Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1989

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 430, NWS Fort Worth, TX

July 2, 1989Ellis County, Johnson County, Kaufman County, Texas

NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 2, 1989, 8:44 PM CDT for Ellis County, Johnson County, Kaufman County, Texas. It was in force for 61 min. 5 reports 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: Jul 2, 1989, 8:44 PM CDT (01:44 UTC)
Expired: Jul 2, 1989, 9:45 PM CDT
In force: 61 min
Issued by: NWS Fort Worth, TX
Area: Whole counties

Counties Ellis County, TX, Johnson County, TX, Kaufman County, TX

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
Jul 2, 8:56 PM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind 0	Johnson, TX
Jul 2, 9:00 PM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind 0	Ellis, TX
Jul 2, 9:15 PM CDT	Hail 0.75	Johnson, TX
Jul 2, 9:20 PM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind 62	Ellis, TX
Jul 2, 9:30 PM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind 61	Kaufman, TX

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

Stephenville/Cla, TX (KSEP), launched 00:00Z, 1.7 hours before the alert went out and 123 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: NaN m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 68 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 231 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 23.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KFTW 030145
SVRFTW
TXC139-251-257-030245-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
844 PM CDT SUN JUL 2 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  945 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
          ...ELLIS...JOHNSON...KAUFMAN
 
AT 840 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN DALLAS COUNTY...AND FROM CENTRAL INTO WESTERN
TARRANT COUNTY. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTH-SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH.
 
THESE STORMS ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. AT 835 PM 90 MPH WINDS DOWNED
TREES AND POWER LINES IN SOUTHEAST DALLAS COUNTY. THIS STORM WILL
AFFECT KAUFMAN AND EASTERN ELLIS COUNTIES DURING THE NEXT HOUR. IN
TARRANT COUNTY...NUMEROUS REPORTS OF WIND DAMAGE HAVE BEEN RECEIVED
FROM FORT WORTH...KELLER...AND SAGINAW. IN ADDITION TO THE
WINDS...NICKEL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED AT SAGINAW ABOUT 825 PM.
 
RESIDENTS IN ELLIS...JOHNSON...AND KAUFMAN COUNTIES AND SOUTHERN
PORTIONS OF DALLAS AND TARRANT COUNTIES SHOULD TAKE INTERIOR SHELTER
IMMEDIATELY...AS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE IMMINENT.
 
 
 
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

Local storm report, Jul 2, 4:04 PM CDT, 4 hours 40 minutes before

STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
400 PM CDT SUN JUL 02 1989

   TIME OF
  OCCURRENCE    COUNTY             EVENT

 210 PM CDT     HUNT CO.      60 MPH WINDS - 5 N BONHAM

 230 PM CDT     LAMAR CO.     TREES UPROOTED BY WINDS - PARIS

 235 PM CDT     GRAYSON CO.   BOATS SWAMPED BY 60+ MPH WINDS - SOUTH
                              SIDE OF LAKE TEXHOMA

 235 PM CDT     RED RIVER CO. TREES DAMAGED...60 MPH WINDS - WOODLAND

 240 PM CDT     LAMAR CO.     WINDS DOWNED POWER LINES - ROXTON

 245 PM CDT     DELTA CO.     60 MPH WINDS ACROSS THE COUNTY

 300 PM CDT     HUNT CO.      TREE DAMAGE - COMMERCE...60 MPH WINDS

 310 PM CDT     HUNT CO.       POWER LINES DOWNED BY 60 MPH WINDS -
                               GREENVILLE

 315 PM CDT     FRANKLIN CO.   60 MPH WINDS IN MT VERNON

 335 PM CDT     MORRIS CO.     MICROBURST KNOCKED TELEPHONE POLE OVER
                               - 6W OMAHA

 355 PM8 CDT     CAMP CO.       60 MPH WINDS - PITTSBURG

Special weather statement, Jul 2, 5:00 PM CDT, 3 hours 44 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
500 PM CDT SUN JUL 2 1989

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL TEXAS UNTIL
   1000 PM CDT...

