Alert archive / West Virginia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 11, NWS Charleston, WV

June 8, 1990Kanawha County, Roane County, West Virginia

NWS Charleston, WV issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 8, 1990, 7:05 AM EDT for Kanawha County, Roane County, West Virginia. It was in force for 55 min. 3 reports 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
Jun 8, 1990, 7:05 AM EDT (11:05 UTC)
Expired
Jun 8, 1990, 8:00 AM EDT
In force
55 min
Issued by
NWS Charleston, WV
Area
Whole counties

Counties Kanawha County, WV, Roane County, WV

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
Jun 8, 7:06 AM EDTHail 0.8Roane, WV
Jun 8, 7:15 AM EDTHail 1Kanawha, WV
Jun 8, 8:10 AM EDTHail 0.75Kanawha, WV

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

Huntington/Tri S, WV (KHTS), launched 00:00Z, 11.1 hours before the alert went out and 94 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, Huntington/Tri S, WV at 00:00Z on 1990-06-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 201 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, Huntington/Tri S, WV at 00:00Z on 1990-06-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 94 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
201 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-152 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1026 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
94 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
140 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KCRW 081109
SVRCRW
WVC039-087-081200-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
705 AM EDT FRI JUN 8 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  800 AM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN WEST CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA
 
   ...NORTHERN KANAWHA COUNTY...SOUTHERN ROANE COUNTY
 
AT 700 AM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN CHARLESTON INDICATED A
SERVERE THUNDERSTORM IN KANAWHA AND NORTHEAST PUTNAM COUNTY.
THIS DANGEROUS THUNDERSTORM IS MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.
 
 
WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A
STRONG BUILDING.  DO NOT STAND BY WINDOWS.  DON'T USE TELEPHONES
OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY UNTIL THE STORM
HAS PASSED.  MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT DRIVE INTO LOW WATER CROSSINGS.
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...APND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.
 
END/LAPLANTE

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

Special weather statement, Jun 8, 5:27 AM EDT, 1 hour 38 minutes before
WVZ002>009-012-VA015-016-021800-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
530 AM EDT FRI JUN 8 1990

THE NATIONAL SEVERE STORM FORECAST CENTER INDICATES THAT THERE IS A
SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER WEST VIRGINIA AND
SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA TODAY AND TONIGHT.

END
Special weather statement, Jun 8, 6:08 AM EDT, 57 minutes before
WVZ006>008-081100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BECKLEY WV
605 AM EDT FRI JUN 8 1990

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM RAPIDLY DEVELOPING OVER SOUTHWESTERN WEST VIRGINIA...

AT 600 AM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT BECKLEY INDICATED THAT A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM HAD RAPIDLY DEVELOPED ALONG THE MINGO-LOGAN COUNTY
BORDER ABOUT 10 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF LOGAN.

VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WAS OCCURRING WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM AND RADAR ALSO
INDICATES THAT SMALL HAIL IS ALSO LIKELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE STORM.

THE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL MOVE ACROSS
LOGAN COUNTY DURING THE NEXT HOUR.

REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER SUCH AS LARGE HAIL OR DAMAGING WINDS TO YOUR
LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AND ASK THEM TO RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

END/PLATE
Special weather statement, Jun 8, 6:53 AM EDT, 12 minutes before
WVZ002-005-081200-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
645 AM EDT FRI MAY 08 1990

A BROAD AREA OF SHOWERS WITH HEAVY EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WERE
APPROACHING WEST VIRGINIA.  A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM AROUND
CAMBRIDGE TO ATHENS OHIO. THE SHOWERS WILL BE CROSSING THE OHIO RIVER
INTO WEST VIRGINIA AROUND PARKERSBURG AND NORTHWARD DURING THE HOUR.

AS THE THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH... STRONG GUSTY WINDS..LIGHTNING AND
POSS.IBLY HAIL COULD ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS. BE PREPARED TO TAKE COVER
AS THESE STORMS MOVE INTO YOUR AREA.

THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 40 MILES AN
HOUR.

END
Special weather statement, Jun 8, 7:04 AM EDT, 1 minute before
WVZ006>008-081200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BECKLEY WV
700 AM EDT FRI JUN 8 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS INCREASING OVER SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA...

AT 650 AM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT BECKLEY TWO LINES OF
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER WEST VIRGINIA. THE FIRST LINE
EXTENDED FROM NEAR CLAY IN CLAY COUNTY SOUTHWEST TO NEAR MADISON IN
BOONE COUNTY AND THEN ON SOUTH TO NEAR IAEGER IN NORTHERN MCDOWELL
COUNTY.

THE SECOND LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM FROM ABOUT 40 MILES NORTH
OF PARKERSBURG SOUTHWEST TO NEAR RIPLEY IN JACKSON COUNTY AND THEN ON
SOUTHWEST THROUGH WILLIAMSON IN MINGO COUNTY TO NEAR WHITESBURG IN
LETCHER COUNTY KENTUCKY. THIS SECOND LINE OF STORMS WAS THE STRONGEST.

THE STRONGEST STORM WAS JUST NORTH OF NITRO ALONG THE PUTNAM-KANAWHA
COUNTY LINE. LARGE HAIL WAS LIKELY WITH THIS STORM AND A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR PUTNAM COUNTY UNTIL 745 AM.

OTHER STRONG STORMS WERE IN NORTHEAST PUTNAM COUNTY ABOUT 15 MILES SOUTH
OF RIPLEY...IN SOUTHERN LINCOLN COUNTY ABOUT 20 MILES WEST OF MADISON...
IN WESTERN LOGAN COUNTY ABOUT 10 MILES WEST OF LOGAN...AND IN SOUTHWESTERN
PIKE COUNTY KENTUCKY NEAR WEEKSBURY. ALL OF THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE
VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST-NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER SUCH AS LARGE HAIL OR DAMAGING WINDS TO YOUR
LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMEDNT AGENCY AND ASK THEM TO RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

END/PLATE

The office that day

Everything else NWS Charleston, WV issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 8, 6:40 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXPutnam65 min
Jun 8, 7:56 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXNicholas64 min
Jun 8, 7:57 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXFayette63 min
Jun 8, 8:14 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXMarion, Monongalia61 min
Jun 8, 8:23 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXGreenbrier67 min
Jun 8, 8:42 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXPreston, Taylor93 min
Jun 8, 9:04 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXSummers41 min
Jun 8, 3:18 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXPleasants, Ritchie42 min
Jun 8, 3:28 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXDoddridge62 min
Jun 8, 3:38 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXHarrison67 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in West Virginia, 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.