Alert archive / Indiana / Tornado Warnings in 1989

Tornado Warning 4, NWS Louisville, KY

April 3, 1989Harrison County, Indiana

NWS Louisville, KY issued this tornado warning at Apr 3, 1989, 10:18 PM EDT for Harrison County, Indiana. It was in force for 27 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 3, 1989, 10:18 PM EDT (02:18 UTC)
Expired
Apr 3, 1989, 10:45 PM EDT
In force
27 min
Issued by
NWS Louisville, KY
Area
Whole counties

County Harrison 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

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 00:00Z, 2.3 hours before the alert went out and 234 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 00:00Z on 1989-04-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 119 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 00:00Z on 1989-04-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 337 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
119 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-120 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
735 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
56 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
337 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
419 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KSDF 040218
TORSDF
INC061-040245-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
1018 PM EDT MON APR 3 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LOUISVILLE HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1045 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTH INDIANA
          ...HARRISON
 
AT 10 PM...A SECOND LINE AREA OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAS PRODUCED A
COUPLE OF TORNADOES ON THE INDIANA SIDE OF THE OHIO RIVER...NORTH OF
BRANDENBURG. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING THE 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.  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, Apr 3, 6:13 PM EDT, 4 hours 5 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
610 PM EDT MON APR 3 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR A SMALL PORTION OF NORTHWEST
   KENTUCKY UNTIL 9 PM EDT TONIGHT...

AT 6 PM EST A FEW THUNDERSHOWERS WERE SCATTERED OVER THE SOUTH CENTRAL
PARTS OF KENTUCKY NEAR LONDON. SKIES WILL REMAIN MOSTLY CLOUDY AND
TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN THE UPPER 60S AND 70S.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST ACROSS SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND
SOUTHWEST INDIANA. THESE SHOULD REMAIN JUST NORTH OF THE OHIO RIVER AS
THEY MOVE EAST ACROSS SOUTHERN INDIANA. OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
MOVING EAST ACROSS SOUTHEAST MISSOURI WILL MOVE INTO FAR WEST KENTUCKY
EARLY THIS EVENING.

PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA ARE ADVISED TO REMAIN ALERT TO RAPIDLY
CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND SEEK SHELTER IF THE WEATHER BECOMES
UNUSUALLY THREATENING.

SCHOLZ
Special weather statement, Apr 3, 7:18 PM EDT, 3 hours before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
714 PM EDT MON APR 3 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF WEST AND CENTRAL
   KENTUCKY UNTIL 1 AM EDT TUESDAY MORNING...

THE NEW TORNADO WATCH REPLACES TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 77 THAT WAS IN
EFFECT FOR THE WEST PARTS OF KENTUCKY.

AT 7 PM EDT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER THE EAST
CENTRAL PARTS OF KENTUCKY WITH CLOUDY SKIES TEMPERATURES IN THE
MID 60S TO MID 70S OVER THE REST OF KENTUCKY.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST ACROSS SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND
SOUTHWEST INDIANA. LARGE HAIL AND EVEN A TORNADO HAVE BEEN REPORTED
WITH THESE STORMS. THESE STORMS SHOULD REMAIN NORTH OF THE OHIO RIVER
BUT WILL BE MOVING THROUGH THE INDIANA COUNTIES TO THE NORTH OF
LOUISVILLE.
<
OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTHEAST MISSOURI WILL BE MOVING
INTO FAR WEST KENTUCKY WITHIN THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE VERY DANGEROUS. IF YOU AREE IN OR NEAR THE WATCH
AREA LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. IF THE WEATHER
BECOMES UNSUALLY THREATENING SEEK A PLACE OF SAFETY.

SCHOLZ
Special weather statement, Apr 3, 8:19 PM EDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LEXINGTON KENTUCKY
814 PM EDT MON APR 3 1989

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN EAST CENTRAL KENTUCKY...

AT 810 PM EDT WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A STRONG THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED IN
BOURBON COUNTY JUST SOUTH OF PARIS, KENTUCKY. ANOTHER STRONG THUNDER/
STORM WAS LOCATED IN ROBERTSON COUNTY JUST SOUTH OF MOUNT OLIVET,
KENTUCKY. THE STORMS ARE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.
HEAVY RAIN..DANGEROUS LIGHT5NING..SMALL HAIL AND STRONG GUSTY SURFACE
WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

SZAPPANOS
Special weather statement, Apr 3, 8:33 PM EDT, 1 hour 45 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LEXINGTON KENTUCKY
814 PM EDT MON APR 3 1989

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN EAST CENTRAL KENTUCKY...

AT 810 PM EDT WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A STRONG THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED IN
BOURBON COUNTY JUST SOUTH OF PARIS, KENTUCKY. ANOTHER STRONG THUNDER/
STORM WAS LOCATED IN ROBERTSON COUNTY JUST SOUTH OF MOUNT OLIVET,
KENTUCKY. THE STORMS ARE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.
HEAVY RAIN..DANGEROUS LIGHT@NING..SMALL HAIL AND STRONG GUSTY SURFACE
WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

SZAPPANOS
Special weather statement, Apr 3, 9:13 PM EDT, 1 hour 5 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LEXINGTON KENTUCKY
910 PM EDT MON APR 3 1989

...TORNADO WATCH FOR PARTS OF EAST CENTRAL KENTUCKY UNTIL 1 AM EDT...

AT 906 PM EDT WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM LOCATED IN
FLEMING COUNTY BETWEEN EWING AND FLEMINGSBURG, KENTUCKY. THIS STORM
IS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. NO OTHER ACTIVITY WAS INDICATED
IN EAST CENTRAL KENTUCKY.

HEAVY RAIN..DANGEROUS LIGHTNING..SMALL H^AIL AND STRONG GUSTY SURFACE
WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

NO REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN THE PAST HOUR.
SZAPPANOS
Special weather statement, Apr 3, 10:09 PM EDT, 9 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LEXINGTON KENTUCKY
1004 PM EDT MON APR 3 1989

...TORNADO WATCH FOR PARTS OF EAST CENTRAL KENTUCKY UNTIL 1 AM EDT...

AT 10 PM EDT WEATHER RADAR SHOWED NO ACTIVITY IN EAST CENTRAL
KENTUCKY. HOWEVER A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS CROSSING THE OHIO RIVER
AND MOVING INTO LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

NO REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN THE PAST HOUR IN
EAST CENTRAL KENTUCKY.

SZAPPANOS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 3, 8:05 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLMKCrawford, Orange55 min
Apr 3, 8:38 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLMKHarrison52 min
Apr 3, 9:03 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLMKClark, Floyd57 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.