Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 1988
Tornado Warning 6, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at May 23, 1988, 8:27 PM EDT for Union County, North Carolina. It was in force for 33 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
- May 23, 1988, 8:27 PM EDT (00:27 UTC)
- Expired
- May 23, 1988, 9:00 PM EDT
- In force
- 33 min
- Issued by
- NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
- Area
- Whole counties
County Union 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 23, 9:10 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Union, 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
Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 00:00Z, 0.5 hours before the alert went out and 134 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
- 946 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -10 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1953 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 31 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 78 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 107 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 1.9
The text
The text of this product is not in the archive. The NWS text archive before 2002 is incomplete.
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 23, 6:15 PM EDT, 2 hours 12 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC 615 PM EDT MON MAY 23 1988 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR A LARGE PORTION OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND THE NORTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT. THE WATCH WILL BE IN EFFECT FROM 615 PM UNTIL MIDNIGHT AND INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF NORTH CAROLINA... CLEVELAND...CATAWBA...LINCOLN...GASTON...MECKLENBURG... IREDELL...ROWAN...CABARRUS...UNION...ANSON...STANLY...MONTGOMERY AND RICHMOND. IN SOUTH CAROLINA THE WATCH INCLUDES...CHROKEE...YORK...CHESTER AND LANCASTER COUNTIES. AT 615 THIS EVENING THE CHARLOTTE WEATHER RADAR DETECTED A THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS AND POSSIBLY HAIL MOVING INTO THE FOOTHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA ALONG THE COUNTYLINE OF SOUTHERN RUTHERFORD AND SOUTHWESTERN CLEVELAND COUTIES. SHOWERS WERE WIDESPREAD OVER THE MOUNTIANS OF NORTH CAROLINA AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER THE SOUTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY BE MOVING INTO THE NORTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT BETWEEN 800 AND 900 THIS EVENING. MOVEMENT OF THESE STORMS WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. THE NEXT STATEMENT WILSL BE ISSUED AROUND 700 PM. RNM
Local storm report, May 23, 6:31 PM EDT, 1 hour 56 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREER SC
630 PM EDT MON MAY 23 1988
524 PM EDT UNCONFIRMED TORNADO...CALLISON...GREENWOOD COUNTY.
545 PM EDT GOLFBALL HAIL WELLFORD...SPARTANBURG COUNTY.
555 PM EDT GOLFBALL HAIL COVERED GROUND...NEAR GREENWOOD.
615 PM EDT MANY POWER LINES DOWN FROM WIND...SOUTHERN GREENWOOD
COUNTY...MORE LARGE HAIL REPORTED.
WAJSpecial weather statement, May 23, 6:58 PM EDT, 1 hour 29 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC 700 PM EDT MON MAY 23 1988 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR A LARGE PORTION OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND THE NORTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT. THE WATCH WILL BE IN EFFECT FROM 615 PM UNTIL MIDNIGHT AND INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF NORTH CAROLINA... CLEVELAND...CATAWBA...LINCOLN...GASTON...MECKLENBURG... IREDELL...ROWAN...CABARRUS...UNION...ANSON...STANLY...MONTGOMERY AND RICHMOND. IN SOUTH CAROLINA THE WATCH INCLUDES...CHROKEE...YORK...CHESTER AND LANCASTER COUNTIES. AT 755 THIS EVENING THE CHARLOTTE WEATHER RADAR DETECTED A THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS OVER NORTH CENTRAL CLEVELAND COUNTY...ABOUT 15 MILES NORTH OF SHELBY MOVING TOWARDS THE NORTHEAST AROUND 40 MPH. ANOTHER THUNDERSTORM WAS ABOUT 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NEWTON IN EASTERN CATAWBA COUNTY MOVING NORTHEST AT 40 PH. THIS STORM WILL BE MOVING OVER NORTHERN LAKE NORMAN AROUND 715 THIS EVENING. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE WIDESPREAD OVER THE MOUNTIANS OF NORTH CAROLINA AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. THE MOST INTENSE THUNDERSTORM ON WEATHER RADAR WAS OBSERVED OVER YORK COUNTY OF SOUTH CAROLINA. THIS STORM WILL BE MOVING INTO THE VICINITY OF GASTONIA BEFORE 715 THIS EVENING. PERSONS WITHIN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF GASTONIA SHOULD BE ALERT FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED TO GO QUICKLY TO A PLACE OF SAF~ETY AT A MOMENTS NOTICE. THIS STORMS WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 800 PM. RNM
Special weather statement, May 23, 7:40 PM EDT, 47 minutes before
