Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1989

Tornado Warning 12, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

May 5, 1989Caldwell County, Fayette County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this tornado warning at May 5, 1989, 8:38 AM CDT for Caldwell County, Fayette County, Texas. It was in force for 32 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 5, 1989, 8:38 AM CDT (13:38 UTC)
Expired
May 5, 1989, 9:10 AM CDT
In force
32 min
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Whole counties

Counties Caldwell County, TX, Fayette County, TX

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Victoria Regiona, TX (KVCT), launched 12:00Z, 1.6 hours before the alert went out and 118 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, Victoria Regiona, TX at 12:00Z on 1989-05-05Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1705 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Victoria Regiona, TX at 12:00Z on 1989-05-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 53 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1705 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-28 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
765 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
53 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
191 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.1
Supercell composite
5.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KAUS 051340
TORAUS
TXC055-149-051445-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
838 AM CDT FRI MAY 5 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AUSTIN HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  945 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
          ...SOUTHEASTERN CALDWELL...SOUTHERN FAYETTE
 
RADAR INDICATES A POSSIBLE TORNADO LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS
BETWEEN LOCKHART AND FLATONIA MOVING TOWARDS SCHULENBURG AND COLUMBUS
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION.  ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF
AVAILABLE.  OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR POSSIBLE.  AVOID WINDOWS.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES
FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.
 
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.

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 5, 2:48 AM CDT, 5 hours 50 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
250 AM CDT FRI MAY 5 1989

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM CDT FRIDAY MORNING FOR MUCH OF
   OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...

AT 245 AM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHING EASTWARD FROM JOHNSON CITY TO HOUSTON.  THIS
AREA WAS MOVING RAPIDLY SOUTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR.

AT PRESENT...THE GREATEST THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS THE OCCURRENCE
OF STRONG...POSSIBLY DAMAGING...WIND AHEAD OF AND DURING THEIR PASSAGE.
EARLIER...COLLEGE STATION HAD REPORTED A WIND GUST TO 50 MILES AN HOUR
AS THE STORMS MOVED THROUGH.  HOUSTON HAD REPORTED A 45 MILE AN HOUR
GUST WITHIN THE PAST FEW MINUTES WITH THE STORMS APPROACHING THE CITY.

ALONG WITH THE HIGH PROBABILITY OF STRONG STRAIGHT-LINE WIND...THESE
TYPE OF STORMS HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO PRODUCE ISOLATED TORNADOES AND LARGE
HAIL.  A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM FOR MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL
TEXAS.  THIS WATCH INCLUDES THE METROPOLITAN AREAS OF AUSTIN AND SAN
ANTONIO.

THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS STORM SYSTEM AND RESIDENTS ALL ACROSS
SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS NEED TO MAINTAIN A CLOSE WATCH ON THE WEATHER FOR
THE NEXT 'FEW HOURS.  ADDITIONAL BULLETINS WILL BE ISSUED AS NECESSARY
TO KEEP YOU UPDATED.  THESE BULLETINS WILL BE BROADCAST OVER NOAA
WEATHER RADIO...YOUR BEST SOURCE OF WEATHER INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, May 5, 3:37 AM CDT, 5 hours 1 minute before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
335 AM CDT FRI MAY 5 1989

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM CDT FRIDAY MORNING FOR MUCH OF
   OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...

AT 330 AM CDT...A LARGE AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE
RAPIDLY ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS.  THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE JUST EAST
OF NEW BRAUNFELS AND SOUTHEAST OF AUSTIN.  MOVEMENT WAS SOUTHEAST AT 45
MILES AN HOUR.

THE STORMS HAVE EXHIBITED A CONSTANT CYCLE OF RAPID WEAKENING FOLLOWED
BY REGENERATION THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT AND EARLY MORNING HOURS.  THESE
STORMS HAVE BEEN PROLIFIC STRONG WIND PRODUCERS DURING THEIR TREK ACROSS
THE STATE...WITH GUSTS OFTEN REACHING 50 MILES AN HOUR.  EARLIER...
COLLEGE STATION EXPERIENCED A GUST OF 50 MILES AN HOUR AS THE STORMS
ROLLED THROUGH.  IN ADDITION...40 TO 45 MILE AN HOUR GUSTS WERE REPORTED
AT BOTH AUSTIN AND HOUSTON...WITH A RECENT ESTIMATED REPORT OF 45 MILES
AN HOUR IN THE NEW BRAUNFELS AREA.

TORNADOES AND LARGE HAIL ALSO MAY ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS THIS MORNING.
ACCORDINGLY...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF SOUTH
CENTRAL TEXAS.  THIS WATCH INCLUDES THE METROPOLITAN AREAS OF AUSTIN
AND SAN ANTONIO.

STAY TU>NED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO THROUGHOUT THE MORNING FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION REGARDING THESE THUNDERSTORMS.
Special weather statement, May 5, 7:10 AM CDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
710 AM CDT FRI MAY 5 1989

...THE TORNADO WATCH FOR MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS HAS EXPIRED...

AT 705 AM CDT...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN...
PERSISTED OVER AN AREA FROM LAMPASAS TO GONZALES TO HALLETSVILLE TO
AUSTIN AND BACK TO LAMPASAS.  STORM MOVEMENT WAS SOUTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

THESE STORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE THROUGH CYCLES OF RAPID WEAKENING WITH
DECREASING COVERAGE...FOLLOWED BY STRENGTHENING AND INCREASING COVERAGE.
AT 705 AM THE GREATEST THREAT FROM THE STORMS APPEARED TO BE ASSOCIATED
WITH THE LIGHTNING.  HOWEVER...ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS COULD STILL
PRODUCE LARGE HAIL OR DAMAGING WIND..AND PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THE MORE
INTENSE STORMS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THIS POSSIBILITY.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 5, 12:03 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBurnet, Lampasas, San Saba57 min
May 5, 12:23 AM CDTTornado WarningEWXSan Saba52 min
May 5, 1:11 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXWilliamson64 min
May 5, 2:01 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBurnet44 min
May 5, 2:14 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBlanco61 min
May 5, 2:25 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXTravis50 min
May 5, 4:11 AM CDTTornado WarningEWXHays34 min
May 5, 4:13 AM CDTTornado WarningEWXGuadalupe32 min
May 5, 4:25 AM CDTTornado WarningEWXCaldwell35 min
May 5, 4:37 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXGonzales53 min
May 5, 5:03 AM CDTTornado WarningEWXCaldwell27 min
May 5, 5:23 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXHays67 min
May 5, 6:12 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXCaldwell, Travis63 min
May 5, 6:12 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBlanco, Burnet63 min
May 5, 7:30 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXFayette45 min
May 5, 7:42 AM CDTTornado WarningEWXCaldwell, Hays63 min
May 5, 8:35 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXGonzales70 min
May 5, 8:44 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXGonzales61 min
May 5, 8:47 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXLavaca58 min
May 5, 9:13 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXDeWitt62 min
May 5, 10:09 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXDeWitt, Lavaca66 min
May 5, 10:23 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXVictoria67 min
May 5, 10:54 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXGonzales51 min
May 5, 11:10 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXDeWitt65 min
May 5, 12:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXKarnes66 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.