Alert archive / West Virginia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 2, NWS Charleston, WV
NWS Charleston, WV issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 16, 1990, 6:00 PM EDT for Marion County, Monongalia County, Preston County, West Virginia. It was in force for 2 hr. 2 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
- May 16, 1990, 6:00 PM EDT (22:00 UTC)
- Expired
- May 16, 1990, 8:00 PM EDT
- In force
- 2 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Charleston, WV
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Marion County, WV, Monongalia County, WV, Preston 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 6:05 PM EDT | Hail 1.75 | Marion, WV | |
| May 16, 6:15 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Marion, 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
Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 12:00Z, 10.0 hours before the alert went out and 98 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
- 31 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -50 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 819 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 35 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 190 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 209 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 KEKN 162200 SVREKN WVC049-061-077-170000- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKINS WV 600 PM EDT WED MAY 16 1990 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ELKINS HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 800 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... IN NORTH WEST VIRGINIA ...NORTHERN MARION COUNTY...MONONGALIA COUNTY ...NORTHERN PRESTON COUNTY RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER NORTH MARION COUNTY AND SOUTH CENTRAL MONONGALIA COUNTY IN WEST VIRGINIA MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 30 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR. THIS STORM WILL LIKELY MOVE THROUGH THE MORGANTOWN AREA BEFORE ENTERING PRESTON COUNTY. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH... DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS. IF FLASH FLOODING DEVELOPES MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IMMEDIATELY. DONT DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS ROADWAYS. NNNN
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, May 16, 3:51 PM EDT, 2 hours 9 minutes before
KYZ006-008-OHZ008-009-WVZ003-161930 SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTINGTON WV 345 PM EDT WED MAY 16 1990 AT 340 PM EDT...WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM WESTERN ADAMS COUNTY OHIO SOUTHWEST INTO NORTHERN KENTUCKY. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR ALONG THE OHIO RIVER AND WILL BE MOVING THROUGH ADAMS COUNTY OHIO AND LEWIS COUNTY KENTUCKY. A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL BE PASS NEAR MOUNT UNION IN ADAMS COUNTY OHIO BEFORE 315 PM EDT. THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...DEADLY LIGHTNING... STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL. IF YOUR ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS YOU SHOULD REMAIN INDOORS UNTIL THEY HAVE PASSED. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS...THE TELEPHONE AND OTHER ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES. CONTINUE TO LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS. YOUNG...
Special weather statement, May 16, 3:59 PM EDT, 2 hours 1 minute before
KYZ006-008-OHZ008-009-WVZ003-161930 SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTINGTON WV...CORRECTION 345 PM EDT WED MAY 16 1990 AT 340 PM EDT...WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM WESTERN ADAMS COUNTY OHIO SOUTHWEST INTO NORTHERN KENTUCKY. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR ALONG THE OHIO RIVER AND WILL BE MOVING THROUGH ADAMS COUNTY OHIO AND LEWIS COUNTY KENTUCKY. A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL BE PASS NEAR WEST UNION IN ADAMS COUNTY OHIO BEFORE 315 PM EDT. THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...DEADLY LIGHTNING... STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL. IF YOUR ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS YOU SHOULD REMAIN INDOORS UNTIL THEY HAVE PASSED. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS...THE TELEPHONE AND OTHER ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES. CONTINUE TO LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS. YOUNG...
Special weather statement, May 16, 4:32 PM EDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before
KYZ006-008-OHZ008-009-WVZ003-162200 SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTINGTON WV 430 PM EDT WED MAY 16 1990 AT 425 PM EDT...WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM NEAR WAVERLY IN PIKE COUNTY OHIO SOUTHWEST ACROSS THE OHIO RIVER TO LEXINGTON KENTUCKY. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 50 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL BE MOVING THROUGH PIKE AND SCIOTO COUNTIES IN OHIO AND LEWIS COUNTY KENTUCKY. THESE STORMS HAVE PRODUCED VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AS THEY PASSED THROUGH ADAMS COUNTY OHIO. THE STORMS ALSO CONTAIN BRIEF GUSTY WINDS... DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY HAIL. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS...REMAIN INDOORS UNTIL THEY HAVE PASSSEDA. THE ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL MAY CAUSE FLOODING OF STREETS AN LOW LYING AREAS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THESE THUNDERSTORMS. YOUNG...
Special weather statement, May 16, 5:32 PM EDT, 28 minutes before
KYZ006-008-OHZ008-009-WVZ003-162330 SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTINGTON WV 530 PM EDT WED MAY 16 1990 AT 520 PM EDT...WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM JUST WEST OF POMEROY IN MEIGS COUNTY OHIO SOUTHWEST THROUGH GREENUP AND CARTER COUNTIES IN KENTUCKY TO 25 MILES EAST OF LEXINGTON. THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER GREENUP KENTUCKY AND 5 MILES WEST OF CARTER CAVES IN CARTER COUNTY KENTUCKY. THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL REACH THE HUNTINGTON AREA WITHIN THE HOUR. THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...DEADLY LIGHTNING... STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL. IF YOUR ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS YOU SHOULD REMAIN INDOORS UNTIL THEY HAVE PASSED. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS...THE TELEPHONE AND OTHER ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES. HEAVY RAINFALL ASSOCIATED WITH THESE STORMS MAY CAUSE FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW LYING AREAS. CONTINUE TO LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS. YOUNG...
Special weather statement, May 16, 5:32 PM EDT, 28 minutes before
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
Special weather statement, May 16, 5:43 PM EDT, 17 minutes before
KYZ006-008-OHZ008-009-WVZ003-162330 SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...AMENDED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTINGTON WV 530 PM EDT WED MAY 16 1990 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE TRI-STATE AREA UNTIL 11PM EDT THIS EVENING... AT 520PM EDT..WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDESTORMS EXTENDING FROM JUST WEST OF POMEROY IN MEIGS COUNTY OHIO SOUTHWEST THROUGH GREENUP AND CARTER COUNTIES IN KENTUCKY TO 25 MILES EAST OF LEXINGTON. THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER GREENUP KENTUCKY AND 5 MILES WEST OF CARTER CAVES IN CARTER COUNTY KENTUCKY. THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL REACH THE HUNTINGTON AREA WITHIN THE HOUR. THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...DEADLY LIGHTNING... STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THESES STORMS YOU SHOULD REMAIN INDOORS UNTIL THEY HAVE PASSED. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS..THE TELEPHONE AND OTHER ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES. HEAVY RAINFALL ASSOCIATED WITH THESE STORMS MAY CAUSE FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW LYING AREAS. CONTINUE TO LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS. YOUNG...
The office that day
Everything else NWS Charleston, WV issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 7:09 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RLX | Calhoun | 51 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.