Alert archive / Illinois / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1989

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 7, NWS Indianapolis, IN

March 14, 1989White County, Illinois; Posey County, Indiana

NWS Indianapolis, IN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 14, 1989, 7:56 PM CST for White County, Illinois; Posey County, Indiana. It was in force for 49 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
Mar 14, 1989, 7:56 PM CST (01:56 UTC)
Expired
Mar 14, 1989, 8:45 PM CST
In force
49 min
Issued by
NWS Indianapolis, IN
Area
Whole counties

Counties White County, IL, Posey County, IN

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
Mar 14, 8:02 PM CSTHail 0.88White, IL
Mar 14, 8:27 PM CSTHail 0.75Posey, IN

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

Paducah/Barkley, KY (KPAH), launched 00:00Z, 1.9 hours before the alert went out and 125 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, Paducah/Barkley, KY at 00:00Z on 1989-03-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 249 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, Paducah/Barkley, KY at 00:00Z on 1989-03-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 331 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
249 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-156 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1106 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
68 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
331 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
386 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.2
Supercell composite
0.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KEVV 150157
SVREVV
ILC193-INC129-150245-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EVANSVILLE IN
756 PM CST TUE MAR 14 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN EVANSVILLE HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  845 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS
          ...WHITE
IN SOUTHWEST INDIANA
          ...POSEY
 
AT 755 PM CST...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IN WHITE COUNTY
IN SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS...NEAR OMAHA ILLINOIS...ABOUT 35 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF EVANSVILLE. THE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING TO THE
NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.
 
 
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.
SPODEN

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

Special weather statement, Mar 14, 4:35 PM CST, 3 hours 21 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
535 PM EST TUE MAR 14 1989

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN INDIANA NORTH OF A LINE
FROM 40 MILES NORTH OF TERRE HAUTE TO 15 MILES NORTH OF MUNCIE.

AT 530 PM EST RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF LIGHT RAIN OVER CENTRAL AND
NORTH CENTRAL INDIANA. THERE WERE NO THUNDERSTORMS OVER INDIANA.
HOWEVER A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS FROM NEAR CHICAGO TO
DECATUR ILLINOIS.

THE PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING RAPIDLY EAST-NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 50 MPH.

ALLSOPP
Special weather statement, Mar 14, 5:07 PM CST, 2 hours 49 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
605 PM EST TUE MAR 14 1989

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN INDIANA NORTH OF A LINE
FROM 40 MILES NORTH OF TERRE HAUTE TO 15 MILES NORTH OF MUNCIE.

AT 555 PM EST RADAR SHOWED A 30 TO 50 MILE WIDE BAND OF LIGHT RAIN
OVER CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST INDIANA...FROM BLOOMINGTON TO FORT WAYNE.
A SMALLER BAND OF LIGHT SHOWERS WAS OVER NORTHWEST INDIANA FROM JUST
NORTH OF LAFAYETTE TO JUST WEST OF SOUTH BEND.

THERE WERE NO THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL INDIANA...HOWEVER A LINE OF
SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WAS FROM NEAR GARY INDIANA TO 20 MILES
NORTHWEST OF CHAMPAIGN ILLINOIS.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE RACING NORTHEAST AT 50 TO 60 MPH AND SHOULD
REACH NORTHWEST INDIANA FROM COVINGTON TO MOROCCO AROUND 630 PM EST.

ALLSOPP
Special weather statement, Mar 14, 5:48 PM CST, 2 hours 8 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
645 PM EST TUE MAR 14 1989

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN INDIANA NORTH OF A LINE
FROM 40 MILES NORTH OF TERRE HAUTE TO 15 MILES NORTH OF MUNCIE.

SO FAR THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER NEAR CENTRAL
INDIANA.

AT 640 PM EST RADAR SHOWED A THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED IN EXTREME
EASTERN ILLINOIS ABOUT 15 MILES WEST OF KENTLAND INDIANA OR ABOUT
45 MILES NORTHWEST OF LAFAYATTE.  THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE INTO
NORTHWEST INDIANA BEFORE 700 PM EST.

OTHER SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSHOWERS EXTENDED NORTHWARD TO GARY
INDIANA.

ANOTHER AREA OF VERY LIGHT SHOWERS EXTENDED FROM BLOOMINGTON TO
THE EAST SIDE OF INDIANAPOLIS TO FORT WAYNE.

ALL OF THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.
HENDRICKSON
Special weather statement, Mar 14, 6:23 PM CST, 1 hour 33 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
720 PM EST TUE MAR 14 1989

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM EST FOR NORTHERN INDIANA
NORTH OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES NORTH OF TERRE HAUTE TO 15 MILES NORTH OF
MUNCIE.

SO FAR THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER NEAR CENTRAL INDIANA
THIS EVENING.

AT 715 PM EST RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND A FEW
THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM NEAR LAFAYATTE TO NEAR SOUTH BEND.  THE
STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS ABOUT 50 MILES NORTH OF LAFAYATTE.

ALSO SCATTERED SHOWERS WERE DEVELOPING IN AN AREA WHICH EXTENDED FROM
JUST SOUTH OF LAFAYATTE TO ABOUT 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF TERRE HAUTE.

ANOTHER AR9EA OF MOSTLY SPRINKLES EXTENDED ACROSS EASTERN INDIANA FROM
NEAR COLUMBUS TO MUNCIE TO JUST EAST OF FORT WAYNE.

ALL OF THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.
HENDRICKSON
Special weather statement, Mar 14, 6:48 PM CST, 1 hour 8 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
750 PM EST TUE MAR 14 1989

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM EST FOR NORTHERN INDIANA
NORTH OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES NORTH OF TERRE HAUTE TO 15 MILES NORTH OF
MUNCIE.

SO FAR THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER NEAR CENTRAL INDIANA
THIS EVENING.

AT 745 PM EST RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND A FEW
THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM JUST NORTH OF LAFAYATTE TO NEAR SOUTH BEND.
THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS ABOUT 30 MILES NORTH OF LOGANSPORTE.

ALSO SCATTERED SHOWERS EXTENDED FROM NEAR TERRE HAUTE TO JUST WEST OF
INDIANAPOLIS AND NORTH TO LAFAYATTE.

ALL OF THE SHOWERS AND THUNDER]STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.
HENDRICKSON
Special weather statement, Mar 14, 7:33 PM CST, 23 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
830 PM EST TUE MAR 14 1989

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM EST FOR NORTHERN INDIANA
NORTH OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES NORTH OF TERRE HAUTE TO 15 MILES NORTH OF
MUNCIE.

SO FAR THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER NEAR CENTRAL INDIANA
THIS EVENING.

AT 825 PM EST RADAR SHOWED AN LINE OF SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS
EXTENDED FROM JUST EAST OF SOUTH BEND TO KOKOMO...INDIANAPOLIS AND THEN
SOUTHWEST TO TERRE HAUTE AND SULLIVAN.

A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED ABOUT 25 MILES EAST OF TERRE HAUTE.
THE GREEN CASTLE POLICE REPORTED PEA SIZE HAIL ABOUT 40 MILES WEST OF
INDIANAPOLIS AT 825 PM EST.

ALL OF THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.
HENDRICKSON

The office that day

Everything else NWS Indianapolis, IN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 14, 9:26 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDBartholomew, Decatur34 min
Mar 14, 10:03 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDJackson, Jennings42 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Illinois, 1989Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Indiana, 1989Every 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.