Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Warnings in 1992

Tornado Warning 6, NWS Tulsa, OK

May 11, 1992Latimer County, Oklahoma

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this tornado warning at May 11, 1992, 5:48 PM CDT for Latimer County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 42 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 11, 1992, 5:48 PM CDT (22:48 UTC)
Expired
May 11, 1992, 6:30 PM CDT
In force
42 min
Issued by
NWS Tulsa, OK
Area
Whole counties

County Latimer County, OK

The nearest sounding before it

Norman, OK (KOUN), launched 12:00Z, 10.8 hours before the alert went out and 199 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, Norman, OK at 12:00Z on 1992-05-11Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Norman, OK at 12:00Z on 1992-05-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -129 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
736 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
56 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-129 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-53 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 KTUL 112248
TORTUL
OKC077-112330-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
548 PM CDT MON MAY 11 1992
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  630 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES ...
 
IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA
 
   ...LATIMER COUNTY
 
AT 545 PM CDT...A TORNADO WAS REPORTED 9 MILES SOUTH OF WILBURTON
MOVING EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. THE STORM WILL BE APPROACHING THE
COMMUNITY OF BENGAL ON ITS PRESENT COURSE.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION.  ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE IN THE
PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF AVAILABLE.
OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR POSSIBLE.
STAY AWAY FROM OUTSIDE WALLS AND AVOID WINDOWS.  ABANDON CARS AND
MOBILE HOMES FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET IN A GROUND DEPRESSION.

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 11, 11:48 AM CDT, 6 hours before
OKZ029-111745-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1148 AM CDT MON MAY 11 1992

...HEAVY RAINS MOVING INTO THE TULSA METROPOLITAN AREA...

THE CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS WHICH HAVE BEEN MOVING ACROSS CREEK COUNTWILL BE ENTERING THE TULSA METROPOLITAN AREA.  THIS CLUSTER OF STORMS
HAVE PRODUCED PEA SIZE HAIL AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL NEAR DEPEW AND NEABRISTOW.  THE STORMS ARE MOVING NORTHEAST AROUND 25 MILES AN HOUR.

PEOPLE IN THE TULSA AREA WHO ARE PLANNING TO BE OUTSIDE DURING THE NOOHOUR SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF VERY HEAVY RAIN AND
POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL.
Special weather statement, May 11, 12:00 PM CDT, 5 hours 48 minutes before
OKZ029-111745-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT ... CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1148 AM CDT MON MAY 11 1992

...HEAVY RAINS MOVING INTO THE TULSA METROPOLITAN AREA...

THE CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS WHICH HAVE BEEN MOVING ACROSS CREEK
COUNTY WILL BE ENTERING THE TULSA METRO AREA.  THE CLUSTER OF STORMS
HAVE PRODUCED PEA SIZE HAIL AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL NEAR DEPEW AND
BRISTOW.  THE STORMS ARE MOVING NORTHEAST AROUND 25 MILES AN HOUR.

PEOPLE IN THE TULSA AREA WHO ARE PLANNING TO BE OUTSIDE DURING THE
NOON HOUR SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF VERY HEAVY RAIN
AND POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL.
Local storm report, May 11, 12:53 PM CDT, 4 hours 55 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA, OK
1253 PM CDT MON MAY 11 1992

