Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1990
Tornado Warning 63, NWS Fort Worth, TX
NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this tornado warning at May 18, 1990, 10:52 PM CDT for Cherokee County, Texas. It was in force for 38 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 18, 1990, 10:52 PM CDT (03:52 UTC)
- Expired
- May 18, 1990, 11:30 PM CDT
- In force
- 38 min
- Issued by
- NWS Fort Worth, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
County Cherokee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 18, 11:00 PM CDT | Hail 1 | Cherokee, 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 00:00Z, 3.9 hours before the alert went out and 78 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
- 1493 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -5 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 770 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 43 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 140 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 234 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.7
- Supercell composite
- 9.5
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KFTW 190353 TORFTW TXC073-190430- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 1052 PM CDT FRI MAY 18 1990 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1130 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... IN NORTHEAST TEXAS ...NORTHEASTERN CHEROKEE COUNTY AT 1050 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO ABOUT 8 MILES EAST OF JACKSONVILLE MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT ABOUT 25 MILES AN HOUR. THE STORM SHOULD PASS NEAR NEW SUMMERFIELD. IF YOU LIVE IN A HOME OR APARTMENT...SEEK SHELTER IN THE INNERMOST PORTION OF THE BUILDING ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. GET TO A BASEMENT IF ONE IS AVAILABLE^. AVOID WINDOWS AND PROTECT YOUR BODY FROM FLYING DEBRIS WITH CUSHIONS...BLANKETS...OR PILLOWS.
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 18, 6:55 PM CDT, 3 hours 57 minutes before
TX027-032-033-190100- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT ...CORRECTION FIRST PARAGRAPH... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 645 PM CDT FRI MAY 18 1990 AT 640 PM...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS...WERE OVER PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL AND MUCH OF NORTHEAST TEXAS GENERALLY EAST OF A SHERMAN TO FORT WORTH TO WACO LINE. THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER NORTHWEST FREESTONE COUNTY BETWEEN STREETMAN AND FAIRFIELD...AND IN ANDERSON COUNTY NORTH OF PALESTINE. ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM HAD DEVELOPED OVER THE SOUTHWEST PART OF VAN ZANDT COUNTY EAST OF MABANK. MOVEMENT OF ALL THE PRECIPITATION WAS GENERALLY TO THE NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS NOW OVER THE SOUTHEAST PART OF NORTHEAST TEXAS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS...STRONG GUSTY SURFACE WINDS ...DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND PERHAPS SOME SMALL HAIL. MOST OF THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORM$S SHOULD START TO DISSIPATE OR DECREASE IN INTENSITY AND AREAL COVERAGE AROUND SUNSET. IN THE MEAN TIME...STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL RADIO OR T.V. FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, May 18, 7:30 PM CDT, 3 hours 22 minutes before
TXZ031-037-190230- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX 728 PM CDT FRI MAY 18 1990 ...THE TORNADO WATCH FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHCENTRAL TEXAS WILL EXPIRE AT 800PM CDT.... AT 715 PM CDT WACO WEATHER RADAR SHOWED NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER A LARGE PORTION OF NORTHEAST TEXAS. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. OTHER MODERATE SHOWERS AND SCATTERED STRONG TO VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE NOTED THROUGH PARTS OF THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY NORTH AND WEST OF AUSTIN. ONE VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS IN BELL COUNTY BETWEEN TEMPLE AND KILLEEN. MOVEMENT OF THESE STORMS WAS NORTH AT 25 MPH. NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED OR DETECTED BY RADAR DURING THE PAST HOUR OR SO...HOWEVER THE STORMS IN THE HILL COUNTRY ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WIND...HAIL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE BRIEF FLASH FLOODING OF LOW LYING AND NORMALLY FLOOD PRONE AREAS SUCH AS LOW WATER CROSSINGS. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THE STRONG STORMS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER FORMATION AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IF SEVERE WEATHER IS SIGHTED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEAfTHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR T.V. STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.06
Special weather statement, May 18, 8:42 PM CDT, 2 hours 10 minutes before
TXZ031-037-190235- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX 840 PM CDT FRI MAY 18 1990 ...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR MCLENNAN COUNTY IS CANCELLED AND IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT... ...THE TORNADO WATCH FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN TEXAS HAS EXPIRED... AT 835 PM CDT THE THUNDERSTORM OVER SOUTHERN MCLENNAN COUNTY HAS WEAKENED RAPIDLY AND NO LONGER POSES A THREAT TO MCLENNAN COUNTY. ELSEWHERE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN... EXTENDED FROM LOMETA IN LAMPASAS COUNTY TO 25 MILES NORTHWEST OF GATESVILLE. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST IN WEATHER INFORMATION. OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WIND...HAIL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE BRIEF FLASH FLOODING OF LOW LYING AND NORMALLY FLOOD PRONE AREAS SUCH AS LOW WATER CROSSINGS. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THE STRONG STORMS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER FORMATION AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IF SEVERE WEATHER IS SIGHTED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR T.V. STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.06
Special weather statement, May 18, 8:43 PM CDT, 2 hours 9 minutes before
TXZ031-037-190235- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX 840 PM CDT FRI MAY 18 1990 ...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR MCLENNAN COUNTY IS CANCELLED AND IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT... ...THE TORNADO WATCH FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN TEXAS HAS EXPIRED... AT 835 PM CDT THE THUNDERSTORM OVER SOUTHERN MCLENNAN COUNTY HAS WEAKENED RAPIDLY AND NO LONGER POSES A THREAT TO MCLENNAN COUNTY. ELSEWHERE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN... EXTENDED FROM LOMETA IN LAMPASAS COUNTY TO 25 MILES NORTHWEST OF GATESVILLE. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST IN WEATHER INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, May 18, 8:45 PM CDT, 2 hours 7 minutes before
TX027-032-033-190300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 845 PM CDT FRI MAY 18 1990 AT 840 PM...RADAR INDICATED TWO STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER ANDERSON COUNTY JUST TO THE NORTH AND NORTHEAST OF PALESTINE. OTHER SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER NORTHEAST TEXAS FROM NEAR ATHENS TO EAST OF DALLAS...AND FROM NEAR GILMER TO CLARKSVILLE. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. THE REMAINING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY RAINS...STRONG GUSTY SURFACE WINDS...DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ...AND PERHAPS SOME SMALL HAIL. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL RADIO OR T.V. FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, May 18, 9:33 PM CDT, 1 hour 19 minutes before
TX027-032-033-190400- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 935 PM CDT FRI MAY 18 1990 AT 930 PM CDT...TWO STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE STILL INDICATED BY RADAR OVER THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF ANDERSON COUNTY SOUTH OF FRANKSTON AND IN CHEROKEE COUNTY ABOUT 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF JACKSONVILLE. OTHER SCATTERED SHOWERS WITH A FEW ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER NORTHEAST TEXAS IN AN AREA GENERALLY EAST OF A SHERMAN...DALLAS...PALESTINE LINE. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. THE REMAINING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY RAINS...STRONG GUSTY SURFACE WINDS...DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ...AND PERHAPS SOME SMALL HAIL. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL RADIO OR T.V. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 18, 7:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Freestone | 45 min |
| May 18, 7:43 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | FWD | Bell, McLennan | 47 min |
| May 18, 8:23 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | FWD | McLennan | 67 min |
| May 18, 10:27 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Cherokee | 63 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.