Alert archive / Florida / Tornado Warnings in 1989

Tornado Warning 8, NWS Tallahassee, FL

June 8, 1989Okaloosa County, Walton County, Florida

NWS Tallahassee, FL issued this tornado warning at Jun 8, 1989, 1:10 PM CDT for Okaloosa County, Walton County, Florida. It was in force for 50 min. 3 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
Jun 8, 1989, 1:10 PM CDT (18:10 UTC)
Expired
Jun 8, 1989, 2:00 PM CDT
In force
50 min
Issued by
NWS Tallahassee, FL
Area
Whole counties

Counties Okaloosa County, FL, Walton County, FL

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
Jun 8, 1:30 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 50Okaloosa, FL
Jun 8, 1:55 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 50Okaloosa, FL
Jun 8, 2:00 PM CDTTornado F0Okaloosa, FL

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

Apalachicola Mun, FL (KAQQ), launched 12:00Z, 6.2 hours before the alert went out and 167 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, Apalachicola Mun, FL at 12:00Z on 1989-06-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 16 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, Apalachicola Mun, FL at 12:00Z on 1989-06-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 61 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
16 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-123 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1038 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
61 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
138 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KPNS 081810
TORPNS
FLC091-131-081900-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
110 PM CDT THU JUN 8 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PENSACOLA HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  200 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA
          ...OKALOOSA...WALTON
 
WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AND SURFACE REPORTS SHOW A POSSIBLE TORNADO 5
MILES NORTH OF FORT WALTON. THIS STORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST 25 TO 30
MILES AN HOUR.
 
DO NOT USE YOUR CAR TO TRY TO OUTRUN A TORNADO.  CARS ARE EASILY
TOSSED AROUND BY TORNADO WINDS.  IF YOU ARE CAUGHT IN THE PATH OF
A TORNADO...LEAVE THE CAR AND GO TO A STRONG BUILDING.  IF NO
STRUCTURE IS NEARBY...SEEK SHELTER IN A DITCH OR LOW SPOT.

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, Jun 8, 7:36 AM CDT, 5 hours 34 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE APALACHICOLA FL
833 AM EDT THU JUN 8 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR COUNTIES OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE..
   INCLUDING GULF COUNTY UNTIL 9 AM EDT..

AT 827 AM EDT..SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS..WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN..WERE OVER
THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE FROM WEST OF TALLAHASSE TO NEAR PENSACOLA.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS..WITH HEAVY RAIN..AND WIDESPREAD RAIN WERE OVER
MUCH OF NORTH FLORIDA..THE PANHANDLE..SOUTH GEORGIA..SOUTH ALABAMA AND
THE NORTHEAST GULF FROM APALACHEE BAY WEST TO 100 MILES SOUTH OF
PENSACOLA.

MOVEVENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Jun 8, 8:35 AM CDT, 4 hours 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE APALACHICOLA FL
934 AM EDT THU JUN 8 1989

...THE TORNADO WATCH HAS EXPIRED FOR COUNTIES OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE..

AT 927 AM EDT..WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS..WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN..
WERE OVER THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE IN BAY..WASHINGTON..HOLMES COUNTIES AND
NEAR PENSACOLA.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS..WITH HEAVY RAIN..AND WIDESPREAD RAIN WERE OVER
MUCH OF NORTH FLORIDA.A.THE PANHANDLE..SOUTH GEORGIA..SOUTH ALABAMA AND
THE NORTHEAST GULF FROM APALACHEE BAY WEST TO JUST SOUTH OF PENSACOLA.

MOVEVENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Jun 8, 10:40 AM CDT, 2 hours 30 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE APALACHICOLA FL
1140 AM EDT THU JUN 8 1989

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 438 IS IN EFFECT FOR GULF COUNTY UNTIL 300PM EDT.

AT 1126 AM EDT...NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE OVER
THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE...MAINLY WITHIN 25 MILES OF PENSACOLA.

