Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 1989

Tornado Warning 10, NWS Des Moines, IA

May 24, 1989Adams County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at May 24, 1989, 5:49 PM CDT for Adams County, Iowa. It was in force for 26 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 24, 1989, 5:49 PM CDT (22:49 UTC)
Expired
May 24, 1989, 6:15 PM CDT
In force
26 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

County Adams County, IA

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

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 24, 6:11 PM CDTTornado F4Adams, IA

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

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 12:00Z, 10.8 hours before the alert went out and 144 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, Omaha, NE at 12:00Z on 1989-05-24Temperature 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, Omaha, NE at 12:00Z on 1989-05-24The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 244 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
3671 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
244 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
210 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 KDSM 242251
TORDSM
IAC003-242315-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
549 PM CDT WED MAY 24 1989

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 615 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY

   IN THE SOUTHWEST PART OF IOWA
      ADAMS

AT 548 PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE
TORNADO OVER ADAMS COUNTY JUST NORTH OF CORNING...OR ABOUT
60 MILES SOUTHEAST OF COUNCIL BLUFFS.

THE STORM WAS NOW MOVING EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR...AND WILL
BE AFFECTING THE TOWNS OF CORNING AND PRESCOTT.
<
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS IN A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.  IF
NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE
LOWEST FLOOR.  IF YOU ARE IN A VEHICLE OR MOBILE HOME...LEAVE IT AT
ONCE AND TAKE SHELTER IN A REINFORCED BUILDING OR IN A DITCH.

GOODSON/BARLOW/TRUETT

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, May 24, 3:13 PM CDT, 2 hours 36 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
310 PM CDT WED MAY 24 1989

...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF IOWA UNTIL 10 PM...

AT 305 PM...AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM...PRODUCING VERY HEAVY AND
POSSIBLY SOME HAIL WAS LOCATED ALONG THE IOWA/MINNESOTA BORDER
20 MILES NORTHEAST OF MASON CITY...NEAR NORTHWOOD. THIS STORM
WAS PART OF A SMALL AREA OF SHOWERS AND STORMS OVER NORTH CENTRAL
IOWA...LOCATED FROM FORREST CITY OR 10 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF
MASON CITY NORTHEAST TO JUST NORTH OF OSAGE. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS
WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR AND SHOULD MOVE INTO
SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA OVER THE NEXT HOUR.

OVER THE REST OF IOWA SKIES WERE CLOUDY...EXCEPT THE FAR EAST CENTRAL
AND FAR NORTHWEST COUNTIES WHERE PARTLY TO MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES WERE
REPORTED.

THE OUTLOOK THROUGH 5PM IS FOR RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF SHOWERS AND STORMS
ALONG A COLD FRONT...THAT WAS SITUATED FROM SPENCER IN NORTHWErST
IOWA SOUTHWEST TO OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS.

BARLOW
Special weather statement, May 24, 3:38 PM CDT, 2 hours 11 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
338 PM CDT WED MAY 24 1989

...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF IOWA UNTIL 10 PM...

AT 325 PM...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS...PRODUCING VERY HEAVY AND
POSSIBLY SOME HAIL WERE LOCATED ALONG THE IOWA/MINNESOTA BORDER
OR JUST NORTH OF THE BORDER...FROM NORTH OF MASON CITY TO NORTH
OF OSAGE 30 MILES NORTHEAST OF MASON CITY.  THESE STORMS WERE
PART OF AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THAT WERE IN SOUTHEAST
MINNESOTA.

THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT
35 MILES AN HOUR.

MG
Special weather statement, May 24, 4:15 PM CDT, 1 hour 34 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND IOWA SHORT RANGE WEATHER SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
415 PM CDT WED MAY 24 1989

...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF IOWA UNTIL 10 PM...

AT 405 PM...ISOLATED LIGHT SHOWERS WERE IN THE NORTHERN PART
OF NORTH CENTRAL IOWA...OTHERWISE THE THUNDERSTORMS THAT WERE IN
NORTH CENTRAL IOWA MOVED INTO SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA.

SKIES WERE CLOUDY OVER MOST OF THE STATE...EXCEPT FOR PARTS OF WEST
CENTAL AND SOUTHWEST IOWA WHERE SKIES WERE PARTLY CLOUDY.  TEMPERATURES
RANGED FROM THE LOWER 70S IN THE NORTHEAST TO AROUND 90 IN THE
SOUTHWEST.

WINDS WERE FROM THE WEST TO NORTHWEST 25 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR IN THE
NORTHWEST PART OF THE STATE AND SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST 15 TO 30 MILES AN
HOUR OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE STATE.

