Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 1989

Tornado Warning 19, NWS Des Moines, IA

May 24, 1989Chickasaw County, Fayette County, Winneshiek County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at May 24, 1989, 8:46 PM CDT for Chickasaw County, Fayette County, Winneshiek County, Iowa. It was in force for 29 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, 8:46 PM CDT (01:46 UTC)
Expired: May 24, 1989, 9:15 PM CDT
In force: 29 min
Issued by: NWS Des Moines, IA
Area: Whole counties

Counties Chickasaw County, IA, Fayette County, IA, Winneshiek 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 24, 8:56 PM CDT	Tornado F1	Winneshiek, 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

Minneapolis, MN (KSTC), launched 00:00Z, 1.8 hours before the alert went out and 236 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 60 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -216 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 569 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 68 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -57 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: -43 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: -0.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KALO 250146
TORALO
IAC037-065-191-250215-

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 915 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES

   IN THE NORTHEAST PART OF IOWA
      CHICKASAW...FAYETTE...WINNESHIEK

AT 845 PM CDT THE HIGHWAY PATROL REPORTED A TORNADO ON THE
GROUND 3 MILES WEST OF LAWLER...45 MILES NORTHEAST OF
WATERLOO IOWA.

TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY IN A BASEMENT...CENTRAL INTERIOR ROOM ON
THE LOWEST FLOOR OR IN A REINFORCED BUILDING.  DO NOT TRY TO OUT
RUN THE TORNADO IN YOUR CAR.

IF YOU LIVE IN A MOBILE HOME...ABANDON IT AT ONCE FOR A
REINFORCED BUILDING.  IF YOU LIVE IN AN APARTMENT...SEEK SHELTER
IN THE INNERMOST PART OF THE BUILDING ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.

IF YOU ARE IN YOUR CAR...ABANDON IT AND SEEK SHELTER IN A REINFORCED
BUILDING.  IF NO STRUCTURE IS NEARBY...SEEK SHELTER IN A DITCH OR
CULVERT WITH YOUR HANDS OVER YOUR HEAD.

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, 5:08 PM CDT, 3 hours 38 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, 3 hours 3 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

Special weather statement, May 24, 6:40 PM CDT, 2 hours 6 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
638 PM CDT WED MAY 24 1989

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

AT 635 PM...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER NORTH CENTRAL
AND SOUTHWEST IOWA. OVER NORTH CENTRAL IOWA THE STORM WAS LOCATED
ABOUT 60 MILES NORTH OF DES MOINES...NEAR WEBSTER CITY. IN SOUTHWEST
IOWA AN INTENSE STORM WAS LOCATED ABOUT 45 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
DES MOINES NEAR CRESTON.

OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED 40 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES
NEAR GREENFIELD. ANOTHER STRONG STORM WAS LOCATED 70 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
DES MOINES...OR JUST NORTH OF BEDFORD.

OVER NORTH CENTRAL A THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED JUST NORTHWEST OF MASON
CITY.

ISOLATED LIGHT SHOWERS WERE LOCATED OVER NORTHEAST IOWA BETWEEN WATERLOO
AND DUBUQUE.

MOVEMENT OF THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WAS EAST NORTHEAST AT 30 TO 35
MILES AN HOUR.

BARLOW/GOODSON

Special weather statement, May 24, 7:48 PM CDT, 58 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
745 PM CDT WED MAY 24 1989

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

AT 735 PM...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL
IOWA. OVER SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA A COMPLEX OF OF VERY STRONG STORMS
WAS CENTERED ALONG THE RINGOLD...DECATUR...UNION AND CLARKE COUNTY
LINES. THE STRONGEST CELL IN THIS AREA WAS LOCATED 55 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF DES MOINES OR ABOUT 5 MILES EAST OF MT AYR.

ANOTHER INTENSE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING FROM CENTRAL INTO NORTHEAST
IOWA. THIS STORM WAS CENTERED ABOUT 45 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF
DES MOINES...OR 15 MILES WEST OF MARSHALLTOWN.

THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EASnT AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

BARLOW/GOODSON

Special weather statement, May 24, 8:21 PM CDT, 25 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
750 PM CDT WED MAY 24 1989

      ...PORTIONS OF TORNADO WATCH DISCONTINUED...

THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES ARE NO LONGER IN THE TORNADO WATCH...
CARROLL...GREENE...AUDUBON...GUTHRIE...CASS...ADAIR.

CORBETT

Special weather statement, May 24, 8:27 PM CDT, 19 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
825 PM CDT WED MAY 24 1989

      ...PORTIONS OF TORNADO WATCH DISCONTINUED...

THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES ARE NO LONGER IN THE TORNADO WATCH...
MONTGOMERY...ADAMS...FREMONT...PAGE...TAYLOR.

CORBETT

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 24, 7:06 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Hardin, Story	39 min
May 24, 7:38 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Decatur	67 min
May 24, 7:47 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Clarke	58 min
May 24, 7:49 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Marshall	26 min
May 24, 7:55 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Mitchell	50 min
May 24, 7:58 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Marshall	45 min
May 24, 8:10 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Poweshiek, Tama	50 min
May 24, 8:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Floyd, Howard	60 min
May 24, 8:31 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Appanoose, Lucas, Monroe, Wayne	59 min
May 24, 8:49 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Benton, Iowa	56 min
May 24, 9:07 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Davis	68 min
May 24, 9:12 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Poweshiek	23 min
May 24, 9:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Johnson, Linn	66 min
May 24, 9:48 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Iowa	27 min
May 24, 10:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Washington	46 min
May 24, 10:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Johnson	32 min
May 24, 10:41 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Johnson, Washington	23 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 1989 Every tornado warning in 1989 Tornadoes 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.