Alert archive / Tennessee / Tornado Warnings in 1994

Tornado Warning 22, NWS Memphis, TN

June 26, 1994Gibson County, Obion County, Tennessee

NWS Memphis, TN issued this tornado warning at Jun 26, 1994, 4:28 PM CDT for Gibson County, Obion County, Tennessee. It was in force for 32 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 26, 1994, 4:28 PM CDT (21:28 UTC)
Expired
Jun 26, 1994, 5:00 PM CDT
In force
32 min
Issued by
NWS Memphis, TN
Area
Whole counties

Counties Gibson County, TN, Obion County, TN

The nearest sounding before it

Paducah/Barkley, KY (KPAH), launched 12:00Z, 9.5 hours before the alert went out and 104 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, Paducah/Barkley, KY at 12:00Z on 1994-06-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 7 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, Paducah/Barkley, KY at 12:00Z on 1994-06-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 381 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
7 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-39 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
830 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
48 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
381 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
340 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMEM 262129
TORMEM
TNC053-131-262200-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
428 PM CDT SUN JUN 26 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  500 PM CDT
FOR PERSONS IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...S...
 
IN WEST TENNESSEE
 
   ...GIBSON COUNTY...SOUTHERN OBION COUNTY
 
A TORNADO WAS REPORTED ON THE GROUND NEAR THE TOWN OF MASONHALL IN THE
SOUTHERN PART OF OBION COUNTY ALONG THE GIBSON COUNTY LINE. DOPPLER
WEATHER RADAR ALSO INDICATES THIS TO BE AN EXTREMELY SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
SO PERSONS IN THIS AREA NEED TO TAKE IMMEDIATE COVER.
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.

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, Jun 26, 1:04 PM CDT, 3 hours 24 minutes before
MSZ005-006-009-017-016-002-003-004-013-014-015-023-024-030-031-
033-261900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUPELO MS
104 PM CDT SUN JUN 26 1994

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 474 RE3MAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 300 PM CDT FOR A
LARGE PART OF NORTH MISSISSIPPI...

AT 1255 PM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN TUPELO INDICATED PATCHY
RAINSHOWERS 35 MILES NORTHEAST OF KOSCIUSKO...OVER NORTHERN KEMPER
COUNTY IN MISSSISSIPPIAND OVER LIVINGSTON AND BIRMINGHAM IN CENTRAL
ALABAMA.

THE RAINSHOWERS ARE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR AND HAVE BEEN
RAPIDLY DECREASING IN THE PAST HOUR.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS FOR LATER
STATEMENTS AND THE CHANGING OF THE STATUS OF WEATHER WATCH AREAS.

NNNN
Special weather statement, Jun 26, 1:04 PM CDT, 3 hours 24 minutes before
MSZ005-006-009-017-016-002-003-004-013-014-015-023-024-030-031-
033-261900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUPELO MS
104 PM CDT SUN JUN 26 1994

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 474 RE3MAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 300 PM CDT FOR A
LARGE PART OF NORTH MISSISSIPPI...

AT 1255 PM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN TUPELO INDICATED PATCHY
RAINSHOWERS 35 MILES NORTHEAST OF KOSCIUSKO...OVER NORTHERN KEMPER
COUNTY IN MISSSISSIPPIAND OVER LIVINGSTON AND BIRMINGHAM IN CENTRAL
ALABAMA.

THE RAINSHOWERS ARE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR AND HAVE BEEN
RAPIDLY DECREASING IN THE PAST HOUR.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS FOR LATER
STATEMENTS AND THE CHANGING OF THE STATUS OF WEATHER WATCH AREAS.

NNNN
Special weather statement, Jun 26, 1:12 PM CDT, 3 hours 16 minutes before
MSZ005-006-009-017-016-002-003-004-013-014-015-023-024-030-031-
033-261915-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUPELO MS
112 PM CDT SUN JUN 26 1994

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 474 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR ALL OF NORTH
MISSISSIPPI...

AT 1255 PM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN TUPELO INDICATED SOME
PATCHY RAINSHOWERS 35 MILES NORTHEAST OF KOSCIUSKO AND OVER NORTHERN
KEMPER COUNTY IN MISSISSIPPI. OTHER SHOWERS WERE ALSO NOTED OVER
LIVINGSTON AND BIRMINGHAM IN ALABAMA.

THE RAINSHOWERS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MILES AND HAVE BEEN RAPIDLY
DECREASING IN THE PAST HOUR.

NNNN
Special weather statement, Jun 26, 1:12 PM CDT, 3 hours 16 minutes before
MSZ005-006-009-017-016-002-003-004-013-014-015-023-024-030-031-
033-261915-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUPELO MS
112 PM CDT SUN JUN 26 1994

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 474 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR ALL OF NORTH
MISSISSIPPI...

