Alert archive / Mississippi / Tornado Warnings in 1989
Tornado Warning 17, NWS Memphis, TN
NWS Memphis, TN issued this tornado warning at May 8, 1989, 10:36 PM CDT for Phillips County, Arkansas; Coahoma County, Tunica County, Mississippi. It was in force for 54 min. 2 reports 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
- May 8, 1989, 10:36 PM CDT (03:36 UTC)
- Expired
- May 8, 1989, 11:30 PM CDT
- In force
- 54 min
- Issued by
- NWS Memphis, TN
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Phillips County, AR, Coahoma County, MS, Tunica 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 10:40 PM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Phillips, AR | |
| May 8, 11:35 PM CDT | Hail 0.75 | Coahoma, 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
Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 00:00Z, 3.6 hours before the alert went out and 74 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
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 3611 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 48 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 61 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 336 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KMEM 090337
TORMEM
ARC107-MSC027-143-090430-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
1036 PM CDT MON MAY 8 1989
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1130 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN EAST ARKANSAS
...PHILLIPS
IN NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI
...COAHOMA...SOUTHERN TUNICA
AT 1030 PM CDT...A CITIZEN REPORT WAS RECEIVED OF A TORNADO TOUCHDOWN
5 MILES WEST OF WEST HELENA ARKANSAS. THE ASSOCIATED STORM IS MOVING
SOUTHEAST 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, May 8, 5:40 PM CDT, 4 hours 56 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 545 PM CDT MON MAY 8 1989 ...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI... LATEST RADAR AND SATELLITE PICTURES INDICATE A LARGE AREA OF RAIN WITH SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING OVER NORTHEAST ARKANSAS WEST TENNESSEE AND NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPT. THE HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORMS ARE NEAR THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND WILL BE MOVING INTO NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN ARKANSAS UNTIL 8 PM CDT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE LARGE HAIL DAMAGING WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTENING. SEEK SHELTER IF THUNDERSTORMS ARE APPROACHING YOUr. THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING SOUTHEASTWARD AROUND 35 MPH BUT THE AREA OF LIGHT RAIN IS MOVING VERY SLOWLY AT THIS TIME.
Special weather statement, May 8, 9:47 PM CDT, 49 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUPELO MS 945 PM CDT MON MAY 8 1989 ...RAIN AND THUNDERSHOWERS CONTINUE IN NORTH MISSISSIPPI... AT 930 CDT...TUPELO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR WAS INDICATING A RATHER LARGE AREA OF WIDESPREAD LIGHT RAIN WITH EMBEDDED RAINSHOWERS AND THUNDERSHOWERS OVER MANY SECTIONS OF NORTH MISSISSIPPI...EXLCLUDING THE EXTREME NORTHEASTERN PORTION OF MISSISSIPPI. THE HEAVIEST THUNDERSHOWER ACTIVITY WAS INDICATED OVER WESTERN SECTIONS OF LOWNDES COUNTY IN NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI. THESE THUNDERSHOWERS AND RAINSHOWERS WERE MOVING TO THE SOUTH SOUTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR WHILE THE WHOLE SYSTEM OF LIGHT RAIN WAS MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. THESE THUNDERSHOWERS HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF GUSTY WINDS...LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND OCCASIONAL DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. MORE STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS CONDITIONS WARRANT.
Special weather statement, May 8, 9:51 PM CDT, 45 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 950 PM CDT MON MAY 8 1989 ...HEAVY RAINS TRACKING THROUGH PARTS OF EASTERN ARKANSAS... AT MID EVENING HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEASTWARD THROUGH LEE COUNTY ARKANSAS. THESE STORMS HAVE VERY HEAVY RAINS FALLING AT THE RATE OF SEVERAL INCHES PER HOUR. THE HEAVY RAINS ARE MOVING SOUTHEAST AROUND 35 MPH. HOWEVER NEW RAIN STORMS ARE DEVELOPING OVER THE SAME AREAS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE. PEOPLE IN LEE COUNTY SHOULD BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE FLOODING FROM THESE HEAVY SHOWERS. REMEMBER IF RISING WATER THREATENS YOU MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND. DO NOT TRY TO DRIVE YOUR CAR INTO FLOODED AREAS. RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE MUCH OF THE NIGHT IN EASTERN ARKANSAS AND PEOPLE SHOULD LISTEN FOR FUURTHER WEATHER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Memphis, TN issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 10:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Lee, Phillips | 47 min |
| May 9, 12:31 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Phillips | 44 min |
| May 9, 2:09 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Phillips | 66 min |
| May 8, 11:33 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Coahoma, Quitman, Tunica | 42 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Mississippi, 1989Tornado Warnings in Arkansas, 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.