Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1989
Tornado Warning 9, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this tornado warning at May 5, 1989, 4:25 AM CDT for Caldwell County, Texas. It was in force for 35 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- May 5, 1989, 4:25 AM CDT (09:25 UTC)
- Expired
- May 5, 1989, 5:00 AM CDT
- In force
- 35 min
- Issued by
- NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
County Caldwell 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 00:00Z, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 130 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
- 1991 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -125 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 845 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 39 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 132 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 240 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.6
- Supercell composite
- 4.5
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KAUS 050927
TORAUS
TXC055-051000-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
425 AM CDT FRI MAY 5 1989
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AUSTIN HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 500 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
...CALDWELL
THE TORNADO WARNING FOR HAYS COUNTY IS CANCELLED. THE TORNADO THAT
FORMED JUST SOUTH OF SAN MARCOS HAS NOW MOVED TO NEAR LOCKHART IN
CENTRAL CALDWELL COUNTY AND IS MOVING TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST AT NEAR 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 AN 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
Special weather statement, May 4, 11:23 PM CDT, 5 hours 2 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX 1123 PM CDT THU MAY 4 1989 ...LINE OF VERY INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TOWARD SOUTH TEXAS... VERY DANGEROUS AND FAST MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WERE ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS FROM NEAR WACO TO NEAR SAN SABA...MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT NEAR 70 MPH. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 5 AM CDT FRIDAY MORNING. ALTHOUGH THE TORNADO WATCH DOES NOT INCLUDE THE SAN ANTONIO METRO AREA AND SURROUNDING HILL COUNTRY AT THE PRESENT TIME...THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS DEVELOPING WEST AS IT MOVED RAPIDLY SOUTHEAST. THESE STORMS HAVE PRODUCED WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH WITHIN AND AHEADu OF THE LINE OF STORMS...ALONG WITH LARGE HAIL AND TORNADOES IN NORTH AND CENTRAL TEXAS THIS EVENING. PERSONS IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS SHOULD REMAIN TUNED TO LOCAL NEWS SOURCES OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER WEATHER DEVELOPMENTS.
Special weather statement, May 4, 11:34 PM CDT, 4 hours 51 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX 1135 PM CDT THU MAY 4 1989 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5AM FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL TEXAS... IN THIS AREA THE WATCH INCLUDES THE COUNTIES OF MILAN AND BURLESON... BOTH ARE TO THE EAST AND NORTHEAST OF AUSTIN. AT 1135...RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM NEAR SAN SABA EAST TO THE WACO AREA. THESE STORMS ARE MOVING TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST AT 60 MPH. LARGE HAIL, HIGH WINDS AND TORNADO SIGHTINGS HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THOSE STORMS IN THE WACO VICINITY. REMEMBER A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. CONTINUE TO BE ON THE ALERT AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 5, 2:02 AM CDT, 2 hours 23 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX 200 AM CDT FRI MAY 5 1989 ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM CDT FRIDAY MORNING FOR MUCH OF OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS... AT 155 AM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A 20 MILE WIDE LINE OF VERY INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS FROM NORTHWEST OF LLANO TO NORTHEAST OF GEORGETOWN TO EAST OF COLLEGE STATION. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING FROM NEAR JUNCTION TO NEAR AUSTIN. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 45 MPH. WIND GUSTS TO 50 MILES PER HOUR OCCURRED AT COLLEGE STATION AS THE THUNDERSTORMS MOVED THROUGH DURING THE PAST HOUR. IN ADDITION... THESE STORMS HAVE PRODUCED LARGE HAIL AND SOME TORNADOES IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS EARLIER TONIGHT. PERSONS IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS SHOULD STAY TUNED TO LATER WEATHER DEVELOPMENTS AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SAFE SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER IS OBSERVED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA.
Special weather statement, May 5, 2:48 AM CDT, 1 hour 37 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, 48 minutes 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.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 5, 12:03 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Burnet, Lampasas, San Saba | 57 min |
| May 5, 12:23 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | San Saba | 52 min |
| May 5, 1:11 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Williamson | 64 min |
| May 5, 2:01 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Burnet | 44 min |
| May 5, 2:14 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Blanco | 61 min |
| May 5, 2:25 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Travis | 50 min |
| May 5, 4:11 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Hays | 34 min |
| May 5, 4:13 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Guadalupe | 32 min |
| May 5, 4:37 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Gonzales | 53 min |
| May 5, 5:03 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Caldwell | 27 min |
| May 5, 5:23 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Hays | 67 min |
| May 5, 6:12 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Caldwell, Travis | 63 min |
| May 5, 6:12 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Blanco, Burnet | 63 min |
| May 5, 7:30 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Fayette | 45 min |
| May 5, 7:42 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Caldwell, Hays | 63 min |
| May 5, 8:35 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Gonzales | 70 min |
| May 5, 8:38 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Caldwell, Fayette | 32 min |
| May 5, 8:44 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Gonzales | 61 min |
| May 5, 8:47 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Lavaca | 58 min |
| May 5, 9:13 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | DeWitt | 62 min |
| May 5, 10:09 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | DeWitt, Lavaca | 66 min |
| May 5, 10:23 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Victoria | 67 min |
| May 5, 10:54 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Gonzales | 51 min |
| May 5, 11:10 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | DeWitt | 65 min |
| May 5, 12:09 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Karnes | 66 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.