Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 113, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

August 21, 1990Gaston County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 21, 1990, 5:09 PM EDT for Gaston County, North Carolina. It was in force for 66 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 21, 1990, 5:09 PM EDT (21:09 UTC)
Expired
Aug 21, 1990, 6:15 PM EDT
In force
66 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Whole counties

County Gaston 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 21, 5:40 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 0Gaston, 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, 9.2 hours before the alert went out and 145 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 1990-08-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 211 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 1990-08-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 118 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
211 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-130 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
550 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
12 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
118 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
153 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 KCLT 212112 COR
SVRCLT
NCC071-212215-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING ... CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
509 PM EDT TUE AUG 21 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLOTTE HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  615 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...

IN WEST NORTH CAROLINA
          ...GASTON

AT 5:05 PM EDT ... CHARLOTTE WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM OVER CENTRAL GASTON COUNTY OF NORTH CAROLINA. THIS SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST AND THE TOWNS OF
DALLAS AND GASTONIA AT ABOUT 5 MPH.

FREQUENT LIGHTNING ... HEAVY RAINS ... AND STRONG WINDS HAVE ALL BEEN
REPORTED WITH THIS STORM.  EVERYONE SHOULD SECURE ANY LOOSE ITEMS THAT
MAY BECOME AIRBORNE.


SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FzLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

CLARK

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 21, 12:55 PM EDT, 4 hours 14 minutes before
NCZ008-007-211900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
1255 PM EDT TUE AUG 21 1990

...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE TODAY OVER THE SOUTHERN
PIEDMONT AND NORTHERN FOOTHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA...

A COLD FRONT STALLED OVER THE SOUTHERN PIEDMONT TODAY WILL BE THE
FOCUS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT THE REGION THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. WARM AND QUITE UNSTABLE AIR ALONG THE FRONT
MAY CAUSE SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS TO BE SEVERE.

ANY STORMS THAT FORM THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE MOVING SLOWLY SO
LOCALIZED FLOODING IS POSSIBLE ON ROADS AND IN LOW LYING AREAS AND
ALSO NEAR STREAMS. BE ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS
AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER ON HIGHER GROUND IF NECESSARY.

REMEMBER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN PRODUCE 3/4 INCH HAIL OR LARGER AND
MAY BE ACCOMPANIED BY WINDS OF 58 MPH OR GREATER.

MONITOR TV...RADIO...OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST STATEMENTS
OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS. THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 245PM
IF CONDITIONS WARRANT.

STEWART
Special weather statement, Aug 21, 2:07 PM EDT, 3 hours 2 minutes before
NCZ009-010-011-012-212000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC
200 PM EDT TUE  AUG 21 1990

...VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...

AT 145 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS
DEVELOPING IN SECTIONS OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.  THE HEAVIEST STORMS
WERE LOCATED NEAR MARSHALL AND SPRUCE PINE.  THESE STORMS ARE MOVING
TOWARD THE EAST AT ABOUT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

OTHER STORMS ARE DEVELOPING AND MAY INTENSIFY REACHING SEVERE LIMITS
LATER THIS AFTERNOON PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS..
HAIL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE READY TO
REACT IF A STXORM APPROACHES OR IF A WARNING IS ISSUED.

STAY TUNED TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADIO FOR THE LATEST
STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS...FOR YOU WILL HEAR IT FIRST ON
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADIO.

SLUDER
Special weather statement, Aug 21, 2:45 PM EDT, 2 hours 24 minutes before
NCZ 007-009-010-011-012-013-220200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC
245 PM EDT TUE  AUG 21 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
NUMBER 667 FOR PARTS OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA EFFECTIVE
UNTIL 1000 PM EDT.

IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA THE WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
MCDOWELL...AVERY...BUNCOMBE...TRANSYLVANIA...JACKSON...ASHE...POLK...
MITCHELL...HAYWOOD...CHEROKEE...MACON...BURKE...RUTHERFORD...WATAUGA...
HENDERSON...CLAY...SWAIN...CALDWELL...YANCEY...MADISON AND GRAHAM.

REMEMBER...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AFE POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR THE WATCH
AREA...PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE READY TO REACT IF A WARNING IS ISSUED.

AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS AND OTHER SPOTTER GROUPS IN AND NEAR THE WATCH
AREA ARE REQUESTED TO RELAY STORM INFORMATION TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.

STAY TUNED TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADIO FOR THE LATEST
STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

SLUDER
Special weather statement, Aug 21, 3:12 PM EDT, 1 hour 57 minutes before
SCZ001>004-212010-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
310 PM EDT TUE AUG 21 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 1000 PM INCLUDES ALL UPSTATE
COUNTIES...
...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL LIKELY IN SOME AREAS...
AT 300 PM WEATHER RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER PARTS
OF THE UPSTATE.  THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE IN EXTREME EASTERN
GREENWOOD COUNTY AND IN NORTHERN SPARTANBURG COUNTY.  THERE WERE MANY
OTHER STORMS DEVELOPING QUICKLY OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA.

THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY REPORTS OF DAMAGING WINDS OR LARGE HAIL YET.
THAT WILL BECOME MORE LIKELY INTO THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
HOWEVER...THE STORMS WHICH HAVE DEVELOPED SO FAR HAVE SHOWN VIRTUALLY NO
MOVEMENT.  THAT MEANS LARGE AMOUNTS OF RAIN WILL BE RECEIVED IN A SHORT
TIME IN SOME COMMUNITIES.  LOCAL FLOODING PROBLEMS COULD OCCUR AS A
RESULT.  IF THE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT OCCURS OVER A FAIRLY LARGE
AREA...ADVISORIES AND EVEN WARNINGS FOR FLOODING COULD BECOME NECESSARY.

