Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 1989
Tornado Warning 19, NWS Raleigh, NC
NWS Raleigh, NC issued this tornado warning at May 5, 1989, 7:37 PM EDT for Granville County, North Carolina. It was in force for 53 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 5, 1989, 7:37 PM EDT (23:37 UTC)
- Expired
- May 5, 1989, 8:30 PM EDT
- In force
- 53 min
- Issued by
- NWS Raleigh, NC
- Area
- Whole counties
County Granville 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 5, 8:05 PM EDT | Tornado F1 | Granville, 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 12:00Z, 11.6 hours before the alert went out and 115 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
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- NaN m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 33 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 213 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 239 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KRDU 052338
TORRDU
NCC077-060030-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
737 PM EDT FRI MAY 5 1989
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RALEIGH HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 830 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
...GRANVILLE
AT 730 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED THE TORNADO
IN THE EASERN PORTION OF THE CITY OF DURHAM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST
40 MPH.
THIS TORNADO WILL MOVE INTO THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF GRANVILLE COUNTY
BY 745 PM.
PEOPLE IN SOUTHERN GRANVILLE COUNTY SHOULD PREPARE TO TAKE COVER.
A TORNADO WARNING CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR DURHAM COUNTY UNTIL 8 PM.
TORNADOES IN THE SOUTH ARE HARD TO SEE BECAUSE OF RAIN...LOW
CLOUDS...AND TREES. TAKE COVER NOW...DO NOT TRY TO WAIT ON THE
STORM AND DO NOT TRY TO OUTRUN IT.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 5, 4:35 PM EDT, 3 hours 2 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENSBORO NC 435 PM EDT FRI MAY 5 1989 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA... AT 430 PM EDT THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH HEAVY DOWNPURS AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS. THE HEAVIEST STORM IS OVER NORTHERN IREDELL COUNTY. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES PER HOUR. s THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG WINDS..HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. STAY TUNED TO YOUR LOCAL RADIO..TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND/OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS. GR
Special weather statement, May 5, 5:15 PM EDT, 2 hours 22 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENSBORO NC 514 PM EDT FRI MAY 5 1989 ...TORNADO WATCH VALID UNTIL MIDNIGHT FOR THE ENTIRE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT ...NORTHERN FOOTHILLS AND THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA... AT 510 PM EDT THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS. THE HEAVIEST STORM IS OVER THE CITY OF GREENSBORO AND NORTHWEST IREDELL COUNTY OF THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR. THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG WINDS..HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. STAY TUNED TO YOUR LOCAL RADIO..TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND/OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS. GR
Special weather statement, May 5, 5:21 PM EDT, 2 hours 16 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC 521 PM EDT FRI MAY 5 1989 A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT FOR THE PIEDMONT AND SANDHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA. THE WATCH ALSO INCLUDES PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS...FOOTHILLS...AND COASTAL PLAIN. THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION. THE POSSIBILITY EXISTS THAT VERY DAMAGING TORNADOES WILL OCCUR IN NORTH CAROLINA. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE ALSO LIKELY. THE AIR OVER THE STATE IS VERY UNSTABLE. A SMALL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVING TOWARD THE STATE FROM THE SOUTHWEST WILL INCREASE THE CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER THIS EVENING. DAMAGE HAS ALREADY OCCURRED IN NORTH GEORGIA AS THE WEATHER SYSTEM MOVED THROUGH THAT AREA. LISTEN TO LOCAL RADIO..TV..OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS. ^ LGL
Local storm report, May 5, 5:44 PM EDT, 1 hour 53 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
540 PM EDT FRI MAY 05 1989
TIME EVENT
520 PM EDT HEAVY RAIN...HAIL...TREE DOWN...REPORTED AS A TORNADO.
NORTHERN CHAPEL HILL.
520 PM EDT EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER ORANGE COUNTY...DIME
SIZE HAIL NEW HOPE CHURCH ROAD OFF NC 86 NORTH OF
CHAPEL HILL.
540 PM EDT LARGE HAIL IN NORTHERN DURHAM COUNTY. SIZE OF PENNIES.
JBPSpecial weather statement, May 5, 7:07 PM EDT, 30 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENSBORO NC 700 PM EDT FRI MAY 5 1989 ...TORNADO WATCH VALID UNTIL MIDNIGHT FOR THE ENTIRE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT ...NORTHERN FOOTHILLS AND THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE NORTHERN FOOTHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA... AT 655 PM EDT WEATHER RADAR SHOWS A LARGE AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS OVER THE NORTHERN FOOTHILL COUNTY OF WILKES AND EXTENDS SOUTH OF HICKORY NORTH CAROLINA. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AROUND 45 MILES AN HOUR. THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG WINDS..HEAVY DOWNPOURS ...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND SOME FLOODING OF ROADWAYS AND LOW LYING AREAS. PERSON IN ALEXANDER COUNTY OF THE NORTHERN FOOTHILLS AND IREDELL COUNTY OF THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT CAN EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS AT AROUND 730 PM. REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER TO YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGEQNCY AND ADVISE THEM TO RELAY THE INFORMATION TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED WHEN CONDITIONS WARRANT. GR
Local storm report, May 5, 7:32 PM EDT, 5 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
728 PM EDT FRI MAY 05 1989
TIME EVENT
720 PM EDT POSSIBLE TORNADO...12 INCH DIAMETER TREES TWISTED OFF
ABOUT 30 FEET UP FROM THE GROUND. IN DURHAM COUNTY
ABOUT 3 MILES WEST OF THE INTERSECTION OF NC 54 AND
NC 55. POWER OUT.
JBPThe office that day
Everything else NWS Raleigh, NC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 5, 5:16 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Durham, Orange | 59 min |
| May 5, 5:56 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Moore | 49 min |
| May 5, 6:18 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Chatham | 42 min |
| May 5, 7:13 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Durham | 47 min |
| May 5, 7:31 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | RAH | Durham | 44 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in North Carolina, 1989Every tornado warning in 1989Tornadoes 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.