Alert archive / Indiana / Tornado Warnings in 1989
Tornado Warning 6, NWS Indianapolis, IN
NWS Indianapolis, IN issued this tornado warning at Jan 7, 1989, 9:31 PM EST for Elkhart County, Indiana. It was in force for 14 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Jan 7, 1989, 9:31 PM EST (02:31 UTC)
- Expired
- Jan 7, 1989, 9:45 PM EST
- In force
- 14 min
- Issued by
- NWS Indianapolis, IN
- Area
- Whole counties
County Elkhart County, IN
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
Dayton/James M C, OH (KDAY), launched 00:00Z, 2.5 hours before the alert went out and 235 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
- 60 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -76 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 764 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 42 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 447 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 555 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.4
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KSBN 080232
TORSBN
INC039-080245-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SOUTH BEND IN
931 PM EST SAT JAN 7 1989
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SOUTH BEND HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 945 PM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN NORTH CENTRAL INDIANA
...EASTERN ELKHART
AT 925 PM EST THE PUBLIC REPORTED A TORNADO JUST EAST OF ELKHART
NEAR STATE ROAD 20. A LARGE TREE WAS REPORTED DAMAGED AND POWER LINES
DOWN.
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 2THE LOWEST FLOOR. USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY. AVOID WINDOWS.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, Jan 7, 4:39 PM EST, 4 hours 52 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA 435 PM EST SAT JAN 7 1989 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF WESTERN INDIANA UNTIL 900 PM EST... AT 430 PM EST...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED SEVERAL STRONG THUNDER- STORMS OVER PARTS OF EXTREME WEST CENTRAL INDIANA AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THE AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM NEAR DANVILLE ILLINOIS...ABOUT 40 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LAFAYETTE...TO 30 MILES NORTHWEST OF TERRE HAUTE THEN WEST TO 25 MILES SOUTH OF CHAMPAIGN. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED 30 MILES NORTHWEST TERRE HAUTE AND 25 MILES SOUTH OF CHAMPAIGN. GUSTY SURFACE WINDS...HEAVY RAINFALL AND DANGEROUS LqIGHTNING WILL ACCOMPANY SOME OF THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS. . THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR. PRZYBYLINSKI
Special weather statement, Jan 7, 5:16 PM EST, 4 hours 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA 514 PM EST SAT JAN 7 1989 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF WESTERN INDIANA UNTIL 900 PM EST... AT 510 PM EST...NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS...SOME VERY STRONG...WERE IN A 15 TO 25 MILE WIDE AREA THAT EXTENDED FROM 25 MILES NORTH OF LAFAYETTE TO 40 MILES NORTH OF TERRE HAUTE. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE 40 MILES NORTH OF TERRE HAUTE JUST TO THE NORTH OF WAYNETOWN AND VEEDERSBURG. THESE STORMS LIKELY CONTAIN HAIL...GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 35 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR. AT 440 PM EST...THE VERMILLION COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTED THAT PEA SIZE HAIL COVERED THE GROUND AT NEWPORT. STEIGERWALDT
Special weather statement, Jan 7, 5:42 PM EST, 3 hours 49 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA 543 PM EST SAT JAN 7 1989 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF WESTERN INDIANA UNTIL 900 PM EST... AT 540 PM EST...NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER NORTH CENTRAL INDIANA. THE STORMS WERE WITHIN AN AREA FROM 20 MILES WEST AND 25 MILES OF LAFAYETTE TO 35 MILES NORTH OF LOGANSPORT. THE LARGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE FROM LAFAYETTE TO 20 MILES EAST OF LAFAYETT-E. OTHER STRONG STORMS WERE 10 MILES WEST OF LOGANSPORT. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 35 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR. AT 530 PM EST...THE CLINTON COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTED MARBLE SIZE HAIL 6 MILES WEST OF FRANKFORT. STEIGERWALDT
Special weather statement, Jan 7, 5:45 PM EST, 3 hours 46 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA 543 PM EST SAT JAN 7 1989 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF WESTERN INDIANA UNTIL 900 PM EST... AT 540 PM EST...NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER NORTH CENTRAL INDIANA. THE STORMS WERE WITHIN AN AREA FROM 20 MILES WEST TO 25 MILES EAST OF LAFAYETTE TO 35 MILES NORTH OF LOGANSPORT. THE LARGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE FROM LAFAYETTE TO 20 MI1LES EAST OF LAFAYETTE. OTHER STRONG STORMS WERE 10 MILES WEST OF LOGANSPORT. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 35 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR. AT 530 PM EST...THE CLINTON COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTED MARBLE SIZE HAIL 6 MILES WEST OF FRANKFORT. STEIGERWALDT
Special weather statement, Jan 7, 7:10 PM EST, 2 hours 21 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA 709 PM EST SAT JAN 7 1989 AT 705 PM EST...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAD ENTERED THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF INDIANAPOLIS...PRODUCING WIND GUSTS OF 32 MILES AN HOUR AT THE INDIANAPOLIS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MILES AN HOUR ALONG WITH HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND POSSIBLY SOME HAIL WILL ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS AS THEY CONTINUE MOVING NORTHEAST ACROSS THE INDIANAPOLIS METROPOLITAN AREA. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL REACH THE CITIES OF WESTFIELD...NOBLESVILLE ...FORTVILLE AND GREENFIELD BEFORE 800 PM EST. TORNADO WATCHES REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST INDIANA UNTIL 9 PM EST...AND FOR EAST CENTRAL AND THE REST OF SOUTHERN INDIANA UNTIL 11 PM EST. STEIGERWALDT
Special weather statement, Jan 7, 8:05 PM EST, 1 hour 26 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA 803 PM EST SAT JAN 7 1989 AT 758 PM EST...SCATTERED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER PARTS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA. THE LARGEST STORMS WERE NEAR MUNCIE...10 MILES WEST OF ANDERSON AND 15 MILES NORTHEAST OF BLOOMINGTON. OTHER VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO DEVELOPING OVER PART OF NORTHWEST INDIANA AND OVER EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS NEAR DANVILLE. THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR. THE NEWTON COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTED PEA SIZE HAIL AND 40 MILE AN HOUR WINDS AT MOROCCO AT 745 PM EST. ALSO...AT 758 PM EST...THE JASPER COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTED PEA SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MILE AN HOUR WINDS IN NORTHWEST JASPER COUNTY. BOTH THESE COUNTIES ARE IN NORTHWEST INDIANA. . TORNADO WATCHES REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST INDIANA UNTIL 9 PM EST...AND FOR EAST CENTRAL AND THE REST OF SOUTHERN INDIANA UNTIL 11 PM EST. STEIGERWALDT
The office that day
Everything else NWS Indianapolis, IN issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 7, 7:30 PM EST | Tornado Warning | IND | Martin | 30 min |
| Jan 7, 7:33 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | IND | Lawrence | 42 min |
| Jan 7, 8:38 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | IND | Bartholomew, Decatur | 52 min |
| Jan 7, 9:42 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | IND | Decatur | 33 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Indiana, 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.