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC 745 PM EDT MON MAY 23 1988 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR LINCOLN COUNTY UNTIL 800 PM EDT... ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR A LARGE PORTION OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND THE NORTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT. THE WATCH WILL BE IN EFFECT FROM 615 PM UNTIL MIDNIGHT AND INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF NORTH CAROLINA... CLEVELAND...CATAWBA...LINCOLN...GASTON...MECKLENBURG... IREDELL...ROWAN...CABARRUS...UNION...ANSON...STANLY...MONTGOMERY AND RICHMOND. IN SOUTH CAROLINA THE WATCH INCLUDES...CHROKEE...YORK...CHESTER AND LANCASTER COUNTIES. AT 740 THIS EVENING THE CHARLOTTE WEATHER RADAR DETECTED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER EXTREME NORTHEASTERN LINCOLN COUNTY MOVING NORTHEAST AROUND 40 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL LAKE NORMAN BETWEEN 750 AND 815 THIS EVENING. THE NORTHEAST AROUND 40 MPH. OTHER HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS WERE IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF CHARLOTTE FROM DOUGLAS AIRPORT NORTHEAST TO I-29 MALLARD CREEK AND UNCC. THESE STORMS WERE ALSO MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE WIDESPREAD ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA AND ACROSS THE STATELINE INTO NORTH CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA. THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 800 PM. RNM
Special weather statement, May 23, 7:46 PM EDT, 41 minutes before
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC 745 PM EDT MON MAY 23 1988 ...CORRECTION FOR FIRST LINE TO CHANGE WATCH TO WARNING... ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR LINCOLN COUNTY UNTIL 800 PM EDT... ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR A LARGE PORTION OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND THE NORTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT. THE WATCH WILL BE IN EFFECT FROM 615 PM UNTIL MIDNIGHT AND INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF NORTH CAROLINA... CLEVELAND...CATAWBA...LINCOLN...GASTON...MECKLENBURG... IREDELL...ROWAN...CABARRUS...UNION...ANSON...STANLY...MONTGOMERY AND RICHMOND. IN SOUTH CAROLINA THE WATCH INCLUDES...CHROKEE...YORK...CHESTER AND LANCASTER COUNTIES. AT 740 THIS EVENING THE CHARLOTTE WEATHER RADAR DETECTED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER EXTREME NORTHEASTERN LINCOLN COUNTY MOVING NORTHEAST AROUND 40 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL LAKE NORMAN BETWEEN 750 AND 815 THIS EVENING. THE NORTHEAST AROUND 40 MPH. OTHER HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS WERE IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF CHARLOTTE FROM DOUGLAS AIRPORT NORTHEAST TO I-29 MALLARD CREEK AND UNCC. THESE STORMS WERE ALSO MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE WIDESPREAD ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA AND ACROSS THE STATELINE INTO NORTH CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA. THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 800 PM. RNM
Special weather statement, May 23, 8:00 PM EDT, 27 minutes before
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC 755 PM EDT MON MAY 23 1988 ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR LINCOLN COUNTY WAS CNACELLED AT 800 PM EDT... ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR A LARGE PORTION OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND THE NORTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT. THE WATCH WILL BE IN EFFECT FROM 615 PM UNTIL MIDNIGHT AND INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF NORTH CAROLINA... CLEVELAND...CATAWBA...LINCOLN...GASTON...MECKLENBURG... IREDELL...ROWAN...CABARRUS...UNION...ANSON...STANLY...MONTGOMERY AND RICHMOND. IN SOUTH CAROLINA THE WATCH INCLUDES...CHROKEE...YORK...CHESTER AND LANCASTER COUNTIES. AT 740 THIS EVENING THE CHARLOTTE WEATHER RADAR DETECTED NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE NORTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT. THESE STORMS WERE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINS AND OCCASIONAL HAIL. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL REPORTS OF FUNNEL CLOUDS FROM 730 TO 800 PM THIS EVENING. THESE REPORTS CAME FROM VARIOUS POINTS IN CABARRUS...GASTON AND MECKLENBURG COUNTIES. THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTS OF TORNADOES ON THE GROUND. THE MOST INTENSE STORM ON RADAR AT 755 WAS OVER NORTHERN LANCASTER COUNTY AND MOVING INTO UNION COUNTY OF NORTH CAROLINA. THIS STORM WILL BE CLOSELY MONITORED DURING THE EVENING. 1/2 HAIL WAS REPORTED WITH THIS STORM FROM AN AMATUER RADIO OPERATOR. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE WIDESPREAD ACROSS THE STATELINE INTO UPPER SOUTH CAROLINA. THEY WERE ALSO MOVING NORTHEAST AROUND 40 MPH. THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 830 PM. RNM
The office that day
Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 23, 8:21 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Union | 54 min |
| May 23, 9:18 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | GSP | Union | 27 min |
| May 24, 12:53 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Gaston | 37 min |
| May 24, 1:30 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Mecklenburg | 30 min |
| May 24, 3:01 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Mecklenburg | 29 min |
| May 24, 4:11 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | GSP | Union | 34 min |
| May 24, 2:14 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Union | 61 min |
| May 24, 2:54 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Greenwood, Laurens | 36 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in North Carolina, 1988Every tornado warning in 1988Tornadoes in 1988
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.