Alert archive / Virginia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1992

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 21, NWS Wakefield, VA

July 18, 1992Gloucester County, Mathews County, Virginia

NWS Wakefield, VA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 18, 1992, 4:39 PM EDT for Gloucester County, Mathews County, Virginia. It was in force for 66 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 18, 1992, 4:39 PM EDT (20:39 UTC)
Expired
Jul 18, 1992, 5:45 PM EDT
In force
66 min
Issued by
NWS Wakefield, VA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Gloucester County, VA, Mathews County, VA

The nearest sounding before it

Wallops Is Stn, VA (KWAL), launched 12:00Z, 8.7 hours before the alert went out and 105 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, Wallops Is Stn, VA at 12:00Z on 1992-07-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1270 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, Wallops Is Stn, VA at 12:00Z on 1992-07-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 35 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
1270 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-31 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
866 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
35 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
66 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 KORF 182039
SVRORF
VAC073-115-182145-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORFOLK VA
439 PM EDT SAT JUL 18 1992
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORFOLK VA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING  EFFECTIVE UNTIL  545 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...S...
 
IN EAST VIRGINIA
 
   ...GLOUCESTER COUNTY...MATHEWS COUNTY
 
AND ADJACENT RIVERS AND WATERS OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY
AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS
 
WEATHER RADAR INDICATES A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER EASTERN GLOUCESTER
COUNTY. THIS STORM IS PRODUCING VERY HEAY RAIN...FREQUENT DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING...AND IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL. THE
STORM WILL AFFECT MATHEWS COUNTY AS WELL AS IT MOVES TO THE
EAST-NORTHEAST AT 20 TO 30 MPH.
 
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 LOWESXT FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.
PETROLITO

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 18, 1:30 PM EDT, 3 hours 9 minutes before
VAZ003-004-006-007-010-012-013-014-017-018-181930-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RICHMOND VA
 130 PM EDT SAT JUL 18 1992

 ...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER CENTRAL VIRGINIA...

AT 127 PM EDT WEATHER RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
DEVELOPING OVER THE COUNTIES OF PRINCE EDWARD...AMELIA...CHESTERFIELD...
HENRICO...CHARLES CITY...NEW KENT...LUNEBURG...MECKLENBURG...BUCKINGHAM
...NELSON AN NOTTOWAY. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED OVER NOTTOWAY
...MECKLENBURG...LUNENBURG AND THE EAST-CENTRAL PORTION OF AMELIA MOVING
INTO CHESTERFIELD.

THE STRONGEST STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DANGEROUS LIGHTNING
STRIKES...HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND BRIEF GUSTY WINDS.

THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST 25 MPH.
Special weather statement, Jul 18, 2:42 PM EDT, 1 hour 57 minutes before
VAZ003-004-006-007-010-012-013-014-017-018-182030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RICHMOND VA
240 PM EDT SAT JUL 18 1992

AT 239 PM EDT WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS RICHMOND AND VICINITY EXTENDING SOUTHWARD TO
THE SOUTHEASTERN PIEDMONT OF VIRGINIA. THE SHOWERS WERE LOCATED IN THE
COUNTIES OF HENRICO...CHESTERFIELD...NEW KENT...CHARLES CITY...AMELIA...
BRUNSWICK...PRINCE GEORGE...NOTTOWAY...LUNEBURG...MECKLENBURG AND DINWIDDIE.

THE STORM LOCATED IN BRUNSWICK COUNTY WAS PRODUCING DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING STRIKES. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WERE LOCATED OVER THE
COUNTIES OF DIDWIDDIE...THE EXTREME EASTERN PO8RTION OF HENRICO AND THE WESTERN
PORTION OF NEW KENT

THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST 25 MPH.
Special weather statement, Jul 18, 2:48 PM EDT, 1 hour 51 minutes before
VAZ001>004-181930-

MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORFOLK VA
2:47 PM EDT SAT JUL 18 1992

...LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH NORTHERN NECK...
   AND OVER THE CHESAPEAKE BAY...
AT 2:40PM WEATHER RADAR INDICATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE
TO DEVELOP OVER THE NORTHERN NECK AND THE ADJACENT CHESAPEAKE BAY.
THE LINE EXTENDS FROM NEAR TANGIER SOUND SOUTHWEST THROUGH THE NORTHERN
NECK TO SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING
OUT OVER THE CHESAPEAKE BAY EAST OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY. THIS STORM
IS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. GUSTY
WINDS AROUND 25 TO 30 KTS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

MARINERS NORTH OF WINDMILL POINT SHOULD KEEP A SHARP LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING INTO MIDDLESEX AND GLOUCESTER
COUNTIES ON THE MIDDLE PENINSULA. HEAVY RAIN AND OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING
CAN BE EXPECTED.

