Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1989

Flash Flood Warning 21, NWS Fort Worth, TX

May 16, 1989Grayson County, Texas

NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this flash flood warning at May 16, 1989, 3:43 AM CDT for Grayson County, Texas. It was in force for 4 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 16, 1989, 3:43 AM CDT (08:43 UTC)
Expired
May 16, 1989, 7:45 AM CDT
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Fort Worth, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Grayson 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

Norman, OK (KOUN), launched 00:00Z, 8.7 hours before the alert went out and 189 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, Norman, OK at 00:00Z on 1989-05-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 280 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Norman, OK at 00:00Z on 1989-05-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 93 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 km3 km6 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
280 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-158 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1096 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
93 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
255 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 KFTW 160844
FFWFTW
TXC181-161245-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
343 AM CDT TUE MAY 16 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  445 AM CDT
AND A FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  745 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
          ...GRAYSON
 
AT 335 AM CDT...RADAR INDICATED...AND REPORTS FROM COOKE COUNTY
CONFIRMED...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ENTERING THE WESTERN PORTION OF
GRAYSON COUNTY. HAIL TO SOFTBALL SIZE HAVE BEEN REPORTED FROM THIS
STORM DURING THE PAST HOUR.
 
IN ADDDITION...FLOODING CAN BE EXPECTED FROM THIS STORM AS IT MOVES
SLOWLY EASTWARD...ABOUT 10 TO 15 MPH...THROUGH GRAYSON COUNTY. REPORTS
FROM GRAYSON COUNTY INDICATE EXTENSIVE FLOODING..ESPECIALLY IN THE
MUENSTER AREA. INITIAL INDICATIONS ARE THAT THERE MAY BE SEVERAL
MOBILE HOMES FLOODED...IN ADDITION TO WIDESPREAD LOW-LAND FLOODING.
 
RESIDENTS OF GRAYSON COUNTY CAN EXPECT RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4
INCHES OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS AS SEVERAL THUNDERSTORMS WILL FOLLOW
THE TRACK OF THIS FIRST STORM.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.  IFB YOU ARE IN ITS PATH YOU SHOULD
PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...LARGE HAIL...AND
DEADLY LIGHTNING.  PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood 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 15, 11:12 PM CDT, 4 hours 31 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
1029 PM CDT MON MAY 15 1989

...THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER NORTHEAST SECTIONS OF
   CENTRAL TEXAS...

AT 1016 PM CDT A 15 TO 20 MILE WIDE BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH
VERY HEAVY RAIN....WERE FROM GRANBURY...TO ITALY...TO 10 MILES
NORTHWEST OF PALESTINE. ANOTHER AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS BETWEEN
FAIRFIELD AND OAKWOOD. THE HEAVIER RAINFALL WAS NEAR ITALY...NEAR
CORSICANA AND SOUTHWEST OF OAKWOOD. THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 20 TO 25 MILES AN HOUR.

ALTHOUGH NO SEVERE WEATHER IS CURRENTLY INDICATED...CENTRAL TEXAS
RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO STAY ALERT...SHOULD THREATENING WEATHER DEVELOP.

MOISTURE CONTINUES TO FEED IN FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO...AND A SERIES OF
UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES ARE FORECAST TO MOVE THROUGH THE CENTRAL TEXAS
AREA DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS BRINGING THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER AND
THE POSSIBILITY OF HEAVY RAINS. HOWEVER...THE EXACT TIMIMG OF THE
THUNDERSTORMS IS DIFFICULT TO PINPOINT.

SO...STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL RADIO OR TV FOR THE
LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

07
Special weather statement, May 15, 11:28 PM CDT, 4 hours 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
1125 PM CDT MON MAY 15 1989

...THUNDERSTORMS NOW IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS...

AT 1121 PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS HAD MOVED OUT OF THE CENTRAL TEXAS AREA...
AND WERE NOW IN A 10 TO 15 MILE WIDE AREA...FROM NORTHWEST OF FT WORTH
...TO NORTH OF WAXAHACHIE TO SOUTH OF MAYBANK.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN THE WICHITA FALLAS AREA AND EXTENDED WELL
INTO NORTH AND NORTHWEST TEXAS. THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST
ABOUT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

THIS WILL BE THE LAST SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FROM THE WACO OFFICE
UNTIL PRECIPITATION OR THREATENING WEATHER REDEVELOPS.

