Alert archive / Mississippi / Tornado Warnings in 1989

Tornado Warning 23, NWS Jackson, MS

February 20, 1989Clarke County, Mississippi

NWS Jackson, MS issued this tornado warning at Feb 20, 1989, 11:20 PM CST for Clarke County, Mississippi. It was in force for 25 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
Feb 20, 1989, 11:20 PM CST (05:20 UTC)
Expired
Feb 20, 1989, 11:45 PM CST
In force
25 min
Issued by
NWS Jackson, MS
Area
Whole counties

County Clarke County, MS

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
Feb 20, 11:40 PM CSTThunderstorm Wind 0Clarke, MS

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

Jackson, MS (KJAN), launched 00:00Z, 5.3 hours before the alert went out and 135 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, Jackson, MS at 00:00Z on 1989-02-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 550 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, Jackson, MS at 00:00Z on 1989-02-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 305 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
550 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-66 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1115 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
48 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
305 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
410 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.8
Supercell composite
6.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMEI 210519
TORMEI
MSC023-210545-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MERIDIAN MS
1120 PM CST MON FEB 20 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MERIDIAN HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1145 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI
          ...CLARKE
 
AT 1120 PM CST RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO 12 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF QUITMAN MISSISSIPPI IN CLARKE COUNTY MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH.
 
 
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.  USXE 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

Local storm report, Feb 20, 10:20 PM CST, 1 hour before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MERIDIAN MS
1019 PM CST MON FEB 20 1989

AT 1005 PM CST THE UNION FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD
NEAR UNION MISSISSIPPI MOVING NORTHEAST.
Local storm report, Feb 20, 10:23 PM CST, 57 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MERIDIAN MS
1019 PM CST MON FEB 20 1989

AT 1005 PM CST THE UNION FIRE DEPARTMENT IN NORTHERN NEWTON COUNTY REPORTED
A FUNNEL CLOUD NEAR UNION MISSISSIPPI MOVING NORTHEAST.
Special weather statement, Feb 20, 10:29 PM CST, 51 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED ARE NORTH OF WEST POINT NO
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS       LONGER IN WATCH
1030 PM CST MON FEB 20 1989

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 7 REMAINS IN EFFECT IN MISSISSIPPI EAST OF
A WEST POINT-FOREST-MCCOMB LINE...

THE THUNDERSTORMS THAT PRODUCED THE DAMAGE IN CENTRAL AND NORTHERN
MISSISSIPPI EARLIER THIS EVENING HAVE NOW SHIFTED INTO EAST CENTRAL
AND SOUTH CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI.
Local storm report, Feb 20, 11:00 PM CST, 20 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MERIDIAN MS
1100 PM CST MON FEB 20 1989

AT 1052 PM CST JASPER COUNTY CIVIL DEFENSE REPORTED PEA SIZE HAIL
2 MILES WEST OF BAY SPRINGS MISSISSIPPI.
Local storm report, Feb 20, 11:14 PM CST, 6 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MERIDIAN MS
1115 PM CST MON FEB 20 1989

AT 1102 PM CST JASPER COUNTY CIVIL DEFENSE REPORTED NUMEROUS
SIGHTING OF FUNNEL CLOUDS AND DOWNED TREES AND POWER LINEKS NEAR
STRINGER MISSISSIPPI IN SOUTHWEST JASPER COUNTY.
Local storm report, Feb 20, 11:20 PM CST, 0 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
1120 PM CST MON FEB 20 1989

DELAYED STORM REPORTS FOR MONDAY FEBRUARY 20 ,1989

1130 AM...PEA SIZE HAIL NORTH OF CLARKSDALE.

425 PM...WALL CLOUD NEAR VICKSBURG.

438 PM...10-15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF VICKSBURG POSSIBLE TORNADO.

440 PM...LONG LAKE NORTH OF VICKSBURG...PUBLIC REPORTED TORNADO.

458 PM...GOLF BALL SIZE AND SILVER DOLLAR SIZE HAIL AND WINDS OF 50 TO
         60 MPH AT VICKSBURG.

500 PM...EXTENSIVE WIND DAMAGE AT VICKSBURG.  SEVERAL MOTELS LOST ROOFS
         ALONG WITH ROOF DAMAGE TO HOMES.  ONE UNOCCUPIED MOBILE HOME
         DESTROYED.  NUMEROUS HOMES WITHOUT POWER.

