Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1990
Tornado Warning 6, NWS Fort Worth, TX
NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this tornado warning at Mar 14, 1990, 11:49 AM CST for Rains County, Van Zandt County, Texas. It was in force for 41 min. 2 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
- Mar 14, 1990, 11:49 AM CST (17:49 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 14, 1990, 12:30 PM CST
- In force
- 41 min
- Issued by
- NWS Fort Worth, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Rains County, TX, Van Zandt County, TX
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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 14, 12:05 PM CST | Tornado F2 | Rains, TX | |
| Mar 14, 12:15 PM CST | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Rains, TX |
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 12:00Z, 5.8 hours before the alert went out and 121 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 333 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -94 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 712 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 53 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 221 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 245 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.2
- Supercell composite
- 1.1
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KFTW 141750 TORFTW TXC379-467-141830- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 1149 AM CST WED MAR 14 1990 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1230 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... IN NORTHEAST TEXAS ...RAINS COUNTY...NORTHERN VAN ZANDT COUNTY AT 1140 AM...SPOTTERS REPORTED CLOUD FORMATIONS FAVORABLE FOR TORNADO DEVELOPMENT ABOUT 10 MILES EAST OF TERRELL IN KAUFMAN COUNTY. RADAR INDICATES STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN THAT AREA MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT RAINS AND EXTREME NORTHERN VAN ZANDT COUNTIES BY 1230 PM. PERSONS NEAR LAKE TAWAKONI SHOULD BE EXPECIALLY ON THE ALERT FOR A POSSIBLE TORNADO. 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 A&S 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, Mar 14, 7:34 AM CST, 4 hours 15 minutes before
TXZ021-022-023-025-026-027-141200- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 730 AM CST WED MAR 14 1990 A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM FOR PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST TEXAS. THE DALLAS/FORT WORTH METROPLEX AND THE CITIES OF GAINESVILLE...SHERMAN...PARIS...DENTON... MCKINNEY...SULPHUR SPRINGS....CANTON...CORSICANA...CLEBURNE...AND WEATHERFORD ARE IN THE WATCH AREA. AT 725 AM...WEATHER RADARS INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME STRONG...EXTENDING FROM BETWEEN WICHITA FALLS AND GAINESVILLE SOUTHWARD TO NEAR MINERAL WELLS AND FARTHER SOUTH TO BETWEEN COMANCHE AND HAMILTON. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. ELSEWHERE...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME STRONG...WERE MAINLY EAST OF A WACO...BONHAM LINE. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR. PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE SAFETY MEASURES. STAY TU<NED TO THIS STATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Mar 14, 7:58 AM CST, 3 hours 51 minutes before
TXZ031-141500- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX 755 AM CST WED MAR 14 1990 ...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1045 AM CST FOR LIMESTONE COUNTY OF CENTRAL TEXAS... ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF CENTRAL TEXAS UNTIL 100 PM CST... AT 750 AM CST STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN...EXTENDED NORTH/SOUTH THROUGH CENTRAL LIMESTONE COUNTY...MOVING NORTHEAST 40 MPH. OTHERWISE...THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE SCATTERED JUST TO THE WEST OF CENTRAL TEXAS...10 TO 20 MILES WEST OF BOSQUE AND CORYELL COUNTIES. THESE STORMS WERE DRIFTING SLOWLY TO THE EAST...WHILE INDIVIDUAL SHOWERS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST 40 MILESd AN HOUR. PERSONS IN LIMESTONE COUNTY SHOULD BE ALERT TO FLASH FLOODING OF LOW LYING..FLOOD PRONE AREAS...INCLUDING ROADWAYS AND STREAM BEDS. STAY TUNED TO RADIO..TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Mar 14, 9:13 AM CST, 2 hours 36 minutes before