THE OUTLOOK THROUGH 6PM IS FOR RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF SHOWERS AND STORMS
ALONG A COLD FRONT...THAT WAS SITUATED FROM SPENCER IN NORTHWEST
IOWA SOUTHWEST TO OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS.

MG
Special weather statement, May 24, 4:38 PM CDT, 1 hour 11 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
440 PM CDT WED MAY 24 1989

...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF IOWA UNTIL 10 PM...

NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED IN IOWA SINCE 330PM.

AT 430 PM...THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE IOWA/MINNESOTA
BORDER HAD MOVED INTO SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA.

ISOLATED LIGHT SHOWERS WERE RAPIDLY DEVELOPING  FROM NORTHWEST INTO
NORTHEAST AND CENTRAL IOWA. THE SHOWERS WERE LOCATED ABOUT 30 MILES
EITHER SIDE OF A LINE FROM  EMMETSBURG...20 MILES EAST OF SPENCER
SOUTHEAST TO TOLEDO...30 MILES SOUTH OF WATERLOO.

MOVEMENT OF THE SHOWERS HAD NOT YET BEEN DETERMINED.

BARLOW/GOODSON
Special weather statement, May 24, 5:08 PM CDT, 41 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
510 PM CDT WED MAY 24 1989

...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF IOWA UNTIL 10 PM...

AT 505 PM...AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM HAD RAPIDLY DEVELOPED IN SOUTHWEST
IOWA...NEAR RED OAK OR 35 MILES SOUTHEAST OF OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS.
THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL. THIS STORM WAS
MOVING MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

ISOLATED LIGHT SHOWERS CONTINUED OVER MNORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA
30 MILES EITHER SIDE OF A LINE FROM HUMBOLDT...10 MILES NORTH OF
FORT DODGE EAST TO WATERLOO. MOVEMENT OF THESE SHOWERS WAS NORTHEAST AT
30 MILES AN HOUR.

BARLOW
Special weather statement, May 24, 5:43 PM CDT, 6 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
545 PM CDT WED MAY 24 1989

...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF IOWA UNTIL 10 PM...

AT 535 PM...AN INTENSE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER SOUTHWEST IOWA
ALONG THE MONTGOMERY/ADAMS COUNTY LINE ABOUT 15 MILES EAST NORTHEAST
OF RED OAK. VERY HEAVY...WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MILES AN HOUR AND
LARGE HAIL IS LIKELY WITH THIS STORM.

ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM HAD DEVELOPED AROUND HUMBOLDT AROUND ABOUT
10 MILES NORTH OF FORT DODGE.

THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

ISOLATED LIGHT SHOWERS WERE LOCATED OVER NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL
IN AN AREA BOUNDED BY THE CITIES OF CEDAR RAPIDS...WATERLOO AND
MONTEZUMA...50 MILES EAST OF DES MOINES.

THESE SHOWERS WERE ALSO MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

BARLOW/GOODSON

The office that day

Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 23, 8:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXDickinson41 min
May 23, 9:04 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXClay41 min
May 23, 9:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBuena Vista, Palo Alto, Pocahontas60 min
May 23, 10:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBuena Vista, Calhoun, Pocahontas, Sac80 min
May 23, 11:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCarroll, Crawford70 min
May 23, 11:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXWebster46 min
May 23, 11:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXWebster40 min
May 24, 12:17 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBoone, Story58 min
May 24, 12:34 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAudubon, Carroll, Greene, Guthrie56 min
May 24, 12:37 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCrawford, Sac53 min
May 24, 12:56 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCarroll34 min
May 24, 1:35 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCarroll, Greene, Guthrie40 min
May 24, 1:51 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXJasper39 min
May 24, 2:04 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXDallas26 min
May 24, 2:15 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMarion30 min
May 24, 2:30 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXJasper, Mahaska, Poweshiek45 min
May 24, 2:33 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXDallas, Madison, Polk, Warren57 min
May 24, 3:01 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXKeokuk, Wapello29 min
May 24, 3:19 AM CDTTornado WarningDMXLucas, Warren41 min
May 24, 3:49 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBuchanan, Fayette56 min
May 24, 4:04 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXJasper, Polk56 min
May 24, 4:52 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMahaska, Marion53 min
May 24, 5:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAdams, Cass50 min
May 24, 6:02 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXUnion58 min
May 24, 6:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXHamilton50 min
May 24, 6:24 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXAdams16 min
May 24, 6:32 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXHamilton41 min
May 24, 6:50 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXRinggold, Union55 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 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.