Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 1989
Tornado Warning 4, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at Apr 4, 1989, 5:54 PM EDT for Spartanburg County, South Carolina. It was in force for 66 min. 2 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
- Apr 4, 1989, 5:54 PM EDT (21:54 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 4, 1989, 7:00 PM EDT
- In force
- 66 min
- Issued by
- NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
- Area
- Whole counties
County Spartanburg County, SC
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 | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 6:09 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 62 | Spartanburg, SC | |
| Apr 4, 6:30 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Spartanburg, SC |
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
Athens Municipal, GA (KAHN), launched 12:00Z, 9.9 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 30 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -310 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 670 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 42 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 141 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 67 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KGSP 042155
TORGSP
SCC083-042300-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREER SC
554 PM EDT TUE APR 4 1989
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 700 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN SOUTH CAROLINA
...SPARTANBURG
THERE ARE STRONG INDICATIONS THAT THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IN
GREENVILLE COUNTY CONTAINS A TORNADO. GOLFBALL HAIL AND ROOF OFF A
BUILDING IN MAULDIN. TREES DOWN POINSETT HIGHWAY. THESE HAVE HAPPENED
IN LAST 3 MINUTES.
PEOPLE IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE
ACTION TO PROTECT THEIR LIVES. GO TO YOUR BASEMENT...THE CENTER OF
BUILDINGS...COVER YOUR CHEAD. DO NOT GO NEAR DOORS OR WINDOWS. GET
OUT OF MOBILE HOMES AND VEHICLES. GET INTO A STURDY BUILDING OR A
DITCH.
WAJWhat 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, Apr 4, 5:00 PM EDT, 54 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC 600 PM EST MON APR 04 1989 THE NATIONAL SEVERE STORMS FORECAST CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR MOST OF CENTRAL AND WESTERN SOUTH CAROLINA AND FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...INCLUDING CHARLOTTE AND VICINITY...FROM 6 PM EST UNTIL MIDNIGHT. THE TORNADO WATCH INCLUDES CHEROKEE...YORK...CHESTER...AND LANCASTER COUNTIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA. IN NORTH CAROLINA THE WATCH INCLUDES CABARRUS...GASTON...CLEVELAND...LINCOLN...UNION...MECKLENBURG...AND CATAWBA COUNTIES AS WELL AS OTHER COUNTIES IN THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS. AT 530 PM EST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND SOME THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ALNG THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA. HEAVIEST ACTIVITY EXTENDED FROM NORTHWESTERN SOUTH CAROLINA THROUGH CENTRAL GEORGIA...WHERE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND SEVERAL TORNADOES HAVE BEEN REPORTED. THIS IS A VERY DAsNGEROUS SITUATION WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF VERY DAMAGING TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS. THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 745 PM EST. JK
Local storm report, Apr 4, 5:13 PM EDT, 41 minutes before
STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREER SC 512 PM EDT TUE APR 4 1989 MARBLE HAIL AND TREES DOWN IN WESTMINSTER 509 PM. WAJ
Special weather statement, Apr 4, 5:15 PM EDT, 39 minutes before
AFTERNOON MOUNTAIN REPORTS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC 446 PM EDT TUE APR 04 1989 STATION ELEVATION HIGH LOW PCPN ASHEVILLE (2170) 72 56 0.10 BLACK MTN. (2395) 59 55 0.06 BOONE (3360) 67 53 0.06 BREVARD (2155) 71 56 0.28 BRYSON CITY (2000) 63 55 0.67 GRANDFATHER MTN. (5300) 58 46 0.04 MORGANTON (1193) 76 57 0.01 MT. PISGAH (5721) 50 40 0.15 MT. MITCHELL (6684) MM MM M MURPHY (1800) 63 56 1.45 SPRUCE PINE (2500) 64 | 52 1.10 TRYON (1900) 78 57 0.04 ..SOME OF THESE ARE UNOFFICIAL REPORTING STATIONS.. OS
Special weather statement, Apr 4, 5:17 PM EDT, 37 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC 515 PM EST MON APR 04 1989 THE NATIONAL SEVERE STORMS FORECAST CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR MOST OF CENTRAL AND WESTERN SOUTH CAROLINA AND FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...INCLUDING CHARLOTTE AND VICINITY...FROM 5 PM EDT UNTIL 11 PM EDT. THE TORNADO WATCH INCLUDES CHEROKEE...YORK...CHESTER...AND LANCASTER COUNTIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA. IN NORTH CAROLINA THE WATCH INCLUDES CABARRUS...GASTON...CLEVELAND...LINCOLN...UNION...MECKLENBURG...AND CATAWBA COUNTIES AS WELL AS OTHER COUNTIES IN THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS. AT 445 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND SOME THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ALNG THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA. HEAVIEST ACTIVITY EXTENDED FROM NORTHWESTERN SOUTH CAROLINA THROUGH CENTRAL GEORGIA...WHERE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND SEVERAL TORNADOES HAVE BEEN REPORTED. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF VERY DAMAGING TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS. THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 645 PM EDT. ...CORRECTION FOR TIME ERRORS JK
Local storm report, Apr 4, 5:23 PM EDT, 31 minutes before
STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREER SC 512 PM EDT TUE APR 4 1989 MARBLE HAIL AND 40 KNOTS IN CLEMSON 515 PM. DIME HAIL ANDERSON AIRPORT 522 PM. WAJ
Special weather statement, Apr 4, 5:53 PM EDT, 1 minute before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC 550 PM EDT TUE APR 04 1989 ...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MACON..SWAIN...RUTHERFORD...TRANSYLVANIA..BUNCOMBE..BURKE..MCDOWELL.. HAYWOOD..POLK..AND HENDERSON COUNTIES OF NORTH CAROLINA UNTIL 1100 PM EDT TONIGHT... AT 545 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AT AROUND 40 MILES AN HOUR. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE HEAVY DOWNPOURS..DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS. THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF VERY DAMAGING TORNADOES. PONDING WATER ON ROADS AND POSSIBLE URBAN FLOODING ARE POSSIBLE IN LOW LYING AND FLOOD PRONE AREAS. MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO USE EXTREME CAUTION SO AS TO AVOID HYDROPLANING. ALSO, PERSONS IN LOW LYING AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK HIGHER GROUND. GRC/OS
The office that day
Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 4:42 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | GSP | Oconee | 63 min |
| Apr 4, 5:06 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Anderson, Pickens | 69 min |
| Apr 4, 5:29 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Abbeville | 61 min |
| Apr 4, 5:35 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | GSP | Greenville | 55 min |
| Apr 4, 5:49 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Laurens | 56 min |
| Apr 4, 6:16 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Cherokee, Union | 59 min |
| Apr 4, 6:20 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | GSP | Cherokee | 55 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in South Carolina, 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.