Alert archive / Georgia / Tornado Warnings in 1989

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Tallahassee, FL

May 1, 1989Lee County, Sumter County, Georgia

NWS Tallahassee, FL issued this tornado warning at May 1, 1989, 1:24 PM EDT for Lee County, Sumter County, Georgia. It was in force for 36 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 1, 1989, 1:24 PM EDT (17:24 UTC)
Expired
May 1, 1989, 2:00 PM EDT
In force
36 min
Issued by
NWS Tallahassee, FL
Area
Whole counties

Counties Lee County, GA, Sumter County, GA

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

Athens Municipal, GA (KAHN), launched 12:00Z, 5.4 hours before the alert went out and 241 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 12:00Z on 1989-05-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 261 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 12:00Z on 1989-05-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 64 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
261 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-8 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
584 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
64 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
80 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KCSG 011724
TORCSG
GAC177-261-011800-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA
124 PM EDT MON MAY 1 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN COLUMBUS HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  200 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN SOUTHWEST GEORGIA
          ...NORTHERN LEE
IN WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA
          ...SUMTER
 
AT 118 PM EDT A TORNADO WAS REPORTED BY THE LEE COUNTY SHERIFFS
DEPARTMENT 10 MILES NORTH OF LEESBURG GEORGIA. THIS STORM SHOULD
BE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 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 1, 10:47 AM EDT, 2 hours 37 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE APALACHICOLA FL
1045 AM EDT MON MAY 1 1989

....TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 151 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR FRANKLIN AND GULF
    COUNTIES UNTIL 500 PM EDT.

AT 1025 AM EDT...A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN REACHED
FROM PORT ST JOE TO A POINT IN THE GULF 100 MILES SOUTH OF PORT ST
JOE. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS IN THIS BAND WERE OCCURRING FROM
PORT ST JOE TO CAPE SAN BLAS AND OVER THE GULF 35 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF APALACHICOLA.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH GULF COUNTY DURING THE NEXT
HOUR AND WILL ALSO ENTER FRANKLIN COUNTY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL
PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING
AND CAUSE ROUGH SEAS.

ELSEWHERE...RAIN AND WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS COVERED MOST OF
THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE...SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA.
MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.

REMEMBER...GULF AND -FRANKLIN COUNTIES ARE IN A TORNADO WATCH AREA.
MONITOR THE WEATHER CLOSELY... KNOW WHERE YOU WOULD FIND SAFE SHELTER
...AND BE READY TO SEEK SHELTER IF NECESSARY.
Special weather statement, May 1, 11:47 AM EDT, 1 hour 37 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE APALACHICOLA FL
1145 AM EDT MON MAY 1 1989

....TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 151 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR FRANKLIN AND GULF
    COUNTIES UNTIL 500 PM EDT.

AT 1129 AM EDT...A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN REACHED
FROM 35 MILES WEST OF TALLAHASSEE TO EASTPOINT AND THEN TRAILED SOUTH
OUT OVER THE GULF FOR 75 MILES. THIS LINE WILL CROSS THE CARABELLE...
LANARK...AND ALLIGATOR POINT AREAS DURING THE NEXT HOUR.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE ABOUT 10 MILES WEST OF PORT ST JOE...AND
WILL MOVE OVER PORT ST JOE DURING THE NEXT HOUR.

VERY HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND
AND ROUGH SEAS CAN BE EXPECTED FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.

ELSEWHERE...RAIN AND WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS COVERED MOST OF
THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE...SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA.
MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.

REMEMBER...GULF AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES ARE IN A TORNADO WATCH AREA.
MONITOR THE WEATHER CLOSELY... KNOW WHERE YOU WOULD FIND SAFE SHELTER
...AND BE READY TO SEEK SHELTER IF NECESSARY.
Special weather statement, May 1, 12:01 PM EDT, 1 hour 23 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
1100 AM EDT MON MAY 1 1989

TORNADO WATCH #151 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM EDT THIS MONDAY
AFTERNOON FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF FLORIDA...JACKSON...
CALHOUN...GADSDEN...LIBERTY...LEON...JEFFERSON...MADISON...WAKULLA
...TAYLOR AND DIXIE. IN GEORGIA THIS WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES OF GRADY...SEMINOLE...DECATUR...THOMAS AND BROOKS.