TXZ031-037-141615- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX 911 AM CST WED MAR 14 1990 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 AM CST FOR BOSQUE AND MCLENNAN COUNTIES... ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 AM CST FOR CORYELL COUNTY... ...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR LIMESTONE COUNTY UNTIL 1045 AM CST... ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 PM CST FOR ALL OF CENTRAL TEXAS... AT 905 AM CST POSSIBLE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED IN NORTHERN CORYELL...SOUTHERN BOSQUE AND WESTERN MCLENNAN COUNTIES. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST 35 MILES AN HOUR. OTHERWISE...MOSTLY LIGHT RAIN WAS SCATTERED THROUGH BRAZOS...LEON AND ROBERTSON COUNTIES MOVING NORTHEAST 35 MPH. PERSONS IN THE AREAS MENTIONED SHOULD BE CAUTIOUS TO FLASH FLOODING AND POSSIBLE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES. STAY TUNED TO RADIO..TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Mar 14, 10:03 AM CST, 1 hour 46 minutes before
TXZ019>033-141800- SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH TEXAS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 1000 AM CST WED MAR 14 1990 THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR THODAY OVER THE NORTHEAST PART OF NORTH TEXAS... GENERALLY EAST OF A LINE THROUGH PARIS...DALLAS...AND WACO. THIS INCLUDES THE GREENVILLE... SUPPHUR PRINGS... CORSICANA... PALESTINE...JACKSONVILLE... AND TYLER/LONGVIEW AREAS. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS NORTH TEXAS TODAY. THE AIRMASS NEAR THE SURFACE IS CHARACTERIZED BY DEEP MOISTURE... WARM AIR... AND STRONG WINDS. THE COMBINATION OF THESE FACTORS... ALONG WITH A STRONG DIVERGENT JET ALOFT... CREATES AND VERY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHER AND IS CONSIDERED FAVORABLE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE HAIL... STRONG WINDS... AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES. AT MID MORNING THUNDERSTORMS WERE ACTIVE IN A BROAD BAND ACROSS NORTHEAST TEXAS FROM TEXARKANA TO NEAR DALLAS AND WACO. A BOUNDARY AIR EXTENDED FROM NEAR TEXARKANA TO TYLER AND WEST TO NEAR WACO. IT IS NEAR AND ALONG THIS BOUNDARY THAT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS APPEAR MOST LIKELY THROUGH MID AFTERNOON... AND A TORNADO WATCH WAS IN EFFECT FOR PART OF THE AREA UNTIL 100 PM. EARLIER THIS MORNING... STRONG WINDS OCCURRED IN A NARROW BAND FROM THE WACO AREA NORTHEAST THROUGH PARTS OF ELLIS...NAVARRO...HENDERSON... AND SMITH COUNTIES. GUSTS BETWEEN 40 AND 60 MPH WERE COMMON WITH SOME DAMAGE REPORTED TO TREES AND POWER LINES. THIS WAS CAUSED BY A STRONG DIFFERENCE IN THE PRESSURE FIELD THAT DEVELOPED BETWEEN THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND A LOW PRESSURE AREA OVER NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS. THIS PRODUCED A STRONG JET OF LOW LEVEL WINDS AT THE SURFACE THAT CONTINUED FOR SEVERAL HOURS. THE STRONG WINDS DIMINISHED AROUND 700 AM AS THE THUNDERSTORMS IN EAST TEXAS WEAKENED AND THE PRESSURE GRADIENT RELAXED. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS...SPOTTERS... AND RESIDENTS OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF NORTH TEXAS WILL WANT TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH LATEST WEATHER DEVELOPMENTS TODAY. ACTIVATION WILL OCCUR OVER THE EAST CENTRAL PARTS OF NORTH TEXAS THROUGH MIDDAY...AND OVER THE EASTERN PARTS OF NORTH TEXAS BY MID AFTERNOON. HEAVY RAINS ARE ALSO LIKELY... SO RESIDENTS AND SPOTTERS WILL WANT TO AVOID FLOODED LOW WATER AREAS. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTHEAST TEXAS FOR TODAY. OVER NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE DALLAS/FORT WORTH AREA... THE SEVERE WEATHER RISK SHOULD DIMINISH BY EARLY AFTERNOON AS COOLER AND DRIER AIR MOVES INKTO THE REGION.
