Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1988

Tornado Warning 9, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

June 3, 1988DeWitt County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this tornado warning at Jun 3, 1988, 12:52 AM CDT for DeWitt County, Texas. It was in force for 38 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 3, 1988, 12:52 AM CDT (05:52 UTC)
Expired
Jun 3, 1988, 1:30 AM CDT
In force
38 min
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Whole counties

County DeWitt 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 00:00Z, 5.9 hours before the alert went out and 51 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 00:00Z on 1988-06-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2917 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 00:00Z on 1988-06-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 3 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
2917 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-41 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1158 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
3 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
113 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.2
Supercell composite
1.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KVCT 030553
TORVCT
TXC123-030630-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VICTORIA TX
1252 AM CDT FRI JUN 3 1988
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN VICTORIA HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  130 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
          ...EASTERN DEWITT
 
A FUNNEL CLOUD HAS BEEN REPORTED OVER THE CITY OF CUERO IN DEWITT
COUNTY OF TEXAS MOVING SLOWLY SOUTH. THIS FUNNEL CLOUD HAS BEEN
REPORTED BY THREE POLICEMEN OF CUERO.
 
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.
 
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED
BUILDING.  AS A LAST RESORT...SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH
OR LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION.  ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF
AVAILABLE.  OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR POSSIBLE.  AVOID WINDOWS.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES
FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.
 
IF THREATING WEATHER APPROACHES YOU SHOULD GO TO A SAFE PLACE
IMMEDIATELY...YOU SHOULD ASK THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY
TO RELAY YOUwR 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, Jun 2, 7:09 PM CDT, 5 hours 43 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
705 PM CDT THU JUN 2 1988

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH
   CENTRAL TEXAS...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR PARTS OF SOUTH
CENTRAL AND WEST TEXAS THIS EVENING...INCLUDING THE COUNTIES OF COMAL..
EDWARDS..GUADALUPE..KENDALL..AND KERR.

AT 700 PM CDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING FROM NEAR JOHNSON
CITY...TO EAST OF MENARD TO LLANO.  THUNDERSTORMS HAVE PRODUCED
SEVERE WEATHER IN PORTIONS OF CENTRAL TEXAS THIS EVENING.  THE STORMS
WERE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

THE THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO OR DEVELOPING IN THE
ABOVE MENTIONED COUNTIES CONTINUES THIS EVENING.  PERSONS IN AND CLOSE
TO THE WATCH AREA SHOULD REMIAN ALERT FOR SEVERE WEATHER AND BE
PREPARED TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES
OR A WARNING IS ISSUED.

STAY TUNED FOR LATER STATEMEUNTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS REGARDING THIS
SEVERE WEATHER EVENT.
Special weather statement, Jun 2, 8:30 PM CDT, 4 hours 22 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
830 PM CDT THU JUN 2 1988

...TORNADO WATCH NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM TONIGHT AND EXPANDED TO COVER
   MOST OF CENTRAL TEXAS...INCLUDING THE SAN ANTONIO METROPLITAN AREA...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS REVISED THE TORNADO WATCH TO INCLUDE
MUCH OF CENTRAL TEXAS.  THE WATCH IS WITHIN AN AREA 80 MILES EITHER SIDE
OF A LINE FROM 30 MILES NORTHEAST OF SAN ANGELO TO 20 MILES
EAST-NORTHEAST OF VICTORIA...AND IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM TONIGHT.

AT 830 PM CDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING FROM NORTHWEST OF
AUSTIN...TO JUST NORTHEAST OF KERRVILLE...TO SOUTH OF MASON.  MOVEMENT
OF THE STORMS WAS TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

THE STORM NORTHEAST OF KERRVILLE WILL BE MOVING TO NEAR THE KERR/
KENDALL COUNTY LINE NORTH OF COMFORT TEXAS. STRONG GUSTY WINDS...
HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAINS...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE WITH
THIS STORM.

PERSONS IN THE WATCH %AREA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER
AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IN SEVERE WEATHER
APPROACHES OR A WARNING IS ISSUED.

STAY TUNED FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS REGARDING THIS
SEVERE WEATHER EVENT.
Special weather statement, Jun 2, 10:55 PM CDT, 1 hour 57 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DEL RIO TX
1055 PM CDT THU JUN 2 1988

AT 1050 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
WERE DEVELOPING IN NORTHERN VAL VERDE COUNTY AND WERE LOCATED
FROM JUNO ALONG THE VAL VERDE COUNTY LINE TO AND EAST TO JUNCTION.
MOVEMENT OF THE STORMS WAS TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

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

REMEMBER...LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS CAN OCCUR SOME DISTANCE FROM
THE MAIN THUNDERSTORM CLOUD...ALLOW YOURSELF PLENTY OF TIME TO
REACH SAFETY IF CONDITIONS BECOME THREATENING.

ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED AS CONDITIONS
WARRANT...4SO PLEASE STAY TUNED TO YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO
AND TV STATIONS.
Special weather statement, Jun 2, 11:20 PM CDT, 1 hour 32 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DEL RIO TX
1120 PM CDT THU JUN 2 1988

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1130 PM CDT UNTIL
400 AM CDT FRIDAY MORNING FOR VAL VERDE COUNTY TEXAS...

AT 1115 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE
LOCATED FROM LANGTRY IN WESTERN VEL VERDE COUNTY TO LOMA ALTA AND EAST
TO JUNCTION. MOVEMENT OF THE STORMS WAS TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

LARGE HAIL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND DAMAGING THUNDESTORM WINDS ARE
POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED AS CONDITIONS
WARRANT...SO PLEASE STAY TUNED TO YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO
AND TV STATIONS.
Special weather statement, Jun 3, 12:12 AM CDT, 40 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DEL RIO TX
1212 AM CDT FRI JUN 3 1988

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 AM CDT FOR VAL
VERDE COUNTY TEXAS...

AT 1205 AM CDT RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN
EASTERN VEL VERDE COUNTY...20 MILES NORTH OF DEL RIO AND EAST TOWARDS
ROCK SPRINGS. MOVEMENT OF THE STORMS WAS SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING OVER THE NORTH PART OF LAKE AMISTAD AND
SHOULD MOVE INTO THE DEL RIO AREA IN APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR. HEAVY
RAIN...STRONG WINDS AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING WERE REPORTED
WITH THESE STORMS AS THEY MOVED THROUGH NORTHERN VAL VERDE COUNTY.

LARGE HAIL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND DAMAGING 8THUNDERSTORM WINDS ARE
POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED AS CONDITIONS
WARRANT...SO PLEASE STAY TUNED TO YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO
AND TV STATIONS.
Local storm report, Jun 3, 12:17 AM CDT, 35 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
0015 AM CDT FRI JUN 3 1988

TIME CDT    EVENT S OF THURSDAY NIGHT...JUNE 2 1988.

1740        SHERIFFS OFFICE IN MILLS COUNTY REPTD HIGHS WINDS AND SMALL
            HAIL.
1805        DPS LAMPASAS RPTD HIGH WINDS AND MARBLE SIZE HAIL AT LOMETA
            OR 327/66 FM AUSTIN...IN SOUTHERN LAMPASAS COUNTY.
1830        VERY HEAVY RAIN IN LAMPASAS
1843        WACO WSO RELAYED REPORT FROM CHANNEL 6 IN TEMPLE OF A REPORT
            OF A TORNADO IN LOMETA BETWEEN 550 AND 610 PM.  CONSIDERABLE
            DAMAGES.  THE OLD ROUND HOUSE TRAIN STATION WAS DESTROYED
            THE BUS SHED WAS GONE AND MANY TREES UPROOTED.
1851        WSO SJT TO AUS...1 INCH HAIL RPTD AT PONTOTOC...NORTHWEST
            CORNER OF LLANO COUNTY.
1956        ANDICE OBSVR RPTD HIGH WINDS..SMALL HAIL AND 1.41 INCHES
            OF RAIN IN 1/2 HOUR.
2042        HUTTO...SMALL TOWN 20 MILES NORTHEAST OF AUSTIN HAD WIND
            WIND GUST TO 45 MPH.
2047        FSS RELAYED RPT FM PUBLIC THAT WINDS TOOK ABOUT 200 FEET
            OFF THE TOP OF A 500 FOOT COMMERCIAL RADIO ANTENNA 6 MILES
            EAST OF ROUND ROCK.
2145        GEORGETOWN P.D. REPORTED MARBLE SIZE HAIL.
2155        BLANCO SHERIFFS OFC RPTD 11/2 INCH HAIL DURING THE LAST
            HALF HOUR AND MANY FUNNEL SIGHTINGS.
2240        WINDS GUSTED TO 54 MPH AT THE AUSTIN WEATHER SERVICE OFC.
2327        CALDWELL COUNTY SHERIFFS OFC ;REPORTED TORNADO ON THE
            GROUND JUST EAST OF MC MAHON...SMALL TOWN NORTH OF LULING.
2330        CALDWELL CO. S.O. RPTS TWISTER NOW 5 SOUTH OF MCMAHON AND
            TROOPER WAS TRACKING THIS STORM.

END/JVD.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 2, 7:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXWilliamson55 min
Jun 2, 7:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXGillespie66 min
Jun 2, 7:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXTravis66 min
Jun 2, 8:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXWilliamson32 min
Jun 2, 8:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXKendall61 min
Jun 2, 10:24 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXKerr66 min
Jun 2, 10:39 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXKendall66 min
Jun 2, 11:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBexar, Comal61 min
Jun 2, 11:29 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXCaldwell46 min
Jun 2, 11:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXAtascosa, Medina61 min
Jun 2, 11:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXWilson61 min
Jun 3, 12:50 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXFrio55 min
Jun 3, 12:57 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXVal Verde63 min
Jun 3, 2:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXLavaca69 min
Jun 3, 3:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXJackson47 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.