502 PM...POSSIBLE TORNADO 3 MILES SOUTH OF VICKSBURG ON HIGHWAY 61.

548 PM...JACKSON/HINDS EOC REPORTED TORNADO ON THE GROUND SOUTHWEST OF
         OF FLORA IN MADISON COUNTY.

655 PM...EIGHT HOUSES FLOODED AT SHELBY IN NORTHERN BOLIVAR COUNTY.

725 PM...TREES AND POWER LINES BLOWN DOWN AT PORT GIBSON IN CLAIBORNE
         COUNTY.

745 PM...TORNADO TOUCH DOWN AT FRENCH CAMP IN CHOCTAW COUNTY.

803 PM...WIND DAMAGE TO HOMES...TREES AND POWER LINES AT UTICA IN
         HINDS COUNTY.

815-830 PM...DAMAGING WINDS DOWNED TREES AND POWER LINES IN JACKSON.
             CONSIDERABLE ROOF DAMAGE TO HOMES DUE TO HIGH WINDS AND
             TREES ON HOUSES.  ROOF OF DAMAGE TO BEST WESTERN MOTEL ON
             HIGHWAY 80 AND ELLIS AVENUE.  SEVERAL THOUSAND HOMES
             WITHOUT POWER.

900 PM...TREES DOWN 5 MILES SOUTH OF HAZLEHURST IN COPIAH COUNTY.

915 PM...ONE LARGE TREE DOWN AT HAZLEHURST IN COPIAH COUNTY.

915 PM...NUMEROUS TREES DOWN IN THE NORTHERN PART OF LINCOLN COUNTY.

920 PM...POEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL 2 MILES SOUTH OF CARTHAGE IN LEAKE
         COUNTY.

930 PM...NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN IN NORTHERN PORTION OF
         LINCOLN COUNTY.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Jackson, MS issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 20, 6:23 PM CSTTornado WarningJANAttala, Madison37 min
Feb 20, 6:23 PM CSTTornado WarningJANHolmes37 min
Feb 20, 6:50 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANYazoo25 min
Feb 20, 7:00 PM CSTTornado WarningJANAttala30 min
Feb 20, 7:21 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANClaiborne39 min
Feb 20, 7:27 PM CSTTornado WarningJANChoctaw33 min
Feb 20, 7:50 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANHinds40 min
Feb 20, 8:18 PM CSTTornado WarningJANHinds27 min
Feb 20, 8:21 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANCopiah, Jefferson39 min
Feb 20, 8:28 PM CSTTornado WarningJANRankin32 min
Feb 20, 8:32 PM CSTTornado WarningJANWinston43 min
Feb 20, 8:34 PM CSTTornado WarningJANMadison26 min
Feb 20, 8:42 PM CSTTornado WarningJANCopiah48 min
Feb 20, 8:46 PM CSTTornado WarningJANHinds14 min
Feb 20, 8:57 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANRankin18 min
Feb 20, 9:04 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANLincoln31 min
Feb 20, 9:07 PM CSTTornado WarningJANWinston53 min
Feb 20, 9:15 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANSmith30 min
Feb 20, 9:22 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANLeake38 min
Feb 20, 9:50 PM CSTTornado WarningJANNeshoba, Newton40 min
Feb 20, 10:07 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANSmith38 min
Feb 20, 10:54 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANJones36 min
Feb 20, 11:06 PM CSTTornado WarningJANJasper39 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Mississippi, 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.