AT 445 PM CDT WACO RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF STRONG TO VERY STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS FROM NORTH OF DALLAS TO EAST OF TYLER.  MOVEMENT OF ALL
THE PRECIPITATION WAS SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

ALTHOUGH NO PRECIPITATION WAS OCCURRING IN CENTRAL TEXAS...THE
ATMOSPHERE IS QUITE UNSTABLE.  ABUNDANT GULF MOISTURE...AFTERNOON HEATING
AND AN APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM ARE COMBINING TO CAUSE THE
THUNDERSTORMS NOW IN NORTH TEXAS.  PERSONS IN CENTRAL TEXAS SHOULD KEEP
ABREAST OF CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED FOR QUICK ACTION
IF SEVERE WEATHER IS SIGHTED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED.  THE STORMS IN NORTH
TEXAS HAVE A HISTORY OF HIGH WINDS...HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS.06

Local storm report, Jul 2, 6:07 PM CDT, 2 hours 37 minutes before

ADDITIONAL STORM REPORTS...JULY 2 1989...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
610 PM CDT SUN JUL 02 1989

   TIME OF
  OCCURRENCE    COUNTY             EVENT

 315 PM CDT     TITUS CO.      TREES AND ELECTRIC LINES DOWNED BY
                               THUNDERSTORM WINDS - TALCO AND CASON

 443 PM CDT     COLLIN CO.     QUARTER SIZE HAIL - MCKINNEY

 445 PM CDT     UPSHUR CO.     TREES UPROOTED IN WEST AND EAST UPSHUR
                               CO.

 500 PM CDT     COLLIN CO.     GOLF BALL HAIL - BETWEEN PLANO AND ALLEN

 502 PM CDT     COLLIN CO.     60 MPH WINDS - WEST PLANO

 504 PM CDT     COLLIN CO.     GOLF BALL HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS -ALLEN

 506 PM CDT     COLLIN CO.     SOFTBALL SIZE HAIL - NEAR ALLEN

 521 PM CDT     COLLIN CO.     GOLF BALL HAIL - PARKER (SE COLLIN CO.)

 ..DAMAGE IN COLLIN COUNTY TO HOMES...AUTOS...TREES...AND ONE AMATEUR
RADIO TOWER IN AN AREA ROUGHLY BOUNDED BY STACEY STREET (IN ALLEN) ON
THE NORTH...HIGHWAY 5 ON THE WEST...FARM ROAD 1378 ON THE EAST...AND
THE ALLEN/PLANO CITY BOUNDARY ON THE SOUTH. AMATEUR RADIO SPOTTERS
REPORTED A ROTATING WALL CLOUD IN THIS AREA AT THE TIME..BUT THEIR
SURVEY INDICATES THE WINDS LIKELY WERE STRAIGHT LINE (DOWNBURST) IN
NATURE...RATHER THAN TORNADIC.

Special weather statement, Jul 2, 6:10 PM CDT, 2 hours 34 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
 610PM CDT SUN JUL 2 1989

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR MUCH OF
   CENTRAL TEXAS...

AT 605PM CDT WACO WEATHER RADAR SHOWED NUMEROUS SHOWERS...SCATTERED
STRONG AND ISOLATED VERY STRONG TO INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS OVER PARTS OF
NORTH AND NORTHEAST TEXAS...AND NORTH OF ABILENE.  MOVEMENT OF ALL THE
PRECIPITATION WAS SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

