Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1988
Tornado Warning 9, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
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.
- 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
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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2, 7:20 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Williamson | 55 min |
| Jun 2, 7:39 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Gillespie | 66 min |
| Jun 2, 7:39 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Travis | 66 min |
| Jun 2, 8:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Williamson | 32 min |
| Jun 2, 8:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Kendall | 61 min |
| Jun 2, 10:24 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Kerr | 66 min |
| Jun 2, 10:39 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Kendall | 66 min |
| Jun 2, 11:14 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Bexar, Comal | 61 min |
| Jun 2, 11:29 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Caldwell | 46 min |
| Jun 2, 11:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Atascosa, Medina | 61 min |
| Jun 2, 11:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Wilson | 61 min |
| Jun 3, 12:50 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Frio | 55 min |
| Jun 3, 12:57 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Val Verde | 63 min |
| Jun 3, 2:36 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Lavaca | 69 min |
| Jun 3, 3:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Jackson | 47 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.