TIME(CDT)    COUNTY         REPORT

230-250 AM   TULSA AND      A WEAK (F0) TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR
             WAGONER        113TH ST SOUTH MIDWAY BETWEEN LYNN LANE
                            AND COUNTY LINE ROAD IN TULSA COUNTY ABOUT
                            230 AM. NUMEROUS TREES WERE DOWNED AS WELL
                            AS 5 POWER POLES NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF
                            111TH AND COUNTY LINE ROAD. THE TORNADO
                            MOVED NORTHEAST AND CROSSED COUNTY LINE
                            ROAD AT ABOUT 97 ST. MANY HOMES SUSTAINED
                            SOME MINOR ROOF DAMAGE...WITH THE DAMAGE PATH
                            ABOUT 50 YARDS WIDE. A SMALL MOBILE HOME WAS
                            OVERTURNED NEAR 91ST AND JUST EAST OF COUNTY
                            LINE ROAD. THE TORNADO MOVED NORTHEAST INTO
                            WAGONER COUNTY AND PRODUCED STRUCTURAL
                            DAMAGE TO A GAS EQUIPMENT PLANT NEAR 81ST
                            AND SH51. AN OUTSIDE WALL WAS PUSHED 18 INCHES
                            I4NTO THE BUILDING. THE TOTAL LENGTH OF THE
                            TORNADOES PATH WAS ABOUTH 3 1/2 MILES LONG.
Special weather statement, May 11, 1:40 PM CDT, 4 hours 8 minutes before
OKZ026>034-040-121200-
EASTERN OKLAHOMA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
140 PM CDT MON MAY 11 1992

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT
IN EASTERN OKLAHOMA ALONG AND SOUTHWEST OF A LINE FROM THE KANSAS BORDER
NORTH OF BARTLESVILLE TO TULSA TO MUSKOGEE TO THE ARKANSAS LINE AT
FORT SMITH.  THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE
REMAINDER OF NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT.

THE MORNING THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ESTABLISHED A BOUNDARY FROM JUST SOUTH
OF FORT SMITH TO JUST SOUTH OF MCALESTER TO BETWEEN ARDMORE AND OKLAHOMA
CITY.  IN ADDITION A DRY LINE WAS ADVANCING INTO WESTERN OKLHAOMA.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOW RAPIDLY DEVELOPING NORTHWEST OF OKLAHOMA CITY
NEAR WHERE THE THUNDERSTORM BOUNDARY MEETS THE ADVANCING DRY LINE.  THESE
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO RAPIDLY BECOME SEVERE AND WILL
DEVELOP EASTWARD ALONG THE BOUNDARY INTO SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA.  OTHER
THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD SOON DEVELOP ALONG THE DRY LINE FROM NEAR MEDICINE
LODGE KANSAS SOUTHWARD INTO OKLAHOMA.  THESE STORMS TOO WILL QUICKLY
BECOME SEVERE.

THE ATMOSPHERE ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE THUNDERSTORM BOUNDARY HAS BECOME
EXTREMELY UNSTABLE WITH A FAVORABLE WIND PROFILE.  TORNADOES WILL BE
DEFINITE THREAT WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS AS THEY TRACK ALONG THE BOUNDARY
INTO SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...LARGE HAIL AND STRONG STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS WILL
ALSO ACCOMPANY THE STORMS.

THE ATMOSPHERE AHEAD OF THE DRY LINE IN NORTH-CENTRAL OKLAHOMA IS MODERATELY
UNSTABLE AND MAY DESTABILIZE FURTHER THIS AFTERNOON AS THE CLOUDS AHEAD OF
THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE BREAKING UP AND ALLOWING SOME SUNSHINE.  THE WIND
PROFILE ACROSS NORTHERN OKLAHOMA IS ALSO FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.
TORNADOES WILL BE A POSSIBILITY IN THE MODERATE RISK AREA OVER NORTHEAST
OKLAHOMA AS THE STORMS THAT FORM NEAR THE DRY LINE MOVE EASTWARD.

THE ATMOSPHERE IN THE SLIGHT RISK AREA REMAINS RAIN-COOLED AND STABLE AT EARLY
AFTERNOON.  THE PARTIAL CLEARING NOW OCCURRING AHEAD OF THE DRY LINE MAY
WORK INTO NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND ALLOW THE ATMOSPHERE TO
DESTABILIZE.  THIS...ALONG WITH THE FAVORABLE WIND PROFILE MAY RESULT IN ONE
OR TWO OF THE THUNDERSTORMS REMAINING SEVERE TONIGHT AS THEY TRACK INTO
THE SLIGHT RISK AREA.

