31ST ANNIVERSARY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY HAILSTORM

AUGUST 29 1990, THE MORNING WEATHER MAP INDICATED A COLD FRONT STRETCHING FROM CENTRAL MISSOURI TO CENTRAL OHIO, IT WAS MOVING RAPIDLY SOUTH INTO A VERY WARM AIRMASS. BY 2PM THE TEMPERATURE WAS 85 DEGREES IN CROSSVILLE, TOWERING THUNDERHEADS (CUMULONIMBUS) WERE RISING IN THE NORTH & NORTHWESTERN SKY. AT 2:30 RADAR WAS NOW SHOWING HEAVY STORMS BUILDING 30 MILES TO OUR NORTHWEST, MOVING QUICKLY SOUTHEAST. AT 3:04 A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING WAS ISSUED FOR CUMBERLAND COUNTY, THE MOST DAMAGING HAILSTORM ON RECORD IN CROSSVILLE WAS JUST 15 MINUTES AWAY!

AT 3:20 THE STORM SLAMMED INTO CROSSVILLE WITH GOLFBALL TO BASEBALL SIZED HAIL. IN LINARY AN EGG SIZED STONE LODGED IN A WATERMELON. WINDS GUSTED TO 66 MILES AN HOUR AT THE AIRPORT, DAMAGE WOULD INDICATE GUSTS TO AS MUCH AS 80 MILES AN HOUR MAY HAVE OCCURRED IN SOME AREAS. MANY TREES WERE UPROOTED ALONG THE STORM PATH. WIND & HAIL DAMAGE AS WELL AS FLOODING WAS REPORTED ALL OVER TOWN. AT ONE POINT, POWER WAS LOST TO THREE FOURTHS OF THE COUNTY.

THE STORM PATH WAS 32 MILES LONG AND 3 MILES WIDE ACROSS CUMBERLAND COUNTY. STORM CLOUD TOPS GREW TO 64 THOUSAND FEET, ALSO A RECORD FOR OUR COUNTY. 60 INJURIES WERE REPORTED, MOST MINOR FROM BROKEN GLASS. THE TEMPERATURE DROPPED FROM 85 TO 58 DEGREES IN LESS THAN AN HOUR, HAIL WAS LYING ON THE GROUND HOURS LATER.