Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1989

Tornado Warning 9, NWS Fort Worth, TX

April 29, 1989Limestone County, Texas

NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this tornado warning at Apr 29, 1989, 9:11 PM CDT for Limestone County, Texas. It was in force for 49 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 29, 1989, 9:11 PM CDT (02:11 UTC)
Expired
Apr 29, 1989, 10:00 PM CDT
In force
49 min
Issued by
NWS Fort Worth, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Limestone 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

Stephenville/Cla, TX (KSEP), launched 00:00Z, 2.2 hours before the alert went out and 162 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, Stephenville/Cla, TX at 00:00Z on 1989-04-30Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 794 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, Stephenville/Cla, TX at 00:00Z on 1989-04-30The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 101 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
794 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-155 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1396 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
101 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
200 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
2.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KACT 300213
TORACT
TXC293-300300-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
911 PM CDT SAT APR 29 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WACO HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1000 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
          ...LIMESTONE
 
AT 905 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO 5 MILES WEST
OF MEXIA. VERY LITTLE MOVEMENT WAS INDICATED.
 
IF YOU LIVE IN AJ 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

Local storm report, Apr 29, 5:08 PM CDT, 4 hours 3 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
515 PM CDT SAT APR 29 1989

...ADDITIONAL SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS FROM FTW WSFO CAR...EVENING OF
APRIL 28 1989...

   TIME OF
  OCCURRENCE                       EVENT

 1050 PM CDT    GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL - WOLF CITY...NORTHERN HUNT CO.

 1110 PM CDT    DIME SIZE HAIL AND "VERY HIGH WINDS" - WOODLAND...
                NORTHWEST RED RIVER CO.
Special weather statement, Apr 29, 5:50 PM CDT, 3 hours 21 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
550 PM CDT SAT APR 29 1989

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT FOR
BOSQUE..CORYELL..FALLS..HILL..LIMESTONE AND MCLENNAN COUNTIES OF
CENTRAL TEXAS...

AT 545 PM CDT A LARGE AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS..SOME WITH VERY HEAVY
RAIN..EXTENDED 70 MILES SOUTHWEST OF A LINE FROM GOLDTHWAITE TO NEAR
AUSTIN.  MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 10 MILES AN HOUR.

NO SEVERE WEATHER WAS OCCURRING IN CENTRAL TEXAS..BUT CONDITIONS
ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE FORMATION OF THUNDERSTORMS THAT COULD PRODUCE
LARGE HAIL AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS.

PERSONS IN CENTRAL TEXAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR STRONG
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THROUGHOUT THE EV#ENING.  STAY TUNED TO
NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR TO LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION STATIONS FOR
LATER STATEMENTS.
Special weather statement, Apr 29, 7:35 PM CDT, 1 hour 36 minutes before
SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH TEXAS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
735 PM CDT SAT APR 29 1989

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING EAST ACROSS HAMILTON AND COMANCHE
COUNTIES...

WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED SEVERAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING
EAST ACROSS HAMILTON AND COMANCHE COUNTIES AT 730 PM. ONE OF THESE
STORMS PRODUCED HEAVY RAIN AND PEA SIZE HAIL AT SIDNEY...IN COMANCHE
COUNTY...AT 7:15 PM. THIS PARTICULAR STORM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE
DOWNING AND DELEON AREAS BETWEEN 730 AND 800PM. IN HAMILTON COUNTY...
A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING ACROSS THE WESTERN BORDER
AT 730 AND WILL AFFECT MUCH OF THE COUNTY DURING THE NEXT HOUR OR
TWO.

VERY HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS...AND CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED AS THESE STORMS MOVE EAST AT ABOUT 15 MPH.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR HAMILTON AND
COMANCHE COUNTIES TIL 9PM THIS EVENING.
Special weather statement, Apr 29, 7:57 PM CDT, 1 hour 14 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
755 PM CDT SAT APR 29 1989

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH WILL BE IN EFFECT FROM 800 PM UNTIL
MIDNIGHT FOR BELL..BOSQUE..BRAZOS..CORYELL..FALLS..HILL..LEON..
LIMESTONE..MADISON..MCLENNAN..AND ROBERTSON COUNTIES OF TEXAS...

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR BOSQUE COUNTY HAS EXPIRED...

THE NEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH WILL REPLACE THE WATCH THAT WAS
ISSUED EARLIER FOR CENTRAL TEXAS.

AT 750 PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS WERE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM NEAR
CLIFTON TO 15 MILES NORTHWEST OF WACO.  THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO
PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM 10 MILES WEST OF COPPERAS COVE TO NEAR
GOLDTHWAITE.  MOVEMENT WAS SOUTHEAST AT 10 MILES AN HOUR.

PERSONS IN BOSQUE..MCLENNAN AND BELL COUNTIES SHOULD BE ON THE
LOOKOUT FOR VERY HEAVY RAIN..DANGEROUS LIGHTNING..STRONG GUSTY WINDS
AND HAIL.  DUE TO THE VERY HEAVY RAIN AND THE SLOW MOVEMENT..FLASH
FLOODING OF LOW LYING AND NORMALLY FLOOD PRONE AREAS IS ALSO POSSIBLE.
BE READY TO TAKE ACTION TO PRESERVE LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD
THREATENING WEATHER BE OBSERVED.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR TO LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION
STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Apr 29, 8:43 PM CDT, 28 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
840 PM CDT SAT APR 29 1989

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT FOR
BELL..BOSQUE..BRAZOS..CORYELL..FALLS..HILL..LEON..LIMESTONE..
MADISON..MCLENNAN..AND ROBERTSON COUNTIES OF TEXAS...

AT 835 PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS WERE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER
ELLIS..NAVARRO AND LIMESTONE COUNTIES FROM 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
WAXAHACHIE TO 10 MILES WEST OF MEXIA.  THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY
HEAVY RAIN EXTENDED FROM 15 MILES WEST OF HICO TO 5 MILES WEST
OF MCGREGOR.  ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS HAD FORMED AND WERE
PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER ROBERTSON AND LEON COUNTIES NEAR
BREMOND..NEAR JEWETT..10 MILES NORTHEAST OF CENTERVILLE AND 15
MILES NORTHWEST OF MADISONVILLE.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 5 MILES AN HOUR.

PERSONS IN THE PATHS OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT
FOR VERY HEAVY RAIN..STRONG GUSTY WINDS..DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND HAIL.
DUE TO THE VERY HEAVY RAIN AND THE SLOW MOVEMENT FLASH FLOODING OF
LOW LYING AND NORMALLY FLOOD PRONE AREAS IS ALSO POSSIBLE.  BE READY
TO TAKE QUICK ACTION TO PRESERVE LIFE AND PROPERTY IF THREATENING
WEATHER IS SIGHTED.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 29, 7:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDNavarro65 min
Apr 29, 8:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDLimestone62 min
Apr 29, 11:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDAnderson62 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.