Alert archive / Virginia / Tornado Warnings in 1989

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Wakefield, VA

March 30, 1989Accomack County, Virginia

NWS Wakefield, VA issued this tornado warning at Mar 30, 1989, 5:06 PM EST for Accomack County, Virginia. It was in force for 39 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 30, 1989, 5:06 PM EST (22:06 UTC)
Expired
Mar 30, 1989, 5:45 PM EST
In force
39 min
Issued by
NWS Wakefield, VA
Area
Whole counties

County Accomack County, VA

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

Wallops Is Stn, VA (KWAL), launched 12:00Z, 10.1 hours before the alert went out and 36 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, Wallops Is Stn, VA at 12:00Z on 1989-03-30Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Wallops Is Stn, VA at 12:00Z on 1989-03-30The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 71 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
986 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
55 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
71 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
177 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KORF 302206
TORORF
VAC001-302245-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
TORNADO AND SPECIAL MARINE WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORFOLK VA
506 PM EST THU MAR 30 1989

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO AND SPECIAL 
MARINE WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 545 PM EST FOR PEOPLE IN THE 
FOLLOWING COUNTY

   IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA
      SOUTHERN ACCOMACK

...THIS WARNING ALSO INCLUDES THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS FOR THE
COUNTY JUST MENTIONED

AT 500 PM RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO OVER THE CHESAPEAKE BAY
15 MILES SOUTHEAST OF WINDMILL POINT. THIS STORM WILL BE
MOVING INTO EXTREME SOUTHERN ACCOMOCK COUNTY DURING THE NEXT
15 MINUTES.
THE THUNDERSTORM IS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 TO 40 MPH

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO..GO TO A BASEMENT SHELTER
OR A CENTRAL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.

ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR REENFORCED BUILDINGS.
IF NO BUILDING IS NEARBY...SEEK SHELTER IN A DITCH OR LOW PLACE.

PLEASE REPORT ALL SEVERE WEATHER TO YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICIALS AND ASK THEM TO PASS THE REPORT ALONG TO A WEATHER
SERVICE OFFICE.

 RITTER

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, Mar 30, 1:18 PM EST, 3 hours 48 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RICHMOND VA
115 PM EST THU MAR 30 1989

...SHOWERS AND HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS MOVING RAPIDLY OVER VIRGINIA...

AT 115 PM EST THIS THURSDAY AFTERNOON WEATHER
Special weather statement, Mar 30, 2:09 PM EST, 2 hours 57 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORFOLK VA
2.05 PM EST THU MAR 30 1989

AT 2 PM THE AREA OF SHOWERS AND MODERATE TO HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS
EXTENDS FROM NEAR CHINCOTEAGUE ON THE EASTERN SHORE SOUTHWESTWARD
TO NEAR COURTLAND AND INTO NORTH CAROLINA.  THE HEAVIEST ACTIVITY
IS OVER THE COASTAL WATERS.  THE MOVEMENT IS TOWARD THE NORTHEAST
AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.
A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING FROM THE NORTHWEST.
THIS LINE EXTENDS FROM NORTHERN WESTMORELAND COUNTY SOUTHWESTWARD
NEAR HOPEWELL INTO NORTH CAROLINA.  THE LINE IS MOVING SOUTHEAST
AND THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT 50 MILES
AN HOUR WITH IN THE LINE.  THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY
WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH THE EVER DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS THESE STORMS CONTINUE TO
MOVE THROUGH SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINIA.
CWT                                                                 .
Special weather statement, Mar 30, 2:19 PM EST, 2 hours 47 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RICHMOND VA
215 PM EST THU MAR 30 1989

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER CENTRAL VIRGINIA...

AT 215 PM EST THIS THURSDAY AFTERNOON WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED
WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL
VIRGINIA. THE SHOWERS WERE LOCATED OVER MUCH OF EAST CENTRAL VIRGINIA
WITH THE HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHERN PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY AND
SOUTHERN CHARLES CITY COUNTY. THE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE
NORTHEAST AT AROUND 45 MPH TOWARD THE COUNTIES OF KING WILLIAM AND
KING AND QUEEN COUNTIES.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY BE ACCOMPANIED BY STRONG GUSTY WINDS
BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...AND DEADLY LIGHTNING. PERSONS IN THE VICINITY
OF THESE STORMS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND
BE PREPARED TO SEEK SAFE SHELTER IF THESE DANGEROUS STORMS APPROACH.

