Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1989
Tornado Warning 3, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this tornado warning at May 13, 1989, 7:24 PM CDT for Grimes County, Texas. It was in force for 66 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 13, 1989, 7:24 PM CDT (00:24 UTC)
- Expired
- May 13, 1989, 8:30 PM CDT
- In force
- 66 min
- Issued by
- NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
County Grimes 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 | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 13, 7:40 PM CDT | Hail 0.75 | Grimes, 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
Victoria Regiona, TX (KVCT), launched 00:00Z, 0.4 hours before the alert went out and 208 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
- 2126 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -15 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 898 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 54 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 44 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 94 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.7
- Supercell composite
- 3.3
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KHOU 140025
TORHOU
TXC185-140130-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON TX
724 PM CDT MAY 13 1989
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HOUSTON HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 830 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
...GRIMES
A TORNADO WAS REPORTED SOUTH OF COLLEGE STATION MOVING EASTWARD INTO
GRIMES COUNTY.
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY. AVOID WIrNDOWS.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 13, 3:42 PM CDT, 3 hours 42 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON TX 340 PM CDT SAT MAY 13 1989 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM FOR A LARGE PART OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS WHICH INCLUDES AUSTIN...WASHINGTON AND COLORADO COUNTIES... NO SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED IN AUSTIN...WASHINGTON OR COLORADO COUNTIES THIS AFTERNOON...HOWEREVER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN OCCURING IN CENTRAL TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON AND CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE CONTINUTED DEVELOPMENT OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FURTHER EAST OF THIS AREA THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. REMEMBER A TORNDAO WATCH MEANS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOS CAN RAPIDLY DEVELOPE IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA WITH LITTLE WARNING. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 13, 5:31 PM CDT, 1 hour 53 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON TX 530 PM CDT SAT MAY 13 1989 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM FOR A LARGE PART OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS WHICH INCLUDES AUSTIN...WASHINGTON AND COLORADO COUNTIES... AT 530 PM THE LEADING EDGE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS INDICATED FROM BRENHAM TO NORTH OF CROCKETT AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE ABOUT 50 MILES TO THE WEST AND NORTHWEST OF THE LEADING EGDE. SOME OF THESE STORMS HAVE PRODUCED SEVERE WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. CONDITONS REMAIN FAVORALBE FOR THE CONTINUNED DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 13, 6:26 PM CDT, 58 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON TX 625 PM CDT SAT MAY 13 1989 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 AM SUNDAY MORNING FOR MOST OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS INCLUD THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA... THE NATIONAL SEVERE STORMS FORECAST CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 1OO AM CDT SUNDAY MORNING. THIS INCLUDES HOUSTON...TRINITY...AUSTIN...WASHINGTON ...WHARTON...BRAZORIA...FORT BEND...GRIMES...HARRIS...LIBERTY...POLK.. MATAGORDA...MONTGOMERY...SAN JACINTO...WALKER...AND WALLER COUNTIES OF TEXAS. AT 515 PM THE LEADING EDGE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS INDICATED FROM BRENHAM...HUNTSVILLE AND LUFKIN. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE ABOUT 50 MILES TO THE WEST AND SOUTHWEST OF THE WASHINGTON AND COLORADO COUNTIES. SOME OF THESE STORMS PRODUCED SEVERE WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON. CONDITONS REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR THE CONTINUNED DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 13, 6:42 PM CDT, 42 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON TX 625 PM CDT SAT MAY 13 1989 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 AM SUNDAY MORNING FOR MOST OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS INCLUDING THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA... THE NATIONAL SEVERE STORMS FORECAST CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 1OO AM CDT SUNDAY MORNING. THIS INCLUDES HOUSTON...TRINITY...AUSTIN...WASHINGTON ...WHARTON...BRAZORIA...FORT BEND...GRIMES...HARRIS...LIBERTY...POLK.. MATAGORDA...MONTGOMERY...SAN JACINTO...WALKER...AND WALLER COUNTIES OF TEXAS. AT 615 PM THE LEADING EDGE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS INDICATED FROM BRENHAM...HUNTSVILLE AND LUFKIN. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE ABOUT 50 MILES TO THE WEST AND SOUTHWEST OF THE WASHINGTON AND COLORADO COUNTIES. SOME OF THESE STORMS PRODUCED SEVERE WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON. CONDITONS REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR THE CONTINUNED DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 13, 6:48 PM CDT, 36 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GALVESTON TEXAS 640 PM CDT SAT MAY 13 1989 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM SUNDAY MORNING FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND ADJACENT %COASTAL WATERS... AT 630 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS... SOME PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN IN CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS BETWEEN GIDDINGS AND LA GRANGE. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 13, 7:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Montgomery | 61 min |
| May 13, 9:02 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Wharton | 58 min |
| May 13, 9:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Polk | 65 min |
| May 13, 9:18 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Fort Bend, Harris | 57 min |
| May 13, 10:29 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Wharton | 61 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.