Alert archive / Tennessee / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1989

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 113, NWS Memphis, TN

November 7, 1989Hardeman County, Tennessee

NWS Memphis, TN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Nov 7, 1989, 9:24 PM CST for Hardeman County, Tennessee. It was in force for 66 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
Nov 7, 1989, 9:24 PM CST (03:24 UTC)
Expired
Nov 7, 1989, 10:30 PM CST
In force
66 min
Issued by
NWS Memphis, TN
Area
Whole counties

County Hardeman County, TN

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
Nov 7, 10:00 PM CSTThunderstorm Wind 0Hardeman, TN

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

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 00:00Z, 3.4 hours before the alert went out and 97 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, Little Rock, AR at 00:00Z on 1989-11-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Little Rock, AR at 00:00Z on 1989-11-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 96 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
3582 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
52 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
96 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
89 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMEM 080329 COR
SVRMEM
TNC069-080430-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING...CORRECTION FOR GARBLING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
924 PM CST TUE NOV 7 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1030 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN WEST TENNESSEE
          ...NORTHERN HARDEMAN
 
RADAR INDICATED A DANGEROUS THUNDERSTORM ALONG THE FAYETTE-HARDEMAN
COUNTY LINE WEST OF WHITEVILLE TENNESSEE.
 
GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED NORTH OF OAKLAND TENNESSEE IN FAYETTE
COUNTY EARLIER.  IN ADDITION...THIS STORM ALSO PRODUCED WINDS IN EXCESSOF 50 MILES AN HOUR.
 
THIS STORM IS MOVING TO THE EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.  THE PRESENT
MOVEMENT WILL TAKE THIS STORM NEAR BOLIVAR.
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIO6R 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.

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, Nov 7, 7:13 PM CST, 2 hours 11 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  MEMPHIS TN
710 PM CST  TUE NOV 7 1989

     ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING INTO SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE...

AT 705 PM CST...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR TURRELL
ARKANSAS IN NORTHERN CRITTENDEN COUNTY. THE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING
EAST AT 35 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE MOVING THROUGH NORTHERN
SHELBY COUNTY TENNESSEE DURING THE NEXT HOUR AND MAY BRUSH THE
SOUTHERN PART OF TIPTON COUNTY TENNESSEE. THE PRESENT MOVEMENT OF
THE STORM WILL BRING IT NEAR THE CITY OF MILLINGTON.

STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY RAIN CAN
BE EXPECTED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THIS STORM. THOSE IN THE PATH OF
THIS STORM SHOULD MOMVE IMMEDIATELY TO A SAFE PLACE.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR TELEVISION
FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, Nov 7, 7:40 PM CST, 1 hour 44 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
735 PM CST TUE NOV 7 1989

.........STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN WEST TENNESSEE......

AT 725PM SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE
MOVING ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER INTO WEST TENNESSEE. THE AREA
WAS LOCATED FROM NEAR PARKIN ARKANSAS TO MILLINGTON TENNESSEE...
AND NORTH TO THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL.

THE HEAVIEST STORM WAS IN NORTH SHELBY COUNTY TENNESSEE WHERE
PEA SIZE HAIL WAS BEING REPORTED. SOME GUSTY WINDS TO 40 MPH
MORE SMALL HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY RAIN CAN BE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM AS IT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Nov 7, 9:19 PM CST, 5 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
915 PM CST TUE NOV 7 1989

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE IN WEST TENNESSEE...

AT 910PM WEATHER RADAR CONTINUED TO SHOW THUNDERSTORMS CONTAINING PEA
SIZE HAIL...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN ACROSS NORTH FAYETTE COUNTY.

THE AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHED FROM JUST WEST OF SOMERVILLE
TO JACKSON TENNESSEE....AND FROM THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER TO JUST SOUTH OF
COVINGTON TENNESSEE.

PEA SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED ALONG INTERSTATE 40 NORTH OF SOMERVILLE
AND GOLF BALL SIZE WAS REPORTED JUST NORTH OF OAKLAND TENNESSEE.
SOME DAMAGING WINDS OVER 50 MPH WERE REPORTED WITH THE STORM IN
FAYETTE COUNTY.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING( EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Memphis, TN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Nov 7, 8:25 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGFayette, Shelby65 min
Nov 8, 1:15 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGShelby60 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Tennessee, 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.