Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1989

Tornado Warning 4, NWS San Angelo, TX

May 14, 1989McCulloch County, Texas

NWS San Angelo, TX issued this tornado warning at May 14, 1989, 11:17 PM CDT for McCulloch County, Texas. It was in force for 43 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 14, 1989, 11:17 PM CDT (04:17 UTC)
Expired
May 15, 1989, 12:00 AM CDT
In force
43 min
Issued by
NWS San Angelo, TX
Area
Whole counties

County McCulloch County, TX

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

Stephenville/Cla, TX (KSEP), launched 00:00Z, 4.3 hours before the alert went out and 164 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, Stephenville/Cla, TX at 00:00Z on 1989-05-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1876 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, Stephenville/Cla, TX at 00:00Z on 1989-05-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 36 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
1876 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-7 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
779 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
36 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
67 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 KSJT 150417
TORSJT
TXC307-150500-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
1117 PM CDT SUN MAY 14 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SAN ANGELO HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
          ...MCCULLOCH
 
AT 1115 PM CDT THE DPS REPORTED A TORNADO ON THE GROUND IN BRADY.
TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY...THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.
 
 
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.
 
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED
BUILDING.  AS A LAST RESORT...SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH
OR LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

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 14, 5:46 PM CDT, 5 hours 31 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABILENE TX
545 PM CDT SUN MAY 14 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM THIS EVENING FOR MOST OF
   THE BIG COUNTRY...

AT 535 PM A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED IN EXTREME SOUTHERN
MITCHELL COUNTY. THIS STORMS WAS MOVING TO THE EAST-SOUTHEAST 10
TO 15 MILES AN HOUR. VERY HEAVY RAIN...HAIL AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS
ARE POSSIBLE IN THIS THUNDERSTORM.

OTHER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING ACROSS THE AREA SOUTH
OF A LINE FROM FLUVANNA TO FORT PHANTOM HILL. PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING
TO THE EAST-SOUTHEAST 10 TO 15 MILES AN HOUR.

CONDITIONS REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. PERSONS IN THE
BIG COUNTRY SHOULD BE ALERT FOR RAPID THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. BE
PREPARED TO GO TO A SAFE PLACE IF THREATENING WEATHER IS SIGHTED OR A
WARNING ISSUED.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO 7FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, May 14, 6:44 PM CDT, 4 hours 33 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABILENE TX
645 PM CDT SUN MAY 14 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM THIS EVENING FOR MOST OF
   THE BIG COUNTRY...

AT 635 PM SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING ACROSS
THE BIG COUNTRY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM FLUVANNA TO MCCAULLEY TO BAIRD.
PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING TO THE EAST-SOUTHEAST 15 MILES AN HOUR.

PERSONS IN THE BIG COUNTRY SHOULD BE ALERT FOR RAPIDu THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPMENT. BE PREPARED TO GO TO A SAFE PLACE IF THREATENING WEATHER
IS SIGHTED OR A WARNING ISSUED.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, May 14, 7:46 PM CDT, 3 hours 31 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABILENE TX
745 PM CDT SUN MAY 14 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM THIS EVENING FOR MOST OF
   THE BIG COUNTRY...

AT 740 PM SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING ACROSS THE BIG
COUNTRY WEST OF A LINE FROM ASPERMONT TO STAMFORD TO BAIRD TO SOUTH
OF COLEMAN. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST-SOUTHEAST 15 MILES AN HOUR.

PERSONS IN THE BIG COUNTRY SHOULD STAY ALERT FOR RAPID THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPMENT THIS EVENING. BE PREPARED TO GO TO A SAFE PLACE IF
THREATENING WEATHER IS SIGHTED OR A WARNING ISSUED.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, May 14, 8:02 PM CDT, 3 hours 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO, TX
759 PM CDT SUN MAY 14 1989

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR LARGE PORTION OF CONCHO VALLEY UNTIL
10PM THIS SUNDAY EVENING...

AT 800PM A LARGE AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER THE NORTH CENTRAL
OF THE CONCHO VALLEY. THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS ARE INDICATED
FROM STERLING CITY..THROUGH SAN ANGELO...AND EAST TO EDEN.  STORMS ARE
MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25 MPH. EXTENSIVE LOW LAND FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED
THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF TOM GREEN COUNTY.  ALL MOTORISTS IN
NORTH AND EAST TOM GREEN COUNTY SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT AT WATER CROSSINGS
AND OTHER KNOWN FLOOD PRONE AREAS. NUMEROUS REPORTS OF MARBLE SIZE HAIL
HAVE BEEN RECEIVED IN THE CITY OF SAN ANGELO...ALL PERSONS IN THE WATCH
AREA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.

REMEMBER...A WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT
OF TORNADOES OR SEVERE THU?NDERSTORMS.  BE ON THE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS. STAY TUNED FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR
POSSIBLE WARNINGS ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA.
Special weather statement, May 14, 9:03 PM CDT, 2 hours 14 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABILENE TX
900 PM CDT SUN MAY 14 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM THIS EVENING
   MOST OF THE BIG COUNTRY...

AT 855 PM SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING ACROSS THE BIG
COUNTRY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM COLORADO CITY TO ANSON TO ALBANY.
MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST-SOUTHEAST 10 TO 15 MILES AN HOUR.

PERSONS IN THE BIG COUNTRY SHOULD STAY ALERT FOR RAPID THUNDERSYTORM
DEVELOPMENT THIS EVENING. BE PREPARED TO GO TO A SAFE PLACE IF
THREATENING WEATHER IS SIGHTED OR A WARNING ISSUED.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, May 14, 10:04 PM CDT, 1 hour 13 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABILENE TX
1005 PM CDT SUN MAY 14 1989

...THE TORNADO WATCH FOR THE BIG COUNTRY HAS EXPIRED...

AT 10 PM SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER THE BIG COUNTRY
SOUTH OF A LINE FROM WESTBROOK TO SWEETWATER TO SOUTH OF ALBANY.
MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST-SOUTHEAST 10 TO 15 MILES AN HOUR.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

The office that day

Everything else NWS San Angelo, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 14, 8:18 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningSJTRunnels, Tom Green4 hr
May 14, 9:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJTCoke59 min
May 14, 9:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJTTom Green56 min
May 14, 10:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJTTom Green62 min
May 15, 12:07 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJTMason68 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Texas, 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.