Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 1990
Tornado Warning 1, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at Feb 10, 1990, 7:39 AM EST for Pickens County, South Carolina. It was in force for 66 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
- Feb 10, 1990, 7:39 AM EST (12:39 UTC)
- Expired
- Feb 10, 1990, 8:45 AM EST
- In force
- 66 min
- Issued by
- NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
- Area
- Whole counties
County Pickens County, SC
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 10, 7:55 AM EST | Tornado F1 | Pickens, SC |
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
Athens Municipal, GA (KAHN), launched 12:00Z, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 117 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
- 524 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -15 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 667 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 74 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 189 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 215 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.7
- Supercell composite
- 2.9
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KGSP 101239
TORGSP
SCC077-101345-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREER SC
739 AM EST SAT FEB 10 1990
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 845 AM EST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY
IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA
PICKENS
OCONEE COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED A TORNADO IN THE SENECA AREA.
THIS TORNADO WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH AND SHOULD BE MOVING
ACROSS SOUTHERN PICKENS COUNTY. THE CITIES OF SIX MILE AND PICKENS
SHOULD BE ALERT TO THIS STORM.
PEOPLE IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE
ACTION TO PROTECT THEIR LIVES. GO TO YOUR BASEMENT OR THE CENTER bOF
THE BUILDING AND COVER YOUR HEAD. DO NOT GO NEAR DOORS OR WINDOWS.
GET OUT OF MOBILE HOMES AND VEHICLES. GET INTO A STURDY BUILDING OR
A DITCH.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, Feb 10, 3:01 AM EST, 4 hours 38 minutes before
SCZ001-100905- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREER SC 300 AM EST SAT FEB 10 1990 ...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO MOUNTAINS OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA... AT 255 AM EST WEATHER RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...MOVING INTO THE MOUNTAINS OF SOUTH CAROLINA. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED IN EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND SHOULD BE MOVING INTO WESTERN AND NORTHERN OCONEE COUNTY...AND ACROSS NORTHERN PICKENS AND NORTHERN GREENVILLE COUNTIES DURING THE NEXT HOUR. MOVEMENT OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WAS TOWARD THE EAST AND NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. PEOPLE IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND POSSIBLE FLOODI?NG OF SMALL STREAMS AND LOW LYING AREAS. ROBBINS/GSP
Special weather statement, Feb 10, 4:15 AM EST, 3 hours 24 minutes before
NCZ 007-009-010-011-012-013 - 101015 - SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC 415 AM EST SAT FEB 10 1990 ...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA... AT 405 AM EST WEATHER RADAR SHOWED HEAVY RAIN AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS SCATTERED OVER WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. THE HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORMS WAS IN CLAY COUNTY MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH TOWARD MACON COUNTY. THIS STORM SHOULD PASS OVER THE TOWN OF FRANKLIN WgITH IN THE HOUR. PEOPLE IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND POSSIBLE SOME FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND LOW LYING AREAS. USSERY
Special weather statement, Feb 10, 4:15 AM EST, 3 hours 24 minutes before
SCZ001-002-101010- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREER SC 410 AM EST SAT FEB 10 1990 ...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA... AT 405 AM EST WEATHER RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH HEAVY RAINFALL...MOVING ACROSS OCONEE...PICKENS...NORTHERN ANDERSON...AND CENTRAL AND NORTHERN GREENVILLE COUNTIES. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AND NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. PEOPLE} IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR HEAVY RAINFALL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND POSSIBLE FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND LOW LYING AREAS. ROBBINS/GSP
Special weather statement, Feb 10, 5:27 AM EST, 2 hours 12 minutes before
SCZ001-002-003-101010- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREER SC 525 AM EST SAT FEB 10 1990 ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR OCONEE...PICKENS...ANDERSON...GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG...AND ABBEVILLE COUNTIES OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA UNTIL 10 AM EST... ...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA... AT 518 AM EST WEATHER RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...MOVING INTO SOUTHERN ANDERSON...AND WESTERN ABBEVILLE COUNTIES. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AND NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WAS MOVING ACROSS NORTHERN GEORGIA AND WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND SHOULD BE MOVING INTO EXTREME WESTERN PORTIONS OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA DURING THE NEXT HOUR. PEOPLE IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA SHOULD BE ALERT FOR VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...INTENSE LIGHTNING...AND POSSIBLE FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND LOW LYING AREAS THIS MORNING AS THESE STORMS MOVE THROUGH THE AREA. LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...TV...OR LOCAL RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS. ROBBINS/GSP
Special weather statement, Feb 10, 6:09 AM EST, 1 hour 30 minutes before
SCZ001>004-101100- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREER SC 605 AM EST SAT FEB 10 1990 ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR OCONEE...PICKENS...ANDERSON...GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG...AND ABBEVILLE COUNTIES OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA UNTIL 10 AM EST... ...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA... AT 600 AM EST WEATHER RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...MOVING ACROSS SOUTHERN AND EASTERN ANDERSON NORTHERN ABBEVILLE...AND NORTHERN LAURENS COUNTIES. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AND NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL EXTENDED FROM NEAR ASHEVILLE IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA ACROSS WESTERN AND NORTHERN OCONEE COUNTY OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA AND EXTENDED IN NORTHERN GEORGIA. ATLANTA HAS REPORTED WIND GUSTS TO 68 MPH AT 6 AM EST WITH THUNDERSTORMS IN THIS LINE. PEOPLE IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA SHOULD BE ALERT FOR VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...INTENSE LIGHTNING...AND POSSIBLE FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND LOW LYING AREAS THIS MORNING AS THESE STORMS MOVE THROUGH THE AREA. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES SEEK SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...TV...OR LOCAL RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS. ROBBINS/GSP
Special weather statement, Feb 10, 6:10 AM EST, 1 hour 29 minutes before
NCZ008-013 SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC 945 PM EST FRI FEB 09 1990 ...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING NORTHWARD INTO THE SOUTHERN PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA... AT 945 PM EST THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN CHARLOTTE SHOWED WIDESPREAD LIGHT AND MODERATE RAINFALL...WITH PATCHES OF HEAVIER RAINFALL...THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHERN PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA AND ACROSS PORTIONS OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. HEAVIEST ACTIVITY WAS ACROSS UNION COUNTY OF NORTH CAROLINA...WHERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE DUMPING HEAVY RAIN. ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL CAN BE EXPECTED UNTIL AT LEAST 1015 PM ACROSS UNION COUNTY...AS MORE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE INTO THE COUNTY FROM UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. A CHECK WITH THE COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER IN UNION COUNTY REVEALED MANY WEATHER RELATED AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS SO MOTORISTS SHOULD USE CAUTION ON THE WET AND SLIPPERY ROADS. IN ADDITION TO TRAFFIC PROBLEMS...THE HEAVY RAIN COULD CAUSE SOME STREET FLOODING ACROSS PORTIONS OF UNION COUNTY...ESPECIALLY FROM MONROE TO MARSHVILLE. THIS WILL BE THE LAST STATEMENT UNLESS WEATHER CONDITIONS BECOME WORSE. JK
The office that day
Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 10, 7:02 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Oconee | 58 min |
| Feb 10, 7:27 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Anderson, Pickens | 63 min |
| Feb 10, 7:52 AM EST | Tornado Warning | GSP | Anderson, Greenville | 68 min |
| Feb 10, 8:18 AM EST | Tornado Warning | GSP | Laurens, Spartanburg | 47 min |
| Feb 10, 8:33 AM EST | Tornado Warning | GSP | Cherokee, Union | 57 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in South Carolina, 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.