Alert archive / Kentucky / Tornado Warnings in 1990
Tornado Warning 6, NWS Louisville, KY
NWS Louisville, KY issued this tornado warning at May 21, 1990, 8:30 PM EDT for Madison County, Kentucky. It was in force for 60 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- May 21, 1990, 8:30 PM EDT (00:30 UTC)
- Expired
- May 21, 1990, 9:30 PM EDT
- In force
- 60 min
- Issued by
- NWS Louisville, KY
- Area
- Whole counties
County Madison County, KY
The radar
The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.
The nearest sounding before it
Huntington/Tri S, WV (KHTS), launched 00:00Z, 0.5 hours before the alert went out and 172 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
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 686 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 47 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 10 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 70 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KLEX 220030
TORLEX
KYC151-220130-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO AND FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LEXINGTON KY
830 PM EDT MON MAY 21 1990
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO AND FLASH
FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 930 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE
FOLLOWING COUNTY
IN THE EAST CENTRAL PART OF KENTUCKY
MADISON
AT 825 PM EDT...COVINGTON NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE REPORTED A
POSSIBLE TORNADO OVER CENTRAL MADISON COUNTY. THIS STORM WAS MOVING
EAST AT AROUND 25 MILES AN HOUR. THE HISTORY OF THESE TORNADOS
THIS EVENING INDICATED THE MOVEMENTS HAVE BEEN ERRATIC AND IN NO
DEFINATE DIRECTION. THE CITY OF RICHMOND CONTINUES TO BE AFFECTED
BY THIS STORM SYSTEM. THESE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DEPOSIT VERY
LARGE AMOUNTS OF RAIN CAUSING FLOODING AROUND THE REGION.
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE IS IN
A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STJURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...FIND 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, May 21, 6:09 PM EDT, 2 hours 21 minutes before
KYZ004-220010- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 608 PM EDT MON MAY 21 1990 ...HEAVY RAINS ARE CONTINUE OVER THE LOUISVILLE METROPOLITAN AREA... AT 6 PM EDT HEAVY RAINS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER NORTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA INCLUDING THE LOUISVILLE METROPOLITAN AREA. RAINFALL OF 1.4 INCHES HAS FALLEN AT STANDIFORD FIELD IN LOUISVILLE IN THE PAST 2 1/4 HOURS. PONDING OF WATER IN LOW AREAS AND IN UNDERPASSES IS LIKELY. RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE OVER THE NORTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA THROUGH 8 PM EDT. THE RAIN WILL HEAVY AT TIMES. MOTORISTS SHOULD USE CAUTION AND NOT DRIVE THROUGH AREAS COVERED WITH WATER. STAY AWAY FROM RISING CREEKS AND STREAMS. SCHOLZ
Special weather statement, May 21, 6:25 PM EDT, 2 hours 5 minutes before
KYZ004-220010- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 608 PM EDT MON MAY 21 1990 ...HEAVY RAINS ARE CONTINUING OVER THE LOUISVILLE METROPOLITAN AREA... AT 6 PM EDT HEAVY RAINS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER NORTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA INCLUDING THE LOUISVILLE METROPOLITAN AREA. RAINFALL OF 1.4 INCHES HAS FALLEN AT STANDIFORD FIELD IN LOUISVILLE IN THE PAST 2 1/4 HOURS. PONDING OF WATER IN LOW AREAS AND IN UNDERPASSES IS LIKELY. RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE OVER THE NORTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA THROUGH 8 PM EDT. THE RAIN WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES. MOTORISTS SHOULD USE CAUTION AND NOT DRIVE THROUGH AREAS COVERED WITH WATER. STAY AWAY FROM RISING CREEKS AND STREAMS. ...CORRECTION FOR TYPING MISTAKES.. SCHOLZ
Special weather statement, May 21, 7:08 PM EDT, 1 hour 22 minutes before