MATT
MATT
Special weather statement, Mar 30, 3:22 PM EST, 1 hour 44 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RICHMOND VA
322 PM EST THU MAR 30 1989

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA...

AT 315 PM EST THIS THURSDAY AFTERNOON WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED
A CLUSTER OF HEAVY TO VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTH CENTRAL VA.
THE STORMS WERE LOCATED OVER EASTERN MECKLENBURG...SOUTHEASTERN
LUNENBURG AND CENTRAL BRUNSWICK COUNTIES. THE STORMS ARE MOVING TO THE
NORTHEAST AT 40 TO 45 MPH...AND WILL BE MOVING INTO DINWIDDIE AND
NOTTOWAY COUNTIES BETWEEN 4 AND 5 PM.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY
DOWNPOURS...LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY HAIL. PERSONS IN THE VICINITY
OF THESE STORMS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND
BE PREPARED TO SEEK INDOOR SHELTER AS THESE STORMS APPROACH.

MG
Special weather statement, Mar 30, 3:45 PM EST, 1 hour 21 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORFOLK VA
345    PM EST THU  MAR  30 1989

...HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHEAST VIRGINIA...
AT 340 PM AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME PRODUCING VERY
HEAVY RAIN...EXTENDED FROM PATUXENT RIVER MARYLAND SOUTHWEST ACROSS
THE WESTERN NORTHERN NECK COUNTIES THROUGH SUSSEX AND SURRY COUNTIES
AND INTO NORTH CAROLINA.

THE HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORMS AT THIS TIME WERE OVER NORTHERN SURRY AND
SUSSEX COUNTIES. THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS
AND HAIL AS THEY MOVE NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH INTO JAMES CITY AND YORK
COUNTIES AND THE CITY OF WILLIAMSBURG.
RITTER
Special weather statement, Mar 30, 4:35 PM EST, 31 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORFOLK VA
430    PM EST THU  MAR  30 1989

...HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS NEAR FRANKLIN...EMPORIA...WILLIAMSBURG...
AN AREA OF SHOWERS WITH A FEW THUDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY
RAINS AND HAIL  EXTENDED FROM THE CENTRAL CHESAPEAKE BAY SOUTHWEST
THROUGH MATHEWS COUNTY...WILLIAMSBURG AND INTO SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY.

AT 430 PM THE HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER GLOUCESTER AND MATHEWS
COUNTY. A WEATHER SPOTTER IN WILLIAMSBURG REPORTED ONE QUARTER TO ONE
HALF INCH HAIL AND SOME STREET FLOODING WITH THIS STORM. ANOTHER HEAVY
THUNDERSTORM WAS NEAR FRANKLIN AND THIS STORM MAY ALSO PRODUCE HAIL AND
VERY HEAVY RAIN. THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING NORTHEAST AT
30 TO 40 MPH .

MARINE INTERESTS IN THE CHESAPEAKE BAY OF VIRGINIA SHOULD BE ALERT TO
LOCALLY STRONG GUSTY WINDS NEAR THUNDERSTORMS THAT WILL BE MOVING
THROUGH THE AREA FOR THE NEXT ONE TO TWO HOURS.
RITTER

The office that day

Everything else NWS Wakefield, VA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 30, 5:20 PM ESTTornado WarningAKQIsle of Wight, Southampton, City of Suffolk55 min
Mar 30, 5:28 PM ESTTornado WarningAKQCity of Virginia Beach62 min
Mar 30, 6:12 PM ESTTornado WarningAKQCity of Hampton63 min
Mar 30, 6:12 PM ESTTornado WarningAKQCity of Chesapeake, City of Virginia Beach63 min
Mar 30, 6:31 PM ESTTornado WarningAKQCity of Chesapeake, City of Virginia Beach44 min
Mar 30, 6:31 PM ESTTornado WarningAKQCity of Hampton44 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Virginia, 1989Every tornado warning in 1989Tornadoes in 1989

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.