Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1988
Tornado Warning 49, NWS Fort Worth, TX
NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this tornado warning at Nov 25, 1988, 8:09 PM CST for Camp County, Franklin County, Titus County, Texas. It was in force for 66 min. 3 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 25, 1988, 8:09 PM CST (02:09 UTC)
- Expired
- Nov 25, 1988, 9:15 PM CST
- In force
- 66 min
- Issued by
- NWS Fort Worth, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Camp County, TX, Franklin County, TX, Titus 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 25, 8:25 PM CST | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Franklin, TX | |
| Nov 25, 8:45 PM CST | Hail 1.75 | Titus, TX | |
| Nov 25, 9:00 PM CST | Hail 2.75 | Titus, 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
Longview/Gregg, TX (KGGG), launched 00:00Z, 2.2 hours before the alert went out and 96 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
- 959 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -16 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 981 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 64 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 348 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 429 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 2.2
- Supercell composite
- 10.9
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KFTW 260210
TORFTW
TXC063-159-449-260315-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
809 PM CST FRI NOV 25 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 915 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN NORTHEAST TEXAS
...CAMP...FRANKLIN...TITUS
AT 805 PM RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO NEAR QUITMAN IN WOOD
COUNTY. A TORNADO WAS REPORTED NEAR FRUITVALE IN VAN ZANDT
COUNTY AT 730PM. THE STORM IS MOVING NORHTEAST AT 35 MPH AND SHOULD
REACH SOUTHERN FRANKLIN...SOUTHERN TITUS AND WESTERN CAMP COUNTY
BEFORE 830PM.
THE TORNADO WARNING CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR WOOD COUNTY. THE STORM
SHOULD PASS NEAR WINNSBORO BY 825 PM.
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.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, Nov 25, 2:45 PM CST, 5 hours 24 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX 240 PM CST FRI NOV 25 1988 ...A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH- CENTRAL TEXAS UNTIL 10:00 PM CST THIS EVENING. THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES ARE INCLUDED...BELL...BOSQUE...CORYELL...HILL...FALLS...LIMESTONE... MCLENNAN...LEON...BRAZOS...ROBERTSON...AND MADISON... AT 2:35 PM CST RADAR SHOWED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER CORYELL AND BOSQUE COUNTIES FROM 15 MILES WEST OF GATESVILLE TO MERIDIAN. THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 TO 40 MPH AND SHOULD MOVE INTO MCLENNAN AND HILL COUNTIES DURING THE NEXT HALF HOUR. STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...HAIL...AND PERIODS OF VERY HEAVY RAIN SHOULD BE EXPECTED AS THESE STORMS MOVE THROUGH. IF YOU SIGHT THREATENING WEATHER...MOVE TO A STRONG BUILDING AT ONCE. TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER NOTIFY THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AND ASK THEM TO RELAY IT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. < STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO AND TV FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Nov 25, 2:54 PM CST, 5 hours 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 255 PM CST FRI NOV 25 1988 TORNADO WATCHES ARE IN EFFECT FOR A GOOD PART OF NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 10 PM TONIGHT. AT 250 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS INDICATED NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS SCATTERED ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST TEXAS. A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR BRIDGEPORT AND WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST THROUGH THE NORTHERN PART OF WISE COUNTY. ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS ABOUT 10 MILES NORTH OF GREENVILLE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST TOWARD COMMERCE AND COOPER. A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS ALSO SITUATED JUST SOUTH OF WEATHERFORD MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST TOWARD NORTHERN TARRANT COUNTY. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED BETWEEN DENTON AND FORT WORTH. PEA SIZE HAIL HAS BEEN REPORTED NEAR ROANOKE AND IN NORTH FORT WORTH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING RAPIDLY AND CONDITIONS ARE SUCH THAT SOME OF THE STORMS WILL BECOME SEVERE THIS AFTERNOON. RESIDENTS OF NORTH TEXAS WILL WANT TO MONITOR THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION DURING THE AFTERNOON.
Special weather statement, Nov 25, 6:17 PM CST, 1 hour 52 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX 610 PM CST FRI NOV 25 1988 ...A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS... AT 6:00 PM RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS DECREASING IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY IN MCLENNAN AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES. THE STRONG STORM REPORTED IN SOUTHEAST HILL COUNTY HAS MOVED NORTHEAST OUT OF THE COUNTY. SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER EASTERN BELL... FALLS...AND SOUTHERN LIMESTONE COUNTIES. THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. ELSEWHERE...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING ALONG A 15 TO 20 MILE WIDE BAND FROM HICO TO FORT WORTH. PART OF THIS BAND IS MOVING ACROSS THE NORTHERN PORTIONS OF BOSQUE COUNTY. ANOTHER BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM NORTH OF LAKE DAWSON NORTHEASTWARD TO WEST OF SULPHUR SPRINGS. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN THE DALLAS AREA. PERSONS IN MCLENNAN AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS...AND WARNINGS SHOULD THE NEED ARISE.
