Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 1989

Flash Flood Warning 1, NWS Raleigh, NC

April 29, 1989Greene County, Pitt County, North Carolina

NWS Raleigh, NC issued this flash flood warning at Apr 29, 1989, 8:07 PM EDT for Greene County, Pitt County, North Carolina. It was in force for 68 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: Apr 29, 1989, 8:07 PM EDT (00:07 UTC)
Expired: Apr 29, 1989, 9:15 PM EDT
In force: 68 min
Issued by: NWS Raleigh, NC
Area: Whole counties

Counties Greene County, NC, Pitt County, NC

The radar

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

The nearest sounding before it

Cape Hatteras, NC (KHAT), launched 00:00Z, 0.1 hours before the alert went out and 186 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 759 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -36 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 753 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 139 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 228 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.3
Supercell composite: 2.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KRDU 300009
FFWRDU
NCC079-147-300115-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SMALL STREAM AND URBAN FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
807 PM EDT  APR 29 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RALEIGH HAS ISSUED A
SMALL STREAM AND URBAN FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  915 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
          ...GREENE...PITT
 
WEATHER RADAR HAS DETECTED NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS CROSSING GREENE AND
PITT COUNTIES DURING THE PAST 4 HOURS. REPEATED HEAVY RAINS FROM THE
STORMS ARE CAUSING RAPID RISES ON STREAMS AND CREEKS IN THE AREA. ALSO
URBAN AREAS ARE LIKELY TO BE EXPERIENCING DRAINAGE PROBLEMS WHERE
THUNDERSTORMS HAVE OCCURRED. A REPORT FROM FARMVILLE IN PITT COUNTY
INDICATED THREE INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN FROM THUNDERSTORMS SO FAR
THIS EVENING.
 
OTHER THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING INTO GREEN AND PITT COUNTIES FROM THE
SOUTHWEST AND ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVER THE AREA AT LEAST FOR ONE
ADDITIONAL HOUR THIS EVENING.
 
DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY.  THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO
CROSS SAFELY.  VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE
ABANDONED QUICKLY.  MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 29, 3:45 PM EDT, 4 hours 22 minutes before

STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
343 PM EDT SAT APR 29 1989

TIME           EVENT
 300 PM EDT    DIME SIZE HAIL NEAR LINDELL IN NORTHWEST PART
               OF GREENE COUNTY. OBSERVED BY SHERIFF'S DEPUTY AND
               REPORTED BY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.

JBM

Special weather statement, Apr 29, 4:29 PM EDT, 3 hours 38 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENSBORO NC
425 PM EDT SAT APR 29 1989

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR ALAMANCE COUNTY CANCELLED...
...VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS MOVING OUT OF THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT...

AT 420 PM VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING OUT OF THE NORTHWEST
PIEDMONT INTO THE NORTHEAST PIEDMONT. THE ONLY STORM THAT REMAINS IN THE
NORTHWEST PIEDMONT IS IN SOUTHEAST RANDOLPH COUNTY. MOVEMENT WAS TO
THE NORTHEAST AT 20 TO 25 MILES AN HOUR.

THE ONLY REPORTS RECEIVED SO FAR IN ALAMANCE COUNTY WERE HIGH WINDS
ALONG ROUTE 87 SOUTH AND VERY HEAVY RAINS.

PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THE STORM IN RANDOLPH COUNTY SHOULD KEEP WATCH
AND SEEK SHELTER IF THE STORM APPROACHES YOUR AREA.

GR

Special weather statement, Apr 29, 4:51 PM EDT, 3 hours 16 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
445 PM EDT SAT APR 29 1989

AT 440 PM WEATHER RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE CENTRAL AND
NORTHERN COASTAL PLAIN...PIEDMONT AND SAND HILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA.
THERE WERE FOUR AREAS OF STRONG STORMS.  IN THE NORTHERN COASTAL PLAIN
STRONG STORMS WERE IN A BAND FROM JUST EAST OF WINDSOR NORTH OF AHOSKIE.
ANOTHER AREA IN THE CENTRAL COASTAL PLAIN WAS BETWEEN GOLDSBORO KINSTON
FARMVILLE AND GREENVILLE.

IN THE SANDHILLS MORE STRONG STORMS WERE JUST SOUTHWEST OF SOUTHERN
PINES AND BETWEEN FORT BRAGG AND LILLINGTON.

IN THE NORTHEAST PIEDMONT STRONG STORMS WERE IN AN AREA FROM PITTSBORO
NORTHEAST THROUGH CHAPEL HILL DURHAM AND CREEDMOOR. MORE STORMS WERE IN
EASTERN WAKE COUNTY.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT AROUND 35 MPH. THESE STORMS
MAY PRODUCE HAIL AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS. FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY
HEAVY RAIN CAN OCCUR WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM. MOORE COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS
REPORTED MARBLE SIZE HAIL AT PINE BLUFF AT 435PM EDT. THREE QUARTER
INCH SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED AT THE KINSTON AIRPORT 346PM EDT.

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

HLW

Local storm report, Apr 29, 5:07 PM EDT, 3 hours before

STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  GREENSBORO NC
 505 PM EDT SAT APR 29 1989

ATTN SELS...
 TIME                       EVENT
BETWEEN 400 PM EDT          TREES DOWN IN EAST CENTRAL ALAMANCE COUNTY
AND 430 PM EDT              ONE LARGE ENOUGH TO DOWN POWER LINES AND
                            DAMAGE ROAD REPORTED BY ALAMANCE COUNTY
                            SHERIFF. REPORT RECEIVED AT 430 PM EDT.

GR

Special weather statement, Apr 29, 6:55 PM EDT, 1 hour 12 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENSBORO NC
655 PM EDT SAT APR 29 1989

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER WESTERN PART OF THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT...

AT 650 PM A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM SOUTHERN SURRY COUNTY
TO CENTRAL IREDELL COUNTY. A FEW OF THESE STORM CONTAIN VERY HEAVY
DOWNPOURS AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS. THE HEAVIEST STORMS WERE IN EASTERN
YADKIN AND CENTRAL IREDELL COUNTY JUST SOUTHWEST OF STATESVILLE.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES PER HOUR.

PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THE STORMS SHOULD KEEP WATCH
AND SEEK SHELTER IF THE STORM APPROACHES YOUR AREA.

GR

Local storm report, Apr 29, 7:14 PM EDT, 53 minutes before

STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
714 PM EDT SAT APR 29 1989

TIME           EVENT
 426 PM EDT    HAM OPERATOR REPORTED MARBLE SIZE HAIL AT HILLSBOROUGH.

 450 PM EDT    SOUTH OF GARNER(WILLIAMS CROSSROADS) STRONG WINDS
               ESTIMATED 50-60 MPH. UTILITY BUILDING BLOWN AWAY.

 500 PM EDT    MOTH BALL SIZE HAIL IN SCOTLAND NECK...EASTERN
               HALIFAX COUNTY. REPORTED BY COUNTY SHERIFF'S
               DEPARTMENT.

 504 PM EDT    11/2 INCH HAIL AT KINSTON AT FORESTRY SERVICE STATION.

 624 PM EDT    TORNADO REPORTED AT HAM'S CROSSROADS IN PITT COUNTY...
               THREE BUILDINGS DESTROYED...PACK HOUSE DESTROYED AND
               HOG FARM...NO INJURIES...TREES UPROOTED

 650 PM EDT    GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL IN AYDEN IN PITT COUNTY.

RA

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 29, 10:39 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Durham, Wake	36 min
Apr 30, 12:16 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Johnston	44 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in North Carolina, 1989 Every flash flood warning in 1989

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.