. NEARLY AN INCH OF RAIN HAS BEEN REPORTED AT SAN MARCOS IN THE PAST HOUR. MOTORISTS SHOULD APPROACH LOW WATER CROSSINGS WITH CAUTION SINCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS MAY CAUSE RAPIDLY RISING WATERS IN LOCAL STREAMS AND CREEKS.
Special weather statement, Sep 17, 1:07 PM CDT, 37 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX 110 PM CDT SAT SEPT 17 1988 TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR A LARGE PORTION OF CENTRAL TEXAS. THIS WATCH AREA DOES INCLUDE TRAVIS COUNTY AND ALL SURROUNDING COUNTIES IN CENTRAL TEXAS. AT 105 PM CDT AUSTIN RADAR INDICATED NURMEROUS BANDS OF HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ALL THROUGH CENTRAL TEXAS. THE STRONGEST AND MOST PERSISENT THUNDSTORM ACTIVITY WAS IN A BAND FROM JUST SOUTHEAST OF KYLE NORTHWESTWARD TO NEAR MARBLE FALLS. ALL RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHWEST AT 20 TO 25 MPH. OVER AN HALF INCH OF RAIN WAS REPORTED AT LULING...IN CLADWELL COUNTY. MOTORISTS SHOULD APPROACH LOWJ WATER CROSSINGS WITH CAUTION SINCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS MAY CAUSE RAPIDLY RISING WATERS IN LOCAL STREAMS AND CREEKS.
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, 8:44 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Comal | 46 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, 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.