Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Warnings in 1988
Tornado Warning 13, NWS Little Rock, AR
NWS Little Rock, AR issued this tornado warning at Nov 15, 1988, 8:52 PM CST for Lawrence County, Sharp County, Arkansas. It was in force for 53 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 15, 1988, 8:52 PM CST (02:52 UTC)
- Expired
- Nov 15, 1988, 9:45 PM CST
- In force
- 53 min
- Issued by
- NWS Little Rock, AR
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Lawrence County, AR, Sharp County, AR
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 15, 8:55 PM CST | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Sharp, AR | |
| Nov 15, 8:55 PM CST | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Sharp, AR | |
| Nov 15, 9:30 PM CST | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Lawrence, AR |
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
Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 00:00Z, 2.9 hours before the alert went out and 186 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
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 3579 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 71 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 271 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 371 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KLIT 160253
TORLIT
ARC075-135-160345-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
852 PM CST TUE NOV 15 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LITTLE ROCK HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 945 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN EAST ARKANSAS
...LAWRENCE
IN NORTH CENTRAL ARKANSAS
...SHARP
AT 848 PM CST...RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO NEAR CAVE CITY
MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL
MOVE ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN SHARP COUNTY AND MUCH OF LAWRENCE COUNTY.
THIS STORM HAS PRODUCED A FEW TORNADOES SO PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF
THIS STORM SHOULD TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.
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...
ORA CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY. AVOID WINDOWS.
29What 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 15, 3:00 PM CST, 5 hours 52 minutes before
SPECIA KFSM 152100 SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT SMITH AR 300 PM CST TUE NOV 15 1988 TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 480 FOR PARTS OF NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA AND PARTS OF NORTHWEST ARKANSAS REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CST THIS TUESDAY EVENING. ALSO TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 481 FOR PARTS OF SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTI 8 PM CST THIS TUESDAY EVENING... AT 255PM CST FT SMITH RADAR INDICATED A SOLID LINE OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS 25 MILES EAST OF CHANUTE KANSAS TO 25 MILES WEST OF SILOAM SPRINGS ARKANSAS TO NEAR MCALESTER OKLAHOMA TO NEAR DALLAS TEXAS. THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING EAST AT NEAR 40 MILES AN HOUR. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS. LARGE HAIL HEAVY RAIN AND WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS AS THEY MOVED THROUGH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA. PERSONS IN EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN ARKANSAS SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT AND STAY TUNED TO RADIO AND T. V STATIONS FOR MORE STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Local storm report, Nov 15, 4:39 PM CST, 4 hours 13 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT SMITH, AR
435 PM CST TUE NOV 15 1988
TIME EVENT COUNTY LOCATION
405 PM CST WIND BENTON AR BELLA VISTA...SHERIFF DEPT REPORTED
SEVERAL ROOFS OFF.
427 PM CST WIND BENTON AR HAM SPOTTER REPORTED 65 MPH WIND
IN BENTONVILLE.
430 PM CST HAIL CRAWFORD AR DIME SIZE HAIL REPORTED 5 NORTH OF
VAN BUREN BY HAM SPOTTER.Local storm report, Nov 15, 5:33 PM CST, 3 hours 19 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT SMITH, AR
533 PM CST TUE NOV 15 1988
TIME EVENT COUNTY/STATE LOCATION
405 PM WIND DAMAGE BENTON/AR CENTERTON...SEVERAL TREES DOWN
ONE CHICKEN HOUSE DESTROYED.
405 PM WIND DAMAGE BENTON/AR BELLA VISTA...THREE TURKEY HOUSES
DESTROYED.
520 PM WIND LEFLORE/OK MUSE... 60 MPH WIND REPORTED BY
HAM SPOTTER.
529 PM HAIL POLK/AR 5 MILES SOUTH OF MENA...LARGER THAN
GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL...DIME SIZE HAIL
; IN MENA.Local storm report, Nov 15, 5:57 PM CST, 2 hours 55 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT SMITH, AR
555 PM CST TUE NOV 15 1988
TIME EVENT COUNTY/STATE LOCATION
538PM HAIL POLK/AR LARGER THAN GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL FROM
U MENA TO 5 SOUTH OF MENA.
553PM HAIL POLK/AR 18 MILES NORTH OF MENA..BASEBALL SIZE
HAIL.Special weather statement, Nov 15, 7:24 PM CST, 1 hour 28 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT SMITH AR 715 PM CST TUE NOV 15 1988 ..THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAVE BEEN CLEARED OF THE TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 480... ...BENTON...WASHINGTON...MADISON...CRAWFORD...SEBASTIAN...LOGAN JOHNSON..AND FRANKLIN... A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SCOTT AND POLK COUNTIES IN WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS UNTIL 8 PM CST... AT 710 PM CST FT SMITH RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM 25 MILES NORTHEAST OF DARDENELL ARKANSAS TO 10 MILES WEST OF MENA ARKANSAS MOVING EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Little Rock, AR issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 15, 6:01 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Montgomery | 59 min |
| Nov 15, 6:18 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Yell | 57 min |
| Nov 15, 6:18 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Newton | 57 min |
| Nov 15, 6:38 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Pope | 52 min |
| Nov 15, 6:44 PM CST | Tornado Warning | LZK | Perry, Yell | 46 min |
| Nov 15, 7:05 PM CST | Tornado Warning | LZK | Conway | 55 min |
| Nov 15, 7:11 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Van Buren | 64 min |
| Nov 15, 7:33 PM CST | Tornado Warning | LZK | Pope | 27 min |
| Nov 15, 7:49 PM CST | Tornado Warning | LZK | Cleburne, Faulkner, Van Buren | 56 min |
| Nov 15, 8:02 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Clark, Hot Spring | 43 min |
| Nov 15, 8:29 PM CST | Tornado Warning | LZK | Independence, Stone | 46 min |
| Nov 15, 8:39 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Ouachita | 51 min |
| Nov 15, 8:46 PM CST | Tornado Warning | LZK | Grant, Hot Spring, Saline | 59 min |
| Nov 15, 9:17 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Calhoun, Dallas | 28 min |
| Nov 15, 9:42 PM CST | Tornado Warning | LZK | Lonoke, Pulaski | 48 min |
| Nov 15, 10:10 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Cleveland | 35 min |
| Nov 15, 10:17 PM CST | Tornado Warning | LZK | Prairie | 43 min |
| Nov 15, 11:07 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Lincoln | 53 min |
| Nov 16, 1:13 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Desha, Drew | 47 min |
| Nov 16, 1:52 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Arkansas, Desha | 53 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Arkansas, 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.