Alert archive / Virginia / Tornado Warnings in 1989
Tornado Warning 9, NWS Wakefield, VA
NWS Wakefield, VA issued this tornado warning at Mar 31, 1989, 1:48 PM EST for Chesterfield County, Dinwiddie County, Prince George County, Virginia. It was in force for 42 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
- Mar 31, 1989, 1:48 PM EST (18:48 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 31, 1989, 2:30 PM EST
- In force
- 42 min
- Issued by
- NWS Wakefield, VA
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Chesterfield County, VA, Dinwiddie County, VA, Prince George County, VA
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 2:00 PM EST | Hail 1.75 | Dinwiddie, VA | |
| Mar 31, 2:00 PM EST | Thunderstorm Wind 52 | Chesterfield, VA | |
| Mar 31, 2:15 PM EST | Hail 1 | Prince George, VA |
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
Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 6.8 hours before the alert went out and 193 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
- 715 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 52 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 54 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 168 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 KRIC 311847
TORRIC
VAC041-730-053-311930-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RICHMOND VA
148 PM EST FRI MAR 31 1989
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RICHMOND HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 230 PM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA
...CHESTERFIELD...IC PETERSBURG
IN SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA
...NORTH CENTRAL DINWIDDIE
A TORNADO HAS BEEN REPORTED OVER DINWIDDIE COUNTY AT 145 PM. THE STORM
WILL TAKE IT OVER NORTHERN DINWIDDIE...PETERSBURG...AND SOUTHEAST
CHESTERFIELD CO.
TAKE COVER NOW.
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.
DO NOT USE YOUR CAR TO TRY TO OUTRUN A TORNADO. CARS ARE EASILY
TOSSED AROUND BY TORNADO WINDS. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT IN THE PATH OF
A TORNADO...LEAVE THE CAR AND GO TO A STRONG BUILDING. IF NO
STRUCTURE IS NEARBY...SEEK SHELTER IN A DITCH OR LOW SPOT.
IF YOU LIVE IN A HOME OR APARTMENT...SEEK SHELTER IN THE
INNERMOST PORTION OF THE BUILDING ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. GET TO
A BASEMENT IF ONE IS AVAILABLE. AVOID WINDOWS AND PROTECT YOUR
BODY FROM FLYING DEBRIS WITH CUSHIONS...BLANKETS...OR PILLOWS.
GILLENWhat 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 31, 8:42 AM EST, 5 hours 6 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RICHMOND VA
900 AM EST FRI MAR 31 1989
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY OVER CENTRAL VIRGINIA THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING...
AN INTENSIFYING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER THE TENNESSEE VALLEY WILL
MOVE NORTHEASTWARD LATER THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS NORTHERN VIRGINIA
AND CONTINUE ITS NORTHEASTWARD TREK TOWARD THE NEW ENGLAND STATES
TONIGHT.
A VERY UNSTABLE AIRMASS WILL PREVAIL EAST OF THE EXPECTED PATH OF
THIS LOW. THIS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE ANTICIPATED INTENSIFICATION
OF THE LOW WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE RAPID AND EXPLOSIVE DEVELOPMENT
OF VERY HEAVY TO POSSIBLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY ACROSS THE
MID ATLANTIC REGION. THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY BE ACCOMPANIED BY
TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS...DAMAGING WINDS...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND
LARGE HAIL.
THE BEST CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS APPEARS APPEARS TO BE
DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS ACROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN
VIRGINIA AS WELL AS EASTERN MARYLAND AND DELEWARE.
EVERYONE IS ENCOURAGED TO LISTEN TO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADIO
BROADCASTS AND COMMERCIAL RADIO AND TELEVISION PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT
THE DAY IN ORDER TO MONITOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS POTENTIALLY
SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK.
IN RICHMOND VIRGINIA N.O.A.A. WEATHER RADIO STATION WXK-65 WILL
BE BROADCASTING STATEMENTS AND UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE DAY ON A
FREQUENCY OF 162.475 MEGAHERTZ TO KEEP YOU APPRISED OF THE
DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
MATTHEWSSpecial weather statement, Mar 31, 12:26 PM EST, 1 hour 22 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RICHMOND VA 1225 PM EST FRI MAR 31 1989 ...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS RAPIDLY DEVELOPING OVER VIRGINIA... AT 1225 PM EST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VIRGINIA. THE SHOWERS WERE LOCATED OVER THE COUNTIES OF POWHATAN...AMELIA...NOTTOWAY...LUNENBURG...AND MECKLENBURG. AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM HAD RAPIDLY DEVELOPED OVER SOUTHWESTERN MECKLENBERG COUNTY. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME MORE NUMEROUS THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND WILL LIKELY INTENSIFY. THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EASTWARD AT AROUND 35 MPH. FURTHER STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED PERIODICALLY THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS ACTIVITY. MATT
Special weather statement, Mar 31, 1:40 PM EST, 8 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORFOLK VA 130 PM EST FRI MAR 31 1989 ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM FOR ALL OF SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINIA INCLUDING THE LOWER BAY AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. AT 130 PM EST WEATHER RADAR SHOWS A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM RICHMOND SOUTH THROUGH THE SOUTHEASTERN PIEDMONT INTO CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE ACCOMPANIED BY STRONG GUSTY WINDS..HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 TO 50 MPH AND WILL BE MOVING INTO THE INTERIOR SOUTHEAST AREA OF VIRGINIA WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR. THE AREA OF CONCERN WILL BE MONITORED CLOSELY AND FURTHER STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS CONDITIONS WARRANT. JS
The office that day
Everything else NWS Wakefield, VA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 1:27 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AKQ | Chesterfield, Henrico | 48 min |
| Mar 31, 1:37 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AKQ | Dinwiddie | 53 min |
| Mar 31, 1:57 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AKQ | New Kent | 63 min |
| Mar 31, 1:57 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AKQ | Charles City, Chesterfield, Prince George | 63 min |
| Mar 31, 2:23 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AKQ | James City, York | 67 min |
| Mar 31, 2:51 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AKQ | Isle of Wight, Southampton, City of Suffolk | 69 min |
| Mar 31, 3:04 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AKQ | City of Hampton | 56 min |
| Mar 31, 3:12 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AKQ | Accomack, Northampton | 63 min |
| Mar 31, 3:18 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AKQ | City of Chesapeake, City of Virginia Beach | 57 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.