THE UPPER-AIR SYSTEM THAT WAS OVER EXTREME SOUTHWEST KANSAS AT EARLY
AFTERNOON WAS SUPPORTING THE RAPID STORM DEVELOPMENT.  THIS SYSTEM
SHOULD BE EAST OF OKLAHOMA BY AROUND 1AM AND SHOULD DIMINISH THE SEVERE
WEATHER THREAT AT THAT TIME.

SPOTTERS IN THE MODERATE RISK AREA SHOULD BEGIN TO ACTIVATE NOW AS TORNADO
WATCHES ARE BEING POSTED.  SPOTTERS IN THE SLIGHT RISK AREA SHOULD
BE READY FOR ACTIVATION THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT.
Local storm report, May 11, 2:24 PM CDT, 3 hours 24 minutes before
STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA, OK
223 PM CDT MON MAY 11 1992

TIME(CDT)    COUNTY         REPORT

230-250 AM   TULSA AND      A WEAK (F0) TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR
             WAGONER        113TH ST SOUTH MIDWAY BETWEEN LYNN LANE
                            AND COUNTY LINE ROAD IN TULSA COUNTY ABOUT
                            230 AM. NUMEROUS TREES WERE DOWNED AS WELL
                            AS 5 POWER POLES NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF
                            101ST AND COUNTY LINE ROAD. THE TORNADO
                            MOVED NORTHEAST AND CROSSED COUNTY LINE
                            ROAD AT ABOUT 97 ST. MANY HOMES SUSTAINED
                            SOME MINOR ROOF DAMAGE...WITH THE DAMAGE PATH
                            ABOUT 50 YARDS WIDE. A SMALL MOBILE HOME WAS
                            OVERTURNED NEAR 91ST AND JUST EAST OF COUNTY
                            LINE ROAD. THE TORNADO MOVED NORTHEAST INTO
                            WAGONER COUNTY AND PRODUCED STRUCTURAL
                            DAMAGE TO A GAS EQUIPMENT PLANT NEAR 81ST
                            AND SH51. AN OUTSIDE WALL WAS PUSHED 18 INCHES
              $              INTO THE BUILDING. THE TOTAL LENGTH OF THE
                            TORNADOES PATH WAS ABOUTH 3 1/2 MILES LONG.

  ...THE POWER POLES WERE DOWN AT 101ST AND COUNTY LINE ROAD...
Local storm report, May 11, 5:03 PM CDT, 45 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA, OK
500 PM CDT MON MAY 11 1992

TIME(CDT)    COUNTY         REPORT

400 PM       PITTSBURG      TORNADO NEAR ASHLAND.

403 PM       PITTSBURG      TORNADO JUST WEST OF KIOWA.

412 PM       MCINTOSH       HAIL THE SIZE OF QUARTERS FELL IN
                            EUFAULA.

440 PM       PITTSBURG      TORNADO 7 MILES WEST OF HAILEYVILLE.

SURVEY OF TORNADOES WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED TUESDAY MORNING WITH BA
MORE DETAILED REPORT.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Tulsa, OK issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 11, 2:42 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAMcIntosh, Muskogee48 min
May 11, 3:30 AM CDTTornado WarningTSACherokee30 min
May 11, 3:48 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAAdair, Delaware27 min
May 11, 3:16 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAPittsburg44 min
May 11, 3:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAMcIntosh, Pittsburg38 min
May 11, 3:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAPittsburg45 min
May 11, 4:23 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAPittsburg67 min
May 11, 5:31 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSAMcIntosh, Pittsburg4 hr
May 11, 5:31 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSALeFlore, Sequoyah59 min
May 11, 5:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOsage63 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Oklahoma, 1992Every tornado warning in 1992Tornadoes 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.