KYZ004-220110- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 707 PM EDT MON MAY 21 1990 ...HEAVY RAINS ARE CONTINUING OVER THE LOUISVILLE METROPOLITAN AREA... AT 7 PM EDT HEAVY RAINS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER NORTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA INCLUDING THE LOUISVILLE METROPOLITAN AREA. RAINFALL OF 1 AND 3/4 INCHES HAS FALLEN AT STANDIFORD FIELD IN LOUISVILLE IN THE PAST 3 1/4 HOURS. PONDING OF WATER IN LOW AREAS AND IN UNDERPASSES IS LIKELY ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA. RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE OVER THE NORTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA THROUGH 9 PM EDT. THE RAIN WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES. MOTORISTS SHOULD USE CAUTION AND NOT DRIVE THROUGH AREAS COVERED WITH WATER. STAY AWAY FROM RISING CREEKS AND STREAMS. SCHOLZ
Special weather statement, May 21, 7:16 PM EDT, 1 hour 14 minutes before
KYZ009-220110- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 715 PM EDT MON MAY 21 1990 ...THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY... AT 7 PM EDT A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY FROM EAST OF LEBANON TO EAST OF CAMPBELLSVILLE TO NEAR TOMPKINSVILLE...ABOUT 40 MILES NORTHWEST AND WEST OF SOMERSET. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAINS...GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL AS THEY MOVE TO THE EAST AROUND 35 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL MOVE EAST TO NEAR RICHMOND...SOMERSET AND MONTICELLO BY 815 PM EDT. STAY ALERT AND SEEK SHELTER IF THE WEATHER BECOMES UNUSUALLY THREATENING. SCHOLZ
Special weather statement, May 21, 8:13 PM EDT, 17 minutes before
KYZ004-220210- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 810 PM EDT MON MAY 21 1990 ...FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR SPENCER COUNTY... ...HEAVY RAINS CONTINUE OVER ALL OF NORTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA. AT 8 PM EDT HEAVY RAINS CONTINUED OVER ALL OF NORTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA INCLUDING THE LOUISVILLE METROPOLITAN AREA. RAINFALL OF 2 INCHES HAS FALLEN IN LOUISVILLE IN THE PAST 4 HOURS AND SOME AREAS HAVE REPORTED MORE RAINFALL. WATER IS PONDIND IN LOW AREAS AND SOME FLOODING OF ROADS AND UNDERPASSES IS LIKELY ACRSSO NORTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA. RAINFALL WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH TO THE WEST OF LOUISV3ILLE BY 9 PM BUT WILL CONTINUE TO THE EAST THROUGH 10 PM EDT. MOTORISTS SHOULD USE CAUTION AND NOT DRIVE THROUGH AREAS COVERED WITH WATER. STAY AWAY FROM CREEKS AND SMALL STEAMS AS WATER WILL RISE RAPIDLY. SCHOLZ
Special weather statement, May 21, 8:19 PM EDT, 11 minutes before
KYZ009-220210- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 817 PM EDT MON MAY 21 1990 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY... AT 8 PM EDT A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY FROM EAST OF LIBERTY TO NEAR ALBANY...ABOUT 20 TO 25 MILES NORTHWEST TO SOUTHWEST OF SOMERSET. THE STRONGEST STORM WAS IN EASTERN CASEY COUNTY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAINS ...GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL AS THEY MOVE TO THE EAST AROUND 25 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL MOVE EAST TO NEAR RICHMOND...EAST OF SOMERSET AND WEST OF WHITLEY CITY BY 9 PM EDT. STAY ALERT AND SEEK SHELTER IF THE WEATHER BECOMES UN<USUALLY THREATENING. SCHOLZ
The office that day
Everything else NWS Louisville, KY issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 21, 8:00 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | LMK | Menifee, Montgomery, Powell | 45 min |
| May 21, 8:55 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | LMK | Anderson, Franklin, Woodford | 50 min |
| May 21, 9:19 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | LMK | Bath, Montgomery | 3 hr |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Kentucky, 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.