07
Special weather statement, May 16, 12:32 AM CDT, 3 hours 11 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
 1230 AM CDT TUE MAY 16 1989

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6AM CDT THIS TUESDAY
   MORNING FOR PERSON IS HILL AND BOSQUE COUNTIES OF CENTRAL TEXAS...

AT 1220 AM CDT WACO WEATHER RADAR SHOWED NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND STRONG TO
INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS FROM THE WICHITA FALLS AREA TO JUST NORTH OF DALLAS
INTO NORTHEAST TEXAS 15 MILES WEST OF TYLER.  ALL THE PRECIPITAION WAS
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

ALTHOUGH NO PRECIPITATION WAS OCCURRING IN CENTRAL TEXAS CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPEMENT.  PERSONS IN
OR NEAR THE WATCH AREA ARE URGED TO KEEP ABREAST OF CHANGING WEATHER
CONDITIO(NS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION TO SAFEGARD LIVES
AND PROPERTY.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS.06
Special weather statement, May 16, 1:30 AM CDT, 2 hours 13 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
128 AM CDT TUE MAY 16 1989

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING ACROSS NORTH TEXAS THIS MORNING.  AT
125 AM... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS INDICATED AN AREA OF VERY
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS.  THE
AREA WAS NEAR MONTAGUE TO WICHITA FALLS.  THE STRONGER STORMS WERE
LOCATED NEAR THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF WISE COUNTY.  MOVEMENT WAS EAST
AT ABOUT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

ANOTHER AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED JUST EAST OF DALLAS.
THE STORMS EXTENDED IN A LINE FROM THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF COLLIN
COUNTY TO ROCKWALL TO NORTHEAST OF TYLER.  THE STRONGER STORMS IN
THIS AREA WERE LOCATED NORTH OF FARMERSVILLE IN COLLIN COUNTY AND
NORTH OF CANTON.  THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTH AT ABOUT 20 MILES AN
HOUR.

SOME OF THE STORMS IN NORTHWEST TEXAS HAVE A HISTORY OF PRODUCING
VERY HEAVY RAIN AND SOME LARGE HAIL.  SEEK SHELTER IF IN THE VICINITY
OF THESE STORMS.

THE STORMS IN NORTHWEST TEXAS CONTINUE DEVELOPING OVER THE SAME AREAS
AND WITH THE HEAVY RAINS... POSE A STRONG THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING.
RESIDENTS SHOULD BE ALERT TO POSSIBLE FLOODING... PARTICULARLY IF IN
LOW-LYINrG OR FLOOD PRONE AREAS.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM FOR MOST OF
NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST TEXAS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS AND
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 16, 1:37 AM CDT, 2 hours 6 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
 130 AM CDT TUE MAY 16 1989

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6AM CDT THIS MORNING
   FOR PERSONS IN BOSQUE AND HILL COUNTIES OF CENTRAL TEXAS...

AT 125AM CDT WACO WEATHER RADAR SHOWED NUMEROUS STRONG TO INTENSE
THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS FROM THE RED RIVER NEAR WICHITA
FALLS TO JUST NORTH OF DALLAS INTO NORTHEAST TEXAS.  MOVEMENT OF ALL THE
PRECIPITATION WAS NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

NO PRECIPITATION WAS OCCURRING IN CENTRAL TEXAS...HOWEVER ATMOSPHERIC
CONDITIONS REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPEMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS.  THE
STORMS NOW IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS HAVE A HISTORY OF SEVERE WEATHER AND
ANY STORMS DEVELOPING IN THE VERY UNSTABLE AIRMASS NOW OVER CENTRAL
TEXAS MAY QUICKLY BECOME THE INTENSE VARIETY.  PERSONS IN OR NEAR THE
WATCH AREA ARE URGED TO BE AWARE OF CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.

KEEP TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS.06
Special weather statement, May 16, 2:49 AM CDT, 54 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
245 AM CDT TUE MAY 16 1989

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6AM CDT THIS MORNING
   FOR PERSONS IN BOSQUE AND HILL COUNTIES OF CENTRAL TEXAS...

