Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1990
Tornado Warning 1, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this tornado warning at Feb 1, 1990, 7:50 PM CST for Trinity County, Texas. It was in force for 55 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 1, 1990, 7:50 PM CST (01:50 UTC)
- Expired
- Feb 1, 1990, 8:45 PM CST
- In force
- 55 min
- Issued by
- NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
County Trinity 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1, 7:50 PM CST | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Trinity, 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, 1.8 hours before the alert went out and 149 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
- 150 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -87 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 669 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 84 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 10 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 124 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.6
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KHOU 020153
TORHOU
TXC455-020245-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON TX
750 PM CST THU FEB 1 1990
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HOUSTON HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 845 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN NORTHEAST TEXAS
...TRINITY
A TORNADO WAS SIGHTED IN THE TOWN OF TRINITY IN SOUTHERN TRINITY
COUNTY 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, Feb 1, 3:02 PM CST, 4 hours 48 minutes before
TXZ048-020300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GALVESTON TEXAS 300 PM CST THU FEB 01 1990 ... TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF SOUTH TEXAS INCLUDING GALVESTON AND CHAMBERS COUNTIES AND THEIR ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS INCLUDING GALVESTON BAY UNTIL 9 PM TONIGHT ... THE THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES EXISTS FOR MUCH OF SOUTH TEXAS FROM 3 PM TO 9 PM TONIGHT. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE IS APPROACHING THE GALVESTON BAY AREA FROM THE WEST. SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY RAINS HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THIS SYSTEM. NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS OCCURRED IN THE GALVESTON AREA AS OF YET... HOWEVER THE POSSIBILITY EXISTS UNTIL 9 PM. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS... AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IF THREATNING WEATHER IS SIGHTED OR A WARNING ISSUED.
Special weather statement, Feb 1, 3:50 PM CST, 4 hours before
TXZ048-020400- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GALVESTON TEXAS 345 PM CST THU FEB 01 1990 ... TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF SOUTH TEXAS INCLUDING GALVESTON AND CHAMBERS COUNTIES AND THEIR ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS INCLUDING GALVESTON BAY UNTIL 9 PM TONIGHT ... ...A DENSE FOG ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR GALVESTON AND CHAMBERS COUNTIES AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS...INCLUDING GALVESTON BAY... THE THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES EXISTS FOR MUCH OF SOUTH TEXAS FROM 3 PM TO 9 PM TONIGHT. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE IS APPROACHING THE GALVESTON BAY AREA FROM THE WEST. SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY RAINS HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THIS SYSTEM. NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS OCCURRED IN THE GALVESTON AREA AS OF YET... HOWEVER THE POSSIBILITY EXISTS UNTIL 9 PM. DENSE FOG HAS FORMED OVER THE COASTAL SECTIONS OF GALVESTON AND CHAMBERS COUNTIES AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS...INCLUDING GALVESTON BAY REDUCING VISIBILITY TO 1/4 MILE OR LESS IN SOME AREAS. THIS CONDITION IS EXPECTED TO LAST THROUGHOUT THE EVENING HOURS. MOTORISTS SHOULD USE CAUTION WHEN DRIVING IN AREAS OF REDUCED VISIBILITY...SLOW DOWN...USE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS TO REDUCE GLARE...AND INCREASE THE FOLLOWING DISTANCES BETWEEN VEHICLES. MARINERS AND OPERATORS OF SMALL CRAFT SHOULD USE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN NAVIGATING IN AREAS OF SEVERELY REDUCED VISIBILITY. VESSELS NOT EQUIPPED WITH NAVIGATIONAL AIDS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS... AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IF THREATNING WEATHER IS SIGHTED OR A WARNING ISSUED.
Special weather statement, Feb 1, 4:12 PM CST, 3 hours 38 minutes before
TXZ037-045-047-020000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON TX 415 PM CST THU FEB 1 1990 ...A TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PORTION OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 9PM INCLUDING HARRIS AND GALVESTON COUNTIES... A COMBINATION OF AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE AND A SLOW MOVING SURFACE TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE IS MAKING CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME POSSIBLY SEVERE. A FEW OF THESE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE TORNADOES...HAIL AND HEAVY RAINFALL. BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION IF THREATENING WEATHER IS SIGHTED OR IF A WARNING IS ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA. STAY TUNED TO YOUR WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS ON THUIS TORNADO WATCH.
Special weather statement, Feb 1, 6:37 PM CST, 1 hour 13 minutes before
TXZ032-037-045-047-020130- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON TX 630 PM CST THU FEB 1 1990 ...A TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PORTION OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 900 PM CST INCLUDING THE HOUSTON METROPOLITAN AREA... CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME POSSIBLY SEVERE THIS EVENING. A FEW OF THESE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE TORNADOES...HAIL...HEAVY RAINFALL AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS AS THEY MOVE NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. AT 630 PM A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS HAD FORMED FROM SOUTH OF COLUMBUS THROUGH COLLEGE STATION TO NORTH OF CROCKETT. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE FROM CROCKETT TO GRAPELAND. ANOTHER AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED FROM RICHMOND THROUGH HOUSTON TO NEAR LUFKIN. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS IN THIS AREA WERE NEAR GROVETON. THE THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS DO NOT APPEAR TO BE PRODUCING SEVERE WEATHER AT THIS TIME...HOWEVER CONDITONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR RAPID DEVELOPMENT AND COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH LITTLE WARNING. PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD BE ALERT FOR CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE READY TO TAKE SAFE SHELTER IF A WARNING IS ISSUED OR SEVERE WEATHER IS SIGHTED.
Special weather statement, Feb 1, 7:29 PM CST, 21 minutes before
TXZ032-037-045>047-020230- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON TX 725 PM CST THU FEB 1 1990 ...A TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PORTION OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 900 PM CST INCLUDING THE HOUSTON METROPOLITAN AREA... AT 720 PM AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS INDICATED FROM WHARTON THROUGH HOUSTON TO NORTH OF LUFKIN. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE FROM CONROE TO NORTH OF LIVINGSTON. THIS AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD MOVE INTO HOUSTON FROM THE WEST AND MOVE THROUGH THE CITY AND INTO THE UPPER BAY BY 830 THIS EVENING. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THESE THUNDERSTORMS TO PRODUCE TORNADOES...HAIL HEAVY RAINFALL AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS AS THEY MOVE THROUGH THE AREA. STAY TUNED TO YOUR WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO OR T.V. STATION FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS ON THIS WEATHER SITUATION.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1, 7:38 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Harris, Montgomery, San Jacinto | 67 min |
| Feb 1, 8:11 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Liberty | 64 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.