Alert archive / Florida / Tornado Warnings in 1988
Tornado Warning 1, NWS Melbourne, FL
NWS Melbourne, FL issued this tornado warning at Apr 19, 1988, 12:35 PM EDT for Lake County, Florida. It was in force for 25 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Apr 19, 1988, 12:35 PM EDT (16:35 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 19, 1988, 1:00 PM EDT
- In force
- 25 min
- Issued by
- NWS Melbourne, FL
- Area
- Whole counties
County Lake County, FL
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
Tampa Bay, FL (KTBW), launched 12:00Z, 4.6 hours before the alert went out and 136 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
- 774 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -40 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 592 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 65 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 388 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 418 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 2.0
- Supercell composite
- 11.7
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KMCO 191636
TORMCO
FLC069-191700-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ORLANDO FL
1235 PM EDT TUE APR 19 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ORLANDO HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 100 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN CENTRAL FLORIDA
...SOUTHERN LAKE
WITHIN THE PAST 10 MINUTES THE LAKE COUNTY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER
REPORTS A TORNADO 3 AND ONE HALF MILES NORTH OF MASCOTTE.
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.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, Apr 19, 9:41 AM EDT, 2 hours 54 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DAYTONA BEACH FL 940 AM EDT TUE APR 19 1988 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL FLORIDA INCLUDING MARION...FLAGLER AND VOLUSIA COUNTIES AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. THE WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2PM EDT. REMEMBER ...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. A LARGE AREA OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME STRONG WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...CONTINUED OVER THE NORTHERN PART OF THE FLORIDA PENINSULA NORTH OF A LINE FROM DAYTONA BEACH TO TARPON SPRINGS NORTH TO THE GEORGIA BORDER. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN THE JACKSONVILLE AREA AND JUST SOUTHWEST OF JACKSONVILLE AND APPROACHING THE GULF COAST AREA FROM CEDAR IKEY TO CRYSTAL RIVER AND OFFSHORE BAYPORT. THUNDERSTORM MOVEMENT WAS EAST 40 MPH.
Special weather statement, Apr 19, 10:31 AM EDT, 2 hours 4 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DAYTONA BEACH FL 1030 AM EDT TUE APR 19 1988 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL FLORIDA INCLUDING MARION...FLAGLER...VOLUSIA AND BREVARD COUNTIES AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. THIS TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 PM EDT. REMEMBER ...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. NOTE...UPDATED TO ADD BREVARD COUNTY TO THE WATCH AREA.
Special weather statement, Apr 19, 10:50 AM EDT, 1 hour 45 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DAYTONA BEACH FL 1050 AM EDT TUE APR 19 1988 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL FLORIDA INCLUDING MARION...FLAGLER...VOLUSIA...BREVARD COUNTIES THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. THE WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2PM EDT. REMEMBER ...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. A LARGE AREA OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME STRONG WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...CONTINUED OVER THE NORTHERN PART OF THE FLORIDA PENINSULA NORTH OF A LINE FROM DAYTONA BEACH TO ST. PETERSBURG NORTH TO THE CROSS CITY AND JACKSONVILLE. IN THIS AREA WAS A LINE OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM SOUTHWEST OF OCALA TO THE GULF COAST NORTH OF NEW PORT RICHEY AND THE LINE WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST 30 MPH. OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO THE ATLANTIC OFF THE JACKSONVILLE BEACHES. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST 45 MPH.
Special weather statement, Apr 19, 10:57 AM EDT, 1 hour 38 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ORLANDO FL 1055 AM EDT TUE APR 19 1988 A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL FLORIDA INCLUDING LAKE..ORANGE..OSCEOLA AND SEMINOLE COUNTIES UNTIL 200 PM EDT. LATEST RADAR SHOWS A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO WESTERN LAKE COUNTY WEST OF LEESBURG. THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 40 MPH. VERY HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL WILL LIKELY ACCOMPANY THE HEAVIER THUNDERSTORMS. CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Apr 19, 11:47 AM EDT, 48 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DAYTONA BEACH FL 1145 AM EDT TUE APR 19 1988 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL FLORIDA INCLUDING MARION...FLAGLER...VOLUSIA...BREVARD COUNTIES THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. THE WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2PM EDT. REMEMBER ...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. A LARGE AREA OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME STRONG WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...CONTINUED OVER THE NORTHERN PART OF THE FLORIDA PENINSULA NORTH OF A LINE FROM TITUSVILLE TO ST. PETERSBURG NORTH TO THE GAINESVILLE AND JACKSONVILLE. IN THIS AREA WAS A LINE OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM JUST WEST OF DELAND TO THE GULF COAST NEAR NEW PORT RICHEY AND THE LINE WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST 20 MPH. OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER THE OCALA NATIONAL FOREST EAST OF OCALA. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST 45 MPH.
Special weather statement, Apr 19, 12:16 PM EDT, 19 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ORLANDO FL 1215 PM EDT TUE APR 19 1988 A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL FLORIDA INCLUDING LAKE..ORANGE..OSCEOLA AND SEMINOLE COUNTIES UNTIL 200 PM EDT. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR CENTRAL LAKE COUNTY HAS EXPIRED. LATEST RADAR SHOWS STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTH CENTRAL LAKE AND WEST CETNRAL ORANGE COUNTIES. THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TO THE EAST AT ABOUT 40 MPH AND WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY HEAVY RAINFALL...GUSTY WINDS... FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND HAIL. RESIDENTS OF THESE COUNTIES SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER. AT 1130 AM TH LAKE COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED A LARGE AMOUNT OF SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAINFALL IN THE LEESBURG AREA. CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATE- MENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Melbourne, FL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 11:14 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MLB | Lake | 61 min |
| Apr 19, 1:50 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MLB | Brevard | 40 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Florida, 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.