Special weather statement, Nov 25, 6:45 PM CST, 1 hour 24 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT...DELAYED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
600 PM CDT FRI NOV 25 1988
TIME OF OCCURRENCE EVENT
243 PM CST SML HAIL/HVY RAIN MERIDIAN ST PARK BY
BOSQUE SO.
253 PM CST SML HAIL/HVY RAIN MERIDIAN AREA OF BOSQUE
CO BY RAINFALL OBS.
331 PM CST QUARTER SIZE HAIL IN CLIFTON AREA OF BOSQUE
COUNTY BY CLIFTON PD.
345 PM CST ONE AND ONE-HALF INCH HAIL NEAR LAKE WHITNEY
IN HILL COUNTY BY STORM SPOTTER.
400 PM CST MARBLE SIZE HAIL NEAR MCLENNAN JR COLLEGE
IN NW WACO BY EMPLOYEE OF WACO TRIBUNE
415 PM CST (APPROX) GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL IN LAKE WHITNEY
AREA OF HILL COUNTY BY HAM OPERATOR.
440 PM CST MARBLE SIZE HAIL BY OFF DUTY NWS EMPLOYEE
AT CHINA SPRINGS NW WACO IN MCLENNAN CO.
545 PM CST HIGH WINDS AND DIME SIZE HAIL IN SOUTHEAST
HILL COUNTY AT IRENE.Local storm report, Nov 25, 6:48 PM CST, 1 hour 21 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT...DELAYED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
640 PM CDT FRI NOV 25 1988
TIME OF OCCURRENCE EVENT
243 PM CST SML HAIL/HVY RAIN MERIDIAN ST PARK BY
BOSQUE SO.
253 PM CST SML HAIL/HVY RAIN MERIDIAN AREA OF BOSQUE
CO BY RAINFALL OBS.
331 PM CST QUARTER SIZE HAIL IN CLIFTON AREA OF BOSQUE
COUNTY BY CLIFTON PD.
345 PM CST ONE AND ONE-HALF INCH HAIL NEAR LAKE WHITNEY
IN HILL COUNTY BY STORM SPOTTER.
400 PM CST MARBLE SIZE HAIL NEAR MCLENNAN JR COLLEGE
IN NW WACO BY EMPLOYEE OF WACO TRIBUNE
415 PM CST (APPROX) GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL IN LAKE WHITNEY
AREA OF HILL COUNTY BY HAM OPERATOR.
440 PM CST MARBLE SIZE HAIL BY OFF DUTY NWS EMPLOYEE
AT CHINA SPRINGS NW WACO IN MCLENNAN CO.
545 PM CST HIGH WINDS AND DIME SIZE HAIL IN SOUTHEAST
HILL COUNTY AT IRENE.Special weather statement, Nov 25, 7:20 PM CST, 49 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX 715 PM CST FRI NOV 25 1988 ...A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS INCLUDING THE WACO AND BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION AREAS... AT 7:05 PM RADAR SHOWED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS STILL DECREASING OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS. AN AREA OF SHOWERS WAS LOCATED BETWEEN WACO AND GROESBECK WHILE OTHER SHOWERS WERE OCCURRING FROM BASTROP...NORTHEAST ACROSS ROBERTSON COUNTY TO NEAR MARQUEZ. SHOWERS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. FARTHER NORTH...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED NORTHEAST OF A LINE FROM SOUTHWEST OF CORSICANA...TO NEAR ITALY...AND WESTWARD TO NEAR GLEN JROSE. THE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED NORTH WELL BEYOND THE DALLAS/FORT WORTH METROPLEX. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO AND TV FOR LATER STATEMENTS...AND WARNINGS SHOULD THE NEED ARISE.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Fort Worth, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 25, 6:38 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Hopkins | 67 min |
| Nov 25, 6:45 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Red River | 60 min |
| Nov 25, 7:11 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Rains, Van Zandt | 64 min |
| Nov 25, 7:27 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Wood | 63 min |
| Nov 25, 7:39 PM CST | Tornado Warning | FWD | Van Zandt, Wood | 66 min |
| Nov 25, 9:02 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Henderson, Smith, Van Zandt | 58 min |
| Nov 25, 9:58 PM CST | Tornado Warning | FWD | Upshur, Wood | 62 min |
| Nov 26, 2:03 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Grayson | 57 min |
| Nov 26, 3:29 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Wood | 61 min |
| Nov 26, 3:37 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Limestone | 68 min |
| Nov 26, 4:01 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Freestone | 59 min |
| Nov 26, 5:12 AM CST | Tornado Warning | FWD | Cherokee | 63 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.