AT 1205 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS SHOWED A LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN...EXTENDING FROM 20 MILES
SOUTH OF BAINBRIDGE GA TO QUINCY FLORIDA TO CARABELLE AND EXTENDING
50 MILES SOUTH INTO THE GULF. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE
EAST AT 10 MPH AND WILL MOVE THROUGH THE TALLAHASSEE AREA DURING THE
NEXT HOUR AND A HALF. WIND GUSTS TO 33 MPH HAVE BEEN RECORDED AT THE
TALLAHASSEE AIRPORT DURING THE PAST HOUR.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY
SURFACE WINDS...DA'NGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE HAIL AS THEY
MOVE THROUGH THE AREA DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER NEWS MEDIA FOR ADDITIONAL
STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS ON THESE THUNDERSTORMS.
Special weather statement, May 1, 12:02 PM EDT, 1 hour 22 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
1200 PM EDT MON MAY 1 1989

TORNADO WATCH #151 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM EDT THIS MONDAY
AFTERNOON FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF FLORIDA...JACKSON...
CALHOUN...GADSDEN...LIBERTY...LEON...JEFFERSON...MADISON...WAKULLA
...TAYLOR AND DIXIE. IN GEORGIA THIS WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES OF GRADY...SEMINOLE...DECATUR...THOMAS AND BROOKS.

AT 1205 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS SHOWED A LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN...EXTENDING FROM 20 MILES
SOUTH OF BAINBRIDGE GA TO QUINCY FLORIDA TO CARABELLE AND EXTENDING
50 MILES SOUTH INTO THE GULF. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE
EAST AT 10 MPH AND WILL MOVE THROUGH THE TALLAHASSEE AREA DURING THE
NEXT HOUR AND A HALF. WIND GUSTS TO 33 MPH HAVE BEEN RECORDED AT THE
TALLAHASSEE AIRPORT DURING THE PAST HOUR.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY
SU)RFACE WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE HAIL AS THEY
MOVE THROUGH THE AREA DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER NEWS MEDIA FOR ADDITIONAL
STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS ON THESE THUNDERSTORMS.
Special weather statement, May 1, 12:49 PM EDT, 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE APALACHICOLA FL
1245 PM EDT MON MAY 1 1989

....TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 151 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR FRANKLIN AND GULF
    COUNTIES UNTIL 500 PM EDT.

AT 1229 PM EDT...A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN REACHED
FROM 10 MILES EAST OF BAINBRIDGE GEORGIA TO JUST WEST OF ALLIGATOR
POINT AND THEN SPREAD SOUTH OUT OVER THE GULF FOR 75 MILES.
OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE 10 MILES NORTH OF
APALACHICOLA...AND 15 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BLOUNTSTOWN.

ELSEWHERE...RAIN AND WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER THE EAST
HALF OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND REACHED INTO NORTH FLORIDA TO NEAR
LAKE CITY AND LIVE OAK.

WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS AND WIDESPREAD RAIN CONTINUED OVER...A
SMALL PART OF SOUTHEAST ALABAMA AND MOST OF SOUTHWEST GEORGIA.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, May 1, 1:11 PM EDT, 13 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
110 PM EDT MON MAY 1 1989

TORNADO WATCH #151 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM EDT THIS MONDAY
AFTERNOON FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF FLORIDA...JACKSON...
CALHOUN...GADSDEN...LIBERTY...LEON...JEFFERSON...MADISON...WAKULLA
...TAYLOR AND DIXIE. IN GEORGIA THIS WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES OF GRADY...SEMINOLE...DECATUR...THOMAS AND BROOKS.

AT 105 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS SHOWED A LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN...EXTENDING FROM
THOMASVILLE GA TO TALLAHASSEE FLORIDA TO ST. MARKS AND EXTENDING 50
MILES SOUTH INTO THE GULF. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE
EAST AT 10 MPH AND WILL MOVE THROUGH JEFFERSON COUNTY DURING THE NEXT
HOUR. WIND GUSTS TO 35 MPH HAVE BEEN RECORDED AT THE TALLAHASSEE
AIRPORT DURING THE PAST HOUR. 1.07 INCHES OF RAIN HAS ALSO FALLEN AT
THE TALLAHASSEE AIRPORT SINCE 3 AM THIS MORNING.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY
SURFACE WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE HAIL AS THEY
MOVE THROUGH THE AREA DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER NEWS MEDIA FOR ADDITIONAL
STATEMENTS OR POSSIVBLE WARNINGS ON THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Georgia, 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.