Alert archive / West Virginia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 92, NWS Charleston, WV

July 11, 1990Kanawha County, West Virginia

NWS Charleston, WV issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 11, 1990, 8:51 PM EDT for Kanawha County, West Virginia. It was in force for 69 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 11, 1990, 8:51 PM EDT (00:51 UTC)
Expired
Jul 11, 1990, 10:00 PM EDT
In force
69 min
Issued by
NWS Charleston, WV
Area
Whole counties

County Kanawha County, WV

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, 0.9 hours before the alert went out and 85 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 1990-07-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1309 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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 1990-07-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 5 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
1309 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-9 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1336 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
14 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
5 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
70 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KCRW 120053
SVRCRW
WVC039-120200-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
851 PM EDT WED JUL 11 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1000 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION......
 
IN WEST CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA
 
   ...KANAWHA COUNTY
 
WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A RAPIDLY INTENSIFYING THUNDERSTORM OVER
SOUTHERN KANAWHA COUNTY...MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AROUND 20 MPH. THE
STORM IS EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE AS IT MOVES CLOSER TO CHARLESTON.
 
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.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

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, Jul 11, 7:13 PM EDT, 1 hour 38 minutes before
WVZ003-KYZ006-OHZ009-120100

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTINGTON WV
700 PM EDT WED JUL 11 1990

AT 700 PM EDT WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS
EXTENDING FROM POMEROY IN MEIGS COUNTY OHIO SOUTHWEST THROUGH
HUNTINGTON WEST VIRGINIA TO MOREHEAD IN ROWAN COUNTY KENTUCKY.
THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED IN GALLIA COUNTY OHIO AND IN
EASTERN GREENUP COUNTY KENTUCKY. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT
ABOUT 30 MPH.

BOTH OF THESE STORMS ARE POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS. THEY COULD
PRODUCE HAIL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS. IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SEEK SHELTER IN A STRONG BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR ROOM. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEAT8HER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

END/JMH
Special weather statement, Jul 11, 7:15 PM EDT, 1 hour 36 minutes before
WVZ005-008-009-010-MDZ008-009-120015-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKINS WV
715 PM EDT WED JUL 11 1990

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT FOR THE
NORTH CENTRAL...NORTHERN MOUNTAINS...AND PORTIONS OF THE POTOMAC
HIGHLANDS AND EASTERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA...

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR NORTH CENTRAL...NORTHERN MOUNTAINS...
POTOMAC HIGHLANDS AND EASTERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA AND GARRETT
ALLEGANY COUNTY OF WESTERN MARYLAND...

WEATHER RADAR AT 710 PM EDT INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH
HEAVY RAINS...GUSTY WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHNTING SCATTERED ACROSS
THE AREA. A STRONG STORM WAS MOVING ACROSS UPSHUR COUNTY MOVING INTO
RANDOLPH COUNTY. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED ACROSS EXTREME EASTERN
RANDOLPH COUNTY NORTHEAST THROUGH PENDLETON INTO HARDY COUNTIES.
MORE THUNDERSTORMS ARE OVER JACKSON COUNTY ON WESTWARD. THESE STORM
WILL BE TRACKING EAST ACROSS PORTIONS OF LEWIS...HARRISON...UPSHUR...
BARBOUR AND RANDOLPH COUNTIES. SOME LOCATIONS HAVE RECEIVED OVER AN
INCH OF RAIN THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN WILL PUSH
SMALL STREAMS UP. IF YOU LIVE ALONG A SMALL STREAM AND HEAVY RAINS
PERSIST, KEEP A WATCH ON WATER LEVELS AND SEEK HIGHER GROUND IF
STREAMS START RISING RAPIDLY.

STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...HAIL AND
HEAVY RAINS COULD ACCOMPANY THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

KEEP A WATCH ON THE SKY AND IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES SEEK A
SAFE SHELTER>.

CONTINUE TO LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL BROADCAST FOR
FURTHER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

GILKERSON

NNNN
Special weather statement, Jul 11, 7:20 PM EDT, 1 hour 31 minutes before
WVZ005-008-009-010-MDZ008-009-120015-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKINS WV
715 PM EDT WED JUL 11 1990

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT FOR THE
NORTH CENTRAL...NORTHERN MOUNTAINS...AND PORTIONS OF THE POTOMAC
HIGHLANDS AND EASTERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA...

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR NORTH CENTRAL...NORTHERN MOUNTAINS...
POTOMAC HIGHLANDS AND EASTERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA AND GARRETT
ALLEGANY COUNTIES OF WESTERN MARYLAND...

WEATHER RADAR AT 710 PM EDT INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH
HEAVY RAINS...GUSTY WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHNTING SCATTERED ACROSS
THE AREA. A STRONG STORM WAS MOVING ACROSS UPSHUR COUNTY MOVING INTO
RANDOLPH COUNTY. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED ACROSS EXTREME EASTERN
RANDOLPH COUNTY NORTHEAST THROUGH PENDLETON INTO HARDY COUNTIES.
MORE THUNDERSTORMS ARE OVER JACKSON COUNTY ON WESTWARD. THESE STORMS
WILL BE TRACKING EAST ACROSS PORTIONS OF LEWIS...HARRISON...UPSHUR...
BARBOUR AND RANDOLPH COUNTIES. SOME LOCATIONS HAVE RECEIVED OVER AN
INCH OF RAIN THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN WILL PUSH
SMALL STREAMS UP. IF YOU LIVE ALONG A SMALL STREAM AND HEAVY RAINS
PERSIST, KEEP A WATCH ON WATER LEVELS AND SEEK HIGHER GROUND IF
STREAMS START RISING RAPIDLY.

STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...HAIL AND
HEAVY RAINS COULD ACCOMPANY THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

KEEP A WATCH ON THE SKY AND IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES SEEK A
SAFE SHELCTER.

CONTINUE TO LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL BROADCAST FOR
FURTHER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

GILKERSON

NNNN
Special weather statement, Jul 11, 7:56 PM EDT, 55 minutes before
WVZ006>008-120100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BECKLEY WV
755 PM EDT WED JUL 11 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA
UNTIL 10 PM EDT...

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA FOR
TONIGHT...

AT 745 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT BECKLEY SHOWED THE
LEADING EDGE OF A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM 15 MILES SOUTH OF
PARKERSBURG SOUTHWEST TO WILLIAMSON. THE STRONGEST STORM WAS 10 MILES
NORTH OF WILLIAMSON. OTHER STRONG STORMS EXTENDED FROM RAVENSWOOD IN
JACKSON COUNTY TO 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF POINT PLEASANT IN MASON COUNTY.

VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HAIL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING
MAY ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS AS THEY MOVE EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR THROUGH
MINGO AND LOGAN COUNTIES BETWEEN NOW AND 900 PM.

PERSONS IN SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA SHOULD REMAIN ON THE LOOKOUT AND BE
PREPARED TO SEEK SAFE INDOOR SHELTER IF YOU SEE A THUNDERSTORM
APPROACHING YOUR LOCATION.

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, Jul 11, 8:30 PM EDT, 21 minutes before
WVZ003-KYZ006-OHZ009-120200

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTINGTON WV
825 PM EDT WED JUL 11 1990

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH THAT WAS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT
HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR SOUTH CENTRAL OHIO AND PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST
KENTUCKY...

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED WEST OF A LINE FROM
PARKERSBURG TO HUNTINGTON TO 30 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF LEXINGTON.
THE WATCH CONTINUES UNTIL 10 PM FOR WESTERN WEST VIRGINIA AND PORTIONS
OF NORTHEAST KENTUCKY EAST OF THE LINE.

AT 825 PM EDT WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED THAT THE STRONGEST STORMS
HAVE MOVED EAST OF PARKERSBURG AND HUNTINGTON WEST VIRGINIA TOWARD
CHARLESTON. TO THE WEST...RADAR SHOWED MAINLY LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN
SHOWERS AND JUST A FEW THUNDERSTORMS. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN
IN THE FORECAST ALONG WITH A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR WEST VIRGINIA AND
A FLOOD WATCH FOR SOUTHERN OHIO.

PEOPLE SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO APPROACHING WEATHER AND WATCH FOR
RISING WATER IF HEAVY RAIN SHOULD PERSIST IN YOUR AREA. CONTINUE
TO LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ANY STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS.

END/JMH
Special weather statement, Jul 11, 8:50 PM EDT, 1 minute before
WVZ005-008-009-010-MDZ008-009-120145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKINS WV
845 PM EDT WED JUL 11 1990

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT FOR THE
NORTH CENTRAL...NORTHERN MOUNTAINS...AND PORTIONS OF THE POTOMAC
HIGHLANDS AND EASTERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA...

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR NORTH CENTRAL...NORTHERN MOUNTAINS...
POTOMAC HIGHLANDS AND EASTERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA AND GARRETT
AND ALLEGANY COUNTIES OF WESTERN MARYLAND...

WEATHER RADAR AT 845 PM EDT INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DECREASED
IN INTENSITY. HOWEVER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS, SOME WITH HEAVY
RAINS, ARE OCCURRING FROM SOUTHERN UPSHUR COUNTY NORTHEAST THROUGH
CENTRAL TUCKER COUNTY. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS NOW OVER RITCHIE,
WIRT AND WOOD COUNTIES ARE MOVING EAST AND THESE STORMS WILL
MOVE INTO PORTIONS OF LEWIS...HARRISON...UPSHUR...BARBOUR AND
RANDOLPH COUNTIES. SOME LOCATIONS HAVE RECEIVED OVER AN INCH OF RAIN
THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN WILL PUSH SMALL STREAMS
UP. IF YOU LIVE ALONG A SMALL STREAM AND HEAVY RAINS PERSIST, KEEP A
WATCH ON WATER LEVELS AND SEEK HIGHER GROUND IF STREAMS START RISING
RAPIDLY.

KEEP A WATCH ON THE SKY AND IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES SEEK A
SAFE SHELTER.

CONTINUE TO LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL BROADCAST FOR
FURTHER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

GILKERSON

NNNN

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 11, 10:37 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningRLXLewis, Upshur2 hr
Jul 11, 11:17 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningRLXHarrison58 min
Jul 11, 11:17 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningRLXRandolph58 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.