Alert archive / Tennessee / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1989

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 175, NWS Atlanta, GA

November 15, 1989Bradley County, Tennessee

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Nov 15, 1989, 7:41 PM EST for Bradley County, Tennessee. It was in force for 34 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
Nov 15, 1989, 7:41 PM EST (00:41 UTC)
Expired
Nov 15, 1989, 8:15 PM EST
In force
34 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

County Bradley County, TN

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
Nov 15, 7:45 PM ESTTornado F1Bradley, TN

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

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 00:00Z, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 191 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 00:00Z on 1989-11-16Temperature 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 00:00Z on 1989-11-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -55 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
603 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
92 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-55 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
91 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 KCHA 160040
SVRCHA
TNC011-160115-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHATTANOOGA TN
741 PM EST WED NOV 15 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHATTANOOGA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  815 PM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE
          ...BRADLEY
 
CHATTANOOGA'S WEATHER RADAR WAS INDICATING A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
ENTERING THE WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY MOVING EAST OR NORTHEAST AT
ABOUT 50 MPH. THIS STORM HAS PRODUCED NUMEROUS REPORTS OF TREES AND
POWER LINES DOWN AS IS CROSSED HAMILTON COUNTY.
 
A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA.  REMEMBER
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.  REMAIN CALM BUT BE ALERT TO
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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, Nov 15, 4:42 PM EST, 2 hours 59 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
430 PM EST WED NOV 15 1989

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTHWEST AND
NORTHEAST GEORGIA UNTIL 11 PM EST TONIGHT. THIS INCLUDES
DAWSON...HABERSHAM...HALL...LUMPKIN...RABUN...TOWNS...UNION
AND WHITE COUNTIES OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE WIDELY SCATTERED OVER NORTHWEST
GEORGIA...EASTERN TENNESSEE AND EASTERN ALABAMA. SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO SCATTERED OVER EAST CENTRAL GEORGIA.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST 40 MPH.
Special weather statement, Nov 15, 5:08 PM EST, 2 hours 33 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
510 PM EST WED NOV 15 1989

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWEST GEORGIA UNTIL 11 PM EST...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR NORTH-
WEST GEORGIA AS WELL AS ADJACENT AREAS OF EAST TENNESSEE...EAST
ALABAMA...AND EXTREME WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

POTENTIALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN RAPIDLY DEVELOPING THIS
AFTERNOON AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS OF
SEVERE WEATHER IN ALABAMA IN THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS. PEA TO DIME
SIZED HAIL FELL IN HEARD COUNTY OF WEST GEORGIA AROUND 500 PM.

THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. PERSONS SHOULD REMAIN
ALERT AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE QUICK ACTION WHEN WARNINGS ARE ISSUED.
EVEN STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTH ALABAMA SHOULD MOVE INTO
NORTH GEORGIA IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS.
Special weather statement, Nov 15, 5:32 PM EST, 2 hours 9 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
530 PM EST WED NOV 15 1989

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTHWEST AND
NORTHEAST GEORGIA UNTIL 11 PM EST TONIGHT. THIS INCLUDES
DAWSON...HABERSHAM...HALL...LUMPKIN...RABUN...TOWNS...UNION
AND WHITE COUNTIES OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA.

INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED NORTHEAST AND NORTHWEST OF
LAGRANGE GEORGIA. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST 35 MPH.

ELSEWHERE...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE WIDELY SCATTERED OVER
NORTH GEORGIA...EASTERN ALABAMA...EASTERN TENNESSEE AND THE
WESTERN TIP OF NORTH CAROLINA. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE
ALSO SCATTERED NEAR AND SOUTH OF AUGUSTA GEORGIA.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST 35 MPH.
Special weather statement, Nov 15, 5:44 PM EST, 1 hour 57 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA
535 PM EST WED NOV 15 1989

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WARNINGS WERE IN EFFECT FOR CHAMBERS COUNTY
ALABAMA AND A TORNADO WARNING FOR COWETA AND HEARD COUNTIES GEORGIA
UNTIL 6 PM EST.

...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR RUSSELL COUNTY ALABAMA
AND ALL OF EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA UNTIL 11 PM EST TONIGHT.

AT 525 PM EST COLUMBUS WEATHER RADAR WAS INDICATING SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS FROM NEAR CAMP HILL ALABAMA TO NEWNAN GEORGIA.
SEVERE WEATHER WAS ALREADY OCCURING AND PERSONS ACROSS EAST CENTRAL
ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TONIGHT FOR
POSSIBLE SEVERE WEATHER. A VERY STRONG COLD FRONT PRESENTLY FROM
WESTERN OHIO TO THE TEXAS COAST IS EXPECTED TO MOVE RAPIDLY EASTWARD
TONIGHT AND TO BE OFF THE GEORGIA COAST THURSDAY MORNING.

LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER NEWS MENDIA FOR LATER STATEMENTS
OR POSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Nov 15, 6:34 PM EST, 1 hour 7 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
630 PM EST WED NOV 15 1989

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 AM EST THURSDAY
MORNING FOR ALL OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA. THIS IS A DANGEROUS
SITUATION WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL...
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS.

INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER NORTHWEST GEORGIA
NEAR ATLANTA...OVER COWETA COUNTY AND NEAR CUMMING GEORGIA.
:
ELSEWHERE...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED OVER
WESTERN GEORGIA...EASTERN ALABAMA AND EASTERN TENNESSEE.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST 35 MPH.
Special weather statement, Nov 15, 7:32 PM EST, 9 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
730 PM EST WED NOV 15 1989

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 AM EST THURSDAY
MORNING FOR ALL OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA. THIS IS A DANGEROUS
SITUATION WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL...
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS.

INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER NORTH GEORGIA NEAR
AND SOUTHWEST OF ATLANTA...NEAR CLEVELAND...SOUTHWEST OF
ROME AND JUST ACROSS THE STATE LINE SOUTH OF CHATTANOOGA.

ELSEWHERE...A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS
LOCATED OVER NORTHWEST GEORGIA...GENERALLY ALONG AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM THE ATLANTA AREA TO CHATSWORTH. SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS W}ERE ALSO OVER NORTHEAST ALABAMA AND EASTERN
TENNESSEE.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST 35 MPH.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Atlanta, GA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Nov 15, 7:06 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHamilton44 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Tennessee, 1989Every severe thunderstorm warning 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.