Special weather statement, Mar 14, 10:13 AM CST, 1 hour 36 minutes before
TXZ019>033-141800- SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH TEXAS...CORRECTION THIRD PARA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 1000 AM CST WED MAR 14 1990 THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR THODAY OVER THE NORTHEAST PART OF NORTH TEXAS... GENERALLY EAST OF A LINE THROUGH PARIS...DALLAS...AND WACO. THIS INCLUDES THE GREENVILLE... SUPPHUR PRINGS... CORSICANA... PALESTINE...JACKSONVILLE... AND TYLER/LONGVIEW AREAS. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS NORTH TEXAS TODAY. THE AIRMASS NEAR THE SURFACE IS CHARACTERIZED BY DEEP MOISTURE... WARM AIR... AND STRONG WINDS. THE COMBINATION OF THESE FACTORS... ALONG WITH A STRONG DIVERGENT JET ALOFT... CREATES AND VERY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHER AND IS CONSIDERED FAVORABLE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE HAIL... STRONG WINDS... AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES. AT MID MORNING THUNDERSTORMS WERE ACTIVE IN A BROAD BAND ACROSS NORTHEAST TEXAS FROM TEXARKANA TO NEAR DALLAS AND WACO. A BOUNDARY OF RAIN-COOLED AIR EXTENDED FROM NEAR TEXARKANA TO TYLER AND WEST TO NEAR WACO. IT IS NEAR AND ALONG THIS BOUNDARY THAT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS APPEAR MOST LIKELY THROUGH MID AFTERNOON... AND A TORNADO WATCH WAS IN EFFECT FOR PART OF THE AREA UNTIL 100 PM. EARLIER THIS MORNING... STRONG WINDS OCCURRED IN A NARROW BAND FROM THE WACO AREA NORTHEAST THROUGH PARTS OF ELLIS...NAVARRO...HENDERSON... AND SMITH COUNTIES. GUSTS BETWEEN 40 AND 60 MPH WERE COMMON WITH SOME DAMAGE REPORTED TO TREES AND POWER LINES. THIS WAS CAUSED BY A STRONG DIFFERENCE IN THE PRESSURE FIELD THAT DEVELOPED BETWEEN THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND A LOW PRESSURE AREA OVER NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS. THIS PRODUCED A STRONG JET OF LOW LEVEL WINDS AT THE SURFACE THAT CONTINUED FOR SEVERAL HOURS. THE STRONG WINDS DIMINISHED AROUND 700 AM AS THE THUNDERSTORMS IN EAST TEXAS WEAKENED AND THE PRESSURE GRADIENT RELAXED. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS...SPOTTERS... AND RESIDENTS OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF NORTH TEXAS WILL WANT TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH LATEST WEATHER DEVELOPMENTS TODAY. ACTIVATION WILL OCCUR OVER THE EAST CENTRAL PARTS OF NORTH TEXAS THROUGH MIDDAY...AND OVER THE EASTERN PARTS OF NORTH TEXAS BY MID AFTERNOON. HEAVY RAINS ARE ALSO LIKELY... SO RESIDENTS AND SPOTTERS WILL WANT TO AVOID FLOODED LOW WATER AREAS. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS THUND IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTHEAST TEXAS FOR TODAY. OVER NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE DALLAS/FORT WORTH AREA... THE SEVERE WEATHER RISK SHOULD DIMINISH BY EARL^Y AFTERNOON AS COOLER AND DRIER AIR MOVES INTO THE REGION.
Special weather statement, Mar 14, 10:17 AM CST, 1 hour 32 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 1020 AM CST WED MAR 14 1990 JUST AFTER 10 AM...THUNDERSTORMS IN HILL COUNTY PRODUCED A POSSIBLE TORNADO. THIS THUNDERSTORM IS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE INTO ELLIS COUNTY NEAR WAXAHACHIE BY 11 AM CST. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS...OVER DALLAS COUNTY...WERE ALSO PRODUCING HEAVY RAINS AND STREET FLOODING IN DALLAS. WINDS GUSTED TO 40 MILES AN HOUR INm RICHARDSON JUST AFTER 10 AM. STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Fort Worth, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 13, 6:06 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Wichita | 69 min |
| Mar 13, 6:30 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Fisher, Stonewall | 60 min |
| Mar 13, 7:08 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Wichita | 52 min |
| Mar 13, 7:23 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Fisher, Jones, Nolan | 67 min |
| Mar 13, 8:13 PM CST | Tornado Warning | FWD | Wilbarger | 47 min |
| Mar 14, 12:18 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Hardeman | 42 min |
| Mar 14, 2:29 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Clay | 31 min |
| Mar 14, 3:23 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Bell, Falls | 67 min |
| Mar 14, 3:42 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Limestone, McLennan | 63 min |
| Mar 14, 4:22 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Henderson | 53 min |
| Mar 14, 7:38 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | FWD | Limestone | 3 hr |
| Mar 14, 8:14 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | FWD | Henderson | 3 hr |
| Mar 14, 8:23 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Coryell | 67 min |
| Mar 14, 9:00 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Bosque, McLennan | 60 min |
| Mar 14, 9:51 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Hill, McLennan | 69 min |
| Mar 14, 10:04 AM CST | Tornado Warning | FWD | Hill | 56 min |
| Mar 14, 10:25 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | FWD | Dallas | 2 hr |
| Mar 14, 10:36 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Falls, Limestone | 69 min |
| Mar 14, 11:04 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Kaufman | 41 min |
| Mar 14, 11:34 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Hunt, Rains | 56 min |
| Mar 14, 11:55 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Delta, Hopkins, Lamar | 65 min |
| Mar 14, 12:54 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Falls | 66 min |
| Mar 14, 2:37 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Cherokee, Smith | 53 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Texas, 1990Every tornado warning in 1990Tornadoes in 1990
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.