Alert archive / Tennessee / Tornado Warnings in 1989

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Morristown, TN

May 26, 1989Knox County, Tennessee

NWS Morristown, TN issued this tornado warning at May 26, 1989, 9:07 PM EDT for Knox County, Tennessee. It was in force for 38 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
May 26, 1989, 9:07 PM EDT (01:07 UTC)
Expired
May 26, 1989, 9:45 PM EDT
In force
38 min
Issued by
NWS Morristown, TN
Area
Whole counties

County Knox 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
May 26, 9:30 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 0Knox, 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

Athens Municipal, GA (KAHN), launched 00:00Z, 1.1 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, Athens Municipal, GA at 00:00Z on 1989-05-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 978 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, Athens Municipal, GA at 00:00Z on 1989-05-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 40 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
978 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-13 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1606 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
40 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
37 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KTYS 270110
TORTYS
TNC093-270145-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KNOXVILLE TN
907 PM EDT FRI MAY 26 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN KNOXVILLE HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  945 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL TENNESSEE
          ...KNOX
 
A TORNADO WAS SPOTTED IN THE BALLCAMP PIKE OF KNOX COUNTY BY
A WEATHER SPOTTER.
 
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 26, 6:58 PM EDT, 2 hours 9 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BRISTOL TN
655 PM EDT FRI MAY 26 1989

...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA...

RADAR AT 655 PM INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN
WERE MOVING ACROSS LEE..WISE..AND DICKENSON COUNTIES IN
SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA.

RADAR INDICATES THAT SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE CAPABLE
OF PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY SURFACE WINDS AND SMALL HAIL.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING INTO SwCOTT..RUSSELL AND WASHINGTON
COUNTIES DURING THE NEXT HOUR.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.
Special weather statement, May 26, 7:38 PM EDT, 1 hour 29 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BRISTOL TN
725 PM EDT FRI MAY 26 1989

...TORNADO WATCH FOR NORTHEAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWESTERN
   VIRGINIA UNTIL 11 PM...

RADAR AT 725 PM INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN
OVER WASHINGTON..SCOTT..BUCHANAN AND TAZEWELL COUNTIES IN
SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA. RADAR INDICATES THAT SOME OF THESE
THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY SURFACE
WINDS AND SMALL HAIL.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING INTO THE TRI-CITIES OF NORTHEAST
TENNESSEE BY 8 PM.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WERE WIDELY SCATTERED OVER
SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND EAST KENTUCKY.

MOVEMENT WAS SOUTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, May 26, 8:08 PM EDT, 59 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHATTANOOGA TN
807 PM EDT FRI MAY 26 1988

AT 805 PM EDT THE CHATTANOOGA WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM
MOVING ACROSS NORTHERN BLEDSOE COUNTY NORTH OF PIKEVILLE.

THIS THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT 35 MILES PER HOUR.

THIS STORM WILL LIKELY CONTAIN STRONG GUSTY WINDS...SOME HAIL...
VERY HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

PERSONS IN THE PROJECTED PATH OF THIS THUNDERSTORM SHOULD BE ALERT
FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE READY TO TAKE SHELTER
IF NECESSARY.

ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS MAY ALLOW THIS THUNDERSTORM TO REACH
SEVERE LIMITS...SO STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS
OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 26, 8:18 PM EDT, 49 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KNOXVILLE TN
815 PM EDT FRI MAY 27 1989

 .....TORNADO WATCH STILL IN EFFECT FOR EAST TENNESSEE...

...THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING KNOXVILLE...

A NEARLY SOLID LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING RAPIDLY EASTWARD
OVER THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU HEADING DIRECTLY TOWARD KNOXVILLE.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL
AND SOME GUSTY WINDS AND FREQUENT LIGHTING.
THIS AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE WITHIN THE KNOX COUNTY LINE
WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR.

STAY ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED
TO MOVE TO A SAFE PLACE IF THE NEED ARISES.

STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR MORE INFORMATION AS IT BECOMES AVAIABLE.
REM
Special weather statement, May 26, 8:45 PM EDT, 22 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BRISTOL TN
831 PM EDT FRI MAY 26 1989

...TORNADO WATCH FOR NORTHEAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWESTERN
   VIRGINIA UNTIL 11 PM...

AT 831 PM RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN
EXTENDED FROM KINGSPORT TENNESSEE SOUTHWEST TO NEW TAZEWELL.
OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE OVER NORTHEAST
TENNESSEE NEAR MOUNTAIN CITY AND EXTENDED NORTH TO MARION IN
SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA.

A LARGE AREA OF RAIN AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WAS OVER THE
REMAINDER OF SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA WEST OF THE NEW RIVER AND
OVER SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA.

ANOTHER LARGE AREA OF RAIN AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WAS DETECTED
OVER EAST TENNESSEE BETWEEN KNOXVILLE AND CROSSVILLE AND EXTENDED
NORTH INTO KENTUCKY TO NEAR LIVINGSTON.

MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, May 26, 8:50 PM EDT, 17 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KNOXVILLE TN
845 AM EDT FRI MAY 27 1989

 ....VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORM IN WEST KNOX COUNTY...

AT 845 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORM
IN WEST KNOX COUNTY MOVING TO THE EAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.

IF POSSIBLE REMAIN INDOORS FOR THE NEXT HOUR OR STAY IN YOUR
AUTOMOBILE .  THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE PRODUCING VIVID FREQUENT
LIGHTING AND BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALLS AND HIGH WIND SPE	EDS.
REM

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Tennessee, 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.