AT 240 AM CDT WACO WEATHER RADAR SHOWED SCATTERED LIGHT SHOWERS IN THE
NORTHEAST PART OF HILL COUNTY AND IN PARTS OF CORYELL AND BELL COUNTIES.
NUMEROUS STRONG TO INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED IN NORTHCENTRAL TEXAS
FROM SOUTHWEST OF WICHITA FALLS TO NORTH OF DENTON INTO THE NORTHEAST
SECTIONS OF THE STATE.  MOVEMENT OF ALL THE PRECIPITATION WAS NORTHEAST
AT 25 MPH.

THE RAINSHOWERS DEVELOPING IN CENTRAL TEXAS ARE CURRENTLY LIGHT...
CONDITIONS ARE RIGHT FOR FURTHER DEVELOPEMENT.  PERSONS IN OR NEAR THE
WATCH AREA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.06

The office that day

Everything else NWS Fort Worth, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 15, 7:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDBaylor58 min
May 15, 7:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDThrockmorton59 min
May 15, 8:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDArcher55 min
May 15, 9:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDArcher64 min
May 15, 10:01 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDBaylor4 hr
May 15, 10:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDYoung59 min
May 15, 10:46 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDArcher4 hr
May 15, 11:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDClay, Jack69 min
May 16, 12:15 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDWichita3 hr
May 16, 12:42 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDYoung4 hr
May 16, 1:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDClay, Montague60 min
May 16, 1:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDArcher60 min
May 16, 1:34 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDArcher, Baylor, Wichita4 hr
May 16, 1:49 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDCooke4 hr
May 16, 1:49 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDCooke56 min
May 16, 1:59 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDClay, Montague61 min
May 16, 2:58 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDCooke62 min
May 16, 3:36 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDArcher, Baylor, Wichita, Young4 hr
May 16, 3:36 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDMontague4 hr
May 16, 3:43 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDGrayson62 min
May 16, 4:04 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDLamar, Red River56 min
May 16, 4:49 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDGrayson56 min
May 16, 4:54 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDFannin5 hr
May 16, 4:54 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDFannin2 hr
May 16, 5:24 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDRed River66 min
May 16, 5:35 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDDelta, Lamar4 hr
May 16, 5:35 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDDelta, Lamar55 min
May 16, 5:40 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDCooke2 hr
May 16, 6:13 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDArcher, Clay, Jack, Montague, Young4 hr
May 16, 6:13 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDBaylor, Wichita4 hr
May 16, 6:33 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDPalo Pinto, Parker57 min
May 16, 7:36 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDKaufman54 min
May 16, 7:54 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDVan Zandt66 min
May 16, 8:39 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDDallas, Kaufman, Rockwall3 hr
May 16, 8:57 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDSmith63 min
May 16, 8:57 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDSmith63 min
May 16, 9:05 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDUpshur, Wood4 hr
May 16, 9:05 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDHenderson4 hr
May 16, 9:12 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDCollin, Fannin, Grayson4 hr
May 16, 9:12 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDCooke4 hr
May 16, 9:21 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDEllis, Navarro4 hr
May 16, 10:02 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDAnderson, Cherokee4 hr
May 16, 11:18 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDAnderson, Cherokee57 min
May 16, 12:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDNolan60 min
May 16, 12:56 PM CDTTornado WarningFWDJones64 min
May 16, 1:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDKnox60 min
May 16, 1:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDTaylor67 min
May 16, 2:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDFoard, Knox58 min
May 16, 2:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDCallahan55 min
May 16, 2:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDYoung63 min
May 16, 2:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDEastland, Stephens55 min
May 16, 3:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDFoard56 min
May 16, 3:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDCallahan, Taylor61 min
May 16, 3:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDWilbarger68 min
May 16, 3:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDPalo Pinto67 min
May 16, 4:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDFoard31 min
May 16, 4:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDFoard, Hardeman61 min
May 16, 4:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDTarrant66 min
May 16, 4:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDPalo Pinto, Parker50 min
May 16, 4:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDWilbarger33 min
May 16, 5:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDJack59 min
May 16, 5:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHill49 min
May 16, 5:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDDallas48 min
May 16, 5:51 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDEllis54 min
May 16, 6:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDCollin45 min
May 16, 6:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDDallas, Kaufman, Rockwall50 min
May 16, 6:52 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDHood68 min
May 16, 6:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHood68 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Texas, 1989Every flash flood 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.