Alert archive / Nebraska / Tornado Warnings in 1989

Tornado Warning 9, NWS Hastings, NE

May 28, 1989Hall County, Nebraska

NWS Hastings, NE issued this tornado warning at May 28, 1989, 9:25 PM CDT for Hall County, Nebraska. It was in force for 65 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
May 28, 1989, 9:25 PM CDT (02:25 UTC)
Expired
May 28, 1989, 10:30 PM CDT
In force
65 min
Issued by
NWS Hastings, NE
Area
Whole counties

County Hall County, NE

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
May 28, 9:40 PM CDTHail 1.75Hall, NE

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

N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE (KLBF), launched 00:00Z, 2.4 hours before the alert went out and 178 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, N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE at 00:00Z on 1989-05-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2961 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE at 00:00Z on 1989-05-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 29 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
2961 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-39 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2315 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
29 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
106 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
6.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KGRI 290227 COR
TORGRI
NEC079-290330-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND ISLAND NE
925 PM CDT SUN MAY 28 1989

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1030 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY

   IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL PART OF NEBRASKA
      NORTHEAST HALL

AT 920 PM A TORNADO WAS INDICATED BY RADAR 5 MILES TO THE EAST
SOUTHEAST OF ALDA NEBRASKA... ALDA IS AROUND 12 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF GRAND ISLAND... THIS WARNING INCLUDES THE CITY OF GRAND ISLAND.
THE TORNADO WAS MOVING SLOWLY TO THE NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH.
THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHWEST HALL COUNTY CONTINUES UNTIL 1000
PM.
THE STORM HAS NOW MOVED OUT OF ADAMS COUNTY AND THAT COUNTY
IS NOW CLEARED FROM THE EARLIER TORNADO WARNING.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO TAKE SHELTER IN A BASEMENT
OR BELOW GROUND.  OTHERWISE GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE
LOWEST FLOOR.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR A REINFORCED
BUILDING.

PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO SHOULD TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY
TO SAVE YOUR LIVES.

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT IN THE OPEN... TRY TO HIDE IN A DEPRESSION SUCH
AS A DITCH OR CULVERT.

IN ADDITION TO THE THREAT OF A TORNADO... LARGE HAIL... VERY HEAVY
RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE LIKLEY WITH THIS STORM.

 DS/DGS

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 28, 6:40 PM CDT, 2 hours 45 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND ISLAND NE
638 PM CDT SUN MAY 28 1989

... A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES UNITL 1000 PM FOR PORTIONS OF
CENTRAL AND EASTERN NEBRASKA AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

AT 634 PM A THUNDERSTORM WAS 10 TO 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF KEARNEY
NEBRASKA AND WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 MPH.

THIS STORM WAS STILL GROWING BUT HAS INDICATIONS OF BRIEF HEAVY
RAIN AND SOME SMALL HAIL.  THE STORM WAS ON A TRACK THAT WILL
TAKE IT TOWARD KEARNEY BY A LITTLE AFTER 700 PM.

IF SEVERE WEATHER IS OBSERVED REPORT IT TO YOUR NEAREST LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY SO IT CAN BE RELAYED TO THE WEATHER SERVICE.
DGS
Local storm report, May 28, 7:48 PM CDT, 1 hour 37 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND ISLAND NE
748 PM CDT MAY 28 1989

STORM REPORTS SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA

740 PM 2E AND 1S SHELTON PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL
740 PM 2W KENESAW MARBLE SIZE HAIL
747 PM KEARNEY MARBLE SIZE HAIL
DGS
Local storm report, May 28, 8:17 PM CDT, 1 hour 8 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND ISLAND NE
815 PM CDT MAY 28 1989

STORM REPORTS SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA

807 PM STORM SPOTTER 23 MILES SOUTHWEST GRAND ISLAND PEA SIZE HAIL
811 PM 6 MILES SOUTH GIBBON AT 700 PM 5 MINS OF GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL
STONG WIND BUT NO DAMAGE RAINFALL .45 INCH.
814 PM FUNNEL CLOUD REPORTED 8 TO 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF HASTINGS
DGS
Local storm report, May 28, 9:16 PM CDT, 9 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND ISLAND NE
915 PM CDT MAY 28 1989

STORM REPORTS SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA

DELAYED REPORT FROM 745 PM THIS SUNDAY EVENING.
WINDMILL STATE RECREATION AREA NEAR I80 AND GIBBON NEBRASKA
OR AROUND 30 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF GRAND ISLAND.
LOTS OF 1 1/2 TO 2 INCH HAIL... LOTS OF MOTOR VEHICLE DAMAGE.
DGS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Hastings, NE issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 28, 7:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDAdams, Buffalo, Hall, Kearney57 min
May 28, 7:59 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDAdams, Hall46 min
May 28, 8:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDNance65 min
May 28, 8:53 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDAdams, Hall67 min
May 28, 9:55 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDHamilton, Merrick50 min
May 28, 10:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDPolk, York57 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Nebraska, 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.