Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1997
Tornado Warning 26, NWS Lubbock, TX
NWS Lubbock, TX issued this tornado warning at May 28, 1997, 7:37 PM CDT for Lamb County, Texas. It was in force for 63 min. 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 28, 1997, 7:37 PM CDT (00:37 UTC)
- Expired
- May 28, 1997, 8:40 PM CDT
- In force
- 63 min
- Issued by
- NWS Lubbock, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
County Lamb County, TX
The radar
The Lubbock radar (KLBB), 68 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:39 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.
Open the radar archive at this moment
The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 28, 7:45 PM CDT | Hail 1.75 | Amherst, TX | |
| May 28, 8:20 PM CDT | Hail 1.75 | Littlefield, TX |
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.
The watch it was issued in
The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 28, 5:15 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 5 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Amarillo Airport, TX (KAMA), launched 00:00Z, 0.6 hours before the alert went out and 142 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
- 400 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -63 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1117 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 59 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 159 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 317 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.5
- Supercell composite
- 6.1
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
655 WFUS1 KLBB 290038 RRA TORLBB TXC279-290140- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 737 PM CDT WED MAY 28 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LUBBOCK TX HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 840 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN NORTHWESTERN TEXAS ...LAMB COUNTY AT 735 PM CDT...A POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS INDICATED BY LUBBOCK DOPPLER RADAR 9 MILES NORTH OF AMHERST MOVING SOUTH SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. THE FOLLOWING LOCATION IS IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO... AMHERST. DO NOT USE YOUR CAR TO TRY TO OUTRUN A TORNADO. CARS ARE EASILY TOSSED AROUND BY TORNADO WINDS. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...LEAVE THE CAR AND GO TO A STRONG BUILDING. IF NO STURDY STRUCTURE IS NEARBY...SEEK SAFETY IN A DITCH OR LOW SPOT. VALDEZ
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 28, 4:07 PM CDT, 3 hours 30 minutes before
TXZ030-282125- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 406 PM CDT WED MAY 28 1997 ...CANCEL THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR FLOYD COUNTY... THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER FLZOYD COUNTY DECREASED IN INTENSITY AS IT MOVED TO THE EAST.
Local storm report, May 28, 4:09 PM CDT, 3 hours 28 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
407 PM CDT WED MAY 28 1997
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0330 PM ` 2 N AIKEN TX .75 INCH HAIL
05/28/97 FLOYD STRIPPED TREES OF LEAVES
EOLSpecial weather statement, May 28, 5:19 PM CDT, 2 hours 18 minutes before
TXZ021>024-027>030-033>036-039>042-290025- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 519 PM CDT WED MAY 28 1997 ...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM FOR ALL OF THE SOUTH PLAINS AND PORTIONS OF THE EXTREME SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE... THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 10 PM FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN WEST TEXAS PARMER-CASTRO-SWISHER- BRISCOE-BAILEY-LAMB-HALE-FLOYD-COCHRAN-HOCKLEY-LUBBOCK-CROSBY- YOAKUM-TERRY-LYNN AND GARZA. SOME CITIES AND COMMUNITIES INCLUDED IN THE TORNADO WATCH INCLUDE LUBBOCK...PLAINVIEW...FRIONA...DIMMITT...TULIA...SILVERTON... MULESHOE...LITTLEFIELD...FLOYDADA...MORTON...LEVELLAND...CROSBYTON... DENVER CITY...BROWNFIELD...TAHOKA...AND POST. AN UNSTABLE AIRMASS IS IN PLACE OVER THE AREA. THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WIND AND ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL CONTINUE IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA THIS EVENING. REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA. IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT SEVERE WEATHER OR TORNADOES ARE IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. RESIDENTS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND REMAIN INFORMED THIS EVENING BY LISTENING TO YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL RADIO...COMMERCIAL OR CABLE TELEVISION FOR THE LASTEST WEATHER INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. EOS
Special weather statement, May 28, 5:20 PM CDT, 2 hours 17 minutes before
