Alert archive / Louisiana / Tornado Warnings in 1989

Tornado Warning 7, NWS Shreveport, LA

May 4, 1989Caddo Parish, Louisiana

NWS Shreveport, LA issued this tornado warning at May 4, 1989, 11:14 PM CDT for Caddo Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 50 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 4, 1989, 11:14 PM CDT (04:14 UTC)
Expired
May 5, 1989, 12:04 AM CDT
In force
50 min
Issued by
NWS Shreveport, LA
Area
Whole counties

County Caddo Parish, LA

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 4, 11:30 PM CDTHail 1Caddo, LA

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

Longview/Gregg, TX (KGGG), launched 00:00Z, 4.2 hours before the alert went out and 72 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, Longview/Gregg, TX at 00:00Z on 1989-05-05Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 309 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, Longview/Gregg, TX at 00:00Z on 1989-05-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 140 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
309 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-227 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1028 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
48 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
140 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
223 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
7.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KSHV 050414
TORSHV
LAC017-050515-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
1114 PM CDT THU MAY 4 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SHREVEPORT HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1215 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING PARISH...
 
IN NORTHWEST LOUISIANA
          ...CADDO
 
AT 1112 PM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN SHREVEPORT SHOWED A
POSSIBLE TORNADO IN THE WEST PART OF SHREVEPORT MOVING TO THE EAST
NORTHEAST AT 35 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 CLOSE`T 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 4, 6:46 PM CDT, 4 hours 28 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
645 PM CDT THU MAY 4 1989

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED RAPIDLY OVER NORTHEAST
TEXAS AND NORTHWEST LOUISIANA...

AT 640 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADARS IN SHREVEPORT AND LONGIVEW SHOWED
NEWLY FORMED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER EAST TEXAS AND NORTHWEST
LOUISIANA. THERE WAS ACTUALLY TWO SMALL AREAS ONE EXTENDED FROM NEAR
TYLER AND MARSHASLL SOUTHEAST INTO NORTHWEST LOUISIANA TO NEAR
SHREVEPORT/BOSSIER CITY AND TO NEAR STONEWALL..AND THE SECOND EXTENDED
FROM NEAR KILDARE TEXAS SOUTHEAST INTO NORTHWEST LOUISIANA TO NEAR
VIVIAN..BENTON..AND MINDEN. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING
TO THE EAST AT 20 MPH QAND SHOULD CONTINUE INTO SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS AND BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL.
Special weather statement, May 4, 7:42 PM CDT, 3 hours 32 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
745 PM CDT THU MAY 4 1989

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER NORTHEAST TEXAS AND
NORTHWEST LOUISIANA AND HAD MOVED INTO EXTREME SOUTH ARKANSAS...

AT 737 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADARS IN SHREVEPORT AND LONGVIEW SHOWED
AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHEAST TEXAS..NORTHWEST
LOUISIANA..AND SOUTH ARKANSAS. WITH THE AREA A BAND OF SHOWERS AND
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS..PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL..EXTENDED FROM NEAR
BENTON LOUISIANA SOUTHEAST TO NEAR MINDEN..SIBLEY..AND BIENVILLE.
THE STRONGER STORMS WITHIN THIS BAND WERE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL
..STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS..FREQUENT LIGHTNING..AND POSSIBLY SOME HAIL.
ANOTHER BAND EXTENDED FROM NEAR SPRING HILL SOUTHEAST TO NEAR DUBACH
..AND TO JUST SOUTH OF MONROE LOUISIANA.

THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25 MPH.
Special weather statement, May 4, 9:15 PM CDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
915 PM CDT THU MAY 4 1989

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER NORTHEAST TEXAS..
SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS..AND NORTH LOUISIANA...