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND LARGE AREAS OF RAIN WERE OVER NORTH FLORIDA...THE
PANHANDLE...SOUTHWEST GEORGIA...AND SOUTH ALABAMA.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE OVER THE GULF FROM 15
TO 65 MILES OFFSHORE BETWEEN PENSACOLA AND APALACHICOLA.
WIDESPRED RAIN WAS OVER THE NORTHEAST GULF FROM CEDAR KEY 80 MILES SOUTH
OF FORT WALTON BEACH.

MOVEVENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Jun 8, 11:23 AM CDT, 1 hour 47 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
1220 PM EDT THU JUN 8 1989

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 438 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 PM CDT FOR
JACKSON AND CALHOUN COUNTY.

AT 1215 NOON EDT...NUMEROUS SHOWERS COVER MUCH OF THE FLORIDA BIG BEND.
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER THE GULF 75 MILES SOUTHEAST
THROUGH SOUTHWEST OF APALACHICOLA.

AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WERE LOCATED FROM CRESTVIEW
TO FT WALTON.

THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
Special weather statement, Jun 8, 11:37 AM CDT, 1 hour 33 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE APALACHICOLA FL
1236 PM EDT THU JUN 8 1989

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 438 IS IN EFFECT FOR GULF COUNTY UNTIL 300 PM EDT.

AT 1226 PM EDT...NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE
CLUSTERED NEAR CRESTVIEW. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN
WERE NEAR FORT WALTON BEACH...YOUNGSTOWN...AND WEWAHITCHKA.

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND LARGE AREAS OF RAIN WERE OVER NORTH FLORIDA...THE
PANHANDLE...SOUTHWEST GEORGIA...AND SOUTH ALABAMA.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE OVER THE GULF FROM 30
TO 80 MILES OFFSHORE BETWEEN DESTIN AND APALACHICOLA.

WIDESPREAD RAIN WAS OVER THE NORTHEAST GULF FROM CEDIAR KEY TO 100 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF APALACHICOLA.

MOVEVENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Jun 8, 12:44 PM CDT, 26 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE APALACHICOLA FL
143 PM EDT THU JUN 8 1989

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 438 IS IN EFFECT FOR GULF COUNTY UNTIL 300 PM EDT.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR GULF AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES UNTIL
1100 PM EDT.

AT 129 PM EDT...NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE 5 TO 20
MILES NORTH OF PENSACOLA...AND EXTENDED EAST TO DE FUNIAK SPRINGS.
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND LARGE AREAS OF RAIN WERE OVER THE FLORIDA
PANHANDLE...SOUTHWEST GEORGIA...AND SOUTHEAST ALABAMA.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE OVER THE GULF FROM 5
TO 70 MILES OFFSHORE BETWEEN DESTIN AND APALACHICOLA.

ISOLATED SHOWERS AND LARGE PATCHES OF RAIN WERE OVER THE NORTHEAST GULF
FROM CEDAR KEY TO 100 MILES SOUTHWEST OF APALACHICOLA.

MOVEVENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Tallahassee, FL issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 7, 8:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTAEOkaloosa, Santa Rosa55 min
Jun 8, 4:51 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTAEEscambia, Santa Rosa69 min
Jun 8, 5:44 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTAEOkaloosa, Santa Rosa61 min
Jun 8, 6:16 AM CDTTornado WarningTAEEscambia59 min
Jun 8, 9:26 AM CDTTornado WarningTAEEscambia, Santa Rosa49 min
Jun 8, 10:13 AM CDTTornado WarningTAEEscambia, Santa Rosa47 min
Jun 8, 11:01 AM CDTTornado WarningTAEEscambia, Santa Rosa44 min
Jun 8, 12:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTAEEscambia, Santa Rosa48 min
Jun 8, 2:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTAEEscambia44 min
Jun 8, 2:21 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningTAESanta Rosa2 hr
Jun 8, 4:22 PM CDTTornado WarningTAEFranklin38 min
Jun 8, 4:29 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningTAEEscambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa3 hr
Jun 8, 5:10 PM CDTTornado WarningTAEFranklin50 min
Jun 8, 5:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTAEEscambia, Santa Rosa47 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Florida, 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.