IN THE MEANTIME...MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT DRIVE INTO FLOODED AREAS WHICH
MAY DEVELOP.  PEOPLE SHOULD BE CAUTIOUS AS THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP OR
APPROACH.  THESE STORMS CAN BECOME SEVERE RAPIDLY AND PRODUCE DAMAGING
WINDS OR LARGE HAIL WITH LITTLE TIME FOR WARNING.

LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

JONES
Special weather statement, Aug 21, 3:45 PM EDT, 1 hour 24 minutes before
SCZ001>004-212045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
343 PM EDT TUE AUG 21 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 1000 PM INCLUDES ALL UPSTATE
COUNTIES...
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING CHESNEE FROM THE NORTHWEST...

AT 340 PM WEATHER RADAR SHOWED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING THE
CHESNEE AREA OF NORTHERN SPARTANBURG AND NORTHERN CHEROKEE COUNTIES.

SOME SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED FROM A LINE OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS IN THE ASHEVILLE AREA IN NORTH CAROLINA.  A PART OF THIS
LINE APPEARED TO BE DROPPING SOUTHEAST TOWARD THE UPSTATE.  WARNINGS
COULD BE REQUIRED SOON IN THE UPSTATE IF DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES.

LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENT S AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

JONES
Special weather statement, Aug 21, 4:48 PM EDT, 21 minutes before
NCZ008-181945-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
445 PM EDT TUE AUG 21 1990

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND
CENTRAL NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA.  THIS INCLUDES BUT IS NOT LIMITED
TO THE FOLLOWING NORTH CAROLINA COUNTIES ... CLEVELAND ... CATAWBA
... LINCOLN ... GASTON ... MECKLENBURG ... CABARRUS ... UNION ...
ANSON ... STANLY ... MONTGOMERY ... RICHMOND ... IREDELL ... AND
ROWAN.  IN SOUTH CAROLINA THIS WATCH INCLUDES ... BUT IS NOT LIMITED
TO ... CHEROKEE ... YORK ... CHESTER ... AND LANCASTER.

AT 4:35 PM EDT ... CHARLOTTE WEATHER RADAR SHOWED NUMEROUS SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS SCATTERED OVER THE MOUNTAINS ... PIEDMONT ... AND
SANDHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA AND OVER WESTERN SOUTH CAROLINA.
THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WERE OVER CENTRAL CLEVELAND AND
NORTHWESTERN GASTON COUNTIES OF NORTH CAROLINA.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS
WERE MOVING TOWARD THE SOUTH ABOUT 5 MPH.  THIS MOVEMENT WILL BRING
THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN INTO THE TOWNS OF GASTONIA AND KINGS
MOUNTAINS ... BOTH IN NORTH CAROLINA.

THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS WERE ALSO OVER ANSON COUNTY OF
NORTH CAROLINA.  THIS THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST
AND THE TOWN OF WADESBORO AT ABOUT 5 MPH.

MANY REPORTS OF HEAVY RAINS ... SMALL HAIL ... STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS
... AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING HAVE BEEN RECEIVED THIS AFTERNOON.
EVERYONE IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SECURE ANY
LOOSE OBJECTS THAT MIGHT BECOME AIRBORNE.

REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER TO YOUR LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT AND REQUEST
THEM TO RELAY THE INFORMATION TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

AT 3:18 PM EDT ... AN AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR NEAR THE TOWN OF
LONGVIEW IN SOUTHWESTERN CATAWBA COUNTY OF NORTH CAROLINA REPORTED
HAIL BETWEEN ONE QUARTER AND ONE HALF INCH.

AT 3:38 PM EDT ... AN AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR NEAR THE TOWN OF
DELLWOOD IN CLEVELAND COUNTY OF NORTH CAROLINA REPORTED HAIL BETWEEN
ONE QUARTER AND ONE HALF INCH.

AT 3:57 PM EDT ... AN AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR REPORTED HAIL BETWEEN
ONE QUARTER AND ONE HALF INCH FALLING NEAR THE TOWN OF FALLSTON IN
CLEVELAND COUNTY OF NORTH CAROLINA.

AT 3:59 PM EDT ... AN AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR 4 MILES NORTH OF THE
TOWN OF CHERRYVILLE IN LINCOLN COUNTY REPORTED HAIL FALLING BETWEEN
ONE QUARTER AND ONE HALF INCH AND WINDS ESTIMATED BETWEEN 39 AND 46
MPH.

THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE AROUND 645 PM EDT
... UNLESS WORSIENING WEATHER REQUIRES AN EARLIER ISSUANCE.

CLARK

The office that day

Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 21, 1:52 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMecklenburg38 min
Aug 21, 2:28 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPBurke, McDowell62 min
Aug 21, 2:40 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPStanly35 min
Aug 21, 2:49 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCherokee56 min
Aug 21, 2:56 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCatawba, Lincoln34 min
Aug 21, 3:20 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPBuncombe, Henderson55 min
Aug 21, 3:50 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCleveland40 min
Aug 21, 4:00 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPPolk60 min
Aug 21, 4:10 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMacon, Swain65 min
Aug 21, 4:14 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPBuncombe, Henderson3 hr
Aug 21, 4:14 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPBuncombe, Henderson61 min
Aug 21, 4:29 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPBurke, Polk, Rutherford3 hr
Aug 21, 4:29 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPHaywood, Transylvania3 hr
Aug 21, 4:29 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPCherokee3 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Carolina, 1990Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1990

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.