AT 905 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN SHREVEPORT SHOWED AN AREA OF
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHEAST TEXAS..NORTH LOUISIANA..AND
SOUTH ARKANSAS ABOUT 75 MILES WIDE THAT WAS LOCATED GENERALLY NORTH
OF A LINE FROM NEAR CARTHAGE TEXAS EAST TO NEAR SHREVEPORT..CASTOR..
JONESBORO..MONROE..AND DELHI LOUISIANA. THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS
WRE INDICATED NEAR PLAIN DEALING..COTTON VALLEY..MINDEN..GIBSLAND..
AND SOUTHWEST OF CALHOUN LOUISIANA AND NEAR DE BERRY AND EAST OF
JEFFERSON OVER CADDO LAKE TEXAS.

THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS..FREQUENT
LIGHTNING..AND HEAVY RAINFALL AS THEY MOVED TO THE EAST NORTHEAST AT
25 MPH. DUE TO THE HEAVY RAINS..SOME PONDING OF WATER MAY OCCUR IN
STREETS..LOW LYING..AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.
Local storm report, May 4, 10:24 PM CDT, 50 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
1020 PM CDT THU MAY 4 1989

945 PM CDT...MARBLE SIZE HAIL IN SOUTHWEST SHREVEPORT FROM NEAR
DAWN RIDGE AND BERT KOUNS..CADDO PARISH.

950 PM CDT...MARBLE SIZE HAIL IN SOUTHWEST SHREVEPORT NEAR SOUTHWOOD
HIGH SCHOOL..CADDO PARISH..SEVERAL REPORTS.

1000 PM CDT..3/4 INCH SIZE HAIL NEAR LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
SHREVEPORT AND YOUREE DRIVE IN SHREVEPORT..CADDO PARISH..THIS
REPORTED BY SEVERAL OFF DUTY AIR FORCE METEOROLOGISTS AND
LOCAL MEDIA METEOROLOGIST.

1004 PM CDT..GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL AT LINWOOD AND 70TH STREET IN
SHREVEPORT..CADDO PARISH.

1006 PM CDT..MARBLE SIZE HAIL NEAR CAPTAIN SHREVE SCHOOL IN SHREVEPORT
..CADDO PARISH.
.
1006 PM CDT..GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL BROADMOAR AND 70TH STREET
SHREVEPORT..CADDO PARISH.

1012 PM CDT..PING PONG BALL SIZE HAIL GOLDEN MEADOWS SOUTH BOSSIER
CITY..BOSSIER PARISH

1021 PM CDT..OVER ONE INCH OF RAIN AT THE SHREVEPORT REGIONAL
AIRPORT SINCE 0950 PM CDT (30 MINUTES).

1021 PM CDT..2 1/2 INCH SIZE HAIL THREE MILES SOUTH OF BARKSDALE
AFB BOSSIER CITY..BOSSIER PARISH.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Shreveport, LA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 4, 9:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSHVBossier, Caddo68 min
May 4, 10:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSHVClaiborne, Webster61 min
May 4, 11:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSHVBossier57 min
May 4, 11:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSHVBienville, Lincoln57 min
May 4, 11:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSHVWebster57 min
May 5, 12:11 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSHVOuachita, Richland64 min
May 5, 12:53 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSHVBienville67 min
May 5, 1:19 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSHVWebster56 min
May 5, 1:37 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningSHVBossier, Caddo3 hr
May 5, 1:37 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningSHVWebster3 hr
May 5, 2:05 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSHVMadison40 min
May 5, 2:23 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSHVCaddo, De Soto, Sabine67 min
May 5, 2:23 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSHVBienville, Bossier67 min
May 5, 2:53 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSHVEast Carroll67 min
May 5, 2:53 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSHVMorehouse67 min
May 5, 3:15 AM CDTTornado WarningSHVBossier, Caddo60 min
May 5, 4:02 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSHVBienville, Webster58 min
May 5, 4:47 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningSHVBossier, Caddo3 hr
May 5, 4:47 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningSHVBienville, Claiborne, Webster3 hr
May 5, 6:29 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningSHVOuachita, Richland4 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Louisiana, 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.