TXZ021>024-027>030-033>036-039>042-290025- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 519 PM CDT WED MAY 28 1997 ...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM FOR ALL OF THE SOUTH PLAINS AND PORTIONS OF THE EXTREME SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE... THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 10 PM FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN WEST TEXAS PARMER-CASTRO-SWISHER- BRISCOE-BAILEY-LAMB-HALE-FLOYD-COCHRAN-HOCKLEY-LUBBOCK-CROSBY- YOAKUM-TERRY-LYNN AND GARZA. SOME CITIES AND COMMUNITIES INCLUDED IN THE TORNADO WATCH INCLUDE LUBBOCK...PLAINVIEW...FRIONA...DIMMITT...TULIA...SILVERTON... MULESHOE...LITTLEFIELD...FLOYDADA...MORTON...LEVELLAND...CROSBYTON... DENVER CITY...BROWNFIELD...TAHOKA...AND POST. AN UNSTABLE AIRMASS IS IN PLACE OVER THE AREA. THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WIND AND ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL CONTINUE IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA THIS EVENING. REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA. IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT SEVERE WEATHER OR TORNADOES ARE IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. RESIDENTS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND REMAIN INFOfRMED THIS EVENING BY LISTENING TO YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL RADIO...COMMERCIAL OR CABLE TELEVISION FOR THE LASTEST WEATHER INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. EOS
Special weather statement, May 28, 5:25 PM CDT, 2 hours 12 minutes before
TXZ045>054-059>073-290300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND TX 524 PM CDT (424 PM MDT) WED MAY 28 1997 ...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR THE PERMIAN BASIN OF TEXAS AND LEA COUNTY IN NEW MEXICO THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN WEST TEXAS...GAINES-DAWSON-BORDEN- ANDREWS-MARTIN-HOWARD-LOVING-WINKLER-ECTOR-MIDLAND-GLASSCOCK... AND FOR LEA COUNTY IN NEW MEXICO. SOME CITIES AND COMMUNITIES INCLUDED IN THE TORNADO WATCH INCLUDE MIDLAND...ODESSA...HOBBS...LOVINGTON...LAMESA...SEMINOLE...ANDREWS BIG SPRING...WINK...AND KERMIT. AN UNSTABLE AIRMASS IS IN PLACE OVER THE AREA. THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WIND AND ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL CONTINUE IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA THIS EVENING. REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA. IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT SEVERE WEATHER OR TORNADOES ARE IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. RESIDENTS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND REMAIN INFORMED THIS EVENING BY LISTENING TO YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL RADIO...COMMERCIAL OR CABLE TELEVISION FOR THE LASTEST WEATHER INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 28, 5:29 PM CDT, 2 hours 8 minutes before
TXZ021>024-027>030-033>036-039>042-290025- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 529 PM CDT WED MAY 28 1997 ...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM FOR ALL OF THE SOUTH PLAINS AND PORTIONS OF THE EXTREME SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE... THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 10 PM FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN WEST TEXAS PARMER-CASTRO-SWISHER- BRISCOE-BAILEY-LAMB-HALE-FLOYD-COCHRAN-HOCKLEY-LUBBOCK-CROSBY- YOAKUM-TERRY-LYNN AND GARZA. SOME CITIES AND COMMUNITIES INCLUDED IN THE TORNADO WATCH INCLUDE LUBBOCK...PLAINVIEW...FRIONA...DIMMITT...TULIA...SILVERTON... MULESHOE...LITTLEFIELD...FLOYDADA...MORTON...LEVELLAND...CROSBYTON... DENVER CITY...BROWNFIELD...TAHOKA...AND POST. AN UNSTABLE AIRMASS IS IN PLACE OVER THE AREA. THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WIND AND ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL CONTINUE IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA THIS EVENING. REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA. IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT SEVERE WEATHER OR TORNADOES ARE IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. RESIDENTS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND REMAIN INFORMED THIS EVENING BY LISTENING TO YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL RADIO...COMMERCIAL OR CABLE TELEVISION FOR THE LASTEST WEATHER INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. EOS
The office that day
Everything else NWS Lubbock, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 28, 7:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LUB | Parmer | 60 min |
| May 28, 8:03 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LUB | Parmer | 47 min |
| May 28, 8:46 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LUB | Bailey | 44 min |
| May 28, 9:28 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LUB | Bailey | 62 min |
| May 28, 9:41 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LUB | Lamb | 64 min |
| May 28, 10:18 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LUB | Hockley | 47 min |
| May 28, 10:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LUB | Hockley | 50 min |
| May 29, 8:28 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LUB | Hale | 32 min |
| May 29, 9:34 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LUB | Floyd | 16 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Texas, 1997Every tornado warning in 1997Tornadoes in 1997
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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.