Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 1989
Tornado Warning 22, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at May 30, 1989, 7:45 PM CDT for Hardin County, Iowa. It was in force for 30 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 30, 1989, 7:45 PM CDT (00:45 UTC)
- Expired
- May 30, 1989, 8:15 PM CDT
- In force
- 30 min
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Hardin 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 30, 7:50 PM CDT | Tornado F4 | Hardin, 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, 0.8 hours before the alert went out and 276 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
- 928 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 73 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -19 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 178 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.1
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KDSM 310045
TORDSM
IAC083-310115-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
745 PM CDT TUE MAY 30 1989
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 815 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY
IN THE CENTRAL PART OF IOWA
SOUTHEAST HARDIN
AT 740 PM...DES MOINES RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO IN THE
SOUTHWEST PART OF HARDIN COUNTY...ABOUT 60 MILES NORTHEAST
OF DES MOIES.
THIS WARNING INCLUDES THE CITY OF ELDORA.
THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THAT WAS PRODUCING THE TORNADO WAS
MOVING NORTHEAST AROUND 15 MILES AN HOUR.
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.
HAHN/SCOTT..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 30, 3:40 PM CDT, 4 hours 5 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 335 PM CDT TUE MAY 30 1989 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR EXTREME NORTHEAST IOWA UNTIL 7 PM... AT 335...AN OCCASIONAL SPRINKLE WAS LOCATED IN PARTS CENTRAL AND NORTH EAST IOWA...HOWEVER THESE SPRINKLES WERE QUITE BRIEF...DISSIPATING AS QUICKLY AS THEY HAVE FORMED. SCOTT
Special weather statement, May 30, 4:24 PM CDT, 3 hours 21 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 410 PM CDT TUE MAY 30 1989 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR EXTREME NORTHEAST IOWA UNTIL 7 PM... AT 410...AN OCCASIONAL SPRINKLE WAS LOCATED IN PARTS OF THE NORTH HALF OF IOWA...HOWEVER THESE SPRINKLES WERE QUITE BRIEF. OTHERWISE SKIES ARE MOSTLY CLOUDY IN THE NORTH AND EAST...PARTLY CLOUDY TO SUNNY IN THE SOUTH AND EAST. TEMPERATURES ARE IN THE MID 80S TO AROUND 90. SCeOTT
Special weather statement, May 30, 4:40 PM CDT, 3 hours 5 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
435 PM CDT TUE MAY 30 1989
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR A SMALL PART OF EASTERN IOWA
UNTIL 10 PM...
AT 430...AN OCCASIONAL SPR{INKLE WAS LOCATED IN PARTS OF THE NORTH HALF
OF IOWA...HOWEVER THESE SPRINKLES WERE QUITE BRIEF.
SCOTTSpecial weather statement, May 30, 6:20 PM CDT, 1 hour 25 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 605 PM CDT TUE MAY 30 1989 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR A SMALL PART OF EASTERN IOWA UNTIL 10PM... AT 600 PM...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINS HAD DEVELOPED IN CENTRAL IOWA...AND SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUDERSHOWERS CONTINUED JUST SOUTH OF THE MASON CITY AREA. OTHERWISE...SKIES WERE MOSTLY CLOUDY IN THE NORTHERN HALF OF IOWA...SUNNY TO PARTLY C+LOUDY IN THE SOUTHERN HALF. TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE MID 50S TO LOWER 60S IN NORTHWEST IOWA...AND IN THE MID 80S TO AROUND 90 IN THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF IOWA. SCOTT
Special weather statement, May 30, 6:45 PM CDT, 1 hour before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 6 35 PM CDT TUE MAY 30 1989 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR A SMALL PART OF EASTERN IOWA UNTIL 10PM... AT 6 30 PM...THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS HAD DEVELOPED IN CENTRAL IOWA BETWEEN STORY CITY AND IOWA FALLS. VERY HEAVY RAINS... STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THESE STORMS. A FEW SHOWERS WERE AL>SO LOCATED IN NORTH CENTRAL INTO NORTHEAST IOWA IN THE CHARLES CITY AREA...ABOUT 40 MILES EAST OF MASON CITY. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. SCOTT
Special weather statement, May 30, 7:13 PM CDT, 32 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 7 13 PM CDT TUE MAY 30 1989 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN IOWA UNTIL MIDNIGHT THIS TUESDAY EVENING... AT 7 05 PM...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS OCCURRING OVER NORTH CENTRAL IOWA...FROM 10 MILES WEST OF WATERLOO TO NEAR ELDORA...40 MILES WEST OF WATERLOO. THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF HEAVY RAINS...LARGE HAIL... DAMAGING WINDS.i..AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. ALSO...THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER NORTHEAST IOWA...35 MILES NORTH OF WATERLOO...IN THE VICINITY OF NEW HAMPTON AND APPROACHING CALMAR. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR. DM
The office that day
Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 30, 7:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Grundy | 65 min |
| May 30, 7:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Hardin | 45 min |
| May 30, 8:12 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Grundy | 48 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.