THE SHOWERS AREL MOVING TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 MPH.

FURTHER STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED IF CONDITIONS WARRANT.

PETROLITO
Special weather statement, Jul 18, 3:38 PM EDT, 1 hour 1 minute before
VAZ-006-007-017-018-182130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RICHMOND VA
338 PM EDT SAT JUL 18 1992

 ...CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES INCREASING...

THE LIGHTNING DETECTION SYSTEM INDICATED NUMEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES OVER
THE EASTERN PORTION OF DINWIDDIE COUNTY MOVING INTO THE WESTERN PORTION
OF PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY. MEANWHILE WEATHER RADAR DETECTED THUNDERSTORMS
WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN STRETCHING FROM EASTERN CHARLES CITY COUNTY ACROSS
THE SOUTHEASTERN PORTION OF PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY.

THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AROUND 25 MPH.
Special weather statement, Jul 18, 3:41 PM EDT, 58 minutes before
VAZ001>004-182030-

MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORFOLK VA
3:41 PM EDT SAT JUL 18 1992

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO THE INTERIOR SOUTHEAST...

AT 3:25PM WEATHER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING RAPIDLY
OVER THE INTERIOR SOUTHEAST. THESE STORMS ARE OVERSPREADING SUSSEX AND
SURRY COUNTY. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS NEAR WAVERLY. HEAVY RAIN...
FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY SOME GUSTY WINDS CAN BE
EXPECTED.

THE LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM EAST OF THE
NORTHERN NECK SOUTHWEST ACROSS THE MIDDLE PENINSULA TO SOUTH CENTRAL
VIRGINIA. THE SHOWERS OVER THE NORTHERN NECK AND THE CHESAPEAKE BAY
HAVE DIMINISHED IN INTENSITY DURING THE PAST HALF HOUR...HOWEVER...
THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE LINE IS INTENSIFYING.

THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN ARE ALSO APPROACHING THE JAMES CITY AREA
...INCLUDING WILLIAMSBURG.

THE LINE IS MOVING EAST AT 10 TO 15 MPH WHILE THE STORMS ARE
MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 MPH.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...SEEK SHELTER
IMMEDIATELY!

FURTHER STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS CONDITIONS WARRANT.

PETROLITO
Special weather statement, Jul 18, 3:44 PM EDT, 55 minutes before
VAZ001>004-182030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORFOLK VA
3:41 PM EDT SAT JUL 18 1992

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO THE INTERIOR SOUTHEAST...

AT 3:35PM WEATHER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING RAPIDLY
OVER THE INTERIOR SOUTHEAST. THESE STORMS ARE OVERSPREADING SUSSEX AND
SURRY COUNTY. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS NEAR WAVERLY. HEAVY RAIN...
FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY SOME GUSTY WINDS CAN BE
EXPECTED.

THE LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM EAST OF THE
NORTHERN NECK SOUTHWEST ACROSS THE MIDDLE PENINSULA TO SOUTH CENTRAL
VIRGINIA. THE SHOWERS OVER THE NORTHERN NECK AND THE CHESAPEAKE BAY
HAVE DIMINISHED IN INTENSITY DURING THE PAST HALF HOUR...HOWEVER...
THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE LINE IS INTENSIFYING.

THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN ARE ALSO APPROACHING THE JAMES CITY AREA
...INCLUDING WILLIAMSBURG.

THE LINE IS MOVING EAST AT 10 TO 15 MPH WHILE THE STORMS ARE
MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 MPH.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...SEEK SHELTER
IMMEDIATELY!

FURTHER STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS CONDITIONS WARRANT.

PETROLITO

The office that day

Everything else NWS Wakefield, VA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 18, 5:19 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAKQCity of Chesapeake, City of Virginia Beach41 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Virginia, 1992Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1992

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.