Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1986

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 73, NWS Raleigh, NC

August 10, 1986Pitt County, North Carolina

NWS Raleigh, NC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 10, 1986, 5:10 PM EDT for Pitt County, North Carolina. It was in force for 35 min. 1 report 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
Aug 10, 1986, 5:10 PM EDT (21:10 UTC)
Expired
Aug 10, 1986, 5:45 PM EDT
In force
35 min
Issued by
NWS Raleigh, NC
Area
Whole counties

County Pitt County, NC

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Aug 10, 5:30 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 0Pitt, NC

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. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Cape Hatteras, NC (KHAT), launched 12:00Z, 9.2 hours before the alert went out and 174 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, Cape Hatteras, NC at 12:00Z on 1986-08-10Temperature 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°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Cape Hatteras, NC at 12:00Z on 1986-08-10The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 39 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
NaN m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
16 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
39 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
50 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 KRDU 102111
SVRRDU
NCC147-102145-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM NC
510 PM EDT SUN AUG 10 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 545 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING
COUNTY OF

NORTH CAROLINA...PITT

AT 5 PM  A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS INDICATED BY RADAR NEAR
GREENVILLE. THIS THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING TO THE EAST NORTHEAST
AROUND 20 MILES AN HOUR.

PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD BE ALERT FOR LARGE HAIL...
DAMAGING WINDS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN.
REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.
THE SEVERE WEATHER WARNING THAT WAS ISSUED EARLIER FOR JOHNSTON
COUNTY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 530 PM.

 MES

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, Aug 10, 1:47 PM EDT, 3 hours 23 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
145 PM EDT SUN AUG 10 1986

...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING RAPIDLY OVER THE PIEDMONT...

AT 140 PM THIS AFTERNOON WEATHER RADAR INDICATED THE THUNDERSTORMS
WERE RAPIDLY DEVELOPING OVER THE PIEDMONT STRETCHING FROM NEAR
DURHAM THROUGH THE ASHEBORO AREA TO THE EAST OF CHARLOTTE.

ONE OF THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WAS JUST TO THE NORTHWEST OF
HENDERSON. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AROUND 20
MILES AN HOUR.

THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON.
SOME MAY CONTAIN LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND BE ACCOMPNAIED BY GUSTY WINDS.

LISTEN TO LOCAL RADIO..TV..OR WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATE:MENTS OR
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
MES
Special weather statement, Aug 10, 2:31 PM EDT, 2 hours 39 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
 233 PM EDT SUN AUG 10 1986

...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA...

AT 225 PM EDT... WEATHER RADAR SHOWED SEVERAL INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS
HAVING DEVELOPED IN THE PAST HOUR OVER CENTRAL EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

THE STRONGEST STORMS HAVE BEEN DETECTED OVER THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES..
WESTERN FRANKLIN.. EAST CENTRAL DURHAM.. NORTHWEST CHATHAM.. AND
SOUTHWEST MOORE.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST
AT ABOUT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS MAY EXPERIENCE INTENSE LIGHTNING..
LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN.. SUDDEN GUSTY WIND.. AND POSSIBLY SOME HAIL.  SEEK
SHELTER UNTIL TTHE STORM HAS PASSED.

LISTEN TO LOCAL RADIO..TV..OR WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

RFG
Special weather statement, Aug 10, 3:13 PM EDT, 1 hour 57 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
 312 PM EDT SUN AUG 10 1986

...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER CENTRAL EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA...

AT 305 PM EDT.. WEATHER RADAR SHOWED NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
OVER THE NORTHEAST PIEDMONT AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE SANDHILLS
AND NORTHERN COASTAL PLAIN.

THE MOST INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN DETECTED OVER CENTRAL WAKE..
SOUTHERN DURHAM.. SOUTHERN ORANGE.. NORTHERN VANCE.. AND CENTRAL PITT
COUNTIES.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT
20 TO 25 MILES AN HOUR.

IN WAKE COUNTY.. MARBLE-SIZED HAIL HAD BEEN REPORTED FROM ONE OF THE
STORMS AT 250 PM THIS AFTERNOON.

LISTEN T|O LOCAL RADIO..TV..OR WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

RFG
Special weather statement, Aug 10, 3:59 PM EDT, 1 hour 11 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
 355 PM EDT SUN AUG 10 1986

...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS RUMBLE ACROSS EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA...

AT 350 PM EDT... WEATHER RADAR SHOWED SEVERAL INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS
EXTENDING FROM SOUTHWEST DURHAM COUNTY..ACROSS NORTHERN WAKE COUNTY..
INTO CENTRAL FRANKLIN COUNTY.  OTHER INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN
NOTED OVER CENTRAL PITT COUNTY AND OVER SOUTHERN HARNETT AND CENTRAL
HOKE COUNTIES.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN MOVING TO THE EAST
NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

EARLIER REPORTS FROM THE CITY OF CARY IN WAKE COUNTY INDICATED MARBLE
SIZED HAIL AND WIND DAMAGE TO RAILROAD CROSSING GUARDS BETWEEN 245 AND
315 PM.  ALSO NUMEROUS POWER OUTAGES HAVE BEEN REPORTED OVER SOUTHERN
DURHAM COUNTY BECASUE OF STRONG GUSTY WIND BETWEEN 330 AND 340 PM.

LISTEN TO LOCAL RADIO..TV..OR WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

RFG
Special weather statement, Aug 10, 4:44 PM EDT, 26 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
 440 PM EDT SUN AUG 10 1986

...THUNDERSTORMS PERSIST OVER CENTRAL EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA...

AT 430 PM EDT.. WEATHER RADAR SHOWED SEVERAL INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS
EXTENDING FROM THE SANDHILLS.. NORTHERN SCOTLAND..HOKE AND CUMBERLAND
COUNTIES.. THROUGH THE CENTRAL COASTAL PLAIN.. JOHNSTON AND PITT
COUNTIES.. TO THE NORTHERN COASTAL PLAIN.. NASH COUNTY.  THESE
THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN TRACKING EAST NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR JOHNSTON COUNTY UNTIL
530 PM THIS AFTERNOON.

PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
SUDDEN STRONG WIND..INTENSE LIGHTNING AND THE POSSIBILITY OF HAIL.
ALSO.. VERY HEAVY RAIN COULD CAUSE HAZARDOUS DRIVING BECAUSE OF
SUDDEN REDUCED VISIBILITY AND PONDING OF WATER ON HIGHWAYS.

RFG

The office that day

Everything else NWS Raleigh, NC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 10, 4:27 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHJohnston63 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Carolina, 1986Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1986

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.