AT 1255 PM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN TUPELO INDICATED SOME
PATCHY RAINSHOWERS 35 MILES NORTHEAST OF KOSCIUSKO AND OVER NORTHERN
KEMPER COUNTY IN MISSISSIPPI. OTHER SHOWERS WERE ALSO NOTED OVER
LIVINGSTON AND BIRMINGHAM IN ALABAMA.

THE RAINSHOWERS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MILES AND HAVE BEEN RAPIDLY
DECREASING IN THE PAST HOUR.

NNNN
Special weather statement, Jun 26, 3:32 PM CDT, 56 minutes before
TNZ001-002-003-004-019-020-021-022-048-049-050-052-088-262130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
332 PM CDT SUN JUN 26 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER NORTHWEST TENNESSEE...

THUNDERSTORMS STARTED BUILDING OVER THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF
TENNESSEE AGAIN AROUND 315 PM AND THREATEN TO BECOME BOTH
WIDESPREAD AND INTENSE DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON.

AT 325 PM DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR IN MEMPHIS WAS INDICATING THUNDERSTORMS
GROWING RAPIDLY OVER THE AREA FROM NEAR PARIS TENNESSEE WESTWARD THROUGH
THE DYERSBURG AREA TO NEAR TIPTONVILLE AND RIDGELY IN EXTREME NORTHWEST
TENNESSEE.

THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH AND WILL BRING
STRONG WIND GUSTS TO NORTHWEST TENNESSEE AS THEY MOVE THROUGH.  THE
STRONGER STORMS MAY BRING HAIL AS WELL.

VERY UNSTABLE AIR COVERS WEST TENNESSEE AND EAST ARKASAS THIS AFTERNOON.
AND, WINDS THROUGH A DEEP LAYER OF THE ATMOSPHERE ARE FAVORABLE FOR
EXPLOSIVE THUNDERSTORM GROWTH.  THE STRONGER STORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING MAY BECOME ESPECIALLY SEVERE WITH DESTRUCTIVE WIND AND LARGE
DAMAGING HAIL.

STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR UPDATES ON THE DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS.
Special weather statement, Jun 26, 3:34 PM CDT, 54 minutes before
TNZ001-002-003-004-019-020-021-022-048-049-050-052-088-262130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
332 PM CDT SUN JUN 26 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER NORTHWEST TENNESSEE...

THUNDERSTORMS STARTED BUILDING OVER THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF
TENNESSEE AGAIN AROUND 315 PM AND THREATEN TO BECOME BOTH
WIDESPREAD AND INTENSE DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON.

AT 325 PM DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR IN MEMPHIS WAS INDICATING THUNDERSTORMS
GROWING RAPIDLY OVER THE AREA FROM NEAR PARIS TENNESSEE WESTWARD THROUGH
THE DYERSBURG AREA TO NEAR TIPTONVILLE AND RIDGELY IN EXTREME NORTHWEST
TENNESSEE.

THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH AND WILL BRING
STRONG WIND GUSTS TO NORTHWEST TENNESSEE AS THEY MOVE THROUGH.  THE
STRONGER STORMS MAY BRING HAIL AS WELL.

VERY UNSTABLE AIR COVERS WEST TENNESSEE AND EAST ARKASAS THIS AFTERNOON.
AND, WINDS THROUGH A DEEP LAYER OF THE ATMOSPHERE ARE FAVORABLE FOR
E'XPLOSIVE THUNDERSTORM GROWTH.  THE STRONGER STORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING MAY BECOME ESPECIALLY SEVERE WITH DESTRUCTIVE WIND AND LARGE
DAMAGING HAIL.

STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR UPDATES ON THE DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Memphis, TN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 26, 7:54 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGTipton51 min
Jun 26, 8:16 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGFayette, Shelby44 min
Jun 26, 9:03 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGFayette42 min
Jun 26, 3:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGObion, Weakley50 min
Jun 26, 3:50 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGWeakley25 min
Jun 26, 3:55 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGObion35 min
Jun 26, 4:18 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGGibson27 min
Jun 26, 4:55 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGGibson35 min
Jun 26, 5:24 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGGibson66 min
Jun 26, 5:37 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGLauderdale38 min
Jun 26, 5:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGCarroll44 min
Jun 26, 5:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGHaywood52 min
Jun 26, 6:02 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGHaywood, Tipton28 min
Jun 26, 6:28 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGHaywood32 min
Jun 26, 6:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGChester, Madison41 min
Jun 26, 6:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGHenderson50 min
Jun 26, 6:52 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGFayette, Hardeman68 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Tennessee, 1994Every tornado warning in 1994Tornadoes in 1994

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.