ALTHOUGH NO PRECIPITATION WAS OCCURRING IN CENTRAL TEXAS CONDITIONS
REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.  THE STORMS NOW OCCURRING IN
NORTH AND WEST TEXAS HAVE A HISTORY OF SEVERE WEATHER.  PERSONS IN
CENTRAL TEXAS SHOULD KEEP UP WITH WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED FOR
QUICK ACTIONS.  THE ATMOSPHERE OVER CENTRAL TEXAS WILL SUPPORT THE
THUNDERSTORMS NOW OCCURRING...AND WITH THE STORMS NORTH OF ABILENE
MOVING SOUTHEAST TOWARD CENTRAL TEXAS WEVERE WEATHER COULD BE AFFECTING
THE AREA WITHIN A FEW HOURS. 
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS.06

Special weather statement, Jul 2, 7:38 PM CDT, 1 hour 6 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
735PM CDT SUN JUL 2 1989

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR MUCH OF
   CENTRAL TEXAS...

AT 725PM CDT WACO WEATHER RADAR SHOWED NUMEROUS SHOWERS...SCATTERED
STRONG AND ISOLATED VERY STRONG TO INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS OVER PARTS OF
NORTH...NORTHEAST TEXAS...AND NEAR ABILENE.  MOVEMENT OF ALL THE
PRECIPITATION WAS SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

ALTHOUGH NO PRECIPITATION WAS OCCURRING IN CENTRAL TEXAS CONDITIONS
REMAIN FAVORABLE THUNDERSTORMS.  THE STORMS NOW OCCURRING IN NORTH AND
NORTHEAST TEXAS AND IN THE ABILENE AREA HAVE A HISTORY OF SEVERE WEATHER.
PERSONS IN CENTRAL TEXAS ARE URGED TO REMAIN ALERT FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF
SEVERE WEATHER.  SOME LOCAL PREPARATIONS COULD BE TAKEN...SUCH AS SECURING
OUTDOOR ITEMS LIKE LAWN FURNITURE LEFT OUT AFTER TODAYS POOL PARTIES.
THESE ITEMS CAN BECOME MISSILES IN HIGH WINDS LIKE THE ONES OCCURRING
WITH THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN THE ABILENE AREA...WHERE WINDS HAVE BEEN

REPORTED OF OVER 60 MPH.  THESE STORMS ARE ALSO CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
VERY HEAVY RAIN...HAIL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.  THESE STORMS ARE TO
THE NORTHWEST OF CENTRAL TEXAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPrH.  THEY MAY
START TO EFFECT THE CENTEX WITHIN THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS.06

Special weather statement, Jul 2, 8:43 PM CDT, 1 minute before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
840PM CDT SUN JUL 2 1989

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR MUCH OF
   CENTRAL TEXAS...

AT 835PM CDT WACO WEATHER RADAR SHOWED NUMEROUS SHOWERS...SCATTERED
STRONG AND ISOLATED VERY STRONG TO INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS OVER PARTS OF
NORTH TEXAS...FROM SOUTH OF ABILENE TO DALLAS/FORT WORTH INTO EAST TEXAS
NEAR LUFKIN.  ALL THE PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

NO PRECIPITATION WAS OCCURRING IN CENTRAL TEXAS...HOWEVER CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.  NUMEROUS REPORTS OF HIGH WINDS
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL HAVE BEEN RECIEVED WITH
THE STORMS OCCURRING IN NORTH AND EAST TEXAS.  PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA
SHOULD KEEP ABREAST OF CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED TO
SEEK SHELTER IF SEVERE WEATHER IS SIGHTED.  INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN
THE FORT WORTH AREA...AT THEIR PRESENT MOVEMENT THEY MAY EFFECT THE NORTH
PARTS OF CENTRAL TEXAS IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS.


STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS.06

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 2, 7:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Collin, Denton	61 min
Jul 2, 7:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Wise	61 min
Jul 2, 7:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Dallas, Tarrant	61 min
Jul 2, 8:06 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Coleman	69 min
Jul 2, 9:06 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	FWD	Dallas, Tarrant	2 hr
Jul 2, 10:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	McLennan	61 min
Jul 3, 12:14 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Jack	61 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Texas, 1989 Every 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.