Alert archive / Kentucky / Tornado Warnings in 1989

Tornado Warning 14, NWS Louisville, KY

July 8, 1989Shelby County, Spencer County, Kentucky

NWS Louisville, KY issued this tornado warning at Jul 8, 1989, 8:55 PM EDT for Shelby County, Spencer County, Kentucky. It was in force for 65 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 8, 1989, 8:55 PM EDT (00:55 UTC)
Expired
Jul 8, 1989, 10:00 PM EDT
In force
65 min
Issued by
NWS Louisville, KY
Area
Whole counties

Counties Shelby County, KY, Spencer County, KY

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, 0.9 hours before the alert went out and 218 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, Dayton/James M C, OH at 00:00Z on 1989-07-09Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 843 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, Dayton/James M C, OH at 00:00Z on 1989-07-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 48 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
843 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1696 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
26 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
48 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
127 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
1.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KSDF 090057
TORSDF
KYC211-215-090200-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
855 PM EDT  JUL 8 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LOUISVILLE HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1000 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY
          ...SOUTHERN SHELBY...SPENCER
 
SHORTLY BEFORE 9PM EDT WEATHER SERVICE RADAR DETECTED A POSSIBLE
TORNADO IN THE THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX OVER SHELBY COUNTY. THIS IS A
DANGEROUS STORM AND WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SLOWLY SOUTH INTO SPENCER
COUNTY TOWARD THE CITY OF TAYLORSVILLE...20 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF
LOUISVILLE.
 
 
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 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, Jul 8, 5:10 PM EDT, 3 hours 45 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
507 PM EDT SAT JUL 8 1989

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL
   KENTUCKY AND SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA UNTIL 10 PM EDT...

AT 500 PM EDT THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING OVER SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA
AND OVER PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY NEAR LOUISVILLE. OTHER STORMS
WERE LCOATED OVER SOUTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY TO THE EAST AND NORTHEAST OF
LONDON.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE DEVELOPING RAPIDLY FROM SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA
SOUTHEAST INTO SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY. BRIEF HEAVY RAINS AND GUSTY WINDS
WILL BE LIKELY WITH THESE STORMS.

HOT AND HUMID WEATHER WILL CONTINUE OVER THE REST OF THE STATE.

REMEMBER A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT.
IF THE WEATHER BECOMES UNUSUALLY THREATENING...SEEK A PLACE OF SAFETY
INDOORS.

SCHOLZ
Special weather statement, Jul 8, 6:11 PM EDT, 2 hours 44 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
608 PM EDT SAT JUL 8 1989

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL
   KENTUCKY AND SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA UNTIL 10 PM EDT...

AT 600 PM EDT THUNDERSTORMS PERSISTED OVER SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY. SEVERAL
STORMS WERE NEAR AND JUST TO THE EAST AND NORTHEST OF LONDON. THESE
STORMS HAVE CONTINUED NEAR THE LONDON AREA FOR THE PAST TWO HOURS AND
WERE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINS AND GUSTY WINDS. PONDING OF
WATER IN LOW AREAS IS LIKELY.

OTHER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPIG OVER SOUTH CENTRAL
INDIANA JUST NORTH OF LOUISVILLE. THESE STORMS WERE DEVELOPING RAPIDLY
...PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY RAINS AND DISSIPATING.

HOT AND HUMID WEATHER WILL CONTINUE OVER THE REST OF THE STATE.

SCHOLZ
Special weather statement, Jul 8, 7:12 PM EDT, 1 hour 43 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
608 PM EDT SAT JUL 8 1989

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL
   KENTUCKY AND SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA UNTIL 10 PM EDT...

AT 7 PM EDT THUNDERSTORMS HAD DEVELOPED OVER SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA AND
NORTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY JUST TO THE NORTH AND NORTHEAST OF LOUISVILLE.
THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAINS AND GUSTY WINDS AS THEY
MOVE SLOWLY TO THE SOUTHEAST ACROSS CLARK COUNTY INDIANA AND OLDHAM...
HENRY AND SHELBY COUNTIES IN KENTUCKY.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE DECREASING OVER SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY NEAR
LONDON.

HOT AND HUMID WEATHER WILL CONTINUE OVER THE REST OF THE STATE THIS
EVENING.

SCHOLZW
Special weather statement, Jul 8, 7:47 PM EDT, 1 hour 8 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LEXINGTON KY
745 PM EDT SAT JUL 8 1989

...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP OVER EAST CENTRAL KENTUCKY...

AT 740 PM EDT...THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING OVER EAST CENTRAL
KENTUCKY. THE STRONGEST STORM WAS LOCATED OVER CENTRAL FRANKLIN COUNTY
WEST OF FRANKFORT...25 MILES NORTHWEST OF LEXINGTON.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER SOUTH FAYETTE AND NORTH
MADISON COUNTIES OF EAST CENTRAL KENTUCKY. ALL THUNDlERSTORMS WERE MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAINS AND DEADLY LIGHTNING STRIKES ARE
POSSIBLE WITH THE PASSAGE OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING.

IF STORMS APPROACH...GO TO SAFE REINFORCED SHELTER.
WHITE
Special weather statement, Jul 8, 8:16 PM EDT, 39 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
812 PM EDT SAT JUL 8 1989

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL
   KENTUCKY AND SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA UNTIL 10 PM EDT...

AT 8 PM EDT THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WIND WERE OCCURRING
OVER NORTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY. THE STORMS WERE TO THE EAST AND NORTHEAST
OF LOUSIVILLE FROM OLDHAM AND TRIMBLE COUNTIES SOUTHEAST TO NEAR
FRANKFORT. SEVERAL OF THESE STORMS WERE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY
RAIN AND STRONG GUSTY WIND. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING AND DEVELOPING
TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED OVER SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY.

VERY WARM AND HUMID WEATHER WILL CONTINUE OVER THE REST OF THE STATE
THIS EVENING.

SCHOLZ
Special weather statement, Jul 8, 8:43 PM EDT, 12 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LEXINGTON KY
840 PM EDT SAT JUL 8 1989

...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER EAST CENTRAL KENTUCKY...

AT 835 PM EDT...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS EAST CENTRAL
KENTUCKY. THE STRONGEST STORM WAS LOCATED OVER EAST WOODFORD AND WEST
FAYETTE COUNTIES...8 MILES WEST OF LEXINGTON MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN WAS REPORTED BY A WEATHER SPOTTER IN CENTRAL
WOODFORD COUNTY AT VERSAILLES AT 830 PM EDT THIS EVENING.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST ACROSS NORTHERN FRANKLIN
COUNTY...25 MILES NORTHWEST OF LEXINGTON. AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
OVER SHELBY AND SPENCER COUNTIES OF CENTRAL KENTUCKY WILL BE MOVING
INTO WEST ANDERSON COUNTY AROUND 9 PM EDT.

SMALL HAIL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN WILL ACCOMPANY THESE
STORMS AS THEY CROSS EAST CENTRAL KENTUCKY THIS EVENING.
IF STORMS APPROACH...SEEK REINFORCED SHELTER.
WHITE

The office that day

Everything else NWS Louisville, KY issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 8, 8:25 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLMKShelby, Spencer65 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Kentucky, 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.