Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1989
Tornado Warning 6, NWS Amarillo, TX
NWS Amarillo, TX issued this tornado warning at May 4, 1989, 6:03 PM CDT for Randall County, Texas. It was in force for 42 min. 1 report 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
- May 4, 1989, 6:03 PM CDT (23:03 UTC)
- Expired
- May 4, 1989, 6:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 42 min
- Issued by
- NWS Amarillo, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
County Randall 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 6:05 PM CDT | Tornado F0 | Randall, 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
Amarillo Airport, TX (KAMA), launched 12:00Z, 11.1 hours before the alert went out and 34 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
- 375 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -133 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 626 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 61 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 14 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 132 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.3
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KAMA 042303 RRA
TORAMA
TXC381-042345-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
603 PM CDT THU MAY 4 1989
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AMARILLO HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 645 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN THE TEXAS PANHANDLE
...SOUTHEASTERN RANDALL
AT 603 PM CDT RADAR AND THE SPOTTERS INDICATED A TORNADO 12 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF AMARILLO..NEAR PALO DURO CANYON IN SOUTHEASTERN RANDALL
COUNTY. THE TORNADO WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
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 ANr 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
Local storm report, May 4, 12:16 PM CDT, 5 hours 47 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO, TX
1215 PM CDT THU MAY 04 1989
PRELIMINARY STORM REPORT FOR (EARLY AM HOURS ON) MAY 4, 1989
1) 215-315 AM CDT..SVR TSTM WRNG FOR NORTHERN GRAY CTY.
230 AM CDT..NICKEL SIZE HAIL AT PAMPA..REPORTED BY PAMPA PD
2) 315-415 AM CDT..SVR TSTM WRNG FOR WHEELER/NRN COLLINGWORTH CTYS.
330 AM CDT..GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL 5 MI W OF SHAMROCK ON I-40 COVERING
THE GROUND REPORTED BY SHAMROCK PD
|400 AM CDT..GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL AT SAMNORWOOD REPORTED BY THE
COLLINGSWORTH SO AT WELLINGTON
WPR
WSO..AMALocal storm report, May 4, 3:23 PM CDT, 2 hours 40 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO, TX
318 PM CDT THU MAY 04 1989
DELAYED STORM REPORT FOR MAY 3, 1989
710 PM CDT...GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL AT STRATFORD TX...NORTHWEST SHERMAN
COUNTYE...WINDSHIELF BROKEN AT STRATFORD.
1010 PM CDT...DIME SIZE HAIL AT DAWN...EASTERN DEAF SMITH COUNTY...
REPORTED BY PUBLIC.
GDH
WSO..AMASpecial weather statement, May 4, 3:43 PM CDT, 2 hours 20 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 335 PM CDT THU MAY 4 1989 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO THE TEXAS PANHANDLE... AT 328 PM CDT...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...A FEW WITH LOCALLY VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WERE MOVING INTO THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE TEXAS PANHANDLE. THE HEAVIEST ACTIVITY WAS LOCATED 8 MILES NORTH OF TEXLINE ...AND 20 MILES NORTH OF DALHART. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AROUND 40 MILES AN HOUR. OTHER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO DEVELOP RAPIDLY ACROSS THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF NEW MEXICO...SOUTHEAST COLORADO...AND THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE. THE STRONGEST ACTIVITY WAS OCCURRING 30 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CLAYTON. MOVbEMENT OF THE PRECIPITATION WAS TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. STAY TUNED TO LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...OR TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS ON THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION. WPR
Special weather statement, May 4, 4:42 PM CDT, 1 hour 21 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 440 PM CDT THU MAY 4 1989 ...A TORNADO WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 530 PM FOR MOORE COUNTY AND A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE TEXAS PANHANDLE UNTIL 10 PM THIS EVENING... AT 430 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IN NORTHWEST MOORE COUNTY NORTHWEST OF DUMAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH. TWO TORNADOS WERE REPORTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STORM. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS ACCOMPANIED BY VERY HEAVY RAIN ...AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL AND VERY STRONG WINDS...WERE IN EXTRME NORTHWEST BRISCOE COUNTY ABOUT 20 MILES NORTH OF SILVERTON...AND ALSO ALONG THE TEXAS NEW MEXICO STATELINE WEST OF MIDDLE WATER IN WESTERN HARTLEY COUNTY. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH. STAY TUNED TO LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...OR TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR UPDATES ON THESE STORMS. SEA
The office that day
Everything else NWS Amarillo, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 3, 7:01 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Dallam, Hartley | 59 min |
| May 3, 7:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Potter | 62 min |
| May 3, 7:56 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Hartley | 64 min |
| May 3, 8:11 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Oldham | 64 min |
| May 3, 8:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Potter, Randall | 62 min |
| May 3, 8:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Deaf Smith | 62 min |
| May 3, 9:26 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Randall | 64 min |
| May 3, 9:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Deaf Smith | 62 min |
| May 4, 2:20 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Gray | 55 min |
| May 4, 3:15 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Collingsworth, Wheeler | 60 min |
| May 4, 3:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Dallam | 55 min |
| May 4, 4:21 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Moore | 69 min |
| May 4, 4:30 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | AMA | Moore | 60 min |
| May 4, 4:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Hartley, Oldham, Potter | 60 min |
| May 4, 5:08 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Carson | 67 min |
| May 4, 5:21 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Deaf Smith, Randall | 69 min |
| May 4, 5:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Potter | 62 min |
| May 4, 5:54 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Armstrong | 66 min |
| May 4, 6:16 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Swisher | 59 min |
| May 4, 6:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Briscoe, Donley | 65 min |
| May 4, 6:46 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Hall | 59 min |
| May 4, 6:57 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Wheeler | 48 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Texas, 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.