Alert archive / Indiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 33, NWS Indianapolis, IN

May 16, 1990Dubois County, Perry County, Indiana

NWS Indianapolis, IN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 16, 1990, 8:53 PM EST for Dubois County, Perry County, Indiana. It was in force for 67 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 16, 1990, 8:53 PM EST (01:53 UTC)
Expired
May 16, 1990, 10:00 PM EST
In force
67 min
Issued by
NWS Indianapolis, IN
Area
Whole counties

Counties Dubois County, IN, Perry County, IN

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
May 16, 9:34 PM ESTThunderstorm Wind 0Perry, IN

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

Paducah/Barkley, KY (KPAH), launched 00:00Z, 1.9 hours before the alert went out and 214 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, Paducah/Barkley, KY at 00:00Z on 1990-05-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1794 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, Paducah/Barkley, KY at 00:00Z on 1990-05-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 249 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
1794 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-11 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
878 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
249 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
268 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.7
Supercell composite
14.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KEVV 170153
SVREVV
INC037-123-170300-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EVANSVILLE IN
853 PM CDT (853 PM EST) WED MAY 16 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN EVANSVILLE HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1000 PM CDT (1000 PM EST)
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN SOUTHWEST INDIANA
          ...DUBOIS
IN SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA
          ...PERRY
 
AT 850 PM CDT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE CAUSING CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE IN
SOUTHWEST INDIANA. THEY WILL MOVE THROUGH DUBOIS AND PERRY COUNTIES
BETWEEN 850 PM AND 1000 PM CDT. THESE STORMS WILL AFFECT PERSONS IN
HUNTINGBURG...JASPER AND TELL CITY INDIANA.
 
A TORNADO WATCHy IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA.  REMEMBER
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.  REMAIN CALM BUT BE ALERT TO
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.
BLOCK

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 16, 4:11 PM EST, 4 hours 42 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
410 PM EST WED MAY 16 1990

MAY 16TH STORM DAMAGE...LATE REPORT

JST BEFORE 5AM...6 MILES SOUTH OF TRAFALGAR IN..11/2 MILES NORTH OF
THE JOHNSON/BROWN COUNTY LINE..AT LAMB LAKE. LOUD ROAR...FELT LARGE
PRESSURE CHANGE..HAD SEVERAL WINDOWS BLOWN OUT OF HOUSE. NUMEROUS
3 TO 4 FOOT DIAMETER TREES UPROOTED. TOPS OF SEVERAL LARGE TREES
HAD TOPS TWISTED OFF ABOUT 35 FT ABOVE THE GROUND.

GRAY
Special weather statement, May 16, 4:47 PM EST, 4 hours 6 minutes before
INZ011>015-162145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
545 PM EST WED MAY 16 1990

IN INDIANA THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 248 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL
10 PM EST AND INCLUDES THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF INDIANA SOUTH OF A LINE
FROM 15 MILES SOUTH OF TERRE HAUTE TO 10 MILES NORTH OF CINCINNATI.

SOME CITIES INCLUDED IN THE WATCH ARE...BLOOMINGTON...VINCENNES...
EVANSVILLE...COLUMBUS...MADISON...SALEM AND JASPER.

REMEMBER...A WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS
SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN
FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

KOLDITZ
Special weather statement, May 16, 4:55 PM EST, 3 hours 58 minutes before
INZ011>015-162145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED FOR TIME IN HEADER...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
445 PM EST WED MAY 16 1990

IN INDIANA THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 248 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL
10 PM EST AND INCLUDES THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF INDIANA SOUTH OF A LINE
FROM 15 MILES SOUTH OF TERRE HAUTE TO 10 MILES NORTH OF CINCINNATI.

SOME CITIES INCLUDED IN THE WATCH ARE...BLOOMINGTON...VINCENNES...
EVANSVILLE...COLUMBUS...MADISON...SALEM AND JASPER.

REMEMBER...A WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS
SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN
FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

KOLDITZ
Special weather statement, May 16, 5:36 PM EST, 3 hours 17 minutes before
INZ011>015-162330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
535 PM EST WED MAY 16 1990

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF
INDIANA UNTIL 10 PM EST. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN INDIANA FOR TONIGHT.

AT 530 PM EST...SHOWERS WERE MOVING INTO WEST CENTRAL INDIANA...BETWEEN
TERRE HAUTE AND LINTON. THEY WERE MOVING EAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR.

FARTHER SOUTH...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL
WERE OCCURRING OVER EXTREME SOUTHERN INDIANA. THE STORMS WERE SOUTH
OF A LINE FROM VINCENNES TO MADISON. VERY HEAVY RAIN WAS FALLING
OVER EXTREME SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA...NORTHWEST OF LOUISVILLE K%ENTUCKY.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR.

GRAY
Special weather statement, May 16, 8:21 PM EST, 32 minutes before
INZ011>015-170200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
817 PM EST WED MAY 16 1990

THE TORNADO WATCH 251 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 300 AM EST THURSDAY MORNING
AND INCLUDES THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF INDIANA SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 20
MILES NORTH OF VINCENNES TO 30 MILES WEST OF CINCINNATI.

SOME CITIES INCLUDED IN THE WATCH ARE...VINCENNES...EVANSVILLE...JASPER
...SALEM...MADISON AND BEDFORD.

REMEMBER...A WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AS
WELL AS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN
THE WATCH AREA SHOULD BE ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND
LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS ANDS POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

THIS TORNAD7O WATCH 251 REPLACED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 248 ISSUED
EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON.
KOLDITZ
Special weather statement, May 16, 8:45 PM EST, 8 minutes before
INZ011>015-170300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
845 PM EST WED MAY 16 1990

TORNADO WATCH 251 IN EFFECT UNTIL 300 AM EST THURSDAY MORNING FOR THE
SOUTHERN THIRD OF INDIANA SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 20 MILES NORTH OF
VINCENNES TO 30 MILES WEST OF CINCINNATI.

AT 830 PM EST THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING THROUGH THE SOUTH HALF OF
INDIANA. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE GENERALLY IN SOUTHWEST INDIANA
AND ALSO JUST NORTH OF THE OHIO RIVER. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
WAS ISSUED FOR WARRICK COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST INDIANA AND VALID UNTIL 9
PM EST.

TORRENTIAL RAINS WERE ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH THE STORMS. ROADS...UNDER-
PASSES...SMALL CREEKS AND DITCHES WERE FLOODING IN oSOUTHERN INDIANA.

PERSONS IN SOUTHERN INDIANA SHOULD BE ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER
CONDITIONS. MOVE TO A SAFE PLACE WHEN SEVERE WEATHER APPROACHES.
KOLDITZ

The office that day

Everything else NWS Indianapolis, IN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 16, 7:37 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningINDJackson3 hr
May 16, 7:41 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDPosey49 min
May 16, 7:52 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDGibson, Vanderburgh53 min
May 16, 8:17 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDWarrick43 min
May 16, 8:31 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDSpencer44 min
May 16, 8:31 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDPike44 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Indiana, 